Trail Mix Protein Bar Cookies

Well this is a first. I’ve made hundreds of different cookies between blogging and two cookbooks.

And I’ve made Trail Mix Cookies, but I’ve never baked protein bars into cookies.

The idea came to me in an effort to use some of the oodles of protein bars I bought. I go through spurts every couple years where I fall in love with protein bars, buy them by the case to save money, lose interest, forget about them, and move onto something else.

I put my stash to work by dicing two protein bars, made a brown sugar-based dough, and added the protein bars along with my favorite trail mix add-ins.

Oats, dried cranberries, raisins, and pumpkin-spiced pumpkin seeds. The seeds are a seasonal item at Trader Joe’s and they’re dangerously, fabulously amazing. If you prefer sunflower seeds, slivered almonds, or another nut or seed, go for it.

Like the last Trail Mix Peanut Butter Cookies I made, the recipe is highly adaptable based on your favorite items and what you have around. I used 3/4 cup dried cranberries and 1/4 cup raisins. Aim for 1 cup dried fruit, mixing and matching from your favorites.

I used one Peanut Butter Supreme Quest Bar and one Chocolate Brownie Quest Bar. I get my bars from iHerb.com. Code AVE630 at checkout saves you $10 off your order. I love iHerb for everything like coconut oil, probiotics, bulk cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, liquid vanilla stevia drops, bulk white stevia powder, medicinal fancy-grade honey, chia seeds, face cleanser, nutritional yeast, and mini chocolate chips.

Because protein bars vary widely, results will vary and you may need to experiment with a few types or flavors to find the perfect bar for the cookies. The Quest Bars worked great and I loved both the chocolate and peanut butter bursts of flavor the bars add.

The cookies are soft, ultra chewy, and loaded with amazing texture in every bite. I love the way the crunchy seeds and chewy dried fruit complement each other and when baked, the protein bars turn extra chewy.

I ate one before a run and busted out 12 fast miles. That’s my cue to eat cookies before every run.

Oats, dried fruit, seeds or nuts, and protein bars. That means the cookies are automatically healthy.

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5 from 2 votes

Trail Mix Protein Bar Cookies

By Averie Sunshine

I put my stash of protein bars to work by dicing two bars, made a brown sugar-based dough, and added the protein bars along with my favorite trail mix add-ins including oats, dried cranberries, raisins, and pumpkin seeds. The recipe is highly adaptable based on your favorite items and what you have around. The cookies are soft, ultra chewy, and loaded with amazing texture in every bite. Crunchy seeds and chewy dried fruit complement each other, and when baked the protein bars turn extra chewy. Because protein bars vary widely, you may need to experiment with a few types or flavors to find your favorite.

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 1 dozen medium cookies

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Ingredients  

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• ▢ ½ cup unsalted butter, softened (1 stick)
• ▢ ¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
• ▢ 1 large egg
• ▢ 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ▢ 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• ▢ ½ cup old-fashioned whole rolled oats, not quick-cook or instant
• ▢ 1 teaspoon cornstach
• ▢ ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ pinch salt, optional and to taste
• ▢ about 4.25 ounces protein bars, diced small (about 1 scant cup)
• ▢ ¾ cup dried cranberries
• ▢ ½ cup pumpkin seeds, or use sunflower seeds, slivered almonds, etc.
• ▢ ¼ cup raisins

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Instructions 

• To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or large mixing bowl and electric mixer) combine the butter, brown sugar, egg, vanilla, and beat on medium-high speed until creamed and well combined, about 4 minutes.
• Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the flour, oats, cornstarch, baking soda, optional salt, and beat on low speed until just combined, about 1 minute.
• Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the protein bars, cranberries, seeds, raisins, and beat on low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds.
• Using a large cookie scoop, 1/4-cup measure, or your hands, form approximately 12 equal-sized mounds of dough, roll into balls, and flatten slightly. Tip – Strategically place dried fruit or protein bars on top of each mound by taking dried fruit or protein bars from the underside and adding them on top. Do not allow protein bar pieces to bake directly on baking sheets; shield them with dough or move them to the top/sides of cookies.
• Place mounds on a large plate or tray, cover with plasticwrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, up to 5 days. Do not bake with unchilled dough because cookies will bake thinner, flatter, and be more prone to spreading.
• Preheat oven to 350F, line a baking sheet with a Silpat or spray with cooking spray. Place dough mounds on baking sheet, spaced at least 2 inches apart (I bake 8 cookies per sheet) and bake for about 11 minutes, or until edges have set and tops are just set, even if slightly undercooked, pale, and glossy in the center; don’t overbake. Cookies will be pale and look un-done, but firm up as they cool. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for about 10 minutes before serving. I let them cool on the baking sheet and don’t use a rack.
• Cookies will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 6 months. Alternatively, unbaked cookie dough can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 4 months, so consider baking only as many cookies as desired and save the remaining dough to be baked in the future when desired.

Nutrition

Serving: 1, Calories: 294kcal, Carbohydrates: 41g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 37mg, Sodium: 97mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 23g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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