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
Amazing breakfast cookie! I added crushed mixed unsalted nuts! So delicious!
Love this recipe. Made first with peanut butter, not my fave. Almond butter is expensive for my budget but these were such a good recipe. So making them a second time and use chopped apricots, don’t like raisins. Sometimes I cut in half as a snack or small meal before taking morning medicines. Thanks!
I loved this recipe! It was so easy to make and delicious. I thought I could just have one but I want more!! I was happy to see that there are no added refined sugar or butter. Would this recipe work with natural peanut butter? I do find natural peanut butter is less sticky so it would be harder to mix so I went with the ‘other’ type of peanut butter.
Hi Christina, yes, you can use natural peanut butter no problem. Give it a good stir before using. We’re so glad you enjoyed these!
I didn’t have raisins, so I used mini chocolate chips. It was a perfect combination with the cranberry and pepitas. We all loved these cookies!
I didn’t care for these…..actually I tossed them. I didn’t l8ke the pumpkin seeds….but I did follow the directions. My husband thought they weren’t too bad .
Hi Joyce, if you ever wish to try them again in the future, feel free to switch up the add-ins with something you enjoy. A few other ideas: dried cranberries, raisins, sesame seeds, honey-roasted peanuts, pecans, sunflower seeds, dried apples, or chocolate chips.
What is the nutritional information for the breakfast cookies They are very good but I need the calories etc
Hi Dee, 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
Can these be made in say a 9X13 pan as a cookie bar vs. individual cookies? If so, how long would you recommend baking them for?
Hi Tammy, 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.
Do you have any substitutions for banana? I am not fan lol
Hi Chrissy, instead of mashed banana, you can use 1/2 cup of apple butter or applesauce (or any other fruit butter). You could also try pumpkin as a replacement.
Hi, what is the nutrition value of the breakfast cookies
Hi Trish, 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 Sally; could you tell me how long should we keep the baking powder & baking soda; should there be an expiry date on them if they are packaged & what should we ask for if it’s by the lb
Thank you
Hi Tula, we find baking powder and baking soda will start to lose their effectiveness after about 3 months, even if not technically expired. We always replace with a fresh box/can around that time.
Look great, but I’m allergic to apples. What’s a good substitution?
Hi Stacey, You can add pumpkin puree in the place of the apple butter!
These look delicious! Do you have nutritional info for this recipe?
Hi Cathy, 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
Do you have the nutritional information for the breakfast cookies? I’m interested in calories and carbohydrates
Hi Julianne, 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 have a question, why do you always use parchment paper for cookies?
Hi Mary, We either use parchment paper or silicone baking mats so the cookies don’t stick to the pan.
Where can I see the nutrition information for the recipe? Thank you!
Hi Casandra, 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 would love to make these for my daugher-in-law, who is planning on nursing our granddaughter (due to arrive in 5 days.) However, she is allergic to all dairy products. Can you suggest a substitution for the milk ingredient? Thank you!
Hi Becky, these cookies are natually dairy free.
Could you use golden syrup instead of maple syrup or hone?
Hi Lin, that should work, but the cookies will be much sweeter.
I was looking for a way to use one dead banana that wasn’t banana bread. These are simple and quick to make. I had everything on hand, meaning I subbed the dried fruit for what I had in the pantry- chopped dried apricots and prunes. I wanted a touch of chocolate, and a few tablespoons of mini chips did the trick! Pumpkin butter sounds like a nice fall option. Would pumpkin puree also work?
Hi Ruth, You can add pumpkin puree in the place of the apple butter!
Would pumpkin puree and peanut butter work together?
Made these last night and the family loves them!
Great recipe, definetly one of my go to’s
Great recipe. Love you can add anything to the base. I used crunchy peanut butter which next time I won’t since it didn’t bind as well as creamy. But still tasted great. I used apple sauce and no banana just because banana would take over flavor of cookie. Also added 2 tablespoons of chia seeds.
any replacement for apple butter?
Hi Allison, Other options include mashed banana (there’s already banana in the recipe, too!), mango butter, or pumpkin butter.
I made this recipe twice already; as breastfeeding mom they are a great snack for those nightly feeding moments. Tried peanut butter first but liked almond butter even better.
Question: do you think adding some orange zest would work? In addition to pecans and dark chocolate chips for example?
Hi Mirjam, you can certainly try that! Let us know how it turns out.
Thanks! I’ll try it on the next batch en will let you know!
It works definitely for me! I made a version with both almond butter and hazelnut butter, home made apple butter (spices with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, clove) and orange zest and I love it! Added raisins, pecans and hazelnuts. Really love it. Thanks for this nice and easy to adjust recipe!
Thanks I love these. My toddler was not interested (which was to be expected, since he is texture picky), but I ate four of these on accident the first day. I used Justin’s brand almond butter, roasted and salted pepitas, and Kroger brand apple butter. I never liked raisins and have never been interested in dried fruit, but these have made me want to start trying new things.
I thought this was the worst taste ever. I followed the recipe exactly! the cookies looked great but the taste was horrible.
I love this recipe, these healthy cookies are delicious! I was wondering if I could sub bananas for pumpkin? Thanks!
Hi Julie, absolutely—same amount!
I was looking for things for my son to eat for breakfast in the morning, (besides sugary cereal, and other breakfast items) and I don’t always have the time to make eggs. I had all the ingredients on hand, so it was really quick to put together; easy to mix and easy to bake. I can store them in the refrigerator so he can grab one on his way to school. I will be making these again!
What can I replace the banana with, maybe dates?
Hi Karen, instead of mashed banana, you can use 1/2 cup of apple butter or applesauce (or any other fruit butter).
Hi I made these and they taste great but they broke apart. Any suggestions on how to stop them from breaking apart so that you can hold one to eat it?
Hi Sherry, were they underbaked a bit? They should hold together nicely without breaking. If they’re fresh out of the oven, try letting them cool for a bit, which will help solidify them further.
This is on my to do list. Like the variety of ingredients.
Super healthy and easy to make! Love that you don’t have to break out the mixer, they can be mixed by hand with a little elbow grease 🙂
I swapped out the craisins and pepitas for semi-sweet morsels and chopped pecans for a treat I took to the office. It was a big hit! Even the hubby liked them 🙂
Will be making again!