I’m always working on easy breakfast options and I love being able to make anything ahead whenever possible. These cookies are nutrient-rich and flavor-packed! I bake off a dozen or two for the week and then freeze the rest to bake off at another time when I need a quick and tasty grab and go breakfast option.

Ingredients:
– 1 cup room temperature butter (I always use salted butter)
– 1 cup packed brown sugar
– 2 large room temperature eggs
– 1 tsp vanilla extract
– 1 1/2 tsp almond extract
– 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
– 1 tsp baking soda
– 2 tsp cinnamon
– 1/2 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
– 8 oz chopped nuts (I usually use almonds, pecans, walnuts, or a combination)
– 8 oz dried fruit, chopped (I like dried cranberries with chopped dried apricots)
– 2 cups rolled oats

How I make them:
– In stand mixer, using paddle attachment, cream butter and add sugar. Beat until light and fluffy
– In a small bowl or cup whisk eggs with extracts and slowly add to the creamed butter and sugar.
– In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg and gradually add to the mixture, scraping down the bowl with a spatula at least once during mixing.
– Fold in nut, oats, and fruit until completely combined.
– Use 1 1/2 Tbsp scoop and scoop out batter onto baking sheet, flatten slightly for a thinner, crisper cookie.
– Bake 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown

Optional Ingredients:
– 2 oz finely chopped dark chocolate, or mini morsels
– 1 Tbsp flaxseeds, chia seeds, sesame seeds, etc.
– Lemon zest, orange zest, or other fruit zest (it really adds a lot of flavor)
– Additional spices, such as clove, all spice, ground cardamom, ginger.
– This recipe works if you want to substitute a heart healthy neutral oil instead of the butter, and I will sometimes make them with half canola oil and half butter (and a pinch or two of salt), but I mostly just make them with butter!

Tips:
* Use parchment paper for nonstick easy cleanup when baking the cookies.
* Freeze the scoops of dough you’re not going to bake right away on a wax-paper lined baking sheet, freeze solid then store in an airtight labeled zip top bag. Freeze up to 6 months.
* Chop dried fruit to a small dice, about the size of a dried cranberry or raisin so that the fruit bites are consistent throughout the cookie.

This is a great recipe to use up little odds and ends of dried fruit, nuts, seeds, and various morsels in the pantry as well as a fantastic opportunity to mix up some of your favorite spices.

Happy Eating!