The Most Delicious Breakfast Cookies

My friend Maria of Two Peas and Their Pod just released an incredible cookbook, Let’s Eat Cookies, with 9 full chapters of delicious cookie recipes plus entertaining and gifting tips.

I was immediately drawn to these wonderful healthy breakfast cookies and decided to put my own spin on them to give my boys! I like to make these big for a hearty breakfast option. My oldest Sidney will eat 4 of these for breakfast and my baby adores them.

They’re extremely versatile, gluten-free and dairy-free, and so easy to make. You can use whatever nut butter you have on hand, and I made them more nutritious by using flaxseed meal for extra fiber, hemp hearts for brain-rich omegas, protein and iron, and chia seeds for a calcium boost. These are very freezer-friendly, too! And delicious straight from the freezer for an easy on-the-go snack. Guaranteed to be a family favorite!

Ingredients in these healthy breakfast cookies

We’re loading these babies up with nutrient-dense ingredients, which also give the cookies the perfect chewy texture. Here’s what you’ll need to make them:

Bananas: you’ll need very ripe bananas to give the cookies moisture and sweetness.
Maple syrup: a little maple syrup also adds the perfect amount of sweetness.
Nut butter: I like to use peanut butter in these cookies, but almond butter works too! Be sure to use natural creamy nut butter (just nuts + salt). Use the code ‘AMBITIOUS15’ for 15% off my favorite brand, Wild Friends!
Egg: you’ll need 1 egg to help them bake up properly. See below for an easy vegan option.
Oats: we’re adding both oat flour and rolled oats as the base of these cookies for a boost of whole grains and iron. These will also keep the cookies gluten free!
Flaxseed meal: get a boost of omega-3s and fiber with flaxseed meal! This is great for breastfeeding moms because it contains phytoestrogens that can help boost milk production.
Cinnamon: add some cozy flavor with a little ground cinnamon.
Baking staples: you’ll also need baking soda, salt, and vanilla extract. Learn how to make your own vanilla here!
Nutrition boosters: we’re adding hemp hearts and chia seeds for extra protein, fiber, and omega-3s.
Mix-ins: I love to add chocolate chips to the cookies because chocolate = life. You can also add chopped walnuts if you’d like for crunch and healthy fats!
For topping: if you love a sweet and salty combo, sprinkle your cookies with some flaky sea salt.

Customize your breakfast cookies

There are a few easy ways you can really make these kid-friendly breakfast cookies your own!

Choose your nut butter. As I mentioned, feel free to use peanut butter or almond butter! I think cashew butter would also work, or you could try sunflower seed butter for a nut free option.
Make them vegan. Swap the egg for 1 flax egg. Learn how to make a flax egg here!
Try new mix-ins. Chopped walnuts, pecans, or even dried fruit like dried cranberries, raisins, or blueberries would be delicious.

Make your own oat flour

Because you’re already adding rolled oats to these gluten free breakfast cookies, you can easily make your own oat flour with extra rolled oats! Learn how to make it with our easy tutorial here.

How to make breakfast cookies

Mix the wet ingredients. Start by mixing all of your wet ingredients in a bowl until smooth.
Add the dry ingredients. Stir in the oat flour, flaxseed meal, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt until just combined.
Add the mix-ins. Fold in the oats, hemp hearts, chia seeds, chocolate chips, and walnuts (if using). Let the cookie dough sit for a few minutes.
Scoop & bake. Scoop about 3 tablespoons of dough per cookie using a large cookie scoop and place dough balls 2 inches apart on your baking sheet. Top each with a few extra chocolate chips and bake them up.
Top, cool & enjoy. Sprinkle the baked breakfast cookies with a little flaky sea salt, then cool on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Tips for making the best breakfast cookies

Be sure to use very ripe bananas so that the cookies turn out sweet enough.
Remember to let the dough sit for 5 minutes after mixing all of the ingredients so that it comes together.
Don’t over bake the cookies — pull them out once they’re set, but note that they’ll still be soft. They’ll continue to set as they cool!

Storing & freezing tips

To store: feel free to keep these oatmeal breakfast cookies at room temperature for the first day or two, then store them in an airtight container in the fridge to preserve freshness.
To freeze:make sure the cookies are completely cooled, and then transfer them to an airtight container lined with wax or parchment paper orfreezer-safe bag before storing them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Once ready to eat, simply thaw out at room temperature and enjoy! Get all of our tips & tricks forfreezing cookies here.

More breakfast recipes you’ll love

Cottage Cheese Banana Oatmeal Protein Pancakes
Peanut Butter Banana Baked Oatmeal Cups
Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Baked Oatmeal
Healthy Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Muffins
Healthy Breakfast Egg Muffin Cups

Get all of my breakfast recipes here!

5 from 35 votes

Ingredients

Wet ingredients:
2 large extra ripe bananas, mashed
½ cup natural peanut butter or almond butter
¼ cup pure maple syrup
1 large egg or flax egg* (for vegan option)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Dry ingredients:
1 cup oat flour
3 tablespoons flaxseed meal
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
2 to 3 tablespoons hemp hearts
1 tablespoon chia seeds
⅓ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, plus extra for on top of cookies
Optional: ⅓ cup chopped walnuts
Topping:
Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
Mix together the wet ingredients: In a large bowl, add the mashed bananas, nut butter, maple syrup, egg, and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth and well combined.
Stir in the dry ingredients: Add the oat flour, flaxseed meal, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt to the wet ingredients. Stir until just combined. Stir in the oats, hemp hearts, chia seeds, chocolate chips and walnuts (if using). Allow the dough to sit for 5 minutes while you clean up and put away your ingredients.
Scoop the dough: Use a large cookie scoop to scoop the dough onto prepared baking sheets, about 3 tablespoons dough per cookie. Be sure to keep about 2 inches of space between each cookie. Top each cookie with a few extra chocolate chips.
Bake for 10 to 14 minutes or until they’re set, but still soft.
Cool: Remove from the oven and sprinkle with flaky sea salt, if desired. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

*To make these vegan: use a flax egg instead of a regular egg and dairy free chocolate chips.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookieCalories: 178calCarbohydrates: 22.1gProtein: 5.7gFat: 8.4gSaturated Fat: 1.6gFiber: 3.4gSugar: 8g

Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen, adapted from the Let’s Eat Cookies cookbook | Photography by: Eat Love Eats