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There’s nothing better than starting your morning with a cookie — especially when it’s one that’s actually good for you! These easy healthy breakfast cookies are soft, chewy, and packed with wholesome ingredients like oats, banana, and applesauce. They’re perfect for busy mornings when you need something quick to grab as you’re heading out the door. Make a batch ahead of time, keep them in the freezer, and you’ll always have a nutritious, delicious breakfast ready to go.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe!
Perfect for busy mornings – Whether you’re trying to get kids out the door or heading to work yourself, these cookies make breakfast quick and easy.
Nutritious and satisfying – Made with oats, banana, and applesauce and peanut butter, they’re full of protein, fiber and natural sweet flavor to keep you fueled through the morning.
Soft, moist texture – Thanks to the banana and applesauce, these cookies stay tender instead of dry or crumbly.
Make-ahead friendly – Bake a batch on the weekend, then store them in the freezer for an instant grab-and-go breakfast anytime.
Kid-approved – Even the pickiest eaters (yes, even teenagers!) will love having a cookie for breakfast.
Ingredients Needed
- Quick Cooking Oats
- Peanut Butter, Almond Butter, Cashew Butter or favorite nut butter.
- Banana, ripe
- Applesauce
- Honey or Maple Syrup
- Cinnamon
- Salt
- Mix-ins, raisins, seeds, nuts, or dried cranberries, dried blueberries
How To Make Breakfast Cookies
- Combine oats, peanut butter, mashed banana, applesauce, honey, cinnamon and salt in a bowl.
- Mix with a hand mixer or stand mixer until fully combined.
- Divide the dough and mix in add-ins to personalize cookies. Stir to combine.
- Scoop dough with a large cookie scoop or ice cream scoop (1/4 cup) and drop onto parchment lined baking sheet.
- Flatten cookie with your hand.
- Bake at 325 degrees F until they begin to turn golden brown around edges, about 15 minutes.
- Cool on a wire rack and store at room temperature or freeze.
Tips from leigh Anne
- Use ripe bananas. The riper the banana, the sweeter and softer your cookies will be. Those brown-speckled ones are perfect!
- Don’t overbake. These cookies are meant to be soft and chewy. Take them out when the edges are just set for the best texture.
- Customize with your favorite mix-ins like chocolate chips, dried fruit, nuts, coconut, or seeds to make them your own.
- Freeze for later. Let cookies cool completely, then freeze in a single layer before transferring to a zip-top bag or container. Reheat in the microwave for a few seconds or enjoy straight from the freezer.
- For younger kids or smaller appetites, make bite-size cookies and shorten the baking time slightly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use old fashioned oats instead of quick oats?
Yes! Old fashioned oats will make the cookie slightly less soft and chewy but they’ll still work great. Avoid using steel-cut oats, as they won’t soften enough during baking.
Can I make breakfast cookies ahead of time?
Absolutely. They’re perfect for meal prep! Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to a week. The recipe doubles well.
Do breakfast cookies freeze well?
Yes—they freeze beautifully. Place cooled cookies in a single layer on a baking sheet, freeze until firm, then transfer to a zip-top bag or freezer container. Grab one in the morning and let it thaw while you get ready!
Can I add protein powder to them?
You can! Replace a few tablespoons of the oats with your favorite protein powder. It’s an easy way to make them even more filling.
Are these breakfast cookies gluten-free?
If you use gluten free oats they are!
These breakfast cookies are proof that mornings don’t have to be stressful—or skipped altogether. Whether you’re sending kids off to school, heading to work, or just want something quick with your coffee, these cookies make starting the day a little easier and a lot tastier. Soft, hearty, and freezer-friendly, they’re the perfect grab-and-go option you’ll find yourself making again and again. Go ahead—have a cookie for breakfast, and feel good about it!
Check out more healthy breakfast recipes:
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Breakfast Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups of quick oats
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup peanut butter or almond butter
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 cup honey or maple syrup
- 1/4 cup applesauce
- 1 ripe banana mashed
- 1 1/2 cups raisins You can substitute any mix in for the raisins. Any combination of seeds, dried fruit, and nuts work great.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Combine all ingredients except mix -ins and mix with a hand mixer or a stand mixer.
- At this point you can divide the dough and add in different mix-ins to personalize the cookies or if you want them all the same add in 1 1/2 cups (total) of dried fruit, nuts, or seeds.
- Scoop dough with a large cookie scoop or ice cream scoop (1/4 cup) and drop onto prepared baking sheet.
- Flatten cookie with your hand.
- Bake for 15 minutes or they begin to brown around edges.
- Cool and store at room temperature or freeze.
Tips & Notes:
- Use ripe bananas – The riper the banana, the sweeter and softer your cookies will be. Those brown-speckled ones are perfect!
- Don’t overbake – These cookies are meant to be soft and chewy. Take them out when the edges are just set for the best texture.
- Add mix-ins – Customize with chocolate chips, dried fruit, cashews, raisins, or sunflower seeds to make them your own (and keep breakfast interesting!).
- Freeze for later – Let cookies cool completely, then freeze in a single layer before transferring to a zip-top bag or container. Reheat in the microwave for a few seconds or enjoy straight from the freezer.
- Make them mini – For younger kids or smaller appetites, make bite-size cookies and shorten the baking time slightly.
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Nutrition Facts:
Linda says
Excellent….check baking times according to your personal ovens. I had to add about 5 more minutes.
Nai Hilo says
We have allergies to peanut. What do you recommend in substitution?
Nicole Renae Duckworth says
These cookies are delicious! My teenage daughter says they are her new favorite. I am wondering how you came up with the nutritional information though? My calculation is that the carbohydrates and calories should be much more than that? (About 320 calories and 43 carbs if made with raisins and makes 10 cookies.) Thank you!
Lynn says
Can I use sunbutter or almond butter (PB gives me severe migraines) I’m not much of a baker but this sounds so good. I’m more of a mug of tea and english muffin/toast for breakfast kind of person but I have to try this.
Leigh Anne says
Lynn, Yes, you can use whatever kind of nut butter you prefer – enjoy!
Deb says
Just made these today and love them! I’ve never been a “healthy” cookie person – give me the sugar. But decided to try them as I was having ladies over, and many like healthy stuff. The dough was delicious raw, and baked too. Seem a bit crumbly still, but didn’t give them time to cool. They were in the full 15 minutes, plus about 30 seconds. Still weren’t brown on the bottom, but I took out anyway. I doubled the recipe, so had 3 c. of mixins – used 1 c walnut, 1 c mini choc chips, 3/4 c. dried tart cherries, and 1/4 c sunflower seeds. I saw that someone had issues with too much browning. I would add this cookie tip – make sure you measure the dough to make them all the same size. I used the 1/4 c recommended. Delicious! Thank you for sharing!