Breakfast Cookies

4.98 from 456 votes

These Breakfast Cookies are healthy enough to eat for breakfast or a post-workout snack but delicious enough for dessert! Made from oats, seeds, and almond butter, they pack in 5g protein and 3g fiber per cookie. Customizable and freezer-friendly, they’re the perfect nourishing start to your day.

Prep Time20

Cook Time20

Cooling Time5

Total Time45

Course: Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine: Baking

Diet: Vegan

Servings:

Author: Nisha Vora

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 to 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
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 or 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 to 15 minutes to gel together.
Arrange a rack in the top third and in the 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, salt, and cinnamon if using.
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, seeds or chopped nuts, 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 a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop, small ice cream scoop, or large spoon to scoop 35 to 40g of dough per cookie onto the prepared sheet pans (that's 2 to 2.5 tablespoons per cookie).
Alternatively, measure the dough out with a spoon and shape into a round using your hands.
Space them about 1/2 inch apart, 12 cookies per sheet pan (they don't really spread).
Lightly flatten the top of each cookie with your hands, then transfer the pans to the oven. Bake the cookies for 18-20 minutes, or until the bottoms are lightly golden.
Remove from the oven and rest for 5 minutes, then use a spatula to transfer the cookies 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.

Video

Notes

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.
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).
1. 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).
Nut options we've tried: almonds, walnuts, pecans, cashews, macadamia nuts. They all work! Just be sure to chop nuts well so you don't get big pieces. You can keep seeds whole.

Nutrition