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!
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.
How to make vegan breakfast cookies
Gather your ingredients!
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.
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
Frequently Asked Questions
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.
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.
That’s fine! If salted, you can use a scant 1/2 teaspoon salt in the recipe.
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!
Breakfast Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed meal
- 2 cups (190g) rolled oats (certified gluten-free, as needed)
- 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 dried fruit (or mini vegan chocolate chips) such as cranberries, currants, blueberries (see Note 2)
- 1/2 cup (65g) pepitas, sunflower seeds, or nuts of choice chopped (see Note 3)
- 1/3 cup (50g) 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.
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF/175ºC. Line two large baking sheets 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 about 40g 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
yum yum yum, i just made these and already half have gone – growing boys and a hungry mum !!!! I didnt have quite enough almond butter so i just topped up with peanut butter and added choc chips (cos who doesnt love a peanut butter and choc combo). So good any time of day – or night :).
Hi Jo, Thank you so much for such a fantastic review! Appreciate you taking the time!
I followed the directions exactly and they came out wonderfully. Got 25 cookies out of the recipe. So delicious! Now I need the willpower not to eat them all in a day!
THANK YOU! These are soooo delicious and guilt-free. My kids were mini Cookie Monsters with these. I added hemp hearts and craisins and they were perfect. Sharing this recipe with all my mommy friends. Really appreciate your recipes!
Yay! So great to hear the recipe turned out well for you and your kids, Erika! Thanks for sharing :)
I just made these today and they are incredible! My husband said they’re one of the best cookies I’ve ever made. I used a mix of tahini and peanut butter because it’s what I had on hand, and for mix ins I used dried cranberries, mini dark chocolate chips, slice almonds and pepitas. Sooooo good! 10/10.
Your positive feedback is the best reward for our hard work. Thank you, Sarah! :)
I made these with my toddler on a Saturday morning. They were so easy to make and tasted delicious! I mixed in walnuts and golden raisins because I had those on-hand, but they would be excellent with chocolate chips or with cranberries and pepitas. Keeping those mix-ins in mind for next time, because there will be a next time! This batch will not last long. Another hit by Nisha!
Thanks for sharing, Lizzie! We’re happy you love the cookies :)
Do you suggest keeping these on the counter or in the fridge? And how long do they last :)
Hi Mimi, store leftover cookies in an airtight container on the counter for 5 to 7 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. :)
This is the second time I have made these breakfast cookies and my whole family love them. We put the cookies in the freezer and pull out anytime day or night to eat. We love the coconut. Thank you for this recipe.
Patty, Thank you for your thoughtful review! We’re so happy to hear that you and your family love the breakfast cookies.
I made these yesterday and my house smelled so good. Both my kids and I really loved them. However I ran out fo nut butter so used an egg and coconut oil to increase the wet ingredients and I packed it in a baking tray and cooked them as one big square cookie and later cut them into bars. Delicous! I will do this again with nut butter! It’s such a versatile treat / breakfast.
Great to hear the recipe worked out well for you, Eliane! Thanks for sharing!
I just made these and they’re so delicious! I added protein powder to mine for some extra protein and stuck with the minimal add-ins since I didn’t have any dried fruit on hand. I added a dollop of soy yogurt on top. Thank you for the awesome recipe! ❤️
Thanks for the lovely feedback, Minchi! We’re happy you love the breakfast cookies :)
Incredible!!! I used tahini because that’s what I had, and used hemp hearts, sunflower seeds and chopped chocolate as the mix ins, wow!!!! Thank you so much Nisha, once again for a fantastically delicious and easy recipe. You’re my go-to person for all things FOOD!!! Yum yum
Hi Emily, it’s great to hear you had success with the recipe. Thanks for the review!
Could i use peanut butter instead don’t have any cashew or almond butter?
Hi Renee, yep!
These cookies are amazing. I wanted a healthy snack for a road trip and these were perfect. I went all in and added pepitas, walnuts, sunflower seeds, cranberries and my new favorite vegan chocolate ships from Olive Nation. These cookies are the perfect snack that keeps you full and feels like a real treat.
Your positive feedback is the best reward for our hard work. Thank you, Tracy!
😂 so I’m a rebel and used a nut and seed butter at the end of the jar so it was dry AND crunchy! But – I just added 2 tablespoons of oil to make up for it and it still worked out great!! They are perfect for breakfast. I needed easy food since I’m a new mamma and outs are the best for breastfeeding mamma so this will be something in the future I make a lot for feeding me and my baby healthy!! 🫶🏼
So lovely to hear you’re using this recipe during such an important time in your life! Thanks for the awesome review, Nicola :)
FAbulous
Thanks for the lovely feedback, Diane!
I have made these SO many times and they’re always such a big hit that I’ve started doubling the recipe. I follow it exactly and add so many mix-ins- sunflower seeds, pepitas, dried fruit, hemp hearts, walnuts and pecans. I always call in the “pantry clean out” because there are so many ingredients involved. Delicious, nutritious and vegan!! Thank you for this recipe!!
So great to hear you’re such a fan of the recipe, Navi! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating alongside your review? Star ratings are big help to readers who are thinking of making the recipe. Thanks!
Yummy
Theresa, So glad to hear you loved this recipe!
Absolutely devine. Love thrm. Even my non vegan husband liked them. I give thems a big 5 *
We’re over the moon to hear you two enjoyed the recipe, Nancy. Thanks for your kind words!
These look great. Can’t wait to try them.
How many cookies are considered 1 serving at 147 calories with 9 grams of fat? Would it be just 1 cookie?
Hi Stacey, thanks! Yes one cookie is considered one cookie.
Question: This says it makes 24 cookies, but I made it as written and then used a 3 Tbsp. ice cream scoop to portion as you said. It made exactly 12 cookies. So is the nutrition info per cookie, or are the nutrition amounts doubled? I would just like to know exactly how much protein is in each cookie. Thank you!
Hi Linda, the nutrition facts are per cookie when the recipe makes 24 cookies. So if you made 12, you’d double the nutrition facts per cookie. Cheers!
Thank you. Yummy!
What can be a substitute for the nut butter please?
Hi Marina, tahini or sunflower seed butter would both work!