It took me a long time to develop this recipe. I’ve tried a lot of breakfast cookie recipes and was often disappointed- they either tasted too dry, or they completely crumbled apart, or they were so bland I didn’t want to eat them. But now I feel confident enough that these breakfast cookies are “blog-worthy.” They’re sweetened ever so slightly with pure maple syrup, and otherwise flavored by the nut butter, nuts and seeds, and dried fruit. They’re chewy and hearty- I love their texture. Just one is enough to satisfy your appetite for a long time. And my toddler likes them. Hallelujah!
What are breakfast cookies?
I’m glad you asked. Because if you’re thinking this is going to be a soft, chewy, super sweet, buttery treat that is magically healthy enough to have for breakfast, you’re going to be disappointed. Really, breakfast cookies are kind of like a granola bar or homemade energy bar in circle form. These are delicious, but obviously not as delicious as your favorite traditional chocolate chip or snickerdoodle cookie recipe. These breakfast cookies are a mixture of rolled oats, dried fruit, nuts and seeds, and nut butter, with a little salt and cinnamon for a boost of flavor and a mashed banana, egg, and a little flour to help bind it all together. But calling them breakfast cookies is fun, especially for kiddos!
How do I make these so they don’t fall apart?
There are a few ingredients in these breakfast cookies that are crucial for helping them bind together well. First, an egg. Just as eggs help bind together meatballs and veggie burgers, an egg helps bring everything together in these cookies as they bake. (Vegan? You can use a flax or chia seed egg! See recipe notes.) Second, a mashed banana. Not only does it help naturally sweeten these breakfast cookies, but as it bakes it firms up, helping the cookie ingredients bind together. Finally, a little bit of flour. I used whole wheat, but you can use all-purpose, gluten free, or oat flour. It helps absorb some of the liquid from the egg and banana so the cookies are more firm.
What kinds of nuts, seeds, or dried fruit should I use?
The thing I like best about these breakfast cookies is how versatile they are. I always seem to have some random nuts or dried fruit lingering around in my pantry, and this is a great way to use them up. For fruit, I used dried figs and apricots, along with cranberries. I chopped up the figs and apricots- make sure that whatever you use is in small pieces. Raisins, prunes, dates, and other dried fruit would be delicious. For nuts/seeds, I actually only used seeds- a mix of pumpkin and sunflower seeds. You can use slivered or sliced almonds, chopped cashews, chopped macadamia nuts… anything you want! Again, make sure they’re cut into small pieces- whole almonds probably won’t work very well for this. You can also throw in chocolate chips, lemon or orange zest, nutmeg… so many possibilities! Here are some flavor combinations I think would be great:
Dark Chocolate and Raspberry (freeze-dried raspberries and dark chocolate chips, with cocoa powder)Lemon Blueberry (freeze-dried blueberries and lemon zest)Piña Colada (shredded coconut and dried pineapple)
When you bake these, make sure you flatten them out before putting them in the oven. Unlike traditional cookies, these will not spread out when you cook them. I scooped them onto my baking sheet and then formed them almost like a burger patty. And another great thing: these will keep at room temperature in an airtight container or bag for up to 5 days, and can be frozen for up to 6 months!
Other easy recipes made with oats:
Cherry Almond Overnight OatsMaple and Brown Sugar Oatmeal SquaresWhole Grain Apple Pie MuffinsDIY No-Bake Chewy Granola Bars5 Ingredient Peanut Butter and Banana Energy Bars
You might also like these chocolate coconut energy balls.
