Sweet and Salty Trail Mix Cookies

These Trail Mix Cookies are a delicious dessert option that offer sweet, salty, and nutty flavors. Packed with chocolate candies, a variety of nuts, and dried fruit, you’ll love the sweet, crunchy, and chewy texture!

If you’ve had my monster cookies before, this cookie dough base is the same but with the addition of trail mix. I used a store bought mountain trail mix, but really any trail mix blend works well and makes these cookies versatile!

You can even make your own trail mix with your favorite nuts, dried fruits, candies, oats, etc. and make these cookies just how you like them. 🥳

And if dried fruits and nuts in a cookie just isn’t for you, be sure to check out my classic snickerdoodle cookies, chocolate chipless cookies, or my brown butter chocolate chunk cookies.

Why this recipe works

• Letting the cookie dough rest for just 20 minutes at room temperature will allow the flour to hydrate the dough and help us get a soft baked center and chewy cookie.
• Creaming the butter and sugars together with the peanut butter helps to aerate the butter and gives the cookies an overall yummy texture. 
• Just a touch of milk in the cookie dough batter helps keep these cookies moist and hydrates the starches in the flour.
• The recipe is highly customizable, and you can adjust the ingredients to suit your personal preferences and dietary needs.

• All-Purpose Flour: All Purpose Flour provides a delicious texture and gives the cookies the perfect chewiness you love. I have not tested this recipe with other flours yet. If you do, please be sure to drop a comment in the comment section below to help other readers!
• Unsalted Butter: The biggest benefit of unsalted butter lets you control the overall flavor of your cookies, plus you get the pure sweet flavor of butter in the cookies.
• Brown Sugar: I use light brown sugar, but you can easily substitute dark brown sugar.
• Granulated Sugar: granulated sugar adds to the crispiness of the cookie, and makes for a lighter colored cookie.
• Vanilla: Vanilla is a must in cookies, it adds a complex and subtle spice, and I always recommend using real vanilla extract.
• Egg & 1 egg yolk: The protein in eggs adds to a chewy texture, so adding an extra yolk, gives the cookie the extra chewiness that makes these cookies perfect.
• Milk: like I mentioned above, just a touch of milk in the cookie dough batter helps keep these cookies moist and hydrates the starches in the flour.

Step by Step Directions

For the full recipe instructions, scroll down to the bottom of the blog post to the recipe card.

1. Whisk together the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and set aside.
2. Cream the softened butter with sugars and peanut butter for 3-4 minutes or until light and fluffy. 
3. Add in the eggs and vanilla and mix again. Then gradually add in the dry ingredients.
4. Fold in the trail mix. Allow cookie dough to rest just 20 minutes at room temperature.
5. Bake and enjoy!

Expert Tips

• Press a few trail mix ingredients on top of the cookies prior to baking to give them a finishing look. 
• Be sure to preheat the oven for 20-30 minutes so the oven is at a stable temperature when you’re ready to pop your cookies in the oven. 
• Give your eggs a whisk before adding into the creamed butter/sugar/peanut butter mixture. Whisking the eggs, as opposed to adding them in whole, will help the creamed butter and sugar stay together. 
• Use a cookie scoop to keep your cookies uniform in shape and size.
• Chill the Dough: If you find your dough to be too sticky or soft to handle, you can chill it for about 30 minutes to an hour before baking. This can also help prevent the cookies from spreading too much during baking.
• Let Cookies Cool on the Baking Sheet: After removing the trail mix cookies from the oven, let them sit on the baking sheet for a few minutes. They’ll continue to bake slightly from the residual heat and will set up a bit more.
• Adjust for Altitude: while I don’t have much experience baking at higher altitudes, you may need to make adjustments to the recipe. You may need more liquid and less sugar in the recipe. Increasing the oven temperature by about 15-25°F can help to set the structure of the cookies before they over-expand and dry out. The cookies might need less time to bake at a higher altitude so start checking them a few minutes earlier than my recipe suggests.

Variations

• Fruity add-ins: Add raisins, dried cranberries, or chopped dried apricots for a fruity twist. Stir in some shredded coconut for added flavor and texture.
• Nuts: Swap peanut butter for a creamy almond butter, cashew butter, or sunflower seed butter for a nut-free version. If making you’re own trail mix, try using different nuts like chopped walnuts, pecans, or almonds.
• Tropical Trail Mix Cookies: Create a tropical twist by incorporating dried tropical fruits like pineapple, mango, or coconut flakes into your trail mix cookies. Pair these with macadamia nuts for an extra exotic flavor.
• White Chocolate Trail Mix Cookies: Replace traditional chocolate chips or M&Ms with white chocolate chips for a sweeter and creamier flavor profile.

Storage and Freezing

• Store these Trail Mix Cookies in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. 
• To freeze the cookie dough, scoop the dough into 2 Tbsp. balls and freeze in a single layer in an airtight container for up to 3 months. You can bake the frozen cookie dough from frozen, just add an extra minute or so to your bake time. Ovens vary. 
• Make Ahead: You can make the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 2–3 days. Allow to come to room temperature then continue to bake as directed.