Chewy Vegan Trail Mix Cookies: an easy recipe for vegan trail mix cookies that are delightfully chewy and packed with healthy fruits, nuts and seeds!
I have a dirty little secret. I used to have a recipe called Dark Chocolate Trail Mix Cookies on my site. (I also used to have more of a life.) Heehee! Like, you know, where having an old recipe on my site wasn’t the sordid highlight of my life.
The thing is though, that that trail mix cookie recipe had me torn up for ages! It was what one might call a controversial vegan trail mix cookies recipe. As in, some people loved it and some people hated it. It was easy, it was chewy, it was vegan. But it didn’t quite yield consistent results.
Forgive me. That was years ago on BB, back when I had a small handful of recipes that I didn’t test to death like I do now. Well, I was so torn about that trail mix cookies recipe because readers would literally write emails & love poems to me about how much they loved it. And some other folks would write me SOS notes about how their cookies didn’t turn out right.
So, I made the decision to take that trail mix cookie recipe down until I could test it much more thoroughly and bring back my findings.
But then a year passed. And then another. And then another (I think…).
And I decided to scrap the whole thing and create a whole new vegan trail mix cookie recipe. One that was easy. One that was chewy. And one that was consistently good. Every time.
By now, I’m older, wiser, and way less foolish about what recipes I choose to share, and how much I test them (let’s just say A LOT). This is the Beaming Baker you know and rely on. So, if you’re ready, I’m ready to share my delicious, beloved Easy Chewy Vegan Trail Mix Cookies recipe with you!
How to Make Trail Mix Cookies
Preheat
Before starting, make sure to preheat your oven to 350°F. That way, it’s ready to go when your cookie dough is ready. 😉 Grab a baking sheet and line with parchment paper.
Mix the Dry Ingredients
Add all the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Then, stir everything together until well mixed.
Whisk the Wet Ingredients
Now, add all of the wet ingredients to a medium mixing bowl and whisk together until well mixed.
Combine
Pour the wet mixture over the dry ingredients, then scrape the wet ingredient bowl dry so you don’t miss a drop. Use a spatula to combine wet and dry together until a tasty dough. Now, fold in your add-in ingredients.
Scoop
Using a cookie scoop, scoop and drop balls of trail mix cookie dough onto the prepared cookie sheet. Dot with optional topping, then flatten with a fork. Make sure to squish together any loose bits for a cohesive cookie.
Bake, Cool and Enjoy
Bake for about 13 minutes, then cool and enjoy the best vegan trail mix cookies!
🍪 Healthy Cookie Recipes For You: Healthy Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies • Healthy Vegan Cookie Dough Recipe • 4 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies
Tips for the Best Vegan Trail Mix Cookies
- Make sure to chop up your add-ins.
Add-ins are the best part of any cookie, IMO. But the worst part? The crumbliness. You can avoid that altogether by making sure your add-ins are chopped well—the biggest culprits are nuts and dried fruit. Chop thoroughly and bake the best trail mix cookies!
- Use your favorite nuts, seeds and chips.
Check out my guide below on how to customize your trail mix cookies. You can use your favorite nuts, seeds, nut butter and more!
- Squish the edges of your cookies together after flattening.
These trail mix cookies are deliciously packed with add-ins, but that means they’re a bit crumbly once flattened. Using your fingers, make sure to squish the dough back together! Once baked, your cookies will be deliciously chewy and hold together. 🙂
How to Customize Your Trail Mix Cookies
- Sub the Almond Butter: try using peanut butter, cashew butter or even pecan butter in these cookies. Try sunflower seeds butter or even homemade cashew butter.
- Sub the Vegan Chocolate Chips: use any kind of chocolate chips you’d like. Here are some of my faves: paleo | keto | allergy-friendly.
- Sub the Cranberries: you can use any dried fruit you like, just make sure to chopped the dried fruit into smaller pieces, as large ones will cause the cookies to become crumbly.
- Sub the Pumpkin Seeds: pumpkin seeds can be swapped for any type of seed that you’d like! I like using sunflower seeds on occasion. 😉
- Sub the Nuts: as long as your nuts are chopped, go ahead and use your favorite nuts (walnuts, almonds and pecans are a personal favorite). You can also sub these nuts for more seeds.
Chewy trail mix cookies that are easy to make, just so happen to be vegan, and made with healthy, whole ingredients.
Recommended Tools for the Best Chewy Trail Mix Cookies
- Medium Cookie Scoop: One of the most valuable tools in my vegan cookie making arsenal. It’s super easy to use, and allows me to create uniform cookie shapes in a fraction of the time it would take to scoop cookie dough manually. So useful!
- Unbleached Parchment Paper: I always line my baking sheets with this because it keeps the cookies from sticking, gives them wonderfully crispy bottoms, and makes it sooo easy to clean up afterwards. 😉
- My Favorite Prep Bowls: Okay, I seriously use these bowls all the time, in every recipe I make. Once you see how stress-free and easy it is to bake cookies when all your ingredients are pre-measured before you actually start mixing, you’ll never bake vegan cookies differently again. These bowls are the perfect size–not too small, not too big. Love ’em!
- Where to Buy Ingredients: Vegan Chocolate Chips | Gluten Free Rolled Oats | Coconut Sugar | Pure Maple Syrup | Ground Golden Flaxseed | Walnuts | Almonds | Pumpkin Seeds | Dried Cranberries | Pure Vanilla Extract
Are you ready to get your bake on? Let’s do this! I’ll grab the ground flaxseed, you grab your favorite add-ins! I seriously can’t wait to hear what you think of my vegan trail mix cookies recipe. Thankful that you’re here, sharing in these baking adventures with me. ‘Til the next one…
Sending you all my love and maybe even a dove, xo Demeter ❤️
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📸 Did you make this trail mix cookies recipe? Take a pic and share it on Instagram with the hashtag #beamingbaker & tag @beamingbaker. I’d love to see it! 📸
Tasty Cookie Recipes To Tempt You
- Simple Vegan Oatmeal Cookies – simple ‘n easy. Is there any better way? Delight in these warm ‘n cozy vegan cookies with deliciously chewy edges.
- Healthy Vegan No Bake Cookies – these nutrient-rich cookies come together in minutes & are perfect for on-the-go snacking.
- Healthy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Vegan Coconut Cookies – just 4 ingredients and so easy to make. One of my fave chewy vegan cookies!
- Healthy Breakfast Oatmeal Coconut Cookies
- Vegan Cinnamon Cookies
- Oat Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies (V, GF)
Chewy Vegan Trail Mix Cookies
- Total Time: 38 minutes
- Yield: 12-16 (mine made 14 cookies) 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Chewy Vegan Trail Mix Cookies: an easy recipe for vegan trail mix cookies that are delightfully chewy and packed with healthy fruits, nuts and seeds!
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 3 tablespoons oat flour
- 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
- ¼ cup unsalted, natural creamy almond butter
- 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons coconut sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Add-ins
- 3 tablespoons vegan chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons dried cranberries, chopped
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds
- 2 tablespoons nuts, finely chopped
Optional Toppings
- 2–3 tablespoons vegan chocolate chips, cranberries, seeds, nuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment or greased foil. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together all of the dry ingredients.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the wet ingredients.
- Pour the wet mixture over the dry mixture. Using a sturdy spatula, stir and fold until well mixed. Fold in Add-in ingredients.
- Using a small or medium cookie scoop, scoop and drop cookie dough balls onto the prepared baking sheet—spaced evenly apart. Optionally, dot cookies with Optional Toppings. Using a fork, flatten cookies to desired thickness. If cookies crumble at the edges a bit after flattening—use your fingers to squish the edges back together.
- Bake for 11-15 minutes. Mine took 13 minutes. Place baking sheet on a cooling rack, allowing cookies to firm up for about 15 minutes. Using a heatproof spatula, transfer cookies directly onto the cooling rack. Allow to cool for 1 hour. Storing instructions below. Enjoy!
Tasty Cookie Recipes To Tempt You
Equipment
Dried Cranberries (No Added Sugar)
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Notes
Where to Buy Ingredients: Vegan Chocolate Chips | Gluten Free Rolled Oats | Coconut Sugar | Ground Golden Flaxseed | Walnuts | Almonds | Pumpkin Seeds | No Added Sugar Dried Cranberries
Storing Instructions: Store cookies in an airtight container for 1-2 weeks.
Freezing Instructions: Store in a freezer-friendly, airtight container for up to 1-2 months. I like using these compostable freezer bags to store my cookies.
Recommended Tools: Medium Cookie Scoop or Small Cookie Scoop | Unbleached Parchment Paper | My Favorite Kitchen Timer | Glass Mixing Bowls
- Prep Time: 25 mins
- Cook Time: 13 mins
- Category: Dessert, Snacks
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: trail mix cookies, vegan trail mix cookies recipe
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These would make a great breakfast cookie or afternoon snack!
★★★★★
Exactly! They’re a very versatile cookie.
This is such an amazing cookie recipe! Everyone at my house loved it!
★★★★★
Awesome! Cookies ftw! 🙌
So many yummy flavors and textures. These are one of my favorites.
★★★
That’s just great to hear Krystle!
My kids couldn’t stop eating these cookies! They were so good and so easy to make. too!
★★★★★
Yay! Love knowing it was a hit with the little ones. 🙂
These cookies are rich and delicious. Perfect for our on the go breakfasts!
★★★★★
Yes! These are a great way to start the day.
YUMMY! These did not last long at our house! Everyone loved them!
★★★★★
So happy to hear it Beti!
mmm..these are the perfect sweet snack!! YUM!!
★★★★★
Woohoo! That’s wonderful to hear Katerina!
Hello! I just made these and love them1 I used natural peanut butter instead of almond butter (because its what I had) and oh my! They are right up my alley….a healthy treat to eat! Thank you! I took a look at your other cookie recipes and I will have to try them too. They look healthy and delicious as well. It’s so easy and delicious to eat healthy….why eat unhealthy?? 🙂
Woohoo!! I’m so happy to hear it, Cindy. 🙂 So true on what you said—and that just so happens to be my goal! Can’t wait to see what you try next. Happy baking!
These look delicious!! Is there a substitute for flax seeds? That’s the only missing ingredient. I have everything else.
I’m testing this recipe for friends who are driving to live out of state. I used this trail mixy bag from a Costco salad that I found in the fridge. For nuts, I used roasted cashews and reduced salt to 1/8 tsp since the cashews are already pretty salty. I have cashew butter from those nuts but pretty salty so I didn’t use. I used PB instead since that’s what I have and too lazy to make my own almond butter. I used my Kirkland brand semi-sweet chocolate chips. Another keeper recipe, Demeter! Thanks a million! ❤️
★★★★★
Oh, how exciting! Wish them the best for me. 🙂 As usual, it’s so interesting to hear all of your special touches. Thanks, Michelle!! Sending you big hugs. ❤️
Made this yesterday for friends this time I used homemade almond butter and coconut oil instead of canola. Just as good as the first time and got good reviews from the receivers! Thanks again and again, Demeter! ❤️
★★★★★
Oooh, I love that you got to use almond butter and coconut oil this time—and it was still a winner (whoop whoop!!). Thank YOU, Michelle, for always taking the time to let me know how my recipes turn out for you. Big hugs!! ❤️❤️
I think it’s worth noting that your recipes have made me a star baker! Thanks again, Demeter! Love your work! ❤️
★★★★★
That’s so WONDERFUL to hear!! 🥰🥰 You are absolutely a STAR baker!! Your comment seriously made my day. Sending you much love, Michelle. 🥰💜💜
Thanks for your kind words, Demeter! ❤️ Just finished making these again because I really wanted to try my NuttZo butter from Costco. It has an aftertaste to me but my cookie-tester AKA my 9 year old baby, gave the cookies a thumbs up and said they’re “delicious!” That’s a win! Thanks again, Demeter!! ❤️
★★★★★
Of course!! 💜 I always appreciate yours. 😊 Must’ve been so fun trying the Nuttzo butter! Hey, if it’s kiddo-approved, it’s a big, tasty winner, right? Hugs to you, Michelle!! ❤️❤️
It was so fun trying the NuttZo butter for sure since I have not been sure what to do with it. It’s a really big, tasty winner that my daughter approves since she is super picky with a capital P! Thank you again, Demeter! ♥️
★★★★★
Has anyone subbed peanut butter for the almond butter?
thanks in advance
Hi there! Almond butter will work just fine. 🙂 Let me know how it turns out for you!
I did! Don’t hesitate! Tastes wonderful with PB!
★★★★★
These have just become my favorite new cookies! Love the colors and the combinations of the ingredients. Thank you and greetings from the Bay Area! 😉
★★★★★
That’s so awesome to hear Guido! .
I love trail mix so putting it in cookie is genius!!! Creative and delicious looking as always, Demeter!
So kind of you to say! Thank you Ashlyn! .
Gave these a try yesterday – the flavour is outstanding! However, I seemed to have a lot of issues with shaping the cookies on the cookie sheet and they were very crumbly and would not stick together very well. Any suggestions on how I can get these cookies to look a little prettier and stick together?
★★★★
Hi Tyra, that might be due to a number of reasons: 1) add-ins were too large–did you make sure to finely chop up add-ins such as dried cranberries, dates, etc.? 2) Did you use homemade oat flour that was sifted to remove coarse bits? Homemade oat flour can be very mealy, and thus cause crumbly cookies. Also, make sure to fluff your flour before using and make sure not to pack it into the measuring cup. 3) Did you make any subs whatsoever? Even if it was one kind of flour for another, that can make a huge difference. Hope this helps! 🙂
Wow these cookies are perfect for my vegan best friend! Thanks!
★★★★★
Wow you are too sweet Allyson! What a lucky friend! .
Loving all the flavors in these cookies! What a healthy way to cure my sweet tooth!
★★★★★
Oh exactly Sara! It’s one of my faves. .
Our new favorite cookies! Love the add-in suggestions and it’s hard to stop at one!
★★★★★
I know! It’s so much fun to customize!
I have some recipes like that, too – some people rave about them and some people talk about how awful they are. These cookies, though, are wonderful and I love every single thing about them.
★★★★★
Aww thank you Amanda! . So happy to hear you enjoyed them. .
These cookies are just so adorable and delicious!!
Haha thanks Erin!
Just when I think I can’t love trail mix more… you put it in a cookie! I need to start baking!
LOL sounds like you gotta get to it! .
What a perfect snack. The whole family enjoys it!
★★★★★
Awesome! I’m so glad that your whole family loves these trail mix cookies! 🙂
These were outstanding!!! It was late last night, and I wanted something sweet, but not over the top, and this was the perfect bite!
★★★★★
Woohoo!!! It’s so awesome that you enjoyed my recipe, Ashley! Happy baking!
Thank you so much for going back and perfecting this recipe!! These cookies are filled with all good for you ingredients and will be perfect for our hiking snacks!
★★★★★
Aww you’re so welcome Pam! . Ooh these would be so wonderful on a nice long hike!
SPOILER ALERT! I’m eating these for breakfast! HA!
★★★★★
NICE!!!! Best spoiler alert ever!!
Oh, all these mix-ins sound delicious! I’m down for anything with chocolate chips, and I love how hearty they look.
★★★★★
Yess! They’re so amazingly tasty with all the yummy additions! .