About this recipe

Chewy, golden cookies packed with all the best parts of trail mix — rolled oats, chocolate chips, peanuts, dried cranberries, and sunflower seeds — all wrapped up in a buttery, brown sugar dough. These hearty cookies are satisfying, travel well, and are endlessly customizable with whatever mix-ins you have on hand. A true crowd-pleaser for lunchboxes, road trips, bake sales, and afternoon snacking.

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat your oven to ![350°F]. Line two large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

2. 2

   In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar together with a hand mixer or stand mixer on ^[medium speed] until light and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

3. 3

   Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the pure vanilla extract until fully combined.

4. 4

   In a separate medium mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and fine salt. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix on ^[low speed] just until no dry streaks remain — do not overmix.

5. 5

   Fold in the old-fashioned rolled oats with a sturdy spatula or wooden spoon until evenly distributed throughout the dough.

6. 6

   Add the semi-sweet chocolate chips, dried cranberries, salted peanuts, sunflower seeds, and any optional mix-ins (sweetened shredded coconut, raisins) to the dough. Fold everything together until evenly distributed.

7. 7

   For best results, cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for 15 minutes. This helps the oats absorb moisture and prevents the cookies from spreading too thin.

8. 8

   Using a medium cookie scoop or two tablespoons, portion the dough into balls (about 2 tablespoons each) and place them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Gently press each ball down slightly with your palm.

9. 9

   Bake one sheet at a time on the center rack for 11–13 minutes, until the edges are golden brown but the centers still look slightly underdone. They will firm up as they cool — do not overbake.

10. 10

    Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the cookies cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining dough.