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
I make these cookies almost weekly. They are a favourite because they are so versatile, easy and nutritious. It’s an all around win
So delicious
I’m going to try this but I’ll need to use a non sugar sweetener so will have to experiment with it. It sounds like what I need first thing in the morning with my tea. Blessings
Looking for a healthy cookie with my morning coffee… I think I’ve found it
Question: can I use natural peanut butter? Or could there be a problem with not getting the oil mixed into peanut butter thoroughly, throwing off recipe?
Hi Deb, yes, you can use natural peanut butter no problem. Give it a good stir before using.
what are the macros and serving size on this recipe?
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
Are there any calorie counting devices for your recipe. In particular this one. They are amazing
Hi Wendy, 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
These cookies are a great way to use up older bananas without always leaning on banana bread. I make a batch and freeze, portioning out 2 a day for breakfast. I’ve begun to add seeds to mine for added texture, crunch, and nutrients (pumpkin seeds = 1/4 cup; sunflower, sesame, chia, hemp, and ground flax seeds = 2 tablespoons each).
This recipe is awesome! I’ve shared it with friends & family who demand the recipe after tasting these cookies, lol! I do vary the ingredients, depending on who they’re for & their preferences. They come out great every time! I also bake these regularly for my mother who has IBS-D. She eats 2 of these cookies for breakfast daily & says they alleviate the ‘D’ & keep her regular! WOW!! I do try to make enough to freeze but, they are a family favorite & dissappear quickly, lol! Thank you so much for this versatile recipe!
I’ve found this recipe to be very flexible! More banana makes it OK to skip the apple sauce, any sweetener will work (I use coconut sugar and a bit of water in place of maple syrup most times). Lately I even add wheat bean and pea powder to up the fiber and protein content of the cookies, and with a but of extra cinnamon, the change is unnoticeable. Have been adding sugar-free chocolate chips lately, too, to make them more appetizing but still pretty safe for my diabetic husband. Highly recommend this recipe! And you can make the nutrition and ingredient changes you need to without ruining the flavor or the outcome.
Also, these are extra-delicious straight out or the fridge.
Do the pepitas need to be roasted first? Should i roast sliced almonds first?
Hi Mary, you don’t need to roast the nuts or seeds, but you certainly can if you wish.
Nutrient break down
Hi Abigail, 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 the cookies and baked t&em for 19 minutes. Good taste. Wondering if I should have flattened them more. Are yours chrispy or soft in center?
Hi Connie, they should be chewy and soft in the centers.
This looks so yummy! Do you store them on the counter or in the fridge?
Hi Patti, You can cover cookies and store at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
Love this recipe! Do you have any other healthy recipe/s for cookies & cupcakes that has a long shelf life (when baked)? TIA
Hi Bee, check out this list of healthy desserts and treats recipes!
I love this recipe; however I’m watching my weight and would like to know if it’s possible to get the nutritional values.
Hi Betty, 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
Great recipe! I use a 1/4 cup ice cream scoop so the batter doesn’t stick. I also press them flat with a spoon and sheet of wax paper so that they don’t stick.
L love this and several other of your recipes, any chance of getting some nutritional facts? I’m doing Noom and they ask for calories, e
Hi Betty, 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
Hi….what could I use instead of the banana?
Hi Kathy, instead of mashed banana, you can use 1/2 cup of apple butter or applesauce (or any other fruit butter).
What aisle at grocery store would I find apple butter.
FYI- these are in no way healthy. They are almost 300 calories per cookie with 3 tsp. of sugar per cookie. You’d be just as well off eating a regular chocolate chip cookie for breakfast.
I think it depends on someone’s version of healthy… these have no refined sugar, and have whole grains along with heart healthy nuts, so I actually find them very healthy. When I spoon them out I always get 18 cookies which also brings the calorie count down to about 200 with almost 8 grams of protein. When I have them for breakfast, along with some yogurt, it keeps me full all morning. So again, not trying to argue in any way, I just think it may depend on an individual’s version of healthy.
That’s a really gross overstatement. A regular chocolate chip cookie would not have this amount of protein or fiber. Dried fruits are not like processed sugar — they are quite nutritious. Instead of making overblown statements, just don’t make these cookies.
I wish we met sooner Sally, your recipes all sound delicious
Are those cookies crunchy, or chewy, or soft?
Hi Kim! These cookies are soft with lots of texture.
This breakfast cookie is very hearty and fullfilling! great for a healthy travel breakfast or energy snack. I love em!
These cookies are very flavorful, I did add chia seeds and flax seeds to my batch. Love cookies for breakfast (or anytime)
I have really enjoyed these breakfast cookies, and so has everyone in my house!
I also used the nutrition calculator recommended and including the flaxseeds, it came out at 148 calories per cookie, bear in mind I made 14 rather than the recipe which suggests 12.
I really love having oats for breakfast but sometimes it gets boring. This recipe has given me a new low-fuss way to make a breakfast that lasts all week!
I have found the making of individual cookies a little messy. Tonight I experimented with just spreading the whole mix onto the tray and baking for the max amount of time recommended in the recipe. I cut it into 12 squares with a pizza cutter after cooling for about 45 min. I am happy with the results!
My other customizations for my most recent batch were subbing fig jam for the maple syrup and using half almond butter and half chocolate tahini. Added coconut as well. 🙂
That sounds amazing! I’ll have to try with the coconut and chocolate tahini!
OMGosh YUM! I’d recommend using plastic gloves to shape these as the batter is quite wet and sticky.
I used an ice cream scoop, getting 14 large cookies out of the recipe times 1.5. I wet my fingers before flattening them. It worked well.
These cookies are delicious!! I had to make some substitutions only because I was short on several ingredients. I subbed crushed pineapple minus some of the juice for the apple butter, and some chopped candied ginger for the cranberries. I will make this recipe again when I have all the ingredients, except for the apple. I don’t tolerate those. I will probably cook down some crushed pineapple to the same consistency as the apple butter. Thanks for the best homemade breakfast cookie I have ever had.
I will be making these this week as is. I would like to use a version of these for an upcoming 10 day road trip for my breakfast on the go, however, with the banana and the apple sauce, the life without refrigeration is just 5 days. I think dropping the banana and the apple sauce (reduce moisture that bacteria loves) and add back cashews and chocolate? Do you think that would work and give me a 10 day product life? Thank you so much.
Hi Lars, the banana and applesauce are key for moisture and binding the cookies together, whereas the cashews and chocolate act more as add-ins. We haven’t tested any variations that would be shelf-stable for that long, but let us know if you do any experimenting.
I have been experimenting with extending the shelf life to 10 days and this is what I came up with starting with your recipe as the basis:
Ingredients:
2 cups (170g) quick oats or old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tsp (5 ml) cinnamon
0.5 tsp (2.5 ml) Saigon cinnamon
0.25 tsp (1.25 ml) nutmeg
0.25 tsp (1.25 ml) ginger
0.125 tsp (0.625 ml) cardamom
0.125 tsp (0.625 ml) cloves
3/4 cup (188g) peanut butter (reduced from 1 cup to adjust for texture and flavor balance)
1/4 cup (60ml) pure maple syrup
1 tsp (5 ml) artificial maple flavoring
175g well-drained pumpkin puree (to replace the banana and apple butter)
1 cup (150g) raisins (doubling the amount in place of cranberries)
1/2 cup (70g) pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
1 tbsp (15 ml) molasses (added for richness and depth)
I made these and froze all but a couple. Came out great! Means a little advanced planning to have one thawed but better than having them go to waste.
can you make more for my little girl to do with her friend?
This looks great ! Just what I have been searching for but I am hoping you have the nutritional info? Calories especially.
Hi Julie, 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’m a nutritionist and ran the recipe for nutrition using unsweetened applesauce & unsweetened dried cranberries omitting raisins but including the ground flax seeds for approximately 235 calories, Fat 8.3g, Sat Fat 1.2g, Sodium 105mg, Carbohydrate 34g, Fiber 2.8g, Sugars 22.4g, Protein 5.1g.
Is it per cookie or per 100g?
Sounds like a great recipe. Can you send me the nutrition facts? Calories ect.
Thanks
So easy and quick. My children love them!