Trail Mix Cookies
These trail mix cookies are chewy, crunchy, and have a hint of cinnamon while peanut butter candies satisfy those sweet tooth cravings.
Does it make me a bad mom that I waited until the kids were at their grandparents for the weekend before I made these cookies? It’s not that I didn’t want to share them. It’s just that homemade cookies are such a treat around here, that . . . okay, so may I didn’t want to share them right away.
These cookies were The Husband’s idea. Gosh, am I starting to rub off on him? He’s had some good ideas lately. A few weeks ago, we were snacking on a batch of my homemade trail mix, when he commented, “I wonder what this would taste like in a cookie?” Dear sweet husband, that is a fabulous idea!
How to Make Trail Mix Cookies
Because these strike me as a fall cookie, I went with an oatmeal cookie-type base. It was definitely the right decision. Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together your dry ingredients — flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set this aside.
Next, mix your wet ingredients. Cream softened, unsalted butter and sugar in a large bowl until mixture is airy and resembles wet sand. This should take about three minutes. Add two eggs, one a time. Make sure each egg is well incorporated before adding the next. Whisk in vanilla.
What’s the point of mixing the dry and wet ingredients separately?
It ensures your ingredients are mixed together properly. Dumping them all in a bowl at once can affect this. You could end up over mixing and end up with tough cookies.
Onward …
Reduce the mixer speed to low. Carefully add half the flour. Once the flour is well incorporated, add the rest. Finally, add in two cups of old fashioned oats and 2 1/2 cups of trail mix. If you are looking for a homemade trail mix recipe, I suggest trying my Reece’s Candy Trail Mix. However, you can use your favorite. Any brand will work.
Place about two tablespoons of cookie dough onto a greased cookie sheet, leaving about one inch of space between each cookie. Bake the cookies for about 12-15 minutes, until they are slightly brown. Allow cookies to cook for two minutes before removing to a baking rack to cool completely.
Yes, I did eventually share these with my kids. But only after The Husband and I savored the rare moment where we could enjoy our treats without little people clamoring all over us and demanding the very cookie we were about to put in our mouths (what is up with that? I don’t want a cookie, I want your cookie). Lots of layers going on here — the texture is chewy, my taste buds pick up just a hint of cinnamon, the seeds add some crunch, but the Reece’s candies satisfy a sweet tooth craving.
More Cookie Recipe Ideas:
Trail Mix Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon table salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 sticks unsalted butter 1/2 pound, room temperature
- 1 3/4 cups packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups old-fashioned oats
- 2 1/2 cups trail mix
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degree F.
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium mixing bowl. Set aside.
- Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl until mixture is airy and resembles wet sand, about three minutes. Add eggs, one a time. Make sure each egg is well incorporated before adding the next.
- Mix in the vanilla extract.
- Reduce the mixer speed to low. Gently add the flour in two parts, mixing thoroughly between each addition. Add remaining ingredients and continue to mix until they are evenly incorporated throughout.
- Place about two tablespoons of cookie dough onto a greased cookie sheet. Spread the cookies one inch apart. Bake cookies for about 12-15 minutes, until they are slightly brown. Allow cookies to cook for two minutes before removing to a baking rack to cool completely.