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    Home » Sweets » Vegan Trail Mix Cookies

    Vegan Trail Mix Cookies

    Published: Jun 22, 2021 by Kaylie Grace · 6 Comments

    Jump to Recipe

    This post may contain affiliate links. Read the affiliate disclosure here. 

    Vegan trail mix cookies are loaded with chocolate chips, mixed nuts, and dried fruit! This dessert is a sweet and salty twist on classic chocolate chip cookies. The one bowl recipe is dairy-free, eggless, and can easily be made gluten-free. We’ll make a soft and sweet brown sugar cookie dough, then upgrade it with walnuts, almonds, cashews, dried blueberries and cherries. You can use your favorite fruit and nut mix, or make your own at home!

    a stack of vegan trail mix cookies sliced in half on a cooling rack surrounded by chocolate chips, mixed nuts, and fruit

    It’s time to put your trail mix to good use! Assorted nuts and fruit were not just made for long hikes, road trips, and midday snacking. When added to cookie dough, they create a unique twist on the classic chocolate chip cookies we all know and love.

    These vegan trail mix cookies are packed with flavor and texture. They have a soft and gooey interior, crispy exterior, and bits of crunchy nuts in every bite. If that’s not already enough, the tart berries contrast pockets of rich chocolate throughout. If you love the classic fruit + chocolate combo, you will adore this cookie recipe!

    These trail mix cookies are:

    • Vegan, dairy-free, and can be gluten-free
    • Loaded with chocolate chips, dried fruit, and mixed nuts
    • Sweet, salty, chocolatey, and fruity
    • Tender and gooey on the inside, but golden and crispy on the outside
    • Easy to make & ready in 30 minutes
    • A no chill cookie recipe that’s made with one bowl
    a pile of vegan trail mix cookies beside a bowl of mixed nuts and fruit

    What are fruit and nut cookies made of?

    Make these trail mix cookies with 10 simple ingredients, including the following:

    • Flour: All-purpose flour, also known as plain flour, is the primary ingredient. If you are following a gluten-free diet, use a gluten-free baking flour.
    • Vegan butter: Vegan butter from a tub (not buttery sticks) create the best results when it comes to baking vegan cookies.
    • Brown sugar: Brown sugar adds a delicious sweetness and moist texture. Do not substitute it with white sugar.
    • Mixed nuts and fruit: Choose any trail mix or medley of nuts and fruit. I recommend a mix that contains dried berries and various nuts (like walnuts, almonds, and cashews).
    • Chocolate chips: Chocolate chips add gooey pockets of melted chocolate throughout the cookies. Use your favorite vegan chocolate chips, whether they are dark, semisweet, or milk chocolate.
    • Almond milk: Almond milk is a great dairy-free alternative for vegan baked goods. You can also use another variety, like oat milk or cashew milk, if you wish.
    • Vanilla: A spoonful of vanilla extract adds a sweet and warm flavor.
    • Salt: A pinch of salt balances the sweetness from the brown sugar and tartness from the dried fruit.
    bowls of flour, trail mix, chocolate chips, brown sugar, vegan butter, almond milk, and vanilla extract on a serving board

    How to make chocolate chip cookies with nuts and berries

    For the full ingredients list and step-by-step instructions, scroll down to view the recipe card at the bottom of the page.

    First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

    Next, combine vegan butter and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl. Using a handheld electric mixer or a stand mixer, cream together until light and fluffy (about 1-2 minutes). Then, add the almond milk and vanilla extract. Cream together once more.

    vegan butter and brown sugar in a glass bowl
    a handheld electric mixer creaming butter and sugar together in a glass bowl

    Add all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking power, and salt. Mix together just until the flour is evenly incorporated.

    flour on top of wet cookie dough batter inside a glass bowl
    mixing vegan cookie dough in a glass bowl

    Then, toss in the chocolate chips and the mixed nuts and fruit. Stir together to combine.

    pouring chocolate chips, nuts, and dried fruit to a bowl of cookie dough
    mixing fruit and nut cookie dough in a glass bowl

    After, scoop the cookie dough into 10-12 balls and transfer to the baking sheet(s). For the best results, bake the cookies one sheet at a time on the middle rack in your oven.

    a metal scooper scooping trail mix cookie dough in a glass bowl
    three balls of vegan trail mix cookie dough

    Bake the trail mix cookies for 11-13 minutes, or until the edges are light golden brown. If you want soft and chewy cookies, they should look slightly underbaked and puffy.

    Remove cookies from the oven. Keep them on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes to cool. The cookies will continue to cook a bit further and depuff while cooling.

    a pile of vegan trail mix cookies on a cooling rack surrounded by bowls of chocolate chips, nuts, and dried fruit

    What can I do with extra trail mix?

    If you have ever purchased trail mix before, you may have wondered how to make good use of the leftovers. These fruit and nut cookies are a delicious way to use it all up! In addition to baking these mixed nut cookies, you can also use them in brownies, ice cream sundaes, popcorn, or as a healthy topping for oatmeal and smoothie bowls.

    What nuts are good in cookies?

    As the name suggests, this is not your average vegan chocolate chip cookie recipe. In addition to chocolate chips, the cookies are filled with nuts and berries.

    You can use a pre-made trail mix or any fruit and nut medley for this dessert. However, if you want to create your own blend, you may be wondering which nuts make the best pairing. Feel free to use any combination of the options below; I recommend using at least 3 types.

    The best nuts for chocolate chip cookies:

    • Walnuts
    • Almonds
    • Pecans
    • Cashews
    • Macadamia nuts
    • Hazelnuts
    • Peanuts
    a stack of vegan trail mix cookies with chocolate chips, mixed nuts, and dried fruit

    Recipe variations

    What fruit and nut mix to use: I used the Cherry Berry Nut Medley by Daily Crunch. It contains sprouted almonds, walnuts, cashews, dried blueberries, and dried cherries. I highly recommend this mix or one that is similar to it!

    How to make them gluten-free: Replace the all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend. Whenever you are making a GF substitution for vegan baking, it’s best to use a brand that contains xanthan gum.

    How to make them sugar-free: The brown sugar can be swapped with a sugar-free brown sugar alternative. This will produce similar results, but your cookies won’t be identical to mine.

    How to store trail mix chocolate chip cookies

    As always, freshly baked and straight-out-of-the-oven cookies are the best. However, you can also keep leftover cookies stored in a sealed container or ziplock bag for up to 3 days.

    For longterm storage, place them in the freezer where they will keep for up to 3 months. I recommend placing a square of parchment paper between each cookie in order to prevent them from sticking to each other when frozen.

    a stack of vegan trail mix cookies sliced in half on a cooling rack surrounded by chocolate chips, mixed nuts, and fruit

    More desserts with nuts

    • Vegan White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
    • No Bake Turtle Brownies (Vegan, Gluten-Free)
    • Rocky Road Chocolate Bark
    • No-Bake Pecan Pie Bars (Vegan, Gluten-Free)
    • Vegan Snickers Bars

    If you try these Vegan Trail Mix Cookies, please let me know your thoughts by leaving a rating and comment below! Ready for more? Subscribe to my newsletter or follow along on Instagram and YouTube!

    Print
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    a stack of vegan trail mix cookies sliced in half on a cooling rack surrounded by chocolate chips, mixed nuts, and fruit

    Vegan Trail Mix Cookies

    ★★★★★ 5 from 2 reviews
    • Author: Kaylie Grace
    • Prep Time: 10 minutes
    • Cook Time: 15 minutes
    • Total Time: 25 minutes
    • Yield: 12 cookies 1x
    • Category: Dessert
    • Method: Bake
    • Cuisine: American
    • Diet: Vegan
    Print Recipe
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    Description

    Vegan trail mix cookies are loaded with chocolate chips, mixed nuts, and dried fruit! They are soft and chewy, easy to make, and sweetened with brown sugar. This one bowl dessert recipe is dairy-free, eggless, and can be made gluten-free. Enjoy these fruit and nut cookies in just 30 minutes with simple ingredients!


    Ingredients

    Scale
    • ½ cup vegan butter, softened
    • 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
    • ¼ cup almond milk
    • 2 tsp vanilla extract
    • 1 and ¾ cup all-purpose flour (or GF flour)
    • 1 tsp baking soda
    • ¼ tsp baking powder
    • ½ tsp salt
    • ⅔ cup mixed nuts and fruit
    • ½ cup chocolate chips

    Instructions

    1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
    2. Combine vegan butter and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl. Using a handheld electric mixer or stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy (about 1-2 minutes). Add almond milk and vanilla extract. Beat together once more to combine.
    3. Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix together just until the flour is evenly incorporated. Toss in the mixed nuts and fruit, along with the chocolate chips. Stir together.
    4. Scoop the cookie dough into 10-12 balls and transfer to the baking sheet(s). Bake for 11-13 minutes or until the edges are light golden brown. I recommend baking them one sheet at a time on the middle rack in your oven. For soft and chewy cookies, you should remove them while they still appear slightly underbaked and puffy.
    5. Remove cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes. The cookies will depuff while cooling. Enjoy!

    Notes

    • For the best results, I recommend baking the cookies one sheet at a time on the middle rack in your oven.
    • For gluten-free cookies, I recommend using a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend that contains xanthan gum.

    Nutrition

    • Serving Size: 1 cookie
    • Calories: 276
    • Sugar: 21g
    • Fat: 13g
    • Carbohydrates: 36g
    • Fiber: 1g
    • Protein: 3g

    Keywords: vegan trail mix cookies, cookies with nuts, dried fruit cookies, fruit and nut cookies

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @purelykaylie on Instagram and hashtag it #purelykaylie

    This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of these links, I earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I personally use, trust, and love!

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      Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

    1. David

      February 13, 2023 at 3:08 pm

      Loved this recipe and I recommend using all Cacao Butter with lots of cranberries and adding in some shredded coconut. I also used whole pastry flour (50%) with a mixture of whole and white flour for the rest.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Kaylie Grace

        February 13, 2023 at 4:04 pm

        That sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing, David!

        Reply
    2. Brittany

      August 24, 2021 at 5:39 pm

      Would oat flour work for this recipe?

      Reply
      • Kaylie Grace

        August 24, 2021 at 9:12 pm

        Hey, Brittany! I have not tested this cookie recipe with oat flour. A gluten-free flour blend (that contains xanthan gum) would be a more reliable option. However, you can certainly give oat flour a try! Just know that the consistency will be different. They will likely be cakier. Let me know how it goes! xo

        Reply
    3. Bethany

      August 18, 2021 at 4:17 am

      Love this recipe it turned out brilliantly! The cookies were perfect – crunchy of the outside and chewy on the inside. For anyone wondering I mixed by hand and swapped almond milk for soya milk – it still turned out totally fine. Thank you Kaylie!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Kaylie Grace

        August 18, 2021 at 9:14 am

        Thank you so much, Bethany! I’m happy to hear that you loved these cookies 🙂 So glad mixing by hand worked well for you. Enjoy! xo

        Reply

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