Driven to help others eat right and live healthy, Elyse Kopecky is a 3-time New York Times best-selling cookbook author, educator, and inspirational speaker. She co-authored Run Fast. Eat Slow., Run Fast. Cook Fast. Eat Slow., and Rise & Run with 4-time Olympian and NYC Marathon Champion Shalane Flanagan. Elyse is also a mom and avid trail runner, which inspires her passion to fuel others and the future through enriching food. Elyse lives in Bend, Oregon with her husband and two kids. Follow her adventures @ElyseKopecky.

For more recipes, books, and retreats from Elyse, visit: elysekopecky.com and be sure to check out her upcoming LIVE cooking classes to help you nourish yourself for the long run.

Wondering what to stuff into the front pocket of your trail vest as you’re rushing out the door? These Trail Mix Breakfast Cookies are perfect to pack for race day, to top off your glycogen stores the day before or morning of a long run, and most importantly to prevent hangry meltdowns. They’re packed with nuts/seeds/oats for lasting energy, high in healthy fats, easy to digest, and a fan-favorite recipe from Elyse Kopecky’s Rise & Run cookbook! 

Elyse’s Trail Mix Breakfast Cookies were a huge hit at our Chamonix retreat last summer, and for the second season, we’re going trail running in the Alps with Elyse! We’re excited that she’ll be a special guest runner in the Dolomites and then Chamonix! Follow us on social media [Instagram / Facebook] to stay up to date on future trips! 

In the meantime, we wanted to share one of our favorite recipes. We love to make these Trail Mix Breakfast Cookies wherever we are and pack them along wherever we run.

Thanks, Elyse, for sharing this delicious recipe!

Trail Mix Breakfast Cookies 

An on-the-go power snack

If you don’t wake up hungry but know you have a big day ahead, pack these cookies to go. They’re easy to eat on your drive to the trailhead or gym and easy to digest if you prefer to fuel up midway through a run. Also, they’re high in complex carbs, real-food protein, and healthy fats to replenish depleted reserves. The best part about these loaded cookies is that the ingredients are flexible. Substitute any assortment of nuts, seeds, dried fruit, or chocolate chips to customize for your taste buds. 

Makes 20 small cookies

Ingredients: 

2 cups rolled oats

1 cup almond flour or almond meal

1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, cashews, or almonds

1/3 cup chocolate chips

1/3 cup unsweetened dried tart cherries, cranberries, or raisins

1/3 cup sunflower or hemp seeds 

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melt on low power in microwave

1/3 cup coconut sugar (or cane sugar)

1 egg, whisked

1/4 cup honey

1 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional 

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, combine the oats, almond flour, nuts, chocolate chips, dried fruit, seeds, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda.

2. In a separate bowl, beat the butter and sugar until combined. Add the egg, honey, and vanilla and whisk until well blended. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Cover and chill the dough in the fridge for 1 hour.

3. Position a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

4. Roll the dough into golf ball–size balls and set them on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them 1 inch apart. Use your palm to flatten them slightly.

5. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes, until golden brown on the edges. Use a spatula to transfer the cookies to a cooling rack to cool.

Dietary Adjustments

• Dairy-free: Sub 6 tablespoons virgin coconut oil for the butter 
• Gluten-free: Use certified gluten-free oats 
• Nut-allergy: Sub finely ground pumpkin seed flour for the almond flour and leave out the nuts 

A Good Choice for Skimo Too

Doug, who says he is “quite hopeless in the kitchen, and therefore liberated in his ability to experiment”, made the Trail Mix cookies for the skimo race. Luckily, the recipe held up, even with a few unexpected adaptations. “I was out of regular honey, so I used the truffle honey that was within reach. And I was missing almond flour, so I went with chestnut flour, farine de châtaigne. I was even out of butter, but able to run across the street to my local farmer, and grab a few hundred grams literally right out of a huge bloc de beurre. Merci, la ferme de Montroc!” His results were good on several fronts: “The truffle was a nice surprise, I finished the race a few minutes ahead of what I expected, and there were cookies left over for breakfast the next morning!”