Recipe

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These healthy oatmeal breakfast cookies are a delicious, gluten-free option that's made with wholesome ingredients, so you can feel good about eating one for breakfast.

These healthy breakfast cookies are one of my favorites for a quick and healthy breakfast on the go. They’re hearty, slightly sweet, and delicious with a cup of coffee.

While regular bakery cookies might leave you with an energy crash 30 minutes later, these breakfast cookies are full of protein and fiber to keep you satiated and focused for hours.

This recipe is one of my family’s favorite recipes from The Best Homemade Kids’ Lunches on the Planet and has been visited over half a million times, so I guess you could say it’s quite the success.

Are Breakfast Cookies Healthy?

Cookies for breakfast aren’t the first idea of a wholesome meal to start the day, but these are made with nutritious ingredients such as oats, flax, peanut butter, and protein powder without tasting like cardboard.

The peanut butter and protein powder give each cookie 6 grams of protein, and they add flavor, so you won’t need as much sugar.

Oats are high in fiber and protein (compared to other grains) and slow-digesting carbohydrates making them one of the most nutritious foods. Knowing the health benefits of oats and all they can do as far as yummy gluten-free breakfasts and baking go, it’s no wonder I keep them in my pantry year-round.

Make Next: Baked Oatmeal Muffins

Healthy Ingredients for Breakfast Cookies

And the best part- thanks to the gluten-free oat and all-purpose gluten-free flour, these cookies are an option for anyone with a gluten allergy or intolerance. Of course, if gluten isn’t an issue, you could make these with regular or whole wheat flour. Here’s everything you need to make these healthy breakfast cookies:

mashed banana: adds sweetness
peanut butter: an excellent source of protein and healthy fats
honey or maple syrup: gives the cookies just the right amount of sweet
vanilla extract: adds flavor
old fashioned oats: gluten-free and full of fiber
gluten-free all-purpose flour: makes these gluten-free breakfast cookies possible
flaxseed: contains healthy fats and helps bind the dough
vanilla protein: reduces the need for sugar and adds protein
cinnamon: makes them smell (and taste) amazing
baking soda: helps the cookies rise.

side by side photo of mixing wet and dry ingredients for breakfast cookies

Healthy Swaps to Change up Your Breakfast Cookies

This breakfast cookie recipe is highly customizable. Once you get the base dough, you can swap the raisins for other mix-ins like the one’s I’ve listed below:

frozen blueberries
dried cranberries
dark chocolate chips
chopped walnuts or pecans

Make sure you use regular, old-fashioned oats. Quick or instant oats will make the cookies lose their shape and texture.

Best Protein Powder for Breakfast Cookies

I recommend using a vanilla protein powder you actually like the taste of, whether it’s plant-based or whey. I have an entire post on the best protein powders and their uses, so you can get a full rundown of your options there.

breakfast cookie in a small lunch tin with yogurt

How to Make Healthy Breakfast cookies

Not only are these cookies easy, but you can eat the dough because there’s no raw egg! Shh- I won’t tell.

Prep
Preheat the oven to 350F and lightly coat 2 large baking sheets with baking spray.
Combine the wet ingredients
In a large bowl, combine the banana, peanut butter, honey, and vanilla.
Make the dough
In a separate bowl, combine the oats, flour, flax, protein powder, cinnamon, and baking soda. Add the wet ingredients and stir to create a dough.
Fold in
Stir in the raisins or your choice of add-ins.
Scoop
Using a ¼ measuring cup, scoop and drop the dough onto the prepared baking sheets. Use the back of a spoon to flatten each cookie to ½-inch thick.
Bake
Bake for 14 to 16 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before serving.

Keep the cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 days if they last that long. You can also store them in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Watch how these delicious cookies are made, below.

Egg-Free Breakfast Cookies

Instead of eggs, peanut butter, honey, and mashed banana help bind the rest of the ingredients. However, if you find the mixture is too thick, add a tablespoon or two of water and combine until it reaches the right consistency.

Nut-Free Breakfast Cookies

You can make these breakfast cookies nut-free by substituting the peanut butter with a nut-free alternative such as soy butter or sunflower butter. Just keep the measurements the same.

After these breakfast cookies, be sure to check out my healthy baked oatmeal recipe!

What’s your go-to breakfast in the morning?

Healthy Oatmeal Breakfast Cookie (Gluten-Free)

Servings: 8 large cookies

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 16

Total Time: 26

These healthy oatmeal breakfast cookies are a delicious, gluten-free option that's made with wholesome ingredients, so you can feel good about eating one for breakfast.

4.84 from 25 votes

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Ingredients

½ cup mashed banana, approx 1 large
½ cup creamy peanut butter
½ cup honey or maple syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup old fashioned oats
¼ cup all-purpose gluten-free baking flour*
¼ cup ground flaxseed*
¼ cup vanilla protein powder*
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ cup raisins, optional

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly coat two cookie sheets with cooking spray; set aside.
In a large bowl, stir together banana, peanut butter, honey, and vanilla.
In a small bowl, combine oats, flour, ground flax, milk powder, cinnamon, and baking soda.
Stir the oat mixture into the banana mixture until combined. Stir in raisins.
Using a ¼-cup measuring cup, drop mounds of dough 3 inches apart on prepared cookie sheets. With a thin metal or small plastic spatula dipped in water, flatten and spread each mound of dough to a 2¾-inch round, about ½ inch thick.
Bake, one sheet at a time, for 14 to 16 minutes or until browned. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
Store in an airtight container or resealable plastic bag for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 2 months; thaw before serving.

Notes

I’ve tested this recipe successfully with Cup4Cup (in the video), King Arthur Flour AP GF Baking Mix, and Namaste Baking Blend.
Make sure to use old-fashioned oats (not quick or instant) for this recipe. Using quick/instant oats will make the cookies lose their shape.
You may substitute the ground flaxseed (flax meal) for the same amount of flour.
If your mixture is too thick, add a tablespoon or two of water to the mixture. Some protein powders are thicker than others and they will yield slightly different texture to the dough.
You can reduce the sweetness to ⅓ cup of honey or use maple syrup.