These hearty, lightly sweetened, healthy breakfast cookies are easy to make and the perfect portable healthy breakfast option! Naturally gluten-free, vegan, and low sugar.
Hello, friends! Guess what?!?! I finally have a new recipe, and I can’t wait to share it with you today because these cookies aren’t just good, they are incredible!
Man, I felt like getting back in the kitchen after maternity leave was two steps back, one step forward. I felt a slight anxiousness around my first photoshoot. I’m not sure why. I’ve been photographing food for the blog for 6 years now, but still, I felt like I was avoiding picking up my camera.
Maybe because I don’t love every photoshoot I’ve ever done, and I was afraid that I wouldn’t love the first one this time around. Maybe because the baby stopped sleeping through the night, and I was tired, and dreading cleaning up after a photo shoot. I’m not sure, but I told myself to rip the bandaid off because, ultimately, I love the process of creating, photographing, and sharing recipes for the blog. And once I made these cookies, I knew they were too good not to share!
And of course, once I got started, it was like riding a bike. The rhythm and flow came back to me almost immediately. Move this here, turn the camera this way, adjust this, add some color, and bam! Just like that, I was in my groove again, and I’m not only happy with the pictures, but we devoured all these cookies in less than 3 days, so it’s safe to say I’m pretty happy with how the cookies turned out.
These are an “everything but the kitchen sink” cookie. There are many items from your pantry to throw in these cookies and a lot of options for substitutions, so they are totally customizable.
I really liked the combo of dried tart cherries and pecans for mix-ins, but you could swap any kind of dried fruit and any nut or seeds. You could use raisins and walnuts, dried blueberries and sunflower seeds, or dried cranberries and almond slivers. The possibilities are endless. Just use whatever you have in your cabinet.
Unfortunately, I used some pecans that were hand-shelled from a neighbor’s tree so I may have found a piece of shell in one of my cookies. So whatever you chose, I suggest it not being shelled from the neighborhood pecan try. Maybe treat yourself to some store-bought nuts.
These cookies are uber filling, but I still paired them with a scoop of collagen in my coffee to make sure I got enough protein. Remember, protein at breakfast is still important to keep you full and energized all day long! (See how to Make A Healthy Breakfast)
Also, for my friends that are also nursing like me, these contain many of the same milk supply boosting foods my lactation cookies contain but are a bit chewier and less crunchy! You could add a couple of tablespoons of brewer’s yeast to them as a galactagogue. Keep in mind that brewers’ yeast is bitter so that I wouldn’t do more than 2 tablespoons total.
How to Make These Cookies
It’s a one-bowl deal, my friends!
Mix all your ingredients until cookie dough forms, then add in your mix-ins!
I used an ice cream scoop to portion out 8 cookie dough balls and then flattened them with the back of my spoon.
Let’s talk swaps and substitutions.
Ground flax – do not omit. This recipe is egg-free, so the flax helps bind the cookies. You could probably sub-two eggs, but it will change the consistency of the cookie.
Banana – the riper the banana, the better. Mine were borderline rotten. The riper the banana, the sweeter the cookies will be!
Salt – optional, for taste (salt helps increase sweetness)
Rolled Oats – use quick oats or old-fashioned rolled oats. Either work!
Cashew Butter – I’m a HUGE fan of cashew butter in cookie recipes because its creamy, buttery taste is the closest thing to real butter I’ve found. That being said, these cookies would still be delicious with almond butter, peanut butter, sunflower butter, etc.
Applesauce – I used unsweetened applesauce, do not omit.
Maple Syrup – I know someone will ask if they can make these without maple syrup, and the answer is YES. I would increase the applesauce by 1/4 cup.
Vanilla extract – optional for taste
Cinnamon – optional for taste
Chia seeds provide healthy omega 3 fatty acids and fiber and act as a binder, but if you happen to be out of them, you can omit them.
Dried cherries – feel free to sub any other dried fruit like cranberries, raisins, or blueberries!
Pecans – feel free to sub any other nut or seed, or you can even omit them.
Tag me if you make these! I love to see what you guys make! You can tag me on Insta @hungryhobbyRD and Facebook @hungryhobby!
Healthy Breakfast Cookies
Equipment
- cookie sheet
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup ground flax
- 1 banana very ripe, mashed
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2.5 cups rolled oats or quick oats
- 3/4 cup cashew butter or almond butter or peanut butter
- 1/2 cup applesauce
- 1/4 cup maple syrup may sub an additional 1/4 cup apple sauce
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1.5 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tbsp chia seeds
- 1/2 cup dried cherries
- 1/4 cup pecans chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325F. In a large bowl, combine flax, banana, salt, oats, cashew butter, apple sauce, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, and chia seeds. Add in dried cherries and pecans and mix well.
- Using an ice cream scooper, make 8-9 cookie balls and flatten them with the back of a spoon. (I used my silicone baking mat and did not grease it.)*
- Bake for 15-18 minutes or until cookies are set and slightly golden brown around the edges. Let cool completely on the pan or a cooling rack.
Notes
Nutrition
You may also like:
- How to Make A Healthy Breakfast
- 90 + Healthy Breakfast Recipes
- Healthy Breakfast Recipes Without Eggs
- Healthy Breakfast Quesadillas
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Your cookies look so delicious.
enjoy!
These look fab, I’m going to bake a batch next time we go camping for the weekend.
These look fab. I’m going to make them next time we go camping for the weekend. Thanks for sharing.
Enjoy!