Hearty and healthy breakfast cookies are naturally gluten free, vegan, low in sugar, and not only taste good—they taste incredible. Made in 1 bowl and ready in 30 minutes, these easy oatmeal cookies will become your new favorite healthy breakfast. I share plenty of substitution ideas below, too.
I originally published this recipe in 2014 and have since added new photos, a video tutorial, and more success tips.
We’re having cookies for breakfast! Not chocolate chip cookies, but we’re making wholesome breakfast cookies that are made with good-for-you ingredients, taste great, and are super simple to make. Knowing I’m having cookies for breakfast certainly gets me out of bed in the morning and I have a feeling you’ll be the same.
I keep a batch of these in the freezer at all times. We all love them, my toddler included! And I certainly appreciate that they’re healthful. For delicious variations, try banana chocolate chip breakfast cookies and blueberry banana breakfast cookies.
One reader, Joan, commented: “These breakfast cookies are one of my favorite recipes to make because they’re a ‘choose your own adventure’ cookie! Choose your binder, choose your add-ins, choose your sweetener! They’re also great because you can modify to address any types of allergies—nut, gluten, dairy, egg! I’ve made them so many times I’ve lost count… ★★★★★”
Another reader, Kathryn, commented: “This is one of my favorite recipes! I discovered it after having my baby (they make great lactation cookies!) and now always have some in my freezer for a quick breakfast. I love how customizable, easy, and nutritious they are. ★★★★★”
What You’ll Love About These Breakfast Cookies
- Easy 1 bowl recipe
- Naturally vegan and gluten free (if using certified GF oats)
- No refined sugar, oil, or butter
- Hearty, wholesome, & satisfying
- Plenty of room for ingredient customization
- They actually taste good
- Lots of texture in each bite
- …cookies for breakfast!!!
How to Make Breakfast Cookies
- Combine all of the ingredients together in 1 bowl. Add them all to a bowl and mix them up. It’s that easy. I like to use a mixer for ease.
- Use 1/4 cup of dough per cookie. Arrange on 2 lined baking sheets. This recipe yields 12 large cookies, so place 6 on each.
- Slightly flatten the tops of each cookie. Using the back of a spoon, slightly flatten the tops to make large discs instead of tall mounds. The cookies won’t spread, so this helps give them some shape.
- Bake. These cookies take about 15-18 minutes. But don’t use a timer, use your eyes. When the edges are lightly browned, they’re done.
*I increased the amount of apple butter/applesauce in this recipe to 1/3 cup. Ignore the 1/4 cup in the photo below! 🙂
Can I Use Frozen Bananas?
Yes, frozen and thawed bananas work in this recipe and you can read more about How to Freeze & Thaw Bananas for Baking if you’d like. Two important things to remember:
- The riper the banana, the better. When you bake with bananas, you want to use brown, spotty super-ripe ones.
- Strain off excess liquid. As bananas thaw, they let out a lot of liquid, which can throw off the wet ingredients in any baking recipe. I always recommend draining off most or all of that excess liquid before mashing and measuring them for your recipe.
Substitution Ideas
You’ll appreciate how forgiving this recipe is. Use your favorite ingredients and customize these breakfast cookies based on what you have and/or what you love. You can make A LOT of ingredient substitutions—here are a few I’ve tested with success:
- Oats: Use either type of oats—quick or whole. Over the years I’ve found that there’s no difference in the outcome. If you are gluten intolerant, make sure you are using certified gluten free oats.
- Nut Butter: Instead of almond butter, try peanut butter, cashew butter, or sunflower seed butter for a naturally nut-free option. I love using this homemade almond butter!
- Apple Butter: While apple butter adds unbeatable flavor, you could also use the same amount of unsweetened applesauce. You can find apple butter in the peanut butter or applesauce aisle of practically all grocery stores. Other options include mashed banana (there’s already banana in the recipe, too!), mango butter, or pumpkin butter.
- Banana: Instead of mashed banana, you can use 1/2 cup of apple butter or applesauce (or any other fruit butter).
- Sweetener: In addition to apple butter and banana, we use 1/4 cup of pure maple syrup to sweeten the cookies. You can use honey instead of maple syrup, keeping in mind these cookies would no longer be vegan. You use maple syrup to sweeten these healthy apple muffins, too.
- Add-Ins: Up to you! Use about 1 and 1/2 cups total of your favorite “extras.” Some of my go to add-ins are dried cranberries, raisins, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, honey-roasted peanuts, pecans, sunflower seeds, dried apples, or chocolate chips. In today’s recipe, I used dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds, and regular raisins.
Turn Them Into Lactation Cookies
When I was nursing both of my daughters, I turned these healthy cookies into lactation cookies. I added 3 Tablespoons of this (affiliate link) Brewers Yeast, kept the flaxseed in the recipe (it’s optional, but flax is excellent for lactation), and 2 Tablespoons of milk to help soak up that brewer’s yeast. Same bake time. They’re awesome and they WORK.
Easy to Freeze and Make Ahead
While called breakfast cookies, they’re great all day, every day! I love them as an afternoon snack, for breakfast on the go, or even dessert. Each batch yields 12 cookies depending how large you make them; sometimes I make a double batch in advance and keep them in the freezer for readily accessible healthier options.
To freeze these cookies, let the baked cookies cool completely. Place them in an airtight container or zipped-top bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw before serving, or microwave for a few seconds. I absolutely love them cold!
More Healthier Breakfast Recipes
So many options!
- Morning Glory Muffins
- Whole Wheat Banana Bread & Chocolate Banana Muffins
- Blueberry Almond Power Muffins
- Baked Oatmeal
- Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal Cups or Chocolate Chip Baked Oatmeal Cups
- Whole Wheat Waffles
- Applesauce Muffins
- Pumpkin Granola
- Crustless Veggie Quiche (only 110 calories per serving)
- No-Bake Chocolate Fudge Oat Bars
- Easy Frittata Recipe
And for even more inspiration, see my complete list of 30+ healthy breakfast recipes.
Breakfast Cookies
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 16 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 12 cookies
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These healthy morning cookies are so simple to throw together and taste amazing, too! They’re whole grain, all-natural, gluten-free, and vegan. Made without refined sugar, oil, or butter.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (170g) quick oats or old-fashioned whole rolled oats
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup (250g) almond butter, peanut butter, or sunflower seed butter
- 1/4 cup (60ml) pure maple syrup (or honey)
- 1/3 cup (60g) apple butter*
- 1/2 cup (115g) mashed banana (about 1 large banana)
- 1/2 cup (75g) dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup (70g) pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
- 1/2 cup (75g) raisins
- optional: 1/4 cup (28g) ground flaxseed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
- Combine all of the ingredients into a large bowl of a stand mixer (or use a hand mixer). Mix until all of the ingredients are combined. The dough is thick and heavy.
- Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, portion 1/4 cup mounds of cookie dough (about 70g each) onto prepared cookie sheet. Use the back of a spoon to slightly flatten out into a cookie shape. (The cookies will not spread in the oven.)
- Bake for 16–19 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. Cool cookies on the baking sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Cover leftover cookies and store at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: Cooled cookies can be frozen up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter or in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature or warm in the microwave for a few seconds before serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Baking Sheets | Silicone Baking Mats or Parchment | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | 1/4-cup Measuring Cup | Cooling Rack
- Frozen Bananas: You can use thawed frozen bananas in this recipe. Thawed bananas are extra wet, so drain off as much of the excess liquid as you can before mashing. See How to Freeze & Thaw Bananas for Baking.
- Apple Butter: I love using apple butter in these breakfast cookies, but 1/3 cup of unsweetened applesauce works in its place. No other changes needed to the recipe.
- Double Batch: The recipe can easily be doubled to make a bigger batch.
- Substitutions: Need more substitution ideas? See the blog post above.
- Gluten Free: Use certified GF oats for gluten free cookies.
Reader Comments and Reviews
These were delicious! I used chunky peanut butter (all we have) and ground flax and they turned out great! I doubled my recipe thinking I could have enough to freeze, nope. My teenagers inhaled them. Such a great grab and go option for busy mornings or an afternoon snack. Just what I was looking for. Thanks!
These are so yummy! They are moist and hearty. I did 1/2 cup of dark chocolate instead of the raisins, so so good! I also love that these would be easily modifiable for those were certain food allergies (DF, GF, egg free…).
My husband hates banana. Is there a sub I could use? Like maybe pureed pumpkin, or mango, or more apple butter or fig butter or something? I’m nervous abt trying a sub bc I’m not sure what the banana does for consistency/how it changes the baking time
Hi Amanda, See the Substitution Ideas section of the post above: Instead of mashed banana, you can use 1/2 cup of apple butter or applesauce (or any other fruit butter).
We enjoy these cookies as a post pickleball snack.
They sound delicious, but I’m allergic to oats among a slew of other allergies. I can do the apple sauce and maybe another fruit butter as I have a kid with banana allergy and can only tolerate small amounts of apple. We would use sunbutter instead of a nut butter as we have nut allergies. We can use coconut,
If you’re allergic to a bunch of stuff in this recipe, then find another recipe. You don’t need to comment.
Amen!
Just wondering if you don’t use the mashed banana, recipe says to use 1/2 c apple butter instead…. is this in addition to the 1/3 c apple butter called for in the body of the recipe, or in place of the 1/3 c apple butter?
Hi Holly, that would be in addition to the apple butter already called for in the recipe. Hope you enjoy these!
I’d consider these treats probably the healthiest item to come from my oven, in many years. I’ve made these healthy little treats about 6 times, and forgot the banana twice, not a good idea, just a bit crumbly. Overall, these healthy ‘get up and goes’ deserve more stars than 5.
Can you provide nutrition details? Thank you!
Hi June, We don’t usually include nutrition information as it can vary between different brands of the same ingredients. Plus, many recipes have ingredient substitutions or optional ingredients listed. However, there are many handy online calculators where you can plug in and customize your exact ingredients/brands. Readers have found this one especially helpful: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
I want to make these for my grandkids but don’t want to use the pepitas. Can I substitute an equal amount of cashews or walnuts? Thank you.
Hi Andy, yes, absolutely. Same amount.
These were a hit! A perfect quick grab-n-go breakfast. Mine came out very crumbly though, Followed the recipe exactly, the only substitution was apple sauce for the apple butter and I did include flax seed. Any recommendations on how to get them to bind better?
With all due respect, if you replaced the apple butter with applesauce – which has a much higher water content – and added flax seeds, you did not follow the recipe exactly. Perhaps that is why you had issues with the binding?
I am confused. Maybe I am not reading the recipe correctly.
You list applesauce as a substitute for apple butter with no adjustments necessary. You list flaxseed as an optional add in. Are you saying these items will cause a crumbly cookie.
I do not have apple butter so I was going to make with apple sauce and thought I would add the flaxseed but now I’m not sure what to do. Wait til I have apple butter? I want to take these on a road trip but need them to hold together.
Thanks
Hi Janice, one reader reported a crumbly cookie with those substitutes, but in our testing they worked well. We recommend sticking with our substitutes listed above!
Aaaand of course after posting, I see that applesauce is given as a substitute for the apple butter. Mea culpa! Still, I would think that the extra water in it could be a problem. Maybe using flaxseed meal to absorb it, rather than seeds?
These are so delicious. I added some chipped dried apricot, yum yum.
Thanks
This recipe sounds wonderful except for the fact that I HATE bananas! Is there a substitution for them? Thanks!
Hi Mindy! See the Substitution Ideas section of the post above: Instead of mashed banana, you can use 1/2 cup of apple butter or applesauce (or any other fruit butter).
Where can I find the nutritional values for these?
Hi Pat, We don’t usually include nutrition information as it can vary between different brands of the same ingredients. Plus, many recipes have ingredient substitutions or optional ingredients listed. However, there are many handy online calculators where you can plug in and customize your exact ingredients/brands. Readers have found this one especially helpful: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
I made these recently and will make them again. They were delicious. The website you suggested for analyzing a recipe was not helpful. They do not have all the types of ingredients in their data bank, so a message comes up saying there’s a problem with one of your ingredients. I put in 2 cups of whole rolled oats and the error message came up. I used low sodium Jiff peanut butter and again the error message came up. We can’t get an accurate nutritional message. Maybe there is a better app.?
Hi Sandy, I’m sorry you had trouble with calculating the nutritional values. I just tried it at the link we recommend and was able to do it for these cookies. If you put in “Jif low-sodium peanut butter” you do get an error message but then you can click on edit the ingredient and you should see a drop-down menu with other suggestions. I was able to select “Peanut butter, smooth style without salt” which is probably pretty close. The calculator results were:
Servings: 12
Amount per serving
Calories 176
Total Fat 4.9g
Saturated Fat 0.8g
Cholesterol 0mg
Sodium 102mg
Total Carbohydrate 31.2g
Dietary Fiber 3.1g
Total Sugars 15.7g
Protein 4.1g
Godsend for picky toddler! I feel so much better that I can give her a “cookie” she likes that is made of real food! This batch I didn’t have apple butter or sauce so I cooked down and mashed up 2 large apples I had on hand, a little extra effort but not as much as going to the store! They’re delicious as always
What are the nutritional values of the cookies? And what is the serving size?
These look delicious!
Hi Maureen, We don’t usually include nutrition information as it can vary between different brands of the same ingredients. Plus, many recipes have ingredient substitutions or optional ingredients listed. However, there are many handy online calculators where you can plug in and customize your exact ingredients/brands. Readers have found this one especially helpful: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
Stupid question here, but if I double the recipe, do I still double the salt? I always get confused with that. Thanks.
Hi Laura, Yes, you would double every ingredient here. Enjoy!
Could I use butter, coconut butter, or lard instead of nut butter?
Hi Susan, those aren’t adequate substitutes for nut butter. You can try using biscoff cookie butter instead.
I made these not knowing what my family would think. To my surprise most of them really liked them. Now they are becoming a regular item. My granddaughter at college loves them fir her back pack and a quick snack before school, sports practice, study time.
Can you substitute apple butter / apple sauce / mashed banana and remove the nut /seed butter all together- as I’m allergic to both nut and seeds.
Hi Beth, the nut/seed butter is a necessary part of this recipe, unfortunately. It binds the cookies together.
I’ve been making these weekly since the first of the year. My husband loves them and swears they give him energy to zoom through his day to dinner. I vary the recipe all the time, but usually flax, chia, flaked coconut, tart cherries, raisins and pepitas are our favorite add ins. He likes chopped dates too. I’ve taken these on trips and hikes and shared all round. Without fail, I’m asked for the recipe. These are such a hit! Thank you for sharing.
These breakfast cookies look amazing. Do you have nutritional info on them? Thanks.
Hi Marcia, We don’t usually include nutrition information as it can vary between different brands of the same ingredients. Plus, many recipes have ingredient substitutions or optional ingredients listed. However, there are many handy online calculators where you can plug in and customize your exact ingredients/brands. Readers have found this one especially helpful: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
So happy with this recipe! I used cashew butter instead of peanut butter and added dried cherries along with the other recipe ingredients. The flavor is amazing and the different textures come together in such a satisfying way! Can’t wait to try more of your recipes!!
What is the calorie count per cookie so that I can enter it into my food program?
We don’t usually include nutrition information as it can vary between different brands of the same ingredients. Plus, many recipes have ingredient substitutions or optional ingredients listed. However, there are many handy online calculators where you can plug in and customize your exact ingredients/brands. Readers have found this one especially helpful: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
if i want to mak a sheet pan of these into bars what temp and time should i do?
Hi Amber, You can make this recipe into bars. Use a 9×9 square baking pan. We’re unsure of the exact bake time. If you like these, you’d probably love our oatmeal raisin cookie granola bars too.
Can you provide the nutritional content and serving size? Thank you!
PS The first time I made these, I forgot to add the apple sauce. They were still delish! Second time, I added the applesauce and we liked them better without it!
Hi Lizzie! We don’t usually include nutrition information as it can vary between different brands of the same ingredients. Plus, many recipes have ingredient substitutions or optional ingredients listed. However, there are many handy online calculators where you can plug in and customize your exact ingredients/brands. Readers have found this one especially helpful: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
What would you sub for the banana if you don’t have any on hand?
Hi Marishka, Instead of mashed banana, you can use 1/2 cup of apple butter or applesauce (or any other fruit butter).
I followed the recipe exactly. Unfortunately I am not a peanut butter cookie lover and these were very peanut-butter-y tasting. Other than that, it’s nice to make a guilt free cookie!
Hi Beth,
This recipe calls for an entire cup of peanut butter, which is definitely going to make it the top ingredient (by weight) if you take a glance at the ingredient list. Thus, the cookies will taste very peanut butter-y.
I suggest that if you don’t like peanut butter, to try one of the alternatives that Sally listed, or try a different recipe altogether, rather than making a recipe like this and then taking a star off the rating (out of respect for recipe creators).
Hi!
I have all of the ingredients except I’m out of flaxseed. Can they be made without it, substitute with something else, or do I need to run out and get some?
Thank you for the recipe!
Hi Patti, the flaxseed is optional. You can definitely leave it out.
What should I modify if I would like to add some frozen berries instead of dryed fruits?
Thank you!
Love your recipes
Hi Melissa, you could use frozen berries in place of the dried fruit (do not thaw). Bake time may be just a minute or two longer (since the blueberries hold extra moisture). Hope you enjoy them!
Hi! Would eliminating the sweetener affect the texture? If so, what’s a good substitute? I’d like to make this for my toddler and would like to avoid added sugars. Thanks!
Hi Jackie, You can skip the syrup/honey with no other changes. The other ingredients should still hold the cookies together nicely.