Compost cookies are so much fun to make. The recipe is flexible, interactive, and customizable. You almost certainly have the ingredients to make these cookies on hand, so you can save a trip to the store. You can make these for gifts or a just-because treat.
Prep Time: ~30 Minutes
Cook Time: 13-16 Minutes or until done
Servings: Recipe makes between 24 and 30 cookies
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 7 ounces of room temperature butter, which is 1 3/4 sticks total
- 1 cup of granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 cup granola (you can choose to use another cereal)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup salty snack such as pretzel pieces
- 1 cup of chocolate. You can choose from semi-sweet chocolate chips, chopped chocolate candies, or 1 small bar of dark chocolate chopped into chunky pieces.
- Optional: 1/2 cup of nuts, such as pecans or walnuts
It should be noted that if you omit the nuts, it’s a good idea to increase the number of salty snacks, cereal, and/or chocolate that you add to give the recipe the required volume and consistency.
Depending upon your tastes or the recipient’s tastes, you can add spices to the mix such as allspice, cinnamon, or cardamom. You can omit the spices or do any combination that sounds good. Feel free to experiment.
Directions
Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to a bowl. Whisk them together.
Using a separate bowl, add the sugars and butter together. Begin mixing at slow speed, then increase to medium. Beat until the sugars and butter are creamed together.
When the butter and sugar mixture is light and fluffy, scrape down your bowl and add your egg and vanilla to the mix. Beat this until it’s incorporated well and scrape down the bowl again.
You may use an electric mixer on slow speed or a wooden spoon to add in the flour mixture. Once the mixture is smooth, add in your cereal, salty snacks, and nuts.
Prepare 2 large baking sheets. You can cover them with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
Take roughly 1 1/2 tablespoon scoops of dough and roll them into balls. Place the balls onto your baking trays. Leave at least 2 1/2 inches between the balls. To hinder spreading, you can freeze the dough balls for 20 minutes. You can also opt to leave them in the fridge for an hour.
When you are ready to bake, heat your oven to 375 degrees. Bake the cookies one sheet at a time on the center rack. Bake for 13-16 minutes . Rotate your baking sheet halfway through to ensure even cooking.
Let the cookies cool completely before transferring them. The edges will be fragile.
