You can never go wrong with a cookie, especially one this easy to make! Whether you’ve just slept in too late to grab some oatmeal before your 9 a.m. or forgot to restock your supply of granola bars, these fast and healthy breakfast cookies are always great to keep around.
With easy substitutes and only a few ingredients, these breakfast cookies can be whipped up at the beginning of the week and stored in the fridge for when you have one of those days. My only warning: Don’t leave them out in the open for too long, or they might mysteriously disappear!
INGREDIENTS:
2 ripe medium-large bananas
1 cup rolled oats
¼ cup chopped nuts of your choosing, or sunflower seeds
¼ cup raisins (can be substituted for cranberries or chocolate chips!)
¼ cup coconut flakes (if you’re not a fan, this can be replaced with more oats and nuts)
1 tbsp. chia or flax seeds
½ tsp. cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
Pinch of salt
Optional:
½ tsp. vanilla extract
Sweetener, such as maple syrup or sugar, to taste
1 tbsp. peanut butter (or any nut butter)
Almond milk or apple sauce
*orange zest and a splash of orange juice goes well with cranberries and coconut!
RECIPE:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas with the back of a fork until there are no large chunks. If you’d like, add in vanilla extract, nut butter, or sweetener, stirring until combined.
- Add in the salt, cinnamon, and half of the oats. Stir until combined, then add the second half of the oats, allowing them to be completely coated by the wet ingredients.
- Add in raisins, coconut, nuts, and chia seeds. Stir until evenly distributed in the batter. If the batter is too dry, add a splash of a liquid like almond milk, orange juice, or applesauce to loosen it a bit.
- Let stand for 10 minutes, allowing the chia seeds and oats to thicken the batter. (A bit like overnight oats!) The consistency should be a bit thicker than muffin batter but slightly softer than regular cookie dough. Add in 1 tbsp. more of oats or flour if the batter is too loose. Unlike regular cookies, you do not have to be as precise with this recipe!
- Cover one to two cookie pans with parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet. Spacing the cookies about an inch apart, scoop 3 to 4 tbsp. (a bit less than ¼ cup) of dough balls onto the sheet. With your fingers, flatten the cookies to your desired thickness, as they will not spread out in the oven. Optionally, sprinkle with nuts, cinnamon, sugar, or seeds for extra pizazz!
- Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until cookies are golden brown. (Note: due to the lack of butter/oil, they will not brown as much as typical cookies!) Remove the tray from the oven and allow cookies to cool completely. You may take the parchment off the tray, but do not take them off the sheet until they are cooled—they’re fragile!
- Enjoy with peanut butter, Greek yogurt, dipped in milk, or on the go!
