Trail Mix Cookies

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5 from 1 votes
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These trail mix cookies are soft and chewy and come together in 10 minutes. They are so easy to customize and taste delicious.  

trail mix cookies.

If you love trail mix but want to change up your snacking game, then trail mix cookies are your answer. These no-bake cookies are a way to have your favorite snacks with you in a more convenient form. 

Shaped like a cookie, these snacks are what you would get if a trail mix and granola bars had a baby. They contain wholesome ingredients that satisfy your cravings with just a few bites. 

Table of Contents
  1. Why you’ll love this recipe
  2. Ingredients (and substitutions)
  3. How to make trail mix cookies
  4. Recipe tips and variations
  5. Storage instructions
  6. More easy no bake cookie recipes to try
  7. Frequently asked questions
  8. Trail Mix Cookies (Recipe Card)

Why you’ll love this recipe

  • It’s everything you crave in a snack. These cookies are sweet and chewy with crunchy add-ins. It has all the flavors and textures to keep you satisfied.
  • You don’t get picky. If you are the kind of person who tries to have a balanced trail mix but ends up eating only one or two components, these cookies are the solution. 
  • It’s customizable. You can use any nuts, seeds, and dried fruits you like. You can also make these cookies nut or sugar-free by swapping the nut butter for seed butter and using a sugar-free sweetener of your choice. 
  • Zero baking required. This is the kind of cookie you can make on a whim.

Ingredients (and substitutions)

Wholesome and simple ingredients form the foundation of these cookies. Here is everything you will need:

  • Oats. Use rolled oats for the best texture. They are high in fiber and make these cookies more filling. Quick oats will also work.
  • Almond butter. Unsweetened almond butter is a good source of healthy fats, which is exactly what you need for a snack. Choose creamy almond butter which makes things so much easier to mix together. You can also replace it with any nut or seed butter, like peanut butter, tahini, or sunflower seed butter.
  • Sweetener. Brown rice syrup is my sweetener of choice for these cookies. You can use any syrup you like, including honey and maple syrup.  
  • Chia seeds. We all know by now how healthy these tiny black seeds are. So why not throw them into the mix for some textural goodness and health benefits? 
  • Cinnamon. I love pairing cinnamon with oats and nut butter. If are not a big fan of this spice, just skip it. 
  • Sea salt. A pinch of salt added to the mix enhances all flavors in the cookies. 
  • Trail mix. Last but not least, use a trail mix of your choice. Any mix with nuts, seeds, and dried fruit will work. You can even add some chocolate chips.

How to make trail mix cookies

Everyone loves an easy three-step recipe. Here’s how you make these no-bake healthy cookies. 

Step 1 – Mix the dry ingredients. Add the rolled oats to a large mixing bowl along with the chia seeds, cinnamon, and sea salt. You can also add the trail mix and set this mixture aside. 

Step 2 – Melt the almond butter. Melt the almond butter and brown rice syrup in the microwave. Pour this mixture over the dry ingredients and mix well. 

Step 3 – Shape the cookies . Shape small balls and set them on a tray lined with parchment paper. Use an ice cream scoop for consistency. Press the balls into a cookie shape and refrigerate until firm. 

Recipe tips and variations

  • Chop the nuts and the dried fruits in your trail mix to be able to distribute them evenly in the cookie mix. The cookies will also hold much better if there aren’t any whole nuts and big dried fruits in them. 
  • Toast the nuts before adding them to the cookie mix for an enhanced nutty flavor. Toasting also makes the nuts crunchier. 
  • If you enjoy snack bars, press the cookie mixture into a pan and refrigerate until firm. Then slice into bars, wrap the bars with parchment paper, and have your snack with you wherever you go. 
  • For a salty-sweet flavor combination, add pretzel pieces into the mix or use salty nut butter.

Storage instructions

To store. Stored in an airtight container, the cookies will last around 4 days at room temperature and up to a week in the fridge. 

To freeze. The cookies will last for up to 3 months in the freeze. For the best results, wrap each cookie with food wrap and freeze them in an airtight container or bag. 

cookies with trail mix.

Frequently asked questions

Can I bake these? 

Technically, you could bake these cookies. But the texture of these cookies is much better when they are not baked. If you plan to bake these cookies, it is a good idea to add an egg and a teaspoon of baking soda to the mix. 

Why do my trail mix cookies crumble?

If your no-bake cookies are falling apart, you may have not added enough nut butter or syrup to the cookie mixture. 

What is usually in a trail mix?

Nuts, dried fruits, seeds, popcorn, pretzels, various chips, granola, chocolate chips and small chocolate candies like M&M’s can be used in a trail mix. For this recipe, a mix of nuts, seeds, and dried fruits is a combination you can’t go wrong with. 

trail mix cookies recipe.

Trail Mix Cookies

5 from 1 vote
These trail mix cookies are soft and chewy and come together in 10 minutes. They are so easy to customize and taste delicious.  
Servings: 12 cookies
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 5 minutes
Total: 10 minutes

Ingredients  

Instructions 

  • Line a large plate greaseproof paper and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, add the rolled oats, cinnamon, and sea salt and set aside.
  • In a microwave safe bowl or stovetop, melt the almond butter with the brown rice syrup until combined. Pour the liquid mixture into the dry and mix well until fully incorporated. Add your trail mix of choice and mix until fully incorporated. 
  • Using your hands, form into small, golf ball sized balls and place on the lined plate. Press each ball into a cookie shape and refrigerate until fim. 

Notes

TO STORE. Stored in an airtight container, the cookies will last around 4 days at room temperature and up to a week in the fridge. 
TO FREEZE. The cookies will last for up to 3 months in the freeze. For the best results, wrap each cookie with food wrap and freeze them in an airtight container or bag. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookieCalories: 140kcalCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 4gFat: 6gSodium: 71mgPotassium: 93mgFiber: 3gSugar: 17gVitamin A: 11IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 69mgIron: 2mgNET CARBS: 17g
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Author: Arman Liew
Tried this recipe?Give us a shout at @thebigmansworld or tag #thebigmansworld!

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. I may earn a small commission for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial, and/or link to any products or services from this website.

Arman Liew

I’m a two time cookbook author, photographer, and writer, and passionate about creating easy and healthier recipes. I believe you don’t need to be experienced in the kitchen to make good food using simple ingredients that most importantly, taste delicious.

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Comments

  1. I’m so glad I stumbled on this! My daughter has been Vegan for a little over a year now and I’m always searching for great recipes for her. I’ve started a binder with printed meals, snacks and desserts, and now this one will go in there as well! Thank you! I look forward to more recipes!

  2. If I were to bake these, do you think that would work? I want to try to take these backpacking! Thanks!

  3. I like how fast these cookies come together, and the variety of ingredients. These would be awesome with added coconut flakes! And, I have used the sugar free maple syrup on almond flour pancakes — so good!

  4. You are a really great recipe writer. I love how you give so many alternatives and variations. I will be trying these for sure…and now I’m confident I can do it my “own way”. Thanks!

  5. Using trail mix this way would at least help make sure I don’t just eat all the chocolate and leave the rest!

  6. Love these cookies, mate! I’m a huge fan of sunflower seeds, and I try to incorporate them whenever I can into salads and such. But I’ve never thought about making a trail mix cookie. This needs to happen like yesterday! Because if this actually happened yesterday, then that means I would be eating these cookies today.

  7. I totally can NOT wait to try this! My husband and I are following the Eat Right 4 Your Type protocol for various health reasons, not to lose weight (but, hey, if we both lose a couple of pounds…bonus!) and I was SO excited to see these cookies because everything in them, or optional swaps, fits our Type O blood type. Perfect timing!! thanks for sharing!

    1. 😀 That is what I like to hear, Tammy! Oh wow, please let me know how the Eat Right style of eating goes for you both 🙂

    2. Soooo, I finally got around to making these cookies! I’ll tell you…they are delicious and VERY addicting! The only problem I had was the mixture being extremely sticky (I added a tad bit of water hoping it would help, but it didn’t), so I was unable to roll them into balls (I even spray my hands with cooking spray!). However, I persevered!! I lined an 8″ x 8″ glass dish with parchment paper, sprayed it just a little, with cooking spray, and dumped everything in, pressed down firmly all over the place, and popped into the fridge. Voila! I can cut them to size (which may, or may NOT, be a good thing!) ~ worked out well and they are amazing!