My new cookbook Big Vegan Flavor is now available!

Breakfast Cookies

Jump to Recipe
These Breakfast Cookies are healthy enough to eat for breakfast or a post-workout snack but delicious enough for dessert! Made with oats, seeds, and almond butter, they're vegan, gluten-free, refined sugar-free, soy-free, and have no added oil. Each cookie packs in 5g of protein and 3g fiber!
Prep 20 minutes
Cook 20 minutes
Cooling Time 5 minutes
Total 45 minutes
5 from 387 votes

These breakfast cookies are for all the times you wish you could eat cookies for breakfast and not feel bad about it (which, for me, is most of the time).

These cookies are made with wholesome ingredients like oats, almond butter, and seeds, and they’re not only vegan but also free of, gluten, soy, added oil, and refined sugars! Each cookie packs 5 grams of protein and 3g of fiber, so they also keep you full and energized.

Even better, they’re infinitely customizable so you can modify them to your heart’s content!

breakfast cookies lined up with names of cookie flavor variations

Watch: How to make amazing breakfast cookies

And for more delightful vegan breakfast ideas, check out my vegan breakfast recipe round-up! It’s chock-full of fun plant-based breakfast recipes from me and other vegan recipe developers.

Why you’ll love these breakfast cookies

Wholesome. These are cookies you can feel good about! They’re made with ingredients that are perfectly acceptable for breakfast, which means you can happily eat cookies for breakfast.

Deceptively delicious. Wholesome breakfast cookies might sound like they taste meh, but these are cookies you’ll actually want to eat.

Delightfully chewy. If you’re like most people, you like chewy cookies. These cookies are incredibly chewy with crunchy bites of seeds and even more chewy bites from the dried fruit.

Pantry-friendly and easy to customize. You likely already have all the ingredients in your pantry. You can also get creative and mix and match your favorite ingredients. Read more in the “how to customize” section!

For a sweet snack that’s a bit more indulgent, try these seriously good Vegan Banana Muffins!

Versatile. Not only can you eat them for breakfast, but they’re also a great post- or pre-workout snack. My athletic friend Joanne of The Korean Vegan (she runs marathons) said these cookies fueled her for a long run around Central Park. Oh, and of course, you can also eat them for dessert.

stack of chewy breakfast cookies

How to make vegan breakfast cookies

Gather your ingredients!

labeled ingredients for breakfast cookies

Prepare your flax egg. Whisk together the ground flaxseed meal and water and set aside for 15 minutes to gel up.

In a large bowl, together the dry ingredients: oats, coconut, salt, baking powder, baking soda.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the liquid ingredients until smooth and thick: almond butter, maple syrup, vanilla, and prepared flax eggs.

Pour the wet ingredients over the dry.

Use a silicone spatula to combine the ingredients until it resembles cookie dough.

Add desired mix-ins (chopped nuts or seeds and dried fruit or chocolate chips).

Add hemp seeds.

Stir to evenly incorporate the mix-ins.

Scoop about 3 tablespoons of dough onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets and lightly flatten. Bake at 350ºF for 18-20 minutes, until lightly golden on the bottom. Cool the pans on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then transfer the cookies directly to the wire rack.

How to customize these cookies

Not a fan of coconut or allergic? Omit the shredded coconut and just add more oats. Personally, I think the coconut adds a lovely texture.

Likewise, if you don’t have hemp seeds, you can omit or add more shredded coconut. But you should really get some hemp seeds!

Allergic to almonds or don’t have almond butter? Use any nut butter you like, such as cashew butter or peanut butter (they will taste like peanut butter cookies). Just be sure to use a smooth, not crunchy, variety, as the nut butter is the replacement for oil in this recipe.

For the dried fruit mix-in, you could really use any variety you like. I have used raisins, currants, finely chopped apricots, finely chopped dates, and dried cranberries (use juice-sweetened cranberries to avoid refined sugar).

And if you’re not a fan of dried fruit at all, feel free to substitute with dairy-free chocolate chips. I love the chewiness that dried fruit brings, but the chocolate chip version makes these taste more like a classic cookie (SO good). The chocolate chip version is a favorite in our house.

For the seed and nut mix-in, pepitas, sunflower seeds, or any kind of nut works well. Just chop them up pretty good so you don’t get large pieces.

mix-ins for breakfast cookies with ingredients labeled

Some flavor variations that we tried are below. My favorites are anything that contains chocolate chips (no surprise!), dried blueberries, and dried cranberries.

  • Mango Cashew: finely chop dried mango + raw unsalted cashews, chopped
  • Chocolate Chip Almond: mini vegan chocolate chips + roasted almonds, chopped
  • Cranberry Pecan: dried cranberries + pecans, chopped
  • Blueberry Walnut: dried blueberries + walnuts, chopped
  • Golden Macadamia: dried golden berries + macadamia nuts, chopped
breakfast cookies with different mixins on a wire rack

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make these breakfast cookies nut-free?

Yes, use seeds instead of nuts for your mix-ins and sub the almond butter with tahini.

You’ll need to use a smooth, non-bitter variety and stir well. I love Seed + Mill and Soom Tahini (affiliate link) and the Whole Foods 365 brand is pretty decent.

Or you could try Sunbutter sunflower seed butter. It will likely tinge your cookies green (that’s what happens when you bake with sunflower seeds) but the taste will be great.

Can I freeze these?

Yes, they freeze perfectly! And they take just 15ish minutes to defrost, so you can enjoy them really any time. After baking, allow the cookies to cool completely. Store them in a freezer-safe zip-top bag and label with the name and date. They should be good for about 3 months.

What if my nut/seed mix-ins are roasted and/or salted?

That’s fine! If salted, you can use a scant 1/2 teaspoon salt in the recipe.

brown plate of breakfast cookies with one bitten into and a glass of oat milk

If you love these breakfast cookies, be sure to tag me on Instagram with your recreations and please rate and review with your feedback below!

Big Vegan Flavor

Techniques and 150 recipes to master vegan cooking.

Breakfast Cookies

5 from 387 votes
These Breakfast Cookies are healthy enough to eat for breakfast or a post-workout snack but delicious enough for dessert! Made with oats, seeds, and almond butter, they're vegan, gluten-free, refined sugar-free, soy-free, and have no added oil. Each cookie packs in 5g of protein and 3g fiber!
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Cooling Time 5 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Cuisine: Baking
Diet Vegan
Serving size: 22

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed meal
  • 2 cups (190g) rolled oats (certified gluten-free, as needed)
  • Heaping 1/2 cup (50g) unsweetened shredded coconut
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 3/4 cup (190g) smooth, creamy variety of almond butter (can sub cashew butter) (see Note 1)
  • 1/2 cup (160g) pure maple syrup
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Mix-Ins

  • 1/2 cup (~75g) dried fruit (or mini vegan chocolate chips) such as cranberries, currants, blueberries (see Note 2)
  • 1/2 cup (70g) pepitas, sunflower seeds, or nuts of choice chopped (see Note 3)
  • 1/3 cup (48g) hemp seeds (also called hemp hearts)

Instructions

  • Prepare the flax eggs. Combine the ground flaxseed meal with 5 tablespoons water. Stir and let sit for 10-15 minutes to gel together.
  • Arrange two racks in the top third and bottom third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350ºF/175ºC. Line two large sheet pans with parchment paper.
  • In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients: oats, coconut, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  • In a medium bowl, mix together the wet ingredients: almond butter, maple syrup, vanilla, and prepared flax eggs. Whisk until smooth and thick.
  • Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients, using a silicone spatula to mix everything until the mixture resembles a cookie dough. Fold in your desired mix-ins (dried fruit, chopped nuts/seeds, and hemp seeds) using the spatula.
    If the dough is too sticky to handle, refrigerate it for 10-15 minutes to firm up slightly.
  • Use an ice cream scoop or large spoon to scoop a heaping 2 tablespoons or scant 3 tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 1/2 inch apart, 12 cookies per sheet pan (they don't really spread).
    I have a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop and do a big heaping scoop of that. It's 35g to 40g of dough per cookie.
    Alternatively, measure the dough out with a spoon and shape into a round using your hands.
    Lightly flatten the top of each cookie with your hands.
  • Bake the cookies for 18-20 minutes.
    After 5 minutes, use a spatula to carefully transfer them to a cooling rack.
    Store leftover cookies in an airtight container on the counter for 5 to 7 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Notes

Note 1: It’s important to use a smooth, fairly runny variety of almond butter since there’s no oil in this recipe. Don’t use the crusty bottom of the jar! If nut-free, use tahini. 
Note 2: If you want to keep these cookies entirely refined sugar-free, use a naturally sugar-free dried fruit like currants, sultanas, or chopped mango or apricots (most varieties of dried cranberries and blueberries have added sugar).
If you want something a little more traditional cookie-like, these are REALLY good with mini vegan chocolate chips (I love the chocolate chips from Enjoy Life).  
Note 3: Nut options we’ve tried: almonds, walnuts, pecans, cashews, macadamia nuts. They all work! Just be sure to chop well so you don’t get big pieces. 

Calories: 169kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.001g | Sodium: 92mg | Potassium: 177mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 12IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 54mg | Iron: 1mg

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @rainbowplantlife and hashtag it #rainbowplantlife

4.98 from 387 votes (113 ratings without comment)

Leave a Comment & Rating

If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider giving it a star rating along with your comment! It helps others discover my blog and recipes, and your comments always make my day :) Thank you for your support!

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Rate this recipe





677 comments on Breakfast Cookies

  1. Marie

    5 stars
    Made half a batch of these today with almonds and chopped dried cherries. The cookies came out great and not too sweet for my father who is trying to incorporate more better for you treats. Mine did burn just a bit on the bottom of some, but that’s partially from some cookies having fruit on the bottom of the cookie and because my oven is really finicky.
    Definitely worth giving a go!

    1. Kaitlin @ Rainbow Plant Life

      We’re over the moon to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Marie. Thanks for your kind words!

  2. Kaitlyn

    5 stars
    This is the type of cookie I always order at cafes, but even better because of the wholesome ingredients and flavour. I love that it’s a satisfying snack. The center is nice and chewy while the outside has a nice crust.

    1. Kaitlin @ Rainbow Plant Life

      Thank you for your lovely comment, Kaitlyn! It makes us happy to know that you enjoyed the recipe.

  3. Kerri

    5 stars
    These were exactly what I was looking for! I added hemp seeds, walnuts, and mini chocolate chips. I used peanut butter anf quick oats because those are what I had. They came out lovely and toasty. Sweet enough but not over the top for a breakfast cookie! Thanks for the recipe.

    1. Kaitlin @ Rainbow Plant Life

      Sounds like a great breakfast cookie you made there, Kerri. Thanks for sharing!

  4. Nami

    5 stars
    I love this recipe comes out perfectly every time even at high altitude. I add a half cup of mashed banana because high altitude baking is so little moisture.

    1. Kaitlin @ Rainbow Plant Life

      Hi Nami, thank you so much for your kind review!

Development Alchemy + Aim