Trail Mix Cookies
By America's Test KitchenPublished on December 14, 2021
Yield
Makes 24
Ingredients
Before You Begin
Not all chocolate chips are vegan, so check ingredient lists carefully. Do not use quick or instant oats in this recipe.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Spread oats on rimmed baking sheet and bake until fragrant and lightly browned, about 10 minutes, stirring halfway through baking; let cool completely.
- Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in bowl. Whisk sugar, melted oil, water, almond butter, and vanilla together in large bowl until smooth. Using rubber spatula, stir flour mixture into oil mixture until just combined, then fold in toasted oats, chocolate chips, cranberries, pecans, and pepitas.
- Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour or up to 4 hours. (Dough can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours; let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before portioning.)
- Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Working with 3 tablespoons dough at a time, roll into balls and space them evenly on prepared sheets. Press dough to 2-inch width using bottom of dry measuring cup.
- Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until edges are light golden and have begun to set but centers are still soft, about 14 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking. Let cookies cool completely on sheet. Serve. (Cookies can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days.)
Yield
Makes 24Ingredients
Ingredients
Ingredients
Why This Recipe Works
Chock-full of oats, nuts, seeds, dried fruit, and chocolate chips, these cookies are perfect for tucking into your backpack for a hike, sneaking into a lunch box, or simply nibbling on for an afternoon or bedtime snack. To create them, we tweaked the test kitchen's classic recipe for chocolate chip cookies, removing the eggs (no substitute needed!) and using all brown sugar, which gave the cookies richer flavor and a softer center. We substituted part of the flour with toasted rolled oats, which added nuttiness and wholesome texture, and added almond butter to stand in for the toffee-like richness usually provided by butter. Letting the mixed dough rest for 1 to 4 hours at room temperature created a chewier cookie (which we preferred): The proteins and starches in the flour start breaking down and the sugar dissolves, hydrates, and later retains this moisture better during baking, preventing the cookie from becoming brittle. Then we turned to the mix-ins: We knew we wanted dried fruit, nuts, and seeds—trail mix classics—to add texture, crunch, and richness. Pepitas added nice pops of color and texture, and pecans added rich, sweet crunchiness. Sweetened dried cranberries gave us bites of tangy fruitiness, and chocolate chips were a must.
Before You Begin
Not all chocolate chips are vegan, so check ingredient lists carefully. Do not use quick or instant oats in this recipe.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Spread oats on rimmed baking sheet and bake until fragrant and lightly browned, about 10 minutes, stirring halfway through baking; let cool completely.
- Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in bowl. Whisk sugar, melted oil, water, almond butter, and vanilla together in large bowl until smooth. Using rubber spatula, stir flour mixture into oil mixture until just combined, then fold in toasted oats, chocolate chips, cranberries, pecans, and pepitas.
- Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour or up to 4 hours. (Dough can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours; let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before portioning.)
- Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Working with 3 tablespoons dough at a time, roll into balls and space them evenly on prepared sheets. Press dough to 2-inch width using bottom of dry measuring cup.
- Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until edges are light golden and have begun to set but centers are still soft, about 14 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking. Let cookies cool completely on sheet. Serve. (Cookies can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days.)
Gift This Recipe
Enjoyed this dish? Let others know by sharing it as a gift recipe.
Appears In
Keep Exploring
0 Comments