These Homemade Tractor Wheel Cookies for Toddlers are soft-baked, naturally sweetened with applesauce and dates, and made with simple ingredients like oats, pumpkin seed butter, and ground flax. They’re inspired by the delicious Once Upon a Farm Tractor Wheels and make a fun homemade snack for toddlers and kids!
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My kids tried Once Upon a Farm’s Tractor Wheels for the first time on vacation last spring and absolutely loved them! But they aren’t sold where we live, unless you want to pay around $15 a box plus more than $20 in shipping. So, of course, I had to try making my own version!
These cookies have a soft-baked texture and are naturally sweetened with applesauce and dates. They’re also made with pumpkin seed butter, which keeps them nut-free and adds a nice little boost of iron. They’re such a fun snack to add to a school, preschool or daycare lunchbox.
This recipe is independently created and inspired by Once Upon a Farm Tractor Wheels. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by Once Upon a Farm.
Table of Contents
Why You'll Love These Homemade Tractor Wheel Cookies
- Soft-baked: They have a soft, tender texture that works really well for toddlers.
- Naturally sweetened: Applesauce and dates add sweetness without needing additional sugar or syrup.
- Made with simple ingredients: Oats, fruit, pumpkin seed butter, and flax make up the base of this recipe.
- Great for snacks: Easy to pack for daycare, preschool, outings or an afternoon snack.
Looking for other easy snacks for toddlers? I have over 25 healthy toddler snack ideas for daycare, preschool, & home, or check out my top Copycat Favourites Homemade Snacks for Kids. Need snack ideas that work well for school? Check out my 15 Easy School Snack Ideas for Kids!
Ingredients for Homemade Tractor Wheel Cookies
Here is what you'll need to make these tractor cookies!
- Rolled oats: These form the base of the cookies and give them a soft, slightly hearty texture.
- Medjool Dates: Add natural sweetness and help give the cookies their soft texture. Make sure the pits are removed before blending. I find Medjool dates work best.
- Unsweetened applesauce: Adds moisture and sweetness to the cookies.
- Pumpkin seed butter: Pumpkin seeds are one of the higher-iron seed options, making pumpkin seed butter a great way to add some extra iron to toddler snacks!
- Ground flax: Adds some fibre and helps provide some binding for the dough.
- Vanilla extract: Adds a touch of sweetness and flavour.
- Cinnamon: Cinnamon always pairs so well with apple!
- Baking soda: Gives the cookies just a little lift while keeping them soft and cookie-like.
- Coconut oil: Helps give the cookies a soft, tender texture.
See recipe card for quantities.
How To Make Homemade Tractor Wheel Cookies
Here is an overview of how to make these soft-baked toddler cookies, or feel free to scroll down to the recipe card for the full instructions.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and either grease a donut pan or line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Finely blend up the oats. Add the oat flour, ground flax, cinnamon, and baking soda to a medium bowl.
Stir until evenly combined.
To a food processor or high speed blender, add the applesauce, pitted dates, pumpkin seed butter, vanilla, and coconut oil.
Blend until the mixture is smooth and the dates are completely broken down.
Pour the wet mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients.
Stir until everything is well combined.
To make larger Tractor Wheels, add the dough to a lightly greased donut pan and gently press it into an even layer. I use about two cookie scoops per cavity, which makes six larger Tractor Wheels.
If you don't have a donut pan, scoop the dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Gently flatten each scoop into a round cookie, then use the end of a spoon handle to make a small hole in the centre.
Form small holes in the middle using the end of a spoon. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until the cookies are lightly golden and cooked through but still soft.
Hint: The dough will be quite wet and sticky. I find a cookie scoop works best for scooping out the sticky dough!
Substitutions
Oats: You can make your own by blending rolled oats until finely ground or you can use an oat flour.
Pumpkin seed butter: Pumpkin seed butter provides a great nut-free option, or you could also use sunflower seed butter or any nut butter.
Coconut oil: Melted butter or another neutral oil will work.
Variations
Once Upon a Farm makes Tractor Wheels in a variety of flavours. This homemade version is inspired by their apple flavour. I haven't tested other fruit variations yet, but I'll update this post as I do!
Equipment
- Medium mixing bowl
- Blender or food processor
- Mixing spoon
- Cookie scoop if using a regular baking sheet
- Donut pan or regular baking sheet
- Parchment paper if using a regular baking sheet
Storage
Let the cookies cool completely before storing them.
Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for about 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 4 to 5 days.
Because these are a soft, moist cookie made with applesauce and dates, I prefer storing them in the fridge if you're keeping them for more than a day or two.
You can also freeze them. Once completely cool, transfer the cookies to a freezer-safe container or bag and freeze for up to 2 to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature before serving.
Toddler Tip
Toddlers love having a little job in the kitchen! Let them help add the dry ingredients to the bowl, stir the dough, or press the cookies into the donut pan. This is a great recipe for involving your child with!
FAQ
These cookies have a soft, tender texture with a little chew from the oats and dates. They’re not crisp or crunchy, and they stay nice and soft once cooled.
Yes! They can be a great option for school or daycare lunches. They’re soft, easy to pack and made with pumpkin seed butter, so they’re nut-free. Just be sure to check your school or daycare’s individual allergen policy.
No! A donut pan makes it really easy to create the larger Tractor Wheel shape, but you can also make them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Scoop out the dough, gently flatten it into a circle, then make a small hole in the centre before baking.
No. They are naturally sweetened by the dates and applesauce. They’re slightly sweet rather than tasting like a traditional bakery-style cookie.
They are inspired by the Once Upon a Farm Tractor Wheels but they are not exactly the same. They have a similar soft-baked style and use many of the same types of ingredients, but the texture and flavour won’t be exactly the same as the store-bought version.
Yes! Oats and pumpkin seed butter both contribute iron to this recipe. Based on the ingredients I used, a serving provides just over 1 mg of iron, which is around 14% of the recommended daily iron intake for toddlers ages 1 to 3. The exact amount will vary slightly depending on the brands and serving size.
Recipe
Homemade Tractor Wheel Cookies for Toddlers (Copycat Recipe!)
Equipment
- 1 Food processor or high speed blender
Ingredients
- 1 cup rolled oats blended into a flour
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 3 Medjool dates
- ½ cup + 2 tbsp unsweetened applesauce
- 3 tablespoon pumpkin seed butter
- 3 tablespoon coconut oil
- 2 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a donut pan, or line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Blend the oats into an oat flour. Add the oat flour, ground flax, cinnamon, and baking soda to a medium mixing bowl. Stir to combine.
- Add the applesauce, pitted dates, pumpkin seed butter, melted coconut oil, and vanilla to a small food processor or blender. Blend until smooth and the dates are fully broken down.
- Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until a soft dough forms.
- For larger Tractor Wheel shapes: Add about 2 cookie scoops of dough to each cavity of a donut pan and gently press the dough into an even layer. This made 6 larger Tractor Wheels for me.
- For smaller cookies: Scoop about 1 cookie scoop of dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Then use your finger or the end of a utensil to create a small circle in the centre to give it that Tractor Wheel shape.
- Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, or until the cookies are just starting to brown on top and set but are still soft. The larger donut-pan version may need closer to the full 14 minutes depending on thickness.
- Let the cookies cool in the pan or on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
Notes
Nutrition
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