This Oatmeal Breakfast Cookie Recipe is one of my favorite recipes in The Best Homemade Kids’ Lunches on the Planet. It’s hearty, slightly sweet, and truly delicious. Of course, it’s also “portable” so it’s perfect for our rushed breakfast-on-the-go type of mornings.
This recipe has been already been visited over half a million times over at MOMables, but I thought I’d share how this cookie came to be.
A few years ago, I was trying to create a “baked oatmeal” muffin and the recipe yielded hard-as brick type of muffins. My brain told me that the recipe should work, the ingredients made the batter taste delicious, but the outcome was far from a muffin. It turns out, that my baking powder canister was filled with baking soda; and as you know, these are two totally different things!
Eventually, the Baked Oatmeal Muffins became a totally different recipe; but I was left with wanting to use the ingredient combination into something else. The egg-free recipe has a lot of appeal because I often run out of eggs -even though we purchase 3 dozen per week.
In the end, the recipe took shape in the form of a cookie. A cookie that is highly customizable since you can swap the raisins for 1/2 cup of nuts, other dried fruits, and even frozen berries. It’s like a big kitchen sink of breakfast cookies. And the best part is that the recipe can be made gluten-free by purchasing certified gluten free oats and using an all-purpose gluten-free flour.
Just like Cookie Monster devours cookies, your kids (and you!) will love these cookies at the first bite. Check out how easy they are to make.
After these breakfast cookies, be sure to check out my healthy baked oatmeal recipe!
What’s your go-to breakfast in the morning?
Easy Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies Recipe
This recipe can also be found in my cookbook The Best Homemade Kids’ Lunches on the Planet.
- Yield: 8 large cookies 1x
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup mashed banana (about 1 large)
- 1/2 cup natural peanut butter (or non peanut)
- 1/2 cup honey*
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup old fashioned oats
- 1/4 cup whole wheat flour*
- 1/4 cup ground flax seed (or an add’l 1/4c flour)
- 1/4 cup nonfat milk powder or vanilla protein powder (+2TB of water if dough is too thick)*
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 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
You can reduce the sweetness to 1/3 cup of honey or use maple syrup. Please note that quick cooking oats are not the same thing as rolled oats/old fashion oats. The cookies will not hold their shape if you use quick oats. Whole-wheat flour can be swapped out with all-purpose gluten-free flour. The milk powder/protein powder is optional; if you are not using it, omit water).
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 223
- Fat: 10
- Carbohydrates: 24
- Fiber: 4
- Protein: 6
Gluten Free Oatmeal Breakfast Cookie Recipe
- Yield: 8 large cookies 1x
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup mashed banana (about 1 large)
- 1/2 cup natural peanut butter (or non peanut)
- 1/2 cup honey*
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup old fashioned oats
- 1/4 cup all-purpose gluten free baking flour*
- 1/4 cup ground flax seed (or an add’l 1/4c flour)
- 1/4 cup nonfat milk powder or vanilla protein powder (+2TB of water if dough is too thick)*
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup raisins
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
You can reduce the sweetness to 1/3 cup of honey or use maple syrup. Please note that quick cooking oats are not the same thing as rolled oats/old fashion oats. The cookies will not hold their shape if you use quick oats. For true gluten free cookies, make sure you use oats that are certified of all gluten (the package/box will be labeled). The milk powder/protein powder is optional; if you are not using it, omit any water).
I’ve tested this recipe successfully with Cup4Cup (in the video), King Arthur Flour AP GF Baking Mix, and Nanamaste Baking Blend.
This cookie is yummy! I discovered it the other day in your book. I need to double my recipe. I love all the healthy ingredients included. Way to go!!
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My kids aren’t really into oatmeal, but this is a cool way to get them involved since they like to cook and LOVE to eat what they cook. Good job!
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Ha I never read 1/2 cup banana, just saw about 1 large… Apparently in south Florida our bananas are on the ridiculously large size! Even though slightly mushy/soft with the excess banana, the cookies are still awesome for quickie breakfasts and midafternoon snacks. Maybe next time I can actually measure the banana 🙂
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Tara, too funny on the sizing! Glad they were ok 🙂
Uh, not sure what went wrong with my batch but I got something that looks more like granola than a cookie. My kids and I were both disappointed (them because they were excited for a cookie, and me because I wasted a lot of expensive, quality ingredients in my attempt to make this!)
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I am sorry this didn’t turn out for you. Were any substitutions made? I make these weekly.
Can i substitute applesauce for the banana?
I just made a double batch of these and I’m in cookie heaven. So is my 10 month old. The dough alone is fantastic! I didn’t have any old fashioned oats so I used half steel cut and half quick. I love the crunch the steel cut added to it. My boys have vetoed sandwiches in their lunches so I’ve been meaning to make this for weeks. I’m so glad I finally had some bananas to use for it. It will be a weekly thing for us now. Thank you so much for the recipe!!!
★★★★★
Curious is something can be subbed for banana? I’m allergic. Can’t wait to try this recipe.
eggs. 1 per banana in any recipe. I hope this helps!
My children’s favorite breakfast! I make it only the nights before an early work meeting the next morning. Then my kids don’t mind waking up extra early before school! Thank you for this recipe. I discovered it from your book. We’ll be making this for years to come!
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Hi Laura, thanks for this recipe I am trying it tonight. I am always on the lookout for good snack options for my toddler that are easy, healthy and quick as I also have a demanding 7 month old. I was wondering if you could post up perhaps a section on quick easy and healthy snacks that are toddler friendly (no sugar, no salt) that can also be cooked in batches that can be freezed for another day? Also, I have a lot of Goji berries, almond meal, flaxseeds and quinoa flakes that I’d love to make use of. Are there any recipes for toddler that you could suggest (both savoury and sweet) that could use up these ingredients? Thanks so much for your time and the time it must take to run this blog and website! X
From Australia,
Noellia
Hi Noelia,
thank you for checking out my recipes! My best suggestion is to browse through the recipe index under the snack category. the 2 ingredient magic cookies are perfect as well as using the goji in any of my smoothies recipes (search bar in sidebar). I hope this helps!
Hi Laura, this recipe is great. My kids love to help me make the cookies and we always try different combos of add ins. They are such a hit that I like to have them in the morning, too! Have you been able to calculate the nutrition value for the cookies?
Hi Cristin, I’ve updated the recipe for you with the nutritional information. Enjoy!