My thanks for all of your positive comments on my Make Ahead Mixes series. Now, by popular demand and based on your requests, I’m sharing 5 Healthy Make Ahead COOKIE Mixes for your pantry:

  1. Soft Cut-Out Sugar Cookie Mix
  2. Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix
  3. Soft and Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Mix
  4. Peanut Butter Cookie Mix (or other “nut” butter)
  5. Snickerdoodle Cookie Mix
Watch the How to Make 5 Healthy Make Ahead Cookie Mixes video

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Overview of the Four Corners Pantry

Your Make Ahead Cookie Mixes are perfect for your Four Corners Pantry or as gifts to family and friends. As a review, the Four Corners Pantry is made up of your:

  • Main Working Pantry
  • Refrigerator
  • Freezer
  • Extended Pantry (also known as your Prepper Pantry)

Your Extended or Prepper Pantry will store your backup or long-term food storage. You’ll take foods out of your Prepper Pantry when you need emergency supplies or if you need to restock your Main Working Pantry.

Arrow showing restocking from the Extended Pantry to the Main Working Pantry.

Stock Your Pantry with Make Ahead Recipes

As I mention in my Prepper Pantry questions answered video, you can stock your Main Working Pantry or Extended Pantry by:

  • Purchasing foods from your grocery store or online, or
  • Making items ahead of time, including these Make Ahead Cookie Mixes and other Make Ahead Mixes, like a Cream of Soup Mix.

When you mix and store your own ingredients, you control what goes into them, such as how much salt or sugar you want to add. You can make the mixes healthy and tailor them to your needs. What a great benefit in addition to stocking your pantry!

Note that these Make Ahead Mixes are well-suited for your Main Working Pantry, but you can also store them in your Extended Pantry. Most have a shelf life of at least six months or longer, depending on how you store them.

In my cookie mixes recipe video, I show you the different ways that I like to store my Make Ahead Cookie Mixes.

If I think I will use my cookie mixes up fairly quickly, I’ll store them in a regular jar with a screw-top lid. I often include a food-safe silica gel pack to help keep the whole-grain flours as moisture-free as possible. This process should keep my mix fresh for about 6 months, which is generally the standard shelf life for whole-grain flours.

But if I decide that I want to store my Make Ahead Cookie Mixes in my Extended Pantry for long-term storage, then I’ll definitely add a silica gel pack to the jar, and I’ll seal the jar using a canning lid and a handheld food saver.

What About Oxygen Absorbers?

When it comes to using food-safe oxygen absorbers, keep in mind that these are only made for use with dry foods (10% moisture or less). If your package contains moist or oily foods and you use an oxygen absorber, you run the risk of the food developing botulism, which is poisonous. So, where do the Make Ahead Cookie Mixes fit in?

Based on longer-term food storage guidelines, it is generally recommended not to store the following foods with oxygen absorbers:

  • Barley
  • Dried Eggs
  • Whole Grains and Whole-Grain Flours
  • Granola
  • Dried Meat, such as Jerky
  • Nuts
  • Brown Sugar
  • Dehydrated Fruits and Vegetables (unless they are dry enough inside and out to snap when bent)

So, based on the recommendations above, since the Make Ahead Mixes contain whole-grain flours, I would not use oxygen absorbers when storing them. However, there are various opinions regarding the use of oxygen absorbers for storing whole grains and whole-grain flours, as well as some of the other listed items. I recommend that you do further research on this subject to determine what storage options you are most comfortable using.

Here are two in-depth resources to help you learn more about and get started with food preservation. Both are from the Utah State University Extension Service:

Special Prepper Pantry Video Series

I created a special three-part video series that addresses why you need a Prepper Pantry, how to stock your Prepper Pantry with real food, and how to get started on only $5 a week. Check out the videos and blog posts below to learn more. When you watch the videos, be sure to read the questions and answers from me and other viewers in the video comments for additional information.

More Videos for Shelf-Stable Pantry Staples

Now that you have 5 Healthy Make Ahead COOKIE Mixes for your pantry, try these other make-ahead mixes too!

Mary with 10 favors of homemade extracts.

Download Your Free 36-Page Pantry List

For an extensive list of the traditional foods you can make and purchase to stock your pantry, be sure to download my free 36-page Traditional Foods Pantry List. This comprehensive eBook is full of links to recipe videos, helpful articles, and more!

And if you’re looking for a printed book full of my traditional foods recipes that shows you how to create a traditional foods kitchen, be sure to order your copy of my new bestselling book, The Modern Pioneer Cookbook.

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Healthy Make Ahead Cookie Mixes

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Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Some dough requires Chilling Time before baking: 2 hours
Total: 2 hours 25 minutes
Yield: 3 Batches of Cookies per Jar with each batch making approximately 18-24 cookies
Author: Mary Bryant Shrader
Print Recipe Save Recipe Rate Recipe
Make these healthy shelf-stable, make-ahead cookie mixes to store in your Main Working Pantry or your Extended Pantry.

Equipment

  • Five 64-ounce jars with lids
  • Five food-grade silica gel packs, optional

Ingredients

Soft Cut-Out Sugar Cookie Make Ahead Mix

  • 3 3/4 cups Whole grain flour I used whole wheat flour, but you can substitute any whole grain flour, including sprouted flour.
  • 3 cup All-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp Baking powder
  • 3/4 tsp Salt
  • 2 1/4 cups Whole sugar such as Sucanat You can substitute whole "sugars," including maple sugar, coconut sugar, etc. You can also substitute white sugar.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Make Ahead Mix

  • 4 1/2 cups Whole grain flour I used whole wheat flour, but you can substitute any whole grain flour, including sprouted flour.
  • 1 1/2 tsp Baking soda
  • 3/4 tsp Baking powder
  • 3/4 tsp Salt
  • 3 cups Whole sugar like Sucanat You can substitute whole "sugars," including maple sugar, coconut sugar, etc. You can also substitute white sugar.
  • 3 cups Semi-sweet chocolate chips

Soft and Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Mix

  • 2 1/4 cups Whole grain flour I used whole wheat flour, but you can substitute any whole grain flour, including sprouted flour.
  • 4 1/2 cups Old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 1 tbsp Ground cinnamon
  • 1 1/2 tsp Baking soda
  • 3/4 tsp Salt
  • 1 1/2 cups Whole sugar like Sucanat You can substitute whole "sugars," including maple sugar, coconut sugar, etc. You can also substitute white sugar.
  • 3 cups Raisins

Peanut Butter (or other "nut" butter) Make Ahead Cookie Mix

  • 3 3/4 cups Whole grain flour I used whole wheat flour, but you can substitute any whole grain flour, including sprouted flour.
  • 2 1/4 tsp Baking soda
  • 1 1/2 tsp Baking powder
  • 3/4 tsp Salt
  • 3 cups Whole sugar like Sucanat You can substitute whole "sugars," including maple sugar, coconut sugar, etc. You can also substitute white sugar.

Snickerdoodle Make Ahead Cookie Mix

  • 2 1/2 cups Whole grain flour I used whole wheat flour, but you can substitute any whole grain flour, including sprouted flour.
  • 2 cups All-purpose flour
  • 4 1/2 tsp Cream of tartar You can substitute with equal amounts of baking powder. HOWEVER, the cookie will not have the distinctive Snickerdoodle flavor. Please see RECIPE NOTES below.
  • 1 1/2 tsp Baking soda
  • 3/4 tsp Salt
  • 2 1/4 cups Whole sugar like Sucanat You can substitute whole "sugars," including maple sugar, coconut sugar, etc. You can also substitute white sugar.

Instructions 

How to Make Soft Cut-Out Sugar Cookies using the Make Ahead Mix

  • Mix 3 cups of the Sugar Cookie Make Ahead Mix with 3/4 cup of softened butter using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl using an electric hand mixer. Beat on high speed until well combined, which will take about 2 minutes. Add 1 large egg and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract or almond extract to the mixture and beat on high for 1 minute. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl in between mixing. Remove dough from bowl and divide into two equal portions. Wrap the dough in wax paper, parchment paper, or plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour. Once the dough is well chilled, remove one portion at a time from the refrigerator. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly flour a flat surface and then sprinkle a bit of flour over the dough (or cover with wax paper or parchment paper). Roll out the dough to 1/4 thickness and use cookie cutters to cut out the desired shapes. Transfer cookie cutouts to a parchment-lined baking sheet, placing cookies 2 inches apart, and bake in 350°F oven for 10-12 minutes until the edges of the cookies are lightly browned. Allow the cookies to cool slightly on the baking sheet then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Once the cookies are completely cool, you can decorate them with icing.

How to Make Chocolate Chip Cookies using the Make Ahead Mix

  • Preheat your oven to 375°F. In a large bowl, mix 3 cups of Make Ahead Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix with 1/2 cup unsalted softened butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. You can do this in a stand mixer or with an electric hand mixer, but it is easy to do by hand with a wooden spoon. If you mix this by hand, it will take approximately 4 minutes to combine. Once the butter and extract are well combined with the mix, add 1 large egg and mix well again until fully incorporated, which takes about 2 minutes. Using a tablespoon, scoop rounded cookie mixture onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, placing the scooped amounts two inches apart. Bake in a 350°F oven (See RECIPE NOTES below) for approximately 8-10 minutes until the edges are golden brown. Remove from the oven, allow the cookies to cool slightly on the baking sheet, and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

How to Make Soft and Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies using the Make Ahead Mix

  • Preheat your oven to 375°F. In a large bowl, mix 3 cups of Make Ahead Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Mix with 1/2 cup softened butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. You can do this in a stand mixer or with an electric hand mixer, but it is easy to do by hand with a wooden spoon. If you mix this by hand, it will take approximately 4-5 minutes to combine. The oats require using a bit more "elbow grease" than if you were just mixing in flour. Once the butter and extract are well combined with the mix, add 1 large egg and mix well again until fully incorporated, which takes about 2 minutes. Using a tablespoon, scoop the rounded cookie mixture on to a parchment-lined baking sheet, placing the scooped amounts two inches apart. Bake in a 350°F oven (See RECIPE NOTES below) for approximately 12-14 minutes until the edges are golden brown. Remove from the oven, allow the cookies to cool slightly on the baking sheet, and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

How to Make Peanut Butter Cookies using the Make Ahead Mix

  • Preheat your oven to 375°F. In a large bowl, mix 2 1/4 cups of Make Ahead Peanut Butter Cookie Mix with 1/2 cup of softened butter and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. You can do this in a stand mixer or with an electric hand mixer, but it is easy to do by hand with a wooden spoon. If you mix this by hand, it will take approximately 4 minutes to combine. Once the butter and extract are well combined with the mix, add 1 large egg and mix well again until fully incorporated, which will take about 2 minutes. Next, add 1/2 cup peanut butter (smooth or chunky) to the mixture and mix well until the peanut butter is thoroughly incorporated with the mixture, which takes about 2 minutes. (If you prefer, you can substitute with another "nut" butter such as almond butter.) Using a tablespoon, scoop the rounded cookie mixture on to a parchment-lined baking sheet, placing the scooped amounts three inches apart. Using the tines of a fork, slightly flatten each round of cookie dough with a hash mark. (If the tines of the fork stick to the dough, you can dust the tines in flour.) Bake in a 350°F oven (See RECIPE NOTES below) for approximately 8-10 minutes until the edges are golden brown. Remove from the oven, allow the cookies to cool slightly on the baking sheet, and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

How to Make Snickerdoodles using the Make Ahead Mix

  • Preheat your oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, mix 3 cups of the Make Ahead Snickerdoodle Cookie Mix with 1/2 cup of softened butter. You can do this in a stand mixer or with an electric hand mixer, but it is easy to do by hand with a wooden spoon. If you mix this by hand, it will take approximately 4 minutes to combine. Once the butter is well combined with the mix, add 1 large egg and mix well again until fully incorporated, which takes about 2 minutes. Set aside. In a small bowl, mix 1/4 cup sugar (Sucanat or another whole sweetener can be used as can white sugar) with 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon. Set aside. Using a tablespoon, scoop the rounded cookie mixture into your hand and roll into a ball. Next, roll the cooking dough ball in the sugar-cinnamon mixture. Place the cookie dough ball onto a parchment-lined baking sheet with the scooped amounts two inches apart and flattened slightly with your hand or the bottom of a glass. Sprinkle more of the sugar-cinnamon mixture on top of each flattened cookie dough ball. Bake in a 350°F oven for approximately 8-10 minutes until the cookies look just baked. "Just baked" means that the edges of the cookies will look firm but will not be golden brown or crisp around the edges. Be careful not to overcook Snickerdoodles. They are meant to be soft and chewy, NOT crispy. Remove from the oven, allow the cookies to cool slightly on the baking sheet, and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Video

Notes

A Note About Oven Temperature: Please note that some of the cookie recipes require preheating the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit but baking the cookies at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  This is correct.  The initial higher preheat allows the cookies to initially crisp up around the edges when first put into the oven, but the lower baking temperature allows them to say soft and chewy in the center. 
A Note About Snickerdoodles: If you do not have cream of tartar and do not want to using baking powder as an alternative, prepare the Make Ahead Cookie Mix as directed, including the baking soda.  When you are ready to bake a batch of Snickerdoodles, add 2 teaspoons of lemon juice per batch of cookie dough after blending in the egg.  Mix well and continue with recipe. The final texture of the cookie will be slightly different than a traditional Snickerdoodle but it will have the distinctive tangy flavor.
Cookie Preparation: To prepare each mix, blend the ingredients for each mixture together and store the resulting Make Ahead Cookie Mix in its own container.  (See the video to see how to blend each ingredient mixture together.)
The instructions provide you with steps to make the recipe that corresponds with each Make Ahead Cookie Mix.
The recipe directions for each mix are condensed into one paragraph so you can print them out and attach a copy of the directions to the appropriate storage jar for each mixture.  Alternatively, you can post the directions in your pantry where you store these mixes.
When using whole grains, the shelf life of these mixes is approximately 6 months.
Find this recipe and video at https://marysnest.com/how-to-make-5-healthy-make-ahead-cookie-mixes/
Copyright © 2020 Mary’s Nest, LLC, All Rights Reserved
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Americana
Keyword: 5 Healthy Make Ahead Cookie Mixes, Cookie Mixes, Cookies, Healthy Cookie Mixes, Make Ahead Cookie Mixes
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Comments

  1. Judi says:

    Hi Mary,
    I’m confused. To make the cookies, all instructions excepting the sugar cookies, call to preheat the oven to 375, yet state to bake the cookies at 350. Which is it?
    Love your YouTube channel BTW.

    Judi

    Reply
    1. Mary's Nest says:

      Hi Judi,

      Thank you so much for your comment and kind words. Yes, the recipe is correct. For sugar cookies, you always preheat and bake at 350°F to prevent overbrowning. For the other cookies, such as chocolate chip, etc., you preheat your oven at a slightly higher temperature at 375°F, but once you put the dough in your oven, you turn the oven down to 350°F. The slightly higher preheat allows the edges of the cookies to become slightly crisp, but then baking the cookies at 350°F allows for the center to stay chewy.

      Hope that helps.

      Love and God bless,
      Mary

      Reply
  2. Janet says:

    I see, so to make the entire jar of the dry ingredients you would need to triple the wet ingredients? I actually doubled the wet ingredients and the cookies turned out ok. I guess I didn’t see that information in the written recipe, unfortunately. Anyway, thank you for the reply:)

    Reply
  3. Janet says:

    When i made the dry ingredients, I believed it was ALL for the recipe. A few days later, i mixed in the dry with the wet. It was extremely dry, i couldn’t figure it out so i went through the recipe again and realized, for some reason, thw recipe only calls for 2 1/2 cups of the dry ingredients instead of the entire amount! Now I’m trying to figure out how to save the dough by adding more wet ingredients! I’ve added an extra 1/2 stick of butter and 1 extra egg so far! Why does the recipe only call for some of the dry ingredients in the recipe? It still seems dry. What was the extra 1 1/2 c of dry ingredients for?

    Reply
    1. Mary's Nest says:

      Hi Janet, So sorry to hear about your struggles. Each jar should contain enough dry mix for three batches of cookies with each batch creating approximately 18-24 cookies. Hope you were able to salvage it. Love, Mary

      Reply

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