Trail Mix Oatmeal Cookies

These loaded trail mix oatmeal cookies are sweet, salty and chewy. Grab your favorite trail mix and make these irresistible cookies ASAP!

You've never had anything quite like these freshly baked, soft and chewy trail mix oatmeal cookies.

In my newsletter this past Sunday I hinted at a funky recipe I’d be sharing this week. Guess what? This is it! 

This past summer we bought a HUGE box trail mix packets from Costco. Surprisingly we managed to eat all but a few. When I was cleaning out the pantry I tossed the stragglers in my baking bin and vowed to use them. When the craving for cookies struck, I broke them open, tossed them into the cookie dough and crossed my fingers that it would all work out in the end. Thankfully (and much to my surprise) it did! ?Everyone in our family gave these cookies two thumbs up… kiddos included! Something about this sweet and salty combo is completely irresistible. 

Skeptical? Try them for yourself and let me know. I think you may be surprised!

Trail mix is the sweet and salty star of these trail mix oatmeal cookies.

What trail mix should you use?

The star of these oatmeal cookies is of course, trail mix. Like I mentioned above, I used some of the little packets from Costco (obviously nothing fancy) and removed the almonds. In their place I added ¼ cup of semisweet chocolate chips. Feel free to use what you have or what fits your personal taste.

Making these cookies couldn’t be easier. Grab a few cookie sheets and line them with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set them aside and get mixing!

How to make trail mix oatmeal cookie dough:

    1. Start by creaming the butter and sugars together in the bowl of a stand mixer or with a hand mixer.
    2. Add the vanilla and egg, mix until combined.
    3. Whisk together the dry ingredients in a separate bowl, then combine with wet ingredients.
    4. Carefully fold in trail mix.

A measuring cup of old fashioned oats ready to be added to the trail mix oatmeal cookie dough.

Next you’ll want to chill the dough. This may not seem like a super important step, but I promise it plays a key role in the finished product.

Why chilling the dough is important:

  • It gives the oats time to absorb some of the fat before it solidifies.
  • Allowing the fat to solidify helps control the spread of the cookie.
  • The flavors intensify with time.
  • The cookie dough is easier to scoop.

A good 30 minutes in the refrigerator will do the job. While the dough is chilling you can preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Soft, chewy trail mix oatmeal cookies.

Once the dough is ready, grab a standard size cookie scoop (#40 or 1.5 tablespoons) and place on prepared sheets. You should get about 18 cookies. If you want to give the cookies a more finished look, I’d suggest reserving some of the trail mix or using additional trail mix to press on top of the balls of dough. 

Bake for 10-12 minutes. The edges will begin to brown and the tops with turn lightly golden in color. You DO NOT want to over-bake these cookies. They will still seem soft at the 14 minute mark, so please, please, please, take them out at the 12 minute mark at the very latest! Let the cookies rest on the sheets for 3 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

These cookies are best enjoyed warm with a tall glass of milk. Although if you ask my 5 year old, he’d say they’re just as delicious in a cold school lunch the following day! ?

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A pile of freshly baked trail mix oatmeal cookies.

Trail Mix Oatmeal Cookies Recipe

These loaded trail mix oatmeal cookies are sweet, salty and chewy. Grab your favorite trail mix and make these irresistible cookies ASAP!
5 from 6 votes
Pin Rate
Course: Cookies
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Additional Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 18 Cookies
Calories: 305kcal
Author: Andrea
Print Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1/2 c. unsalted butter - room temperature
  • 1/3 c. granulated sugar
  • 1/3 c. brown sugar
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 1/2 c. old fashioned oats
  • 1 c. all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1 1/4 c. trail mix - reserve 2 tbsp. to press on top, if desired

Instructions

  • Line one or two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats, set aside.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer, cream the butter and sugars together until pale, about 2 minutes.
  • Add the vanilla, then the egg, mix until combined.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, baking soda, and salt.
  • Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing just until a few streaks of flour remain. Using a spatula, fold in the trail mix by hand until evenly distributed.
  • Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • Using a standard size cookie scoop (#40 or 1.5 tablespoons), place balls of cold dough onto the prepared baking sheets. Press reserved trail mix on top, if desired.
  • Place in the oven and bake for 10-13 minutes, then remove and let cool on sheets for 3 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 305kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 73mg | Potassium: 195mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 180IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 2mg

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About the Author

Andrea

Hi I'm Andrea!

Hotelier turned Food Blogger to help make your life simple, one recipe at a time.

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Comments:

  1. 5 stars
    OMG, we really loved these cookies. They are hearty, delicious and amazing just out of the oven. We froze almost 2 dozen so we have cookies on demand. You really need to add this recipe to your favorite cookie list.