Trail Mix Cookies

COOKIES! Who doesn’t love cookies? We LOVE cookies here, but we often save them for special occasions. Which is probably why we love them so much, since we associate them with special days. So when I asked the kids if they wanted to make cookies they wondered “For who?”. But, they weren’t too disappointed when I said it was for them. I won’t lie these cookies are on the healthier side, so I didn’t feel too bad letting them have a few here and there as they ask. Even right after breakfast! Or as a special treat if they eat dinner well. These cookies are sweet, nutty, and chewy! This is a very easy recipe which makes it a fun baking time with the kids.

My kids are obsessed with trail mix. In fact, it is the number one snack they choose to get every day. They love the salty nuts and dried fruits, and when I am feeling spunky the hidden chocolate bits in the mix. I figured why not make a cookie out of their favorite snack. I love that this recipe has a little extra protein in it from the oatmeal, almond butter, and nuts in the trail mix. The only special prep I had to do was chop up a cup of trail mix I had on hand so that the chunks weren’t too big. The trail mix I had on already had loads of mixed nuts, raisins, cherries, and some mixed chocolate bits.

To streamline the production and allow all of the kids an equal chance to assist I pre-measured the ingredients and set them aside so we could take turns pouring in ingredients and mixing. We started with pouring the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, coconut, and oats into a large mixing bowl and then mixing. Then mix in the sugars to the dry ingredients. Next, combine all liquid ingredients (mashed banana, melted coconut oil, honey, vanilla, and almond butter) and then mix into the dry ingredients. Once thoroughly mixed then you add the trail mix, cranberries, and mini chips.

When all of the ingredients are mixed you can scoop tablespoon sized portion from the batter and place ½ inch apart on a large cookie sheet. If you want you could roll into balls, but I don’t find that to be necessary. If some of the ingredients slip away from the cookie when I scoop it onto the pan I just press it into the cookie. These cookies bake between 12-15 minutes at 350 º. They should be lightly golden on the outside.

Trust me as soon as these cookies cool just a bit the little ones and big ones are ready to dig in! We love these fun cookies as an alternative to traditional oatmeal or chocolate chip cookies because the nuts add a good bit of crunch to the chewy cookies. Since the kids do love the opportunity to help in the kitchen this is a great recipe for them to be 100% involved in. There are no raw eggs in these cookies which makes me feel a little better when the swipe bites of the raw dough. As we all know they always do.

Making cookies is always a great fun way to spend time with your little ones and eating them fresh from the oven after they helped always excites them!

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Trail Mix Cookies (VEGAN)

Makes Approximately 48 Cookies

Prep time 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Flour

• 3 tsp Baking Powder

• 1/2 tsp Salt

• 1/2 tsp Cinnamon

• 2 1/2 cups Old Fashioned Oats

• 1/2 cup Brown Sugar

• 1/2 cup Sugar

• 1 cup Shredded Coconut

• 1/2 cup Almond or Peanut Butter

• 1/2 cup Coconut Oil (melted)

• 2 Bananas (mashed)

• 1 tbsp Vanilla

• 2 tbsp Honey

• 1/2 cup Mini Chips

• 1/2 cup Dried Cranberries

• 1 cup Trail Mix (chopped)

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1. Preheat oven to 350º F

2. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, coconut, and oats into a large mixing bowl

3. Add Sugar and Brown Sugar to the dry ingredients.

4. Combine all liquid ingredients (mashed banana, melted coconut oil, honey, vanilla, and almond butter) and then mix into the dry ingredients.

5. Add the trail mix, cranberries, and mini chips to the mixture

6. scoop tablespoon sized portion from the batter and place ½ inch apart on a large cookie sheet

7. Bake for 12-15 minutes until lightly golden on the outside.