Breakfast Cookies
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Yes, you really can have cookies for breakfast! These easy Breakfast Cookies are soft, sweet, and secretly packed with the fiber and protein you need to stay energized all morning.
Why you’ll love this family favorite recipe!
Nutritious & delicious – I made the cookies with a handful of good-for-you ingredients, like banana, rolled oats, protein powder, and peanut butter.
Meal prep breakfast – Bake the cookies on Sunday and enjoy one or two for grab-and-go, protein-packed breakfasts throughout the week.
Kid-approved – The cookies have the soft texture and sweet flavor of a classic oatmeal cookie, so kids (and adults) won’t even know they’re eating something “healthy.”
Table of Contents
I’ll do anything to get a few extra minutes of sleep, like spending part of my evening prepping breakfast for the next day. Trust me, there’s nothing better than lounging in bed, knowing a jar of cinnamon overnight oats or a pre-baked egg white frittata is waiting for me!
Speaking of meal prep, these chocolate chip Breakfast Cookies are a meal prep dream come true. Before you stop me, YES, you should eat cookies for breakfast. The good-for-you ingredients—banana, rolled oats, peanut butter, honey, and protein powder—will fuel your body while your brain still thinks you’re eating the same cookies you sneak late at night (no judgment!).
They’re quick to make, easy to customize with mix-ins, and I promise your kids will love them just as much as you do!
Breakfast Cookie Ingredients
Banana – Just like you would for banana bread, use the ripest, spottiest banana you have. They’re easier to mash and give the cookies a sweeter, more banana-y flavor.
Peanut butter – I opted for all-natural peanut butter, but regular peanut butter also works. Or go with almond butter or cashew butter if you want.
Sweetener – I sweetened the cookies with a drizzle of honey, but maple syrup works just as well. If you don’t need the cookies to be refined sugar-free, use 2 tablespoons of cane sugar, coconut sugar, or monk fruit instead.
Oats – I tested this recipe a bunch of different times, and old-fashioned rolled oats came out on top every single time. I also liked a 50-50 mix of rolled oats and quick oats, but the cookies were a touch softer this way.
Seeds – Did you know that chia seeds and flax seeds are considered superfoods? Both are great sources of fiber and omega-3 fatty acids, which are exactly what our bodies love first thing in the morning!
This list is to provide further clarification on a few of the ingredients. See recipe card below for the full ingredient list.
Variations
- Gluten-free cookies – Remember to use certified gluten-free oats to keep this recipe 100% gluten-free.
- Nut-free option – Swap the nut butter for sunflower seed butter or tahini.
- Vegan option – Use maple syrup or coconut sugar instead of honey, and make sure your protein powder is vegan-friendly.
- Chocolate chip substitute – The chocolate chips help sweeten the cookies, but if you’d rather skip them, add ½ teaspoon of cinnamon instead.
- More add-in ideas – Combine the chocolate chips with dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, dates, etc.), chopped nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans, etc.), or extra seeds (sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds).
Or, change the vibe of the cookies with the flavor variation of your choice. Keep the ingredients and measurements the same except for these changes:
- Double chocolate chip – Use chocolate protein powder instead of vanilla (keep the peanut butter and chocolate chips).
- White chocolate macadamia – Swap the peanut butter for cashew butter, and replace the chocolate chips with white chocolate chips and a handful of chopped macadamia nuts.
- Blueberry walnut – Use almond or walnut butter instead of peanut butter and replace the chocolate chips with dried blueberries and chopped walnuts.
How to Make Breakfast Cookies
Step 1: Combine the wet ingredients. Start by mashing the banana in a large bowl, then add the peanut butter, honey, and vanilla. Stir to combine.
Step 2: Add the dry ingredients. Add the oats, protein powder, chia seed, flaxseed, and chocolate chips to the bowl with the wet ingredients. Gently stir everything together with a rubber spatula.
Step 3: Shape the cookies. Use your hands to roll portions of the cookie dough into balls and place them onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat until you run out of dough, then gently press down on each one to help them spread.
Step 4: Bake and cool. Bake the cookies until the edges are firm. Cool them on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. Serve right away or store them away for meal prep.
Erin’s Tips and Tricks
- If your peanut butter is on the oilier side, you may need to add an extra tablespoon of oats to firm up the dough. If it’s on the drier side, add an extra tablespoon of honey to moisten the dough.
- Does your cookie dough feel pretty sticky? Wetting your hands with a little water in between shaping each cookie will help a lot.
- Unlike traditional cookies, these won’t spread in the oven. They look the same going in as they do coming out. To help with this, use the palm of your hand or a fork to gently flatten the cookie dough balls before they go into the oven.
My Pro Tip
Don’t Overbake The Cookies
Nobody wants a dry, crumbly ‘oatmeal puck.’ For a perfect chewy texture, pull the cookies from the oven when the edges are firm and slightly golden, even if the centers still look a little soft. They’ll finish firming up on the baking sheet as they cool.
Breakfast Cookie FAQs
Sounds like your dough was lacking moisture. This is usually because (1) your banana wasn’t quite ripe enough, (2) your peanut butter didn’t have enough oil, or (3) the protein powder absorbed too much liquid. To fix this, mix in an extra tablespoon of honey or a splash of water to the dough until it feels tacky and holds its shape when squeezed.
I first tested these as no-bake breakfast cookies and loved the results! If you want to try it, I recommend using quick oats instead of rolled oats and omitting the protein powder. Place the shaped cookies on a lined baking sheet and refrigerate them for at least 1 hour or until they harden.
The exact amount will depend on the ingredients you use. My cookies each had approximately 5 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber.
Storage
Room temperature: Store the cookies in a sealed container on the counter for 2 to 3 days.
Refrigerator: The cookies will stay fresh for up to 4 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
Freezer: You can also freeze the baked and cooled cookies for up to 3 months. When it’s time to eat, just thaw as many cookies as you want on the counter for a few minutes.
More Make-Ahead Breakfasts
If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!
Breakfast Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 ripe banana, mashed
- ⅔ cup peanut butter
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 ½ cups rolled oats
- ½ cup vanilla protein powder
- 2 tbsp chia seeds
- 2 tbsp ground flaxseed
- ⅓ cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
- Use a potato masher to mash the banana in a large bowl, removing as many lumps as you can. Then, add the peanut butter, honey and vanilla and stir to combine.
- To that same bowl, add the oats, protein powder, chia seeds, flaxseed, cinnamon, and chocolate chips, then stir everything together with a rubber spatula.
- Use your hands to scoop about 2 tablespoons of the mixture and roll it into a ball, then place it onto the prepared baking sheet. Repeat this process until you have about 16 balls. Use the palm of your hand to press each ball down, flattening it out into a cookie shape.
- Bake the cookies for 10 minutes, then wait a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Hi, can I skip or substitute chia seeds? I only miss chia seeds but have the rest of them to make it?
You can skip them!
Thanks for your quick reply! Yes, I made it and it was sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo delicious:)
That’s awesome!! Glad you enjoyed them.
I ran out of almond butter so I used peanut butter. That definitely works too, delicious! I have one question. In the picture of the ingredients, you have vanilla but I don’t see it in the actual recipe. Is there supposed to be? This is the second recipe that I have tried from your site and can’t wait to try more. Thank you!
Nice catch — yes, there should be vanilla — just added it into the recipe card (though it doesn’t make a HUGE difference). So glad you’re loving the recipes!
Hey Erin, must say this is the most yummy and mesmerizing chocolate cake i have ever seen. Would love to try and make one on my own by following your instructions. Thanks for sharing the recipe. Cheers!