Cooper Street Snacks a Bite of Nostalgia That Actually Works

Every so often, a company comes along claiming their snacks are “better-for-you,” which usually translates into “cardboard disguised as food.” Enter Cooper Street Snacks—a woman-owned family business that actually managed to make something wholesome without the taste of regret. Founded by Elaine, along with her sons Max and Sam, the brand is built on Grandma’s century-old cookie recipe. And honestly, if your grandmother left behind a snack legacy, wouldn’t you brag about it too?

Now, I’ll admit, I approached these with skepticism. “Ancient grains” usually means a mouthful of birdseed that even pigeons would pass on. But somehow Cooper Street has managed to pull off the impossible—snacks with quinoa, flax, chia, and buckwheat that don’t make you feel like you’re chewing gravel.

Take their Banana Bread Granola Bakes. They taste like the cozy banana bread you wish you had time to bake, without the messy kitchen or the overly ripe bananas haunting your fruit bowl. Chewy, sweet, and dotted with chocolate chips, they feel like they came out of the oven—but conveniently without the actual baking.

Then there’s the Chocolate Cherry Granola Bakes. Real Michigan cherries with rich cocoa make them taste dangerously close to dessert. I ate one, then another, and suddenly realized I was stress-eating my way through what’s supposed to be a “nutritious snack.” Apparently, wellness can be addictive.

The Blueberry Pomegranate Granola Bakes, on the other hand, deliver a tangy fruit punch in chewable form. They’re loaded with antioxidants, which is great because I canceled my gym membership in 2018 and never looked back. And if tart berries aren’t your thing, the Oatmeal Cranberry Granola Bakes will give you the comfort of an oatmeal cookie, minus the guilt and plus a pile of “ancient grains” that somehow work.

But the real winner? Cherry White Chip Twice Baked Cookies. At 25 calories a cookie, I felt empowered to eat—well, more than one. Real Michigan cherries plus white chocolate chips somehow manage to be sweet, tart, and light enough that you don’t feel like you’ve just swallowed a brick. These cookies are the snack equivalent of finding $20 in your winter coat pocket—completely unexpected and entirely delightful.

I can’t say every “healthy snack” lives up to its promise, but Cooper Street somehow pulled off the rare balance of flavor and wholesomeness. It’s still shocking to me that a cookie with quinoa in it is something I’d actually buy again.