These Trail Mix Cookies are a delightful snack for family and friends. They combine classic trail mix ingredients—sunflower seeds, dried cranberries, pecans—and, of course, chocolate—for a chewy, satisfying cookie.
I’m a chocolate fan, so I always include chocolate chips and mini M&M’s. The small candies add color and a bit of extra fun to each bite.
This recipe is adapted from a cookbook I recently received, The Perfect Cookie: Your Ultimate Guide to Foolproof Cookies, Brownies & Bars. The book is full of great cookie recipes and helpful baking tips. I like this version because it feels a bit healthier than many cookies, stays nicely chewy, and tastes great.
Ingredients
- Old-Fashioned Oats
- Whole Wheat Flour
- All-Purpose Flour
- Salt
- Ground Cinnamon
- Baking Soda
- Butter, melted and cooled
- Egg
- Vanilla Extract
- Brown Sugar – light or dark both work. To keep brown sugar soft, store it in an airtight container.
- Dried Cranberries or Raisins
- Unsalted Sunflower Seeds
- Finely Chopped Pecans
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips (or white chocolate, peanut butter, or yogurt chips)
- Mini M&M’s
You can swap or mix nuts and seeds as you like—peanuts, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, or golden raisins are all good options if your family prefers them.
*To measure brown sugar correctly, press it firmly into the measuring cup so it’s packed.
How to Make Trail Mix Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and position the rack in the center of the oven.
- Line baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the oats, whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, salt, cinnamon, and baking soda. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk the melted butter, egg, and vanilla until combined. Stir in the brown sugar until the mixture is smooth, scraping the bowl sides as needed.
- Add the dry oat mixture to the wet ingredients and stir just until combined—avoid overmixing.
- Fold in the dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, chopped pecans, chocolate chips, and mini M&M’s until evenly distributed.
- Use a medium cookie scoop or a heaping tablespoon to portion the dough. Roll each portion into a ball and place on the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Press a few extra chips or M&M’s on top if you like.
- Bake one sheet at a time for 12–14 minutes, rotating halfway through. Cookies are done when the edges are lightly browned; the centers may still look a little soft.
- Remove the sheet from the oven and let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes to finish setting.
- Enjoy warm with milk, or cool completely before storing.
Storage
Keep cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days or freeze them for longer storage.
Recipe Tip
If your cookies ever become a bit hard or stale, try this simple trick: place the cookies in an airtight container with a slice of bread. After a few hours the bread will harden and the cookies will soften, restoring a fresher texture.
Homemade Trail Mix
If you’d like a matching snack to keep on hand, mix your favorite nuts, seeds, dried fruit, and a few chocolate pieces for an easy homemade trail mix—perfect for hikes or school snacks.
Happy trails and happy baking!
Did you make this recipe? If so, please leave a comment and rating below. I love hearing from you.
Chewy Trail Mix Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup old fashioned oats
- ½ cup whole wheat flour
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ¼ cup unsalted sunflower seeds
- ¼ cup finely chopped pecans
- ¼ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ¼ cup mini M&M’s
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and place the rack in the middle position.
- Line baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment and set aside.
- Whisk oats, whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, salt, cinnamon, and baking soda in a bowl; set aside.
- Whisk melted butter, egg, vanilla, and brown sugar together until smooth, scraping the bowl sides.
- Stir in the oat mixture until just combined.
- Fold in cranberries, sunflower seeds, pecans, chocolate chips, and M&M’s.
- Scoop heaping tablespoons of dough, roll into balls, and place two inches apart on the prepared sheets.
- Bake one sheet at a time for 12–14 minutes, rotating halfway through. Edges should be lightly browned.
- Remove from oven and let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack or store as desired.
Nutrition information is approximate and should be used as a guideline.