Cookies for breakfast is perfectly acceptable around here and this recipe for Thick & Chewy Trail Mix Breakfast Cookies makes it easy to do that! They are a healthy on-the-go breakfast option loaded with nutritious ingredients and sweetened with brown sugar and honey (they're still a cookie after all). You can decrease the sugar by 25% if you prefer and they will still be great, just a little less chewy. You can do a lot of things that I might not approve of like putting black beans in your brownies or adding sugar to tomato sauce, but eating cookies before noon is not one of them. Grab a glass of milk and go nuts! Though I've been known to eat every kind of cookie before lunch hour, this breakfast cookie recipe with its whole grains, nuts, seeds and dried fruit might help to give you a case if you need one.

You can see all of that greatness in each cookie. You'll notice there's almost half as much butter in this recipe compared to your typical cookie - another reason for you to make this your morning meal. We're sweetening with brown sugar and a bit of honey. That sounds like breakfast food to me! It actually makes the most efficient afternoon snack. I'm talking about near that 2 or 3 pm mark. I'll give you one guess how I know this…

WHY YOU WILL LOVE THIS RECIPE

Thick & chewy cookies - these cookies are chunky and hearty to satisfy you in the morning when it's time to break the fast. They have a wonderful chewy texture with crisp exterior.
Nuts and seeds - I use walnuts, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds to add healthy fats and protein.
Dried fruit - I like to use dried cranberries, raisins or chopped dried apricots. This recipe is very versatile!
Healthy (ish) cookies - I consider these to be on the healthier side, although it's still a cookie after all. You can reduce the brown sugar to ½ cup if you want. The texture will be just a bit less chewy, but it still works!
Chocolate chip cookies - I can't make a cookie without chocolate chips! I use extra dark chocolate here, and dark chocolate is full of antioxidants.

There are lots of yummy and nutritious ingredients jam-packed into these cookies. Here's how it goes down:

Nuts - I love walnuts for their buttery flavor. They are high in omega-3 fatty acids which are great for so many reasons. Feel free to substitute with roasted almonds or pecans.
Pumpkin seeds (aka. Pepitas) - you can use raw or roasted pumpkin seeds and they add a nice crunch and great flavor.
Rolled oats - full of soluble fiber and they make these cookies nice and chewy and so hearty!
Sunflower seeds - these have such a pleasant nutty taste and full of healthy fats as well.
Dark chocolate chips - I use 70% chocolate chips for a rich chocolate taste. You can use any kind you like.
Dried fruit - I use organic dried cranberries. Organic cranberries are dark in color because they have no sulfites added. Sulfites prevent the oxidation reactions which cause browning. I also love to use chopped dried apricots.
Brown sugar - just ⅔ cup will do the trick. It's enough to make this breakfast cookie recipe tasty band chewy. You can also reduce to ½ cup if you prefer.
Honey - not only is honey delicious, but it is the secret to keeping these cookies chewy! Don't leave it out.
Peanut butter - smooth cream regular peanut butter is best for this recipe.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

STEP 1. Combine butter and sugar. Beat the soft butter with brown sugar and honey until slightly fluffy.
STEP 2. Mix in egg and peanut butter. Beat in egg until well incorporated. Then, mix in peanut butter and vanilla.
STEP 3. Add oats. Mix in the oats so they are evenly coated.
STEP 4. Add the dry ingredients. Add flour, baking soda and salt to the butter mixture and mix until combined.
STEP 5. Add mix-ins. Add the nuts, seeds, dried fruit and chocolate chips, then fold them in gently.
STEP 6. Chill the dough for just 30 minutes while you preheat the oven.
STEP 7. Scoop large mounds of dough onto the prepared baking sheet and roll into balls for a smoother look. Bake for 12-14 minutes until golden around the edges and soft inside.

EXPERT BAKING TIPS

Use a mixer. The honey makes the mixture a bit sticky during the first step when you're creaming the butter and sugar so use a mixer to make easy work of it. Nonetheless, feel free to make this recipe by hand with a spatula and bowl. You don't need to use a mixer to make these great cookies, but it just helps!
Blend the oats into the wet ingredients first. This helps to hydrate them just a bit so that they actually bake into the cookies.
Make big cookies! These are supposed to satisfy you at breakfast, so don't skimp on the size. Use a big ice cream scoop to portion these cookies for even baking. The big size is also what contributes to their nice chewy texture.

RECIPE FAQ

How do I store these breakfast cookies?

You will enjoy these for at least a week if stored well in an airtight container. But the magic is that they freeze incredibly well so that you can pull one out on the run and by the time you get to work they'll be ready to eat.

The best thing about this recipe is how customizable it is!

use your favorite blend of nuts and seeds: go ahead and substitute equal proportions of your favorite nuts (pecans, cashews, pecans...) and seeds (pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, flax seeds)
use your favorite nut butter: peanut, almond and cashew butter all work well in this recipe
spice it up! Feel free to add up to 1 teaspoon of cinnamon or mixed spice to the dry ingredients
use some whole wheat flour! Replace half or all of the total flour in the recipe with whole wheat flour for a nutty flavor and extra nutrition.

If you like oat-based cookie recipes, check these out:

Gooey Almond Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars (gf, df option) Chewy Reese’s Peanut Butter White Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Cookies Ultimate Monster Cookies Thick White Chocolate Chunk Peanut Butter Oatmeal Raisin Cookies Dark Chocolate Cherry Coffee Oatmeal Cookies

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