Trail Mix Cookies
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Trail Mix Cookies combine M&Ms, peanuts, and raisins with refrigerated dough for a quick and easy treat. They taste just like a handful of your favorite sweet and salty trail mix blend — but in dessert form! Make a batch today in just 15 minutes!
Trail Mix Cookies
Sweet trail mix cookies with little pops of fruit and the crunch of nuts and chocolate-coated candy are perfect for the whole family.
They’re easy to customize too, whether it’s with extra mix-ins or a handful of your favorite snack blend.
Looking for more quick and easy treat ideas? Try my 2-Ingredient Coconut Macaroons or No-Bake Avalanche Bites.
I’ve even got a recipe for crispy chocolate cookies made with box cake mix and rice cereal or a monster cookie made with everything!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Refrigerated Dough – I like to use chocolate chip cookie dough for my trail mix cookie recipe, but you could easily switch this ingredient for a plain sugar variety instead.
You’ll find it in either a log or a flat, rectangular package. The log is typically cheaper, while the flat package will soften much faster for mixing. - M&Ms – Use regular plain or get creative with the flavors depending on what is available at your store.
There are mint, caramel, pretzel, and even toffee nut varieties that would all taste great.
And if it’s close to a holiday, try incorporating seasonal varieties to create a different color scheme for your chocolate chip raisin cookies! - Peanuts – Salted dry roasted peanuts add enough contrast without being overpowering but feel free to use unsalted to reduce the amount of sodium in these trail mix cookies.
- Raisins – Be sure that your container is fresh, otherwise these will be tough instead of chewy.
You can use dark or golden based on your preference, but golden raisins are usually more tender and have a stronger fruit flavor.
Additional Mix-In Ideas
Think of what you enjoy when grabbing a handful of this easy snack, then add it to this trail mix cookie recipe!
Shredded coconut, peanut butter chips, pretzel pieces, and other dried fruits would all make a great addition or substitute.
Just be sure to add no more than 2 cups of mix-in ingredients total, or the trail mix cookie dough won’t be able to hold it all in.
Create a balance of salty and sweet flavors as well so one doesn’t overpower the other.
Tips and Tricks to Make Perfect Chocolate Chip Raisin Cookies
- Soften cookie dough before mixing.
Transfer the refrigerated dough to the counter and let it sit while you preheat the oven.
If it appears too soft once it’s combined with everything else, just pop the bowl in the fridge for a few minutes to firm it back up before scooping.
- Use a stand mixer to save some effort!
While it won’t take long to combine everything, feel free to use a stand mixer instead.
It should be fitted with the paddle attachment so the trail mix cookie ingredients can be evenly incorporated throughout the dough.
- Don’t overbake trail mix cookies.
You will notice the edges start to turn brown but the centers will still look a little soft.
That’s the perfect time to pull your chocolate chip raisin cookies from the oven since they will continue to bake as they cool on the pan.
Then, transfer them to wire racks to finish cooling so they don’t become dry and tough.
Prep Ahead
- Line baking sheet with parchment
- Preheat oven to 350°F
Kitchen Tools You Will Need
- Baking Sheets lined with Parchment Paper – Used for anything from cookies to roasting, a good baking pan will last for years.
- Mixing Bowl – I like to have a variety of sizes on hand, and this set has them all.
- Cookie Scoops – Great for meatballs, cookies, ice cream, and portioning out leftovers. I’ve had this set for years and use them all the time.
- Wire Rack – Great for cooling all kinds of baked goods.
Storing and Freezing Chocolate Chip and Raisin Cookies
Once cool, store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. I don’t recommend keeping them in the refrigerator because the raisins might become tough.
You can, however, freeze either the dough or baked chocolate chip and raisin cookies for up to 3 months!
Store in a freezer-safe storage bag or airtight container, or wrap dough in layers of plastic wrap before popping it into the Ziploc.
Thaw dough in the refrigerator overnight and bake as directed. For baked cookies, simply thaw on the counter before eating!
Trail Mix Cookie Recipe FAQ
Sure! Adapt your favorite chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, or sugar cookie recipe for this recipe. To use the same amount of mix-ins, it should yield 1 dozen cookies as is.
If your recipe makes a larger batch, you’ll need to increase the amount of mix-in ingredients accordingly.
It’s not necessary to chop up the raisins and peanuts, but feel free to do so if you want more “pieces” throughout your chocolate chip and raisin cookies.
You can also toss the peanuts and M&Ms in a food processor and give it a few pulses to save some time!
Absolutely! Measure out 1 ½ – 2 cups of your favorite trail mix and use that in place of the individual ingredients.
I prefer to measure out the peanuts, raisins, and candies individually so I know there’s an even balance of everything. But I’m also all about time-saving tips and using up what you have on hand.
Enjoy!
With love, from our simple kitchen to yours.
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Trail Mix Cookies
Ingredients
- 16 ounces refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough
- 1/2 cup M&M’s
- 1/2 cup salted dry roasted peanuts
- 1/2 cup raisins
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add cookie dough, M&M’s, peanuts, and raisins and mix together with a rubber spatula.
- Using a medium cookie scoop, portion out cookie dough and place on the prepared baking pan leaving 2 inches between cookies.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes until the edges begin to turn a golden brown.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack.
Donna’s Notes
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.
Originally published April 2021, updated and republished July 2024
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Years ago I had a recipe for a monster cookie baked in a pizza pan. I would like to do that with your recipe. What temp and how long do you think I should bake them?
Thank you!
Hi Diane,
Use the same 350°F. oven temperature, but double the baking time to 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, poke the center of the cookie with a toothpick. If the toothpick comes out dry or with a few moist crumbs, you can remove the cookie from the oven. Otherwise, bake it for 2-3 extra minutes and check again. Hope this helps!
TSRI Team member,
Becca
This is was such a good idea, I have no idea how I had not thought to try this. It is so easy, and the ingredients go so well together. The cookie just brings it all together with the sweetness, and its heaven!
My whole family loved these! The perfect combination of flavors and textures.
Hi Jade!
We’re so glad you enjoyed.
TSRI Team Member,
Devlyn