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4.6 from 582 votes

Healthy Breakfast {or Snack} Cookies

A versatile and tasty recipe that’s quick to prepare and easy to enjoy.

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
33 mins
Servings: 15 cookies
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • 2 ½ cups oats (see note for quick vs old-fashioned)
  • ¾ cup creamy peanut butter (see note)
  • ½ cup mashed banana, about 1 medium (see note for substitutions)
  • ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
  • ¼ cup flaxseed meal
  • ¼ cup honey
  • ¾ teaspoon salt I use coarse, kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 cup raisins chocolate chips, craisins, chopped nuts or other add-ins

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and lightly grease with cooking spray. Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the oats, peanut butter, mashed bananas or pumpkin, applesauce, flaxseed meal, honey or syrup, salt, and cinnamon. Mix until mostly combined.
  3. Stir in any add-ins and mix until evenly combined.
  4. Drop by large spoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets (I use a #20 cookie scoop which is about 3 heaping tablespoons). The cookies won't spread while baking so they can be spaced about 1-inch apart. Flatten each cookie dough mound into an even disc about 1/4-inch thick.
  5. Bake for 15-18 minutes until golden but still soft. {You can bake longer for crunchier cookies.}

Notes

  • Oats: I prefer using half old-fashioned oats and half quick oats in this recipe. It yields the best texture, I think, but you can try using all old-fashioned oats or all quick oats.
  • Peanut Butter: I have used creamy and crunchy peanut butter in this recipe (traditional brands like Jif/Skippy). I haven't tried this with natural peanut butter or alternate nut butters, but I think it would be very adaptable. If using a thick, stodgy nut butter, you might want to decrease the oats to 2 cups. Also, the peanut butter amount is adaptable - I've used anywhere from 1/2 cup to a full cup. The amount listed in the recipe seems to be just the right.
  • Banana: the banana gives these cookies a slightly cakey, banana bread-esque texture. You can use an egg or canned pumpkin in place of the banana for an alternate substitution. The cookies will be slightly less sweet and not quite as soft if doing so and the dough will be stiffer (you can up the applesauce a bit if you'd like).
  • Nutrition Facts: the nutrition facts for this recipe were calculated based on the cookies without optional add-ins as those are added based on personal preference. 

Nutrition Information

Serving 1 Cookie Calories 168kcal (8%) Carbohydrates 19g (6%) Protein 6g (12%) Fat 9g (14%) Saturated Fat 2g (10%) Sodium 178mg (7%) Fiber 3g (12%) Sugar 7g (14%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 15cookies

Amount Per Serving

Calories

% Daily Value*

Serving 1 Cookie
Calories 168kcal 8%
Carbohydrates 19g 6%
Protein 6g 12%
Fat 9g 14%
Saturated Fat 2g 10%
Sodium 178mg 7%
Fiber 3g 12%
Sugar 7g 14%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.