Healthy Breakfast Cookies pack in so many wholesome ingredients like oats, banana, nuts, and seeds! They're truly so easy to make! There's no chill time for the dough and everything comes together quickly and bakes in just 15 minutes. A great grab-and-go option for busy mornings or mid-day treat. 😊 I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!
As a dietitian, I know how important it is to start the day with complex carbohydrates and healthy fats. So I decided to create this breakfast cookie to get both! I love to pair them with a bowl of Greek yogurt or scrambled eggs for protein in the morning. And honestly, they've become one of my favorite healthy snacks or post-dinner treats. 😊
These are made with no refined sugar, oil, or butter, are sweetened mostly with banana, and are dairy-free. The only thing better than cookies for breakfast are cookies that I know have ingredients that support my body and give me good nutrition to sustain my energy for the day!
If you like this recipe, you gotta try my healthy oatmeal chocolate chips cookies and 4 ingredient breakfast cookies! For more ways to use up that overripe banana you have laying around, make healthy banana bread or pumpkin banana muffins.
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Key Ingredients and Substitution Ideas
These breakfast cookies are made with healthy ingredients. Below are the base ingredients and substitution ideas. Measurements are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Dry Ingredients
- Rolled Oats - oats serve as the base of the recipe. I suggest using rolled oats (look for the label that either says "rolled oats", "traditional oats" or "old-fashioned oats"). Oats contain dietary fiber to help support gut health, thiamine, magnesium, and zinc. So if you want to skip the bowl of oatmeal but still get all the health benefits, these healthy cookies are a great way to do it.
- Oat Flour - most breakfast cookies I've found online don't include any flour, but I think adding a little oat flour makes a big difference in the texture of the cookie (in a great way). You can use all purpose flour or whole wheat flour instead if you prefer. If using whole wheat flour, I suggest to use slightly less to avoid dry cookies.
- Nutrition Boosting Mix-Ins - I use chopped pecans, chopped walnuts, pepitas (pumpkin seeds) and dried cranberries. You can choose different mix-ins if you want! I suggest using ¼ cup (4 tablespoon total) of nuts & seeds and ¼ cup dried fruit. I personally do 1 tablespoon of the walnuts, 1 tablespoon pecans, 2 tablespoon pepitas & ¼ c dried cranberries and find this to be perfect! Nuts and seeds add plant protein, dietary fiber, and heart-healthy fatty acids.
- Baking Powder - to help the cookies rise.
- Cinnamon - for more sweetness.
- Kosher Salt - just a little bit of salt enhances the other flavors.
Wet Ingredients
- Banana - a mashed banana adds natural sweetness. Be sure to use a ripe banana with some brown spots which will be sweeter than a banana that hasn't ripened. You can use a frozen banana. If doing so, be sure to thaw it first and drain off some of the excess liquid.
- Peanut Butter - to give the cookies nutty flavors and help them bind together. Peanut butter also provides some healthy fats and protein. If you prefer a different nut butter, almond butter works great here too.
- Eggs - to give the cookies structure and provide some protein.
- Pure Maple Syrup & Vanilla Extract - for more moisture and sweetness.
How to Make Breakfast Cookies
Below are the directions for how to make the cookies with some helpful tips. The full recipe can be found at the bottom of this post.
- Step 1: Prep and mix the dry ingredients. Preheat the oven to
350℉ (177°C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper sprayed with cooking spray for easy clean up. In a medium bowl, combine the oats, oat flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and kosher salt. Whisk everything to combine. Wait to add the nuts, seeds, and dried fruit.
- Step 2: Mix the wet ingredients. In a separate large bowl, combine the wet ingredients by mashing the banana in the bowl with a fork, then adding in the eggs, peanut butter, maple syrup, and vanilla. Whisk everything together. You can add the wet ingredients directly to the dry to make this recipe even easier.
- Step 3: Add the dry ingredients to the wet. Carefully mix until just combined. Careful not to over-mix because it will impact the shape and texture of the cookies! I do this part with a rubber spatula.
- Step 4: Fold in the nuts, seeds & dried fruit.
Step 5: Add the cookies to the baking sheets. Use a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop to form the cookies and spread them a couple inches apart on the baking sheets. Gently flatten the cookies with a rubber spatula or the back of a spoon. These cookies will not spread much in the oven so mash them to the height you prefer.
Step 6: Bake the cookies! Bake in the preheated oven for 14-16 minutes until they are starting to turn golden brown at the edges.
Hint: don't forget to flatten the cookies to the shape you want them to be before baking them since they won't spread in the oven!
Dietitian Tip
Oatmeal provides so many important nutrients including soluble fiber to support gut health & hormone health, iron, plant protein, and zinc. And pairing the oats with the peanut butter, eggs, and nuts & seeds helps to slow down their absorption and keep you full for longer.
Video of How to Make the Ultimate Healthy Breakfast Cookie
Here's a quick video showing me making this recipe that I hope is helpful!
Variations
One of my personal favorite parts about making breakfast cookies is that there are SO many different variations you can try based on what you have in your pantry or what you like in your cookies. Below are some ideas I have tried and some additional options!
- Different Mix Ins - I love doing the combo of dried cranberries, walnuts, pecans, and pumpkin seeds the most! But you can absolutely change up the add-ins. Some other seeds that work great are chia seeds, hemp seeds, or sunflower seeds. Other ideas for nuts are sliced almonds, chopped cashews, or even chopped pistachios. And there are tons of dried fruits to choose from like regular raisins, golden raisins, chopped dates, dried cherries, or dried apricots.
- Change up the Nut Butter - instead of peanut butter, use almond butter or cashew butter. For a nut-free option, use sunflower butter and replace the walnuts & pecans with some of the mix-in ideas above that aren't nuts.
- Chocolate Chip - add dark chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips, or even white chocolate chips for more sweetness. I love using mini chocolate chips for this because a little goes a long way and the mini chips help you ensure there's a little chocolate in every bite.
- Gluten-free - while oats are naturally gluten-free, they are often made in facilities in which they can be contaminated. So be sure to look for certified GF oats and gluten-free oat flour if you don't tolerate gluten!
Equipment
You'll need good baking sheets for this recipe! My favorite ones are my Nordic Ware sheet pans. They last forever and don't warp like a lot of sheet pans do.
Storage for Breakfast Cookies
- Refrigerator - let the cookies cool and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.
- Freezer - let the cookies completely cool. Then store in a freezer safe ziplock bag or container for up to 3 months. When you're ready to eat one, let it thaw or pop it in the microwave for 30 seconds. You can absolutely eat them straight from the freezer too (I have!!)
Expert Tips
- Feel free to use your own favorite nuts and seeds! If you change it up, I suggest using a total of ¼ cup nuts and seeds (4 tablespoon total) and ¼ cup dried fruits.
- I use store-bought oat flour for this recipe. But you can easily make your own oat flour by blending up some rolled oats in a high speed blender until they become a flour.
- Be sure to use a ripe banana! It makes a difference in how sweet the cookies will be. Bananas with lots of brown spots are ideal. And mash the banana really well so it adds some moisture to the cookie dough.
- Take the cookies out of the oven right when they start to brown on the edges. They'll still be soft, but they'll continue to cook as they cool!
FAQ
While healthy means something different to everyone, these breakfast cookies are a nutrient-rich option! The oats provide dietary fiber, magnesium, and zinc, nuts, seeds, and peanut butter provides heart healthy fats plant protein. Bananas are a great way to add natural sweetness along with a small amount of pure maple syrup. And eggs provide some protein!
Absolutely! If using a frozen banana, thaw it first and drain off some of the excess liquid.
You can, but it will change the texture of the cookie and won't be as chewy. I personally prefer rolled oats!
Related
Looking for other dietitian recipes like this? Try these:
Perfect for Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Breakfast Cookies:
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do! I would love to hear from you! If you made this recipe, please leave me a review below or tag me in a photo or story on Instagram. Your reviews help support me and make it possible for me to continue to create the recipes you know and love. 🙂 IG: @mallorythedietitian
📖 Recipe
Healthy Breakfast Cookies (Wholesome Ingredients)
Equipment
- 2 baking sheets (half sheet)
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1½ cups rolled oats
- ¼ cup oat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon each: chopped walnuts, chopped pecans (or 2 tablespoon or either one)
- 2 tablespoon pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
- ¼ cup dried cranberries (or other dried fruit)
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup mashed banana (~1 large banana)
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup creamy natural peanut butter
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Prep and mix the dry ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350℉ (177°C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper sprayed with cooking spray for easy clean up. In a medium bowl, combine the oats, oat flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and kosher salt. Whisk everything to combine. Wait to add the nuts, seeds, and dried fruit.
- Mix the wet ingredients. In a separate large bowl, combine the wet ingredients by mashing the banana in the bowl with a fork, then adding in the eggs, peanut butter, maple syrup, and vanilla. Whisk everything together. You can add the wet ingredients directly to the dry to make this recipe even easier.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet. Carefully mix until just combined. Careful not to over-mix because it will impact the shape and texture of the cookies! I do this part with a rubber spatula.
- Fold in the nuts, seeds & dried fruit.
- Add the cookies to the baking sheets. Use a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop to form the cookies and spread them a couple inches apart on the baking sheets. Gently flatten the cookies with a rubber spatula or the back of a spoon. These cookies will not spread much in the oven so mash them to the height you prefer.
- Bake the cookies! Bake in the preheated oven for 14-16 minutes until they are starting to turn golden brown at the edges.
- Hint: be sure to flatten the cookies to the shape you want them to be before baking them since they won't spread in the oven!
Video
Notes
- Feel free to use your own favorite nuts and seeds! If you change it up, I suggest using a total of ¼ cup nuts and seeds (4 tablespoon total) and ¼ cup dried fruits.
- I use store-bought oat flour for this recipe. But you can easily make your own oat flour by blending up some rolled oats in a high speed blender until they become a flour.
- Be sure to use a ripe banana! It makes a difference in how sweet the cookies will be. Bananas with lots of brown spots are ideal. And mash the banana really well so it adds some moisture to the cookie dough.
- Take the cookies out of the oven right when they start to brown on the edges. They'll still be soft, but they'll continue to cook as they cool!
- Refrigerator - let the cookies cool and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.
- Freezer - let the cookies completely cool. Then store in a freezer safe ziplock bag or container for up to 3 months. When your'e ready to eat one, let it thaw or pop it in the microwave for 30 seconds. You can absolutely eat them straight from the freezer too (I have!!)
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