Breakfast Cookies

These healthy breakfast cookies are one of my favorite ways to start the day. They’re soft and chewy with wholesome ingredients that keep me full and energized, making them perfect for make-ahead breakfasts or anytime snacks.

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Cookies for breakfast? Yes please!

Seriously though, I love to have a stash of these cookies in the fridge for a quick breakfast or snack at any time. These breakfast cookies aren’t just delicious; they’re filled with clean ingredients like oats, fruit, nuts, and seeds. This means they keep me full until the next meal and I feel good about eating something healthy and low in sugar.

Breakfast Cookies

If you’re a fan of make-ahead breakfasts, this Breakfast Cookie recipe will be perfect for you. I like to make a batch and then wrap each one individually and keep in the fridge or freezer. They go perfectly with a couple of scrambled eggs or a bowl of Greek yogurt and berries. Of course, you’ll want to pair it with your favorite beverage, warm or cold.

For another make-ahead breakfast, check out my Blueberry Baked Oatmeal. It’s perfect to have on hand for quick breakfasts on those extra-busy days. Or if you’re in the mood for something crunchy, make a batch of Easy Granola or Honey Nut Granola to keep in the pantry. I love it sprinkled over a yogurt bowl or oatmeal.

About This Recipe

I’ve always liked the idea of Breakfast Cookies and I have tried several variations over the years. This particular one is my current favorite. Basically, it’s like a bowl of oatmeal with lots of mix-ins, but in cookie form.

I wanted to make a cookie that was not only delicious but that I could feel good about eating – even for breakfast. This means every ingredient has to be clean, nutritious and wholesome. Of course, based on my own nutritional preferences, I wanted it to be sugar-free as well. If you’re looking for more of a traditional cookie, try my Oatmeal Coconut Cookies; they’re soft, chewy, and still packed with wholesome ingredients.

I used allulose for this batch but I have also used sucanat, as well as other sweeteners like Monk fruit blend and coconut sugar. This is a very flexible recipe and there’s lots of room for customization. Note that allulose is less sweet than sugar so if you like a sweeter cookie, you may want to add a bit more.

Ingredients

Key Ingredients:

Oats – I used old-fashioned oats because that’s my preference for pretty much any recipe calling for oats. They’re gentler on blood sugar than quick oats. However, quick oats would also work well, with a slightly different texture.

Cranberries – I like to use unsweetened cranberries, which I typically purchase at Trader Joe’s. If not available, I have also used reduced sugar cranberries from Ocean Spray. I’ve found these at my local Walmart. Of course, you can swap in raisins or other dried fruit (chopped, if needed).

Nuts and Seeds – I used a mix of walnuts, raw sunflower seeds, and pumpkin seeds in this batch. Feel free to swap in other chopped nuts like pecans or almonds. For the seeds, you can mix and match or try alternatives such as hemp or sesame seeds. If you prefer, you can skip the seeds altogether and use a full cup of nuts instead. I left the seeds whole for texture, but you can chop them if you prefer a finer texture.

Vanilla Protein Powder – I used Clean Simple Eats Simply Vanilla whey protein powder for this batch, but any vanilla or unflavored protein powder will work. Just be sure you like the taste of the protein powder since the flavor does come through in the cookies. Vanilla protein powder also adds sweetness, so if you use an unflavored variety, you may want to increase the sweetener just a bit. You can also omit the protein powder entirely. If your dough feels too soft without it, try adding more oats as needed to thicken the dough further.

Almond butter – You can use your favorite nut butter. The almond butter I use is slightly runny so just keep in mind the consistency of the nut butter will affect the consistency of the dough. If your nut butter is stiff, you might need to add a bit of liquid (milk or even water) to moisten the dough if needed.

Sweetener – I used allulose granulated sweetener to make these sugar-free breakfast cookies. You can use your preferred granulated sweetener. Other sugar-free options might be Monk Fruit Sweetener, Swerve, or Truvia. If you’re not concerned about keeping this sugar-free, you can use any granulated sweetener such as cane sugar, coconut or date sugar, sucanat or even brown sugar.

Bananas – Nicely speckled bananas that are a bit past their prime are the best to use for this recipe. They will add a bit of sweetness and nice texture to the cookie.

Other ingredients – You’ll need some additional ingredients including baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, eggs and vanilla.

Instructions

This is a very easy recipe that comes together very quickly.

1. Mix dry ingredients – Choose a large bowl and add oatmeal, cranberries, chopped walnuts, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, protein powder (if using), baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
2. Mix wet ingredients – I like to mix the almond butter and eggs first until smooth. Then add the mashed bananas, sweetener and vanilla. Mix again until well blended.
3. Add wet ingredients to dry and blend well. The dough will be thick but a bit looser than traditional cookie dough, almost like a very thick batter. Don’t worry, that’s normal. It will thicken up a bit more as it sits.
4. Allow dough to rest for 15-20 minutes while the oven preheats to 350°F.
5. Once ready to bake, use a medium cookie scoop (about 3-4 tablespoon size) to place on parchment-lined baking sheet. Flatten each cookie slightly as they won’t spread much. I like to leave plenty of room around these since they are quite large. I typically bake 6-8 cookies per sheet (I use 13 x 18 half sheet pans).
6. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until set and slightly golden on top. Mine were perfect at 14 minutes.
7. Note: I always like to make a couple test cookies at first just to see how much they spread and to find the perfect bake time.

How do I store these breakfast cookies?

They’ll keep at room temperature for 2-3 days, or in the fridge for 4-5 days in a covered container. For longer storage, wrap each cookie tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months. Just thaw overnight in the fridge or on the counter. However you store them, I like to warm them in the microwave for a few seconds before eating for that fresh-from-the-oven feel.

Can I make these cookies allergy friendly?

Absolutely! To make them egg-free, you can swap in flax or chia seeds as an egg replacement. For each egg, mix 1 tablespoon ground flax or chia with 3 tablespoons of water and let sit for 10 to 15 minutes. If gluten is a concern, be sure to use certified gluten-free oats.

For nut allergies, use a seed butter like sunflower or pumpkin seed butter. You can also mix and match nuts and seeds to suit your needs. Just note that adding larger amounts of chia or flax (outside of using them as an egg replacement) can affect the moisture content, so adjust the liquid or oats as needed.

Do you really eat these for breakfast?

Yes, I really do! Sometimes I’ll pair a couple of cookies with a warm or iced protein-boosted beverage, which keeps me full for hours. Other times, I’ll enjoy one alongside eggs or a Greek yogurt bowl for a more complete meal. They’re super versatile, so you can make them part of any kind of breakfast – or grab one as a healthy snack.

Other Recipes You Might Enjoy:

Easy Granola

Honey Nut Granola

Blueberry Baked Oatmeal

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