These healthy breakfast cookies are amazing: no flour, refined sugar or dairy, yet they taste like an oatmeal raisin cookie! Morning win.
The path to healthy breakfast ideas is difficult, especially for meals on the go. So here’s a make ahead breakfast that fits in the palm of your hand: these Healthy Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies! Yes, it’s magic: oats, nut butter, applesauce, and maple syrup transform into cookies that you can eat for breakfast. There’s none of those traditional cookie ingredients: no flour, no butter, no oil, and no refined sugar. How is it possible? You’ve got to taste. Read the post for some important pointers.
Ingredients in breakfast cookies
Eating cookies for breakfast? Breakfast cookies are a handheld cookie made with healthy ingredients intended tp be eaten for breakfast or snack. They’re similar to a granola bar, but the texture is softer like a cookie. Breakfast cookies are conveniently easy to make in advance and refrigerate or freeze for meals on the go.
These healthy oatmeal breakfast cookies have no flour and no oil, opting for healthy alternatives. They also make both a vegan breakfast idea and gluten free breakfast option! Here are the 8 ingredients you’ll need:
- Unsweetened applesauce
- Creamy peanut butter or creamy almond butter
- Maple syrup
- Old Fashioned rolled oats
- Baking powder
- Cinnamon
- Kosher salt
- Raisins
Calories per cookie and serving suggestions
These breakfast cookies we created for a friend who asked us for healthy breakfast ideas for on the go (hi, Chelsea!). She had particular dietary considerations, resulting in these cookies being vegan, gluten-free, and full of nutrient-dense ingredients. Here are a few notes on calories and serving the cookies:
- The recipe yields 11 to 12 cookies. You’ll get 11 cookies if you make ¼ cup scoops, or 12 cookies if you make them slightly smaller.
- The cookies are either 270 calories or 245 calories, depending on whether you made a batch of 11 or 12.
- Serving size is 1 cookie. The cookies are fairly sweet so we’d suggest another item if you want a more filling breakfast. Add an apple or other grab-and-go item.
A few breakfast cookie tips before you start
These breakfast cookies are not like a traditional cookie! There are a few things that are a bit different and pointers to note:
- The dough is very wet. It’s not like a normal cookie dough, so don’t expect it to be! It’s very wet.
- You’ll have to form the dough into the cookie shapes with your hands. Again, it doesn’t shape like you expect it to: but that’s ok!
- They also don’t spread when baking like a normal cookie. When you shape it, that will be the final shape of the cookie when baked. You can press a few extra raisins into the top before you bake if the cookie looks a little sparse on top.
Storage info
The best thing about breakfast cookies? They’re easy to make ahead and store for on-the-go breakfasts! Here’s what to know about storage:
- Store refrigerated for up to 2 weeks or frozen for 3 months. Then grab them on your way out the door.
- You can also store at room temp for about 5 days. They get very soft when stored at room temp (and delicious!).
- The cookies become softer when stored. You’ll notice they’re a little crisp at the edges after baking, but they hydrate more during storage.
More healthy breakfast ideas
Looking for easy healthy ways to start the day? (Who isn’t?) Here are a few healthy breakfast ideas:
- Try Scrambled Eggs with Cottage Cheese, a way to stretch 1 egg to a filling breakfast
- Opt for Yogurt Parfaits, Almond Butter Toast, or Vegan Breakfast Sandwich
- Go for delicious Banana Baked Oatmeal
- Try a Breakfast Vegetable Scramble or Crustless Quiche with Spinach
- Grab fan-favorite Healthy Bread Muffins or an Easy Tofu Scramble
- Try 15 Make Ahead Breakfasts for Busy Mornings
This healthy oatmeal breakfast cookies recipe is…
Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free.
Print
Magic Breakfast Cookies
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 11 to 12 cookies 1x
Description
These healthy breakfast cookies are amazing: no flour, refined sugar or dairy, yet they taste like an oatmeal raisin cookie! Morning win.
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ⅓ cup creamy peanut butter or creamy almond butter
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- 3 cups Old Fashioned rolled oats
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup raisins
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, mix together the applesauce, maple syrup, and peanut butter. Stir in the oats, baking powder, cinnamon and salt and mix very well to combine into a dough. Add the raisins and stir until combined. The dough will be wetter than you expect, but it’s as intended.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop out 1/4-cup portions of dough and use the palm of your hand to gently shape it into a cookie to about 3/4-inch thick. The cookie won’t spread while baking, so make it the shape you’d like the final cookie. Place it on the prepared baking sheet. If it doesn’t pop right out of the cup, you can remove it with your hands, form it into a ball and then flatten it into a cookie shape with your hands. Again, the dough will be wetter than a normal cookie dough. Repeat to make 11 cookies with the ¼ cup measure, or make 12 slightly smaller cookies. Press a few extra raisins into the tops of any cookies that seem sparse.
- Bake until the cookies are golden and firm, about 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool on the pan 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack and cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes. The texture becomes softer during storage. Leftover breakfast cookies will store in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 5 days, in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, and in the freezer for up to 3 months (you can wrap individually in foil if you like or place in a freezer proof container).
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Breakfast
- Diet: Vegan
Keywords: Breakfast cookies, breakfast cookie recipe, oatmeal breakfast cookies, healthy breakfast cookies
Oohh…if I sub dried cranberries for the raisins, I think I already have all of these ingredients! Perfect timing with school starting back up yesterday. My high schooler isn’t a fan of eating right when he wakes up, but I can slip these in his backpack for later. Can’t wait to try, thank you!
Awesome! Enjoy :)
I only keep chunky peanut butter, but I’m going to try these. I live on the edge!
Haha! Good luck :)
These look so good and easy. I’m wondering if I can substitute the nutbuttee with either wow butter or sunflower butter?🤔
We have not tested it with sunflower butter but it should work! Let me know how it goes!
Oh my gosh! I just made these breakfast cookies today. ❤️❤️❤️! I have been looking for something like this for awhile. I have tried many baked oatmeal recipes; none were what I had i in mind.
I used a 1/4 measuring cup to scoop oatmeal mixture and for uniformity of the cookies; I got 11 cookies from the batch.
Thank you so much for this recipe- it is a keeper and “repeater” for me.
Delish!
So glad you enjoyed!
Sonja & Alex, hi, I’m new to your site & am trying to start the new year off eating better (i.e. a lifetime of eating poorly). I was wondering if you have or know the the nutritional breakdown of these cookies? They, along with so many of your dishes, look fabulous, & I’m so excited about looking into your past blogs. Thanks for helping me & others like myself in their quest for a healthier lifestyle.
Hi! Just added to the recipe card.
Sure wish you gave us all Nutritional Values (besides Calories)
Hi! Just added to the recipe card.
Hi! I was wondering can I use molasses instead of pure maple syrup? (It’s what I happen to have in the pantry right now). Thanks!
Maybe if you did part molasses and part sugar. It would be too strongly flavored otherwise.
I am just beginning to bake for my vegan friends and made the Breakfast Cookie. I’ll be taking it to work tomorrow but was very pleased how the cookies baked and tasted. I made 18 cookies out of this recipe so more could enjoy them. I’m looking forward to trying other gluten free and vegan recipes from you.
★★★★★
Breakfast cookies….Why the baking powder if there is no flour?
We tried it both ways and it just adds a little extra something to the final result!
I made the magic breakfast cookies but they tasted Plain. I followed the recipe to a T but I’m wondering if because we don’t add any sugar is why they tasted this way. Three of my kids liked them and two didn’t.
I love this recipe, I’ve baked it several times as written. I like a sweet bite with my coffee in the morning but also want to eat something with substance. These cookies fit the bill. I also just made a batch replacing the cinnamon with equal amount high quality cocoa powder and the raisins with equal amount chocolate chips (albeit less healthy) and they were also great. I only modified because I wanted to mix it up a little as I’ve made the original so many times 😄. I’ll continue to make both versions.
★★★★★
So glad you are loving them! We’ll have to try the variation.
Can I sub honey for the maple syrup?
I can’t wait to try these. I was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in Oct. of 2020 and changed the way I was eating drastically. I have been healed for f cancer but I will never go back to the way I use to eat. Thank you for such great recipes. God Bless you both