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.
151 comments
Cant wait to make this soon for me i loe chocolate sooooooooooo much i never had healthy breakfast cookies before perfect for my after office snacks love your recipes as always brightens up my day everyday afte work
Amazing! Hope you love them!
any sub for the bananas😕?
Hi! I’ve only tested these as is so I can’t recommend an equivalent sub – sorry!
I used half a cup of unsweetened applesauce and they turned out delicious!
Great “cookie” to have in the freezer. Filled with lots of goodness. Made twice. It’s my go to for mid meal snack. Another winner
Absolutely! Glad you enjoyed!
Can’t wait to try these! Is there anything I can sub for flaxseed meal?
Hi! Feel free to add an additional 3 tablespoons of oat flour 🙂
These are delicious!! I’m so excited to make these all the time!!
So glad you loved them!
These look amazing and I can’t wait to make these but I had a quick question first. Could I use quick cooking oats instead of making the oat flour or will that not work right?
Love all your recipes and videos!!! Thanks!
— Steph
Hi Steph! Stick with the recipe using oat flour to get the right texture 🙂
These are delicious! I did a flax egg because we don’t eat eggs. I also decreased the amount of maple syrup to 2 tablespoons, and then added 2 tablespoons of applesauce to make up for the rest since we don’t do a lot of sugar here. Absolutely amazing texture!
Perfect! I’m glad those little swaps worked out well!
So good and love the texture! Not dry like other “healthy” cookies. I didn’t have hemp seeds so I subbed pepitas, which add a nice crunch. I let the oats hydrate a little longer (15 mins) before scooping them on the cookie sheet. This recipe is def a keeper.
Love pepitas! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
So yummy! They seemed a little too runny at first but the set up beautifully, not sure these will last until breakfast
Perfect! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
These breakfast cookies are absolutely delicious!! Followed the recipe exactly and they came out perfect. The idea of a breakfast cookie is so fun!! My sister said “breakfast cookie?! That messes with my brain in a good way 😂”
Haha I love that! Such a fun way to start the day 🙂
This passed the dad test 🙂 I’m sure the kiddos will love it too. Quick Q, would it be possible to sub the oat flour for almond flour?
So happy to hear that! I haven’t tested these with almond flour so I’m not 100% sure how the texture will turn out. Feel free to make your own oat flour using rolled oats if you’re out – check out this tutorial 🙂
I loooove these and make them often so I always have a stash in my freezer 🙂 I used almond flour instead of oat this most recent time just because I have a Costco bag of it to use and it worked! I did a 1:1 replacement. They don’t taste as good but it works 🙂
These did not last long in my household. Will be making again and again… and doubling!
So glad they were a hit! I love doubling these and freezing some for later 🙂
Hi
I made these, they are delicious except they turned totally blue?! Very strange any idea why?
Thanks!
Molly
Hi! Did you use sunflower seed butter? That can react with baking soda and turn blue, but is still totally fine to eat!
Hello, these look amazing! If I do not have oat flour on hand, can i use regular flour or whole wheat flour?
Hi! You can use rolled oats (which are also in the recipe) to make your own oat flour 🙂 Check out my tutorial here!
Omg!! Just made these cookies today.They are so moist and delicious, had 2 already.This will be my go to recipe for oatmeal cookies!
So happy to hear that!!
I just made these and they are so delish! I’m going to make these regularly now, So so good, love the flavour and texture!
So happy to hear that!
Okay so I made this recipe as instructed, and it turned out SO good. The entire batch was demolished in 2 days.
I wanted to make them again for meal prep this week, and didn’t have banana, so I used canned pumpkin. I did 1/2 can of pumpkin, and I think it might have been too much? I added a little extra oat flour, but I think the dough was too wet, because these took forever to bake lol and came out quite crumbly. So if you’re subbing in pumpkin, just a little warning there— maybe use 1/2-3/4 cup of pumpkin (instead of the 1/2 can that I used)
So glad everyone loved them! Noted on the pumpkin, too – canned pumpkin is typically much more “wet” than mashed banana, which is likely why they took awhile to bake.
Made these with Sunbutter and they are amazing. My kiddos love them. I will be making these on repeat!
Perfect! So glad they were a hit!
Delicious and making your own oat flour is so easy in Vitamix!
Absolutely! Glad you loved these!
Superb!! Thank you for the delicious recipe!!! I did 2 Tblsp maple syrup & 2 Tblsp of applesauce in place of the 1/4 cup maple syrup!! A perfect warm treat for a very chilly day -26 degrees with windchill making it -56 degrees!! So a perfect day to bake!!
Perfect! I’m glad the applesauce worked out well 🙂
These are really easy to make! The hardest part is waiting for the bananas to ripen, haha. They’re really filling and kind of taste like a muffin.
They DO taste like a muffin! I keep buying extra bananas for these, too 🙂
These are perfect if like me you want a little sweet with every meal. They are so tasty!
Absolutely! All about a little treat after lunch or dinner 🙂
This was beyond amazing! It was extra great that it is gf! It was easy to make and bake. Truly the best I’ve ever made or eaten. Thank you!
So glad you loved them!
Hi, do you have a substitute for hemp hearts? Thanks!
Hi! Feel free to add an extra tablespoon of chia seeds 🙂
These cookies are truly incredible!! My 3 yr old loves them and it’s always great to have something delicious that is also full of nutritious ingredients!
So happy to hear that!! Perfect for kiddos 🙂
These are delightful. I added some almonds I toasted along with the walnuts and chocolate chips and they were fantastic. Going to make a few batches for the freezer!
Such a great breakfast or snack!
If you like chocolate chip banana bread, you will love these. These are seriously THE BEST! 1 cookie held me over until lunch & I felt great all morning. I added some chopped walnuts to mine because I love nuts & who doesn’t like a little extra protein?). I froze a batch for my college swimmer & he is loving them as well! Thanks for another great recipe!
Amazing!! So happy to hear that!
We have made these every week since Christmas! It was very helpful to shift our family back to more real foods after I baked liked 10 different AK Cookies through the month of December. We added walnuts and a bunch of golden raisins and skipped the chocolate chips. My 3yo daughter asks to have one with almost every meal. I would like to freeze some for postpartum times- does anyone think that it would be best to freeze the unbaked or baked cookie?
So glad the whole family loves these! You can either freeze the dough or the baked cookies – I might suggest freezing the baked cookies instead for postpartum to make them that much easier 🙂
These were absolutely delicious, even with modifying them! Two were so filling for me! I wanted to share that if you find yourself in a predicament, like I was, thinking you had more oats than you actually did and not wanting to waste every other ingredient, there is another staple substitute. :(. I went ahead and used the oats I had as a mix in and substituted the 1 cup of oat flour with 1 cup unbleached all purpose flour, which was all I had. The inside is a cakey texture. Negates some of the nutritional impact, yes unfortunately. Also I used dark chocolate chunks because I prefer dark chocolate. Will definitely make these again.
I’m glad that swap still worked! Perfect breakfast 🙂
Just made these and love them! Followed the recipe except for hemp seeds. My cookies had an army green color, could that be the banana? When you break them open they look like the picture.
Did you by chance use sunflower seed butter? That can react with baking soda to dye baked goods green. Otherwise I’m not 100% sure what the baking soda could’ve reacted with!
Great recipe! Love having a healthy cookie option for snacking. Have made them 2x in 2 weeks. I added in 1-2 tbsp of sesame seeds and it was a great add.
Absolutely! Glad you love them!
Fantastic cookies! The only modification I made was less maple syrup. They’re perfect for breakfast or anytime. Delicious!
Perfect! Glad you enjoyed!
Again, you knocked it out of the park. These are delicious, versatile with nuts and seeds that I had in the pantry. You have made gluten and dairy free a breeze with so many tasty options. I can’t wait for your cookbook!
So happy you loved these! They’re our new favs, too. Counting down the days to share the cookbook 🙂
Super delicious and rich with flavour. Didn’t have hemp hearts so replaced with coconut. Cookies possibly a wee bit too moist and maybe this is why? Don’t feel guilty eating them!
Perfect! The coconut probably added a little extra fat that made them a bit too moist. Next time you could swap the hemp hearts for extra chia seeds or flaxseed meal!
These breakfast cookies are so freaking good that I’ve made them 3 times in the last month. So great to keep in the freezer for a quick and nutritious breakfast! Totally obsessed.
They are very tasty
I made these as a breakfast for kids and they really enjoyed them. It was a great way for them to get a nourish breakfast on the go. I personally want to work with the recipe and maybe add a little less oats to see how it’ll work but overall its a healthy snack or breakfast option.
Love it! Glad they were a hit!
These had the perfect amount of sweetness, and the banana flavour wasn’t too strong. They were really soft, but not too soft or cakey, a great texture from the whole oats.
Absolutely! Glad you enjoyed!
Our new favorite quick breakfast. These are so good!
Ours, too! Glad you loved them!
These are the most amazing cookies! I have made them several times in just the last couple of months. Trust me, they disappear so fast! I have a sweet tooth, so I make these and grab a couple anytime I think I want the ice cream, cake, or other regular cookies that are not as healthy. These truly taste amazing and are so easy to whip up! I cannot recommend enough! Thank you!
Love that! They’re on repeat in our house, too!
Easy, delicious, and so many good ingredients.
Perfect breakfast!
These were so quick and easy to make, and taste great! We used raisins instead of chocolate chips. Adults and kids alike enjoyed them! This will default become a go-to recipe when I quickly need to whip up a healthy treat for a group!
Perfect! Glad everyone enjoyed 🙂
Great cookies! Kid approved! We added walnuts and dried cherries. I was 1/4 cup short on oat flour, so I just added an extra 1/4 cup of oats. The texture was perfect. Will be making a double batch and freezing next time.
Perfect! These are great for customizing 🙂 Glad they were a hit with your kiddo!
Hi! Just made the batter for these & it’s resting now. But the batter is too loose to scoop into cookies. The recipe calls for 2 extra large bananas, mine were definitely small so I used 2 1/2. Other than that nothing changed. Any recommendations on what to add to it to get it to the right consistency? I’m guessing more oat flour/oats? Thanks!
Hi! Hmmm yes more oat flour should help!
It’s delicious and perfect for me, as I want to eat more protein in the morning and be able to eat on the train while going to work. It’s kind of like a portable bowl of granola! Thank you 🙂
Absolutely! Perfect workout fuel 🙂
I found these a few months ago, and I can’t count how many batches I’ve made! The most recent batch was a quadrupled one! They freeze well! My sports loving 9 and 12 year boys and coaching husband love them, and we have been packing them every weekend for our travel sports! I love them anytime of day I’m spectating! 🙂
Amazing! I’ve been freezing big batches of these lately, too. Such a great breakfast or snack!
Love these. They are so moist and delicious. Will definitely make them again. Very easy.
Absolutely! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
The whole family loves these!! They do fall apart super easily, though, which can get messy when we’re eating them on-the-go. Is there something I might be doing wrong or is that how they are supposed to be? Thank you for another great recipe!
Since these are vegan it is important to let them rest on the baking sheet until completely cooled so they harden up! Also be sure to allow really pack your dough together when putting on the baking sheet.
Can you replace the oat flour for whole wheat flour?
I wouldn’t recommend it because the texture will change. You can easily make your own oat flour (learn here) using more oats!
I followed the recipe except I used Almond flour for the oat flour and nutritional yeast for the hemp hearts. Absolutely lovely. Couldn’t be more satisfied. Brought some to a friend in the hospital. She couldn’t stop raving about them. Going to be making these ALOT!!! Thanks 👍
I’m glad those swaps worked out well!!
I can’t find hemp hearts! Do I need to replace them with anything or just leave them out? Thank you – can’t wait to try this recipe!
Hi! Feel free to just add another tablespoon of chia seeds 🙂
These look amazing! Can you use frozen bananas that are over ripened or do they need to be fresh?
Yes, that should work! I would just recommend thawing them, then draining the excess liquid before using them in the recipe.
These look amazing . I have one question. I need a substitute for banana. We have an allergy at our home – zucchini ?
Many thanks
Can’t wait to get your book
Would you have any suggestions for a nut free butter other than sun butter? My kid is also allergic to sunflower! 🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️
Hi! I think applesauce *may* work, but just note that I haven’t tested it out to be 100% sure. Let me know if you try it! Can’t wait for you to get the cookbook in just a couple of weeks!
Easy and delicious! Whole family loved.
So happy to hear that!
Loved how quick these were to prepare with ingredients I had on hand already. I substituted sunflower butter for peanut butter and it tastes just as good! Highly recommend this as a quick staple for the upcoming busy back to school mornings.
Perfect! So easy and delicious 🙂
Loved this when I tried it out. My toddler however isn’t a huge fan of rolled oats. Can I replace the rolled oats with more oat flour?
Thanks!
Hmmm I haven’t tested it out so I’m not 100% sure how they’ll bake up! Let me know if you give it a try 🙂
The breakfast cookies are my favorite food item for breakfast! I make them in a routine basis and always double the recipe because we go through them so fast!
So happy to hear that! They’re our fav, too 🙂
Based on what I had available I used no flax but instead 2 tbsp chia and 2 tbsp almond flour to make the difference. They turned out great! Thanks for the recipe we loved making and eating them.
Perfect! Glad you enjoyed!
I am obsessed with this recipe right now!! I am 17 weeks pregnant and these cookies have literally totally cured my morning sickness. Even at 17 weeks, if I don’t eat these cookies the nausea creeps in. These cookies are a lifesaver!!!! They have a ton of magnesium according to my Cronometer app and I think that’s what’s helping me. So thankful for finding this recipe exactly when I needed it!!
Amazing! I’m so glad you found these!!
Is there any way to add Greek yogurt to this recipe to increase the protein?
Hmm I haven’t tested it so I’m not 100% sure how much of the dry ingredients I’d add to compensate for the extra moisture!
We absolutely LOVE! My kids ask me to make these all the time. They have become a weekly staple in our house. Very easy & delicious!
So happy to hear that!
These cookies are so delicious! I had all the ingredients on hand except for the flax seed so I added more chia and hemp seeds and they were perfect! I added chocolate chips, walnuts, and raisins!
Perfect! Glad you loved them!
One of the best things I’ve ever eaten. I keep a stash in the freezer and have one every morning! Soooo yummy.
Love that!!
Can this dough be frozen?
Yes that should work!
These are absolutely delicious! I had ripe bananas and wanted to try something new. These cookies make me feel like I’m eating banana bread but also a chocolate chip cookie at the same time! Easy recipe to follow and I had all the ingredients on hand. I store them in the fridge and then warm them up in the toaster oven. Yum!
The perfect combo! So glad you enjoyed 🙂
This is one of the best recipes I have made for a healthy cookie and breakfast. Ever since I started making these breakfast cookies, my picky son has been eating one every day for breakfast. I can feel good knowing he is eating something nutritious before going to school. They are a great time saver. I freeze the whole batch and then just pop a cookie in the microwave or toaster oven until the chocolate chips get melty. I eat them as a filling snack. They are absolutely delicious!!!
So happy to hear that! These are one of my favs to make for my kiddos, too 🙂
Thank you for this wonderful recipe. This looks like the best oatmeal cookie recipe I have found online. I do better with less added sugars in my diet and find that banana sweetens things more than enough for me. Is it possible to leave out the maple syrup without hurting the structure of the cookie?
Hmm I’m afraid the cookies may come out a bit too dry!
Can I use honey instead of maple syrup
And can I use quick oats instead of rolled
The honey flavor might be overpowering and honey can tend to burn in the oven, so I wouldn’t recommend it! I think quick oats should work, the cookies just won’t be as thick.
SO good! These will be a new fav breakfast or snack. These kept me full until lunch! Love all the different types of seeds in them too 🙂
One of our fav breakfasts! Glad you loved them!
We love these cookies. A staple in our house that we have made every single week for 3
Months! Our two little kids LOVE them and because they are “cookies” the marketing for these was a slam dunk for us!
So happy to hear that!
Loved these! Such a nice naturally sweetened cookie. I used cacao nibs instead of chocolate chips because that’s what I had. These are perfect for a treat that is also nourishing.
These cookies are awesome .. each cookie is a good size with a nice soft texture and they are full of flavour. They are so quick to put together and will be handy to have on hand in the freezer. This was my first time using hemp hearts and I love those too … can’t wait to use them in other recipes. Thanks so much for the recipe … and a Happy New Year to you and family.
Absolutely! One of our favorite breakfasts 🙂 Happy new year!
Hi! Could I add a scoop or 2 of protein powder to these to bump up the protein amount?
Hi! Would it be possible to add a scoop or two of protein powder to these to raise the protein level?
I came across the recipe this morning and thought I’d keep it for future baking……..well, it turned out I had most of the ingredients. I modified it slightly be using agave, rather than maple syrup and dried cranberries for chocolate chips. It’s a one-bowl recipe that comes together quickly and easily. It’s a very satisfying cookie that I’ll eat for dessert or snack. It’s sweet enough, but doesn’t spike my sugar. This is a real treat that I’ll make extras for the freezer.
These were really really good. My son loved them! He loved having them in hand for a pre workout breakfast!
Can’t wait to try these! I am wondering if you could add unflavored protein powder to the mix?
I make a double batch of these on most Sundays so we all have something healthy to grab on the go for breakfast throughout the week. I pretty much follow the recipe exactly as written, but alternate the add-ins according to what I have on hand and what sounds yummy. We like adding the chocolate chips and some dried cranberries. They are wonderful! They are great for that 2pm work slump, and cure the sweet tooth! Thank you!
Quick (time was exactly as described from start to finish (25 min)) and simple and delicious! I used 2 TB hemp seeds and three bananas because they were a bit small. Will definitely make again!