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 youngest, Lachlan, 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).
- 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 or freezer-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 for freezing 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!
I hope you love these delicious healthy breakfast cookies! If you make them be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked them. Enjoy, xo!
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
The Most Delicious Breakfast Cookies
Ingredients
- Wet ingredients:
- 2 large extra ripe bananas, mashed
- ½ cup (128g) natural peanut butter or almond butter
- ¼ cup (78g) pure maple syrup
- 1 large egg or flax egg* (for vegan option)
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- Dry ingredients:
- 1 cup (92g) oat flour
- 3 tablespoons flaxseed meal
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup (95g) old fashioned rolled oats
- 2 to 3 tablespoons hemp hearts
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- ⅓ cup (60g) 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
Nutrition
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen, adapted from the Let’s Eat Cookies cookbook | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
This post was originally published on January 2nd, 2024, and republished on January 18th, 2025.
I rated this recipe 5 stars because it is delicious and my kids like it.
So happy to hear that!
So delicious! My 8 and 10 year olds even love them! They remind us of banana bread and the chocolate chips really helped the kids love them. I used whole oats in place of the oat flour. I made the whole thing in our food processor, so just blended up the first cup of oats with the wet ingredients to make them more like flour.
So happy to hear that! One of my kids’ favorite breakfasts, too 🙂
These cookies were delicious, so fluffy and chocolatey. The adults and kids in the house all loved them!
So happy to hear that!
What temperature to bake it at?
350 degrees F – noted in Step 1 of the recipe!
These are wonderful! I’ll be making them weekly. It’s like a banana chocolate chip muffin, but without the annoying muffin cup part lol. So healthy too. Should I store them on the counter or in the fridge? That is assuming my kids don’t eat them all after school;)
Absolutely! I recommend keeping them at room temp for a couple of days and then transferring to the fridge. The full blog post always has storing instructions and tips 🙂
These are excellent, but keep in mind they are not sweet like dessert cookies. They have so many nourishing foods packed in and are banana-forward in taste, with just the right amount of sweetness. I used natural peanut butter and made a batch with bittersweet chocolate chips and a batch with mixed dried fruit (goji berries, apricots, cranberries and pears). I added the walnuts and some pumpkin seeds as well. Both kinds were good, but I think next time I will try using semi sweet chocolate. I think shredded coconut would also be a nice addition, Overall, I’m very pleased and would recommend this recipe.
These one’s are great for customizing with your fav mix-ins! Glad you enjoyed!
I add protein powder. 1 scoop per batch, it needs to cook a little longer. I also add pumpkin seeds and coconut. My next try is carrots. Love the recipe.
I’m glad you love these! Great ways to experiment 🙂
I make these cookies once a week and my family is obsessed! Such great healthy ingredients that actually taste like an amazing chocolate chip cookie. We love these. I have made them with and without walnuts and do prefer the walnuts but both ways are amazing. Thanks for such a healthy delicious recipe!
Absolutely! Glad to hear they’re a favorite with the fam 🙂
These breakfast cookies are the best for quick mornings with two littles! They are filling, healthy, and have that little bit of chocolate to make it extra special for the kids. And they make a great post-workout snack for mom!
Absolutely! My whole family is obsessed with these 🙂
Monique was not kidding when she named these “The BEST Breakfast Cookies’! They truly are!! So easy, so healthy, and so DELICIOUS!! I have a husband and two men-children at home and they cannot get enough of these cookies. Who am I kidding – neither can I!
Love that! These are a go-to in our house, too!
These breakfast cookies are so delicious that you will want to eat them throughout the day!
Absolutely! Perfect breakfast and snack 🙂
This is one of the best cookies I’ve made with healthy, nutritious ingredients. I’ve made them twice, and they disappear quickly! Love them!
So happy to hear that!
So gooooood and easy to make
Glad you love them!
These are absolutely amazing. I make them ahead for the week and my kids chow down. Easily adaptable for different add-ins and allergies.
These are the best for a quick and an easy breakfast or snack. They freeze amazingly well and are delicious
Absolutely!
These are delicious and I can get my toddlers to eat them in a way they will not eat regular oatmeal 🙂
I’m glad these are a hit!
Does anyone have a measurement for the banana? Bananas come in such different sizes, I’m wondering how much mashed banana is ideal for this recipe. Based on some comments I’m guessing 1/2 cup, but would love to hear feedback on this. Thanks so much!
It should be about 1 cup!
These were delicious but my batter came out to be a little runny. I didn’t have flaxseed on hand and I did let it sit for 5 minutes. Could it have been runny because I didn’t have flax?
Thanks!
Yes! Flax helps to bind it a bit.
I’m curious to make these for my very pick 6 year old. Would this still work if I did 2 cups oat flour versus 1 cup oat flour and 1 cup oats? I think he’d be more likely to eat these if they looked more like cookies and less like granola bars.
My kids love these as is, I encourage you to try! I’m not sure about all oat flour, but if you want to experiment, definitely let me know how they come out 🙂
Such a crowd pleaser! Love these. Question – can you freeze for a few days and then thaw successfully without change to texture/flavour?
Absolutely, I do it all the time!
I’ve made these several times with several tweaks. I would recommend almond butter over peanut butter, it really brings out the cinnamon. I’m not a fan of banana, so I use 3/4 cup applesauce (mine is homemade and is just apples and cinnamon). I’ve used rolled, quick, and protein oats, the quick oats are my favorite. I also add Bob Mills shredded coconut (1/2 – 3/4 cup) and a cup of walnuts. I’ve never used the hemp hearts. These are someone good!
Thank you for trying these and sharing what you added! I love the idea of adding coconut 🙂
Yummy, quick and nutritious breakfast cookie or snack. I’ve been making breads and muffins with Oat flour to up my fibre and still eat gluten free for a mid morning post workout snack. I find when I make a loaf or muffin, I eat too much at one time so was looking for something I could freeze (out of sight out of mind) and is relatively low calorie and high fibre. These fit the bill perfectly. Perfect for a quick snack before or after a workout. I take one out of the freezer before my workout and it’s defrosted by the time I’m done, sometimes I throw it in the toaster oven for a few minutes to soften the chocolate. I mostly followed the recipe except that I didn’t have any hemp hearts so I doubled the chia seed and added unsalted sunflower seeds with the walnuts, I used a natural nut butter blend I had on hand (almond, cashew, hazelnut). . Delish!
Perfect! Such a great breakfast or quick snack 🙂
Follow the directions the first time. yum!
But I’m pre-diabetic and that ripe banana + maple syrup + oats are blood sugar spikes.
Sooo.. replaced banana with Greek yogurt (1/2 c per banana), and replaced all rolled oats with almond flour, and decreases oat flour by 10%.
Soooo delicious!!!!
I’m glad those swaps worked out well! Such a great breakfast or snack 🙂
I just pulled these out of the oven and they are so delicious! I made them with peanut butter and an extra tablespoon of chia seeds. I did not top with extra chocolate chips or salt and they are perfect. They are not very sweet and the peanut butter and maple syrup do not overpower the taste. This will definitely be my new way to use old bananas!
Such a great breakfast or snack! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
These are SO easy and ridiculously delicious! I made the recipe exactly as listed and wouldn’t change a thing. My kiddos love them! Who wouldn’t want a cookie for breakfast? But also these are so healthy and good for them to start their day. Thanks for a great and easy recipe!
So happy to hear that! Perfect start to the day (that looks like dessert!)
I would love to make these for a family member that is having major surgery, The only problem is they are allergic to bananas. Could you suggest a good substitute? Thanks for the great recipes.
Laurie
Hi! I’ve only tested these as is, but I’ve seen people use 1 cup of applesauce with success. Let me know if you give it a try!
I made these tonight the only changes are I added toaster pecans instead of walnuts and dried dark Michigan cherries instead of chocolate chips. Wow, they are SO yummy!!!!
Those additions sound delicious!!
I made these exactly as directed but did not add chocolate chips or walnuts, I added dried Michigan black cherries and toasted pecans! WOW!!!! They are awesome! Thank you for this recipe!