Breakfast Cookies Recipe (One Bowl)

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Hi Bold Bakers!

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE: My soft and chewy Breakfast Cookies Recipe is the portable, energizing way to kick-start your day! This delicious, make-ahead morning treat is sure to become a new favorite. 

• Delicious! Nutty, hearty, with the perfect amount of sweetness, these are breakfast cookies you’ll genuinely crave.
• Wholesome ingredients: Packed with protein and fiber, and naturally sweetened by banana and honey.
• Simple 10-minute prep: Just mix, scoop, and bake.
• Easy to customize: Make them nut-free or vegan, and change up the mix-ins to suit your taste.
• Perfect meal prep breakfast or snack! Bake once and enjoy all week as a grab-and-go treat!

Like you, my mornings are busy, so having a wholesome breakfast that’s ready to eat is a must. Between being a mum, work, errands, and everything else that fills the morning, I need something quick, satisfying, and actually tasty! That’s exactly why I love this Breakfast Cookies Recipe—it’s packed with nourishing ingredients, comes together in one bowl, and makes busy mornings so much easier for my family.

My top tips for this recipe are to use a ripe banana and not to overbake these cookies. A ripe banana adds natural sweetness and creates a soft, chewy texture, while taking them out when the edges are just slightly brown keeps the centers tender. For more wholesome breakfast choices, you’ll love my Complete Breakfast Muffins, Healthy Breakfast Crisp, George’s Healthy Breakfast Muffins, and Breakfast Cookie in a Mug.

IMPORTANT NOTE: This recipe was improved and updated on 8/2/2026, to include an updated introduction, clearer instructions, Mix-Ins and Flavor Variations, answers to the most frequently asked questions, and Pro Chef Tips. 

Table of Contents

• Why This Recipe Works
• Tools You Need for Breakfast Cookies Recipe
• Key Ingredients and Substitutes
• How to Make One-Bowl Breakfast Cookies
• Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips
• FAQs
• Make Ahead and Storage Instructions
• Mix-ins and Variations
• More Healthy Breakfast Recipes

Why This Recipe Works

• Ingredients are protein-rich. Peanut butter and eggs take this recipe beyond an ordinary cookie and make it an energizing breakfast.
• Old-fashioned oats create a hearty texture. The oats give the cookie a soft, satisfying, fiber-rich bite.
• Peanut butter does double duty. It not only gives a rich, nutty flavor but also helps bind the ingredients together.
• Key ingredients make cookies naturally moist. Banana and honey soften the texture, add natural sweetness, and keep the cookies moist.

Tools You Need

• Baking sheet and parchment paper
• Mixing bowl
• Measuring cups and measuring spoons

Key Ingredients and Substitutes

Old-fashioned rolled oats

• Old-fashioned oats (thicker than quick-cooking oats or instant oats) give these one-bowl cookies a hearty structure and satisfyingly chewy bite.
• Importantly, old-fashioned oats are high in soluble fiber.
• Additionally, oats give a slightly nutty, mild flavor that’s the perfect backdrop for the other ingredients.
• Substitutes: Use the same amount of quick-cooking oats  for rolled oats.
  • Quick-cooking oats are thinner and cook faster. Quick oats work well in the recipe, but might yield a slightly different texture.

Dried fruit

• Dried fruit contributes sweetness and texture to breakfast cookies.
• Also, dried fruit’s fiber, iron, and vitamins add to the cookies’ nutritional value.
• Be sure to finely dice the dried fruit and mix it in evenly to spread the flavors and texture throughout the cookies.
• Substitute: You can substitute chopped fresh fruit for dried fruit:
  • Use the same amount of finely-diced apples, thinly sliced bananas, or berries (cut if very large).
• Note that using fresh fruit may release more liquid during baking.

Dried, unsweetened coconut flakes

• Dried, unsweetened coconut gives the cookies mild natural sweetness and a tropical flavor.
• Additionally, coconut adds textural interest and visual appeal.
• For dried, unsweetened coconut, fresh coconut is dehydrated to make coconut flakes. Unlike sweetened coconut flakes, there is no added sugar or corn syrup.
• Importantly, coconut is high in fiber and healthy fat.
• Substitute: Alternatively, you can use the same amount of unsweetened shredded coconut or omit the coconut if you prefer.

Cinnamon

• Cinnamon adds a warm, comforting flavor.

Salt

• Salt enhances the flavors and keeps the cookies from tasting bland.

Peanut butter

• Peanut butter gives the breakfast cookies a nutty, salty-sweet flavor.
• Importantly, peanut butter’s thick, creamy texture helps bind the other ingredients together.
• Additionally, nut butter is a good source of protein and healthy fat.
• Substitute: Use the same amount of almond butter, cashew butter, sunflower seed butter, or tahini.

Banana

• Sweet, creamy banana gives these healthy cookies natural sweetness.
• Importantly, the creamy banana helps hold the dough together.
• Use a ripe banana for the best flavor and texture.
• Substitutes: To replace the banana, you can add one of these substitute ingredients gradually until you get a thick, scoopable dough that holds its shape when dropped onto a baking sheet:
  • applesauce
  • pumpkin or sweet potato puree
  • prune or date puree
  • avocado,
  • Greek yogurt, strained regular yogurt, or sour cream
  • silken tofu

Honey

• Floral, slightly fruity honey adds just the right amount of sweetness.
• Importantly, honey is less processed than sugar and has antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.
• Substitutes: You can use the same amount of maple syrup, agave syrup, date syrup, or golden syrup if you prefer.

Eggs

• Eggs contribute to the structure of the cookies and bind the ingredients together to create a cohesive batter
• Additionally, eggs add flavor and moisture.
• Substitutes
  • Use flax eggs: For each egg, mix 1 tablespoon of ground flax meal with 3 tablespoons of water. Let sit for 5 minutes before using.
• See more egg substitution ideas in my guide.

How to Make One-Bowl Breakfast Cookies

1. Prepare to bake: Preheat the oven and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Mix ingredients: Mix the dry ingredients together. Mix in the wet ingredients until everything is well-blended and the batter has a uniform texture.

3. Scoop dough: Divide the cookie dough into 12 portions, place on lined baking sheets, and flatten the cookies down slightly.
4. Bake cookies: Bake the cookies just until the edges are slightly brown.

Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips

• Use quick-cooking oats if you prefer. They work fine in this breakfast cookie recipe—the texture will be slightly different.
• The peanut butter can be replaced with any other seed or nut butter of your choice. You can try making your own nut butter for the cookies using these recipes: How to Make Homemade Peanut Butter or How to Make Almond Butter!
• Use your favorite peanut butter. Either crunchy or smooth peanut butter will work in this recipe.
• Pick your favorite fruit. For dried fruit, you can use familiar favorites like raisins and cranberries, or branch out and use apples, apricots, cherries, blueberries, pineapple, or even pumpkin seeds.
• Use the correct amount of banana. Too little banana could cause dryness. Bananas vary in size, so for best results, mash up the banana and measure one-half cup to use in the recipe (4 ounces/115 grams).
• Chill the dough in the refrigerator before baking. This will help prevent excessive spreading.
• Be sure not to over-bake the cookies. They’re ready when the edges are just slightly brown.

Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions

Make-Ahead Tips

• To make these cookies in advance, you can freeze the unbaked cookies. Make the dough, shape the cookies, and freeze flat on a tray.
• Take one or two out as needed, thaw in the fridge, and bake in the oven or even in your air fryer.
• You can also bake a double batch and freeze it. Freeze on a parchment-lined tray, then transfer the cookies to an airtight container.
  • Defrost at room temperature for an hour before baking.

How to Store Leftovers

• Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days, or in the fridge for up to four days.
• For longer storage, place in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to two months.

Mix-Ins and Flavor Variations

• More protein: For extra protein, stir in 2 tablespoons (.5 oz/15 g) of your favorite protein powder.
• Fruit options: For dried fruit, you can use familiar favorites like raisins and cranberries, or branch out and use apples, apricots, cherries, blueberries, pineapple, or even pumpkin seeds.
• Different spices: For a breakfast cookie with fall vibes, use the same amount of pumpkin pie spice in place of cinnamon.
  • For a more deeply spiced breakfast cookie, use the same amount of chai spice instead of cinnamon.
• Crunchy mix-ins: For added crunch, as well as protein, fiber, and healthy fats, add 1/2 cup (2 1/2 oz/71 g) of chopped, toasted almonds, walnuts, or pecans.
  • If you want to make nut-free breakfast cookies, mix 1/2 cup (2 1/2 oz/71 g) of sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, or sesame seeds into the batter.
• Sweet add-ins: Mix in 1/2 cup (3 oz/85 g) of chopped dark chocolate or dark chocolate chips for pockets of rich flavor.
• Flavor combos: Create a Banana Bread Breakfast Cookie by mixing in 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract (or vanilla) and 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg.
• Make Lemon Blueberry Breakfast Cookie by adding 1 tablespoon of lemon zest and using dried blueberries

FAQs

Can I make this Breakfast Cookies Recipe vegan?

• Yes, you can make this Breakfast Cookies recipe vegan by replacing the eggs.
• Use flax eggs: For each egg, mix 1 tablespoon of ground flax meal with 3 tablespoons of water. Let sit for 5 minutes before using.
• For more ideas, see my 12 Best Egg Substitutes for Baking Recipes.

Are these cookies gluten-free?

• Oats are naturally gluten-free, but to make sure they were not processed in a facility that processes wheat, please use certified gluten-free oats.

How can I make these cookies nut-free?

• To make these cookies nut-free, substitute peanut butter with seed butter or tahini.
• You can also use sunflower seed butter or tahini, but note that the results could differ in flavor and texture from the original recipe.

Is this breakfast cookie recipe suitable for a diabetic diet?

• No. Since this recipe contains natural sugars from fruit and honey, it’s not suitable for a diabetic diet.

More Healthy Breakfast Recipes

• Complete Breakfast Muffins
• Blueberry Muffin Smoothie
• George’s Healthy Breakfast Muffins
• ABC Muffins
• Healthy Breakfast Crisp

IMPORTANT NOTE: This recipe was improved and updated on 8/2/2026, to include an updated introduction, clearer instructions, Mix-Ins and Flavor Variations, answers to the most frequently asked questions, and Pro Chef Tips. 

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