This recipe for breakfast cookies is packed with nutrition and easy to make!
Bananas, oats, applesauce, raisins, nuts, and bonus chocolate chips make these filling and nutritious.
Cookies for breakfast? Kids and grown-ups alike will love them! Banana breakfast cookies are an energizing, grab-and-go snack for everyone at any time of day!
What are Breakfast Cookies?
This recipe came from my friend Erin years and years ago. It’s one I used to make for my kids to grab and go on the school bus (since they never wanted to eat breakfast!).
- Breakfast cookies are a healthy breakfast alternative to sugary cereals and processed granola bars.
- Soft and chewy breakfast cookies are the perfect recipe to take on family road trips and camping, too!
- Healthy breakfast cookies can be baked in advance for all week guilt-free snacking! Make a batch or two and watch them disappear!
- One bowl and 3 steps! Banana breakfast cookies are not only portable, but they’re an energizing way to refuel kids’ mid-morning, after school, or after practice!
What’s in Banana Breakfast Cookies?
Oatmeal breakfast cookies are chock full of healthy ingredients.
BANANAS: Bananas (especially the older, browner ones) have lots of flavor, sweetness and moisture that keep breakfast cookies soft and chewy. We add unsweetened applesauce but sweetened works just fine.
OATS: Quick-cooking oats replace flour and make breakfast cookies gluten-free (make sure to use certified gluten-free oats). The quick cooking variety is finer and the oats are thinner so they mix better in this recipe.
MIX-INS: Aside from the raisins, nuts, and chocolate chips, breakfast cookies taste great with flaked coconut, chopped dried fruit like cranberries and mangoes, shredded carrots, flaxseed, chia seeds, or sunflower seeds.
How to Make Breakfast Cookies
These quick and easy treats are the perfect grab-and-go snack!
- Thoroughly mix all ingredients in a large bowl.
- Place in heaping tablespoons on a large baking sheet and press gently with the back of a fork.
- Bake until lightly browned. Cool before serving.
Serve with a tasty healthy breakfast smoothie and supercharge the day!
Holly’s Tips
- Mash the banana right in the large bowl before adding the other ingredients, one less dish to wash!
- Use a cookie scoop to keep the cookies even.
- Line the pan with parchment paper for easy cleanup.
- These do not spread like butter filled cookie dough, gently press them with a fork before baking.
- They’re extra soft and moist with a cake like texture. Because of the moisture, these should be stored in the fridge (and not on the counter).
Variations & Swaps
- Reduce the applesauce to 1/4 cup and stir in one tablespoon of almond butter, peanut butter, or cashew butter in place of some of the applesauce.
- Swap out walnuts for pecans, almonds, pumpkin seeds, or shredded coconut.
- We find them sweet enough but add a spoonful of maple syrup or honey if you’d like.
Best Way to Store Cookies
Keep leftover breakfast banana cookies in a zippered bag in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or freeze them for up to 4 months.
More Grab ‘n Go Breakfasts
- Classic Breakfast Sandwich – freezer friendly
- Make-Ahead Egg Muffins – a healthy breakfast or snack
- 10 Minute No-Bake Granola Bars – perfect for a lunch kit
- Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins – so flavorful!
- Apple Cinnamon Rolls – with homemade glaze
Did your family love these Banana Breakfast Cookies? Leave a rating and a comment below!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 medium bananas mashed
- 2 cups quick cooking oats
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips optional
- ⅓ cup applesauce
- ¼ cup milk or almond milk
- ¼ cup raisins
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Mix all ingredients in a large bowl until well combined adding 1/8 teaspoons salt if desired.
- Place heaping tablespoons on a parchment lined pan and gently press with a fork.
- Bake 15-18 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely.
- Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Video
Notes
- Mash the banana right in the large bowl before adding the other ingredients, one less dish to wash!
- Use a cookie scoop to keep the cookies even.
- Line the pan with parchment paper for easy cleanup.
- These do not spread like butter filled cookie dough, gently press them with a fork before baking.
- They're extra soft and moist with a cake like texture. Because of the moisture, these should be stored in the fridge (and not on the counter).
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Breakfast, Cookies, Snack
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
Can the apple sauce be substituted with something else?
I have only made the recipe as written so I can’t say for sure. You could try another fruit puree.
Honey will work …..
Sprang from my bed to make these this morning the recipe is simple, I’m baking them now, batter came out fine used butterscotch chips and pecans house smells heavenly. Thanks for sharing
Yum! Butterscotch chips would be great in this recipe!
Can I have the recipe
The recipe is listed above.
I might try with a few peanut butter and chocolate chips. Like an Elvis breakfast treat LOL
Yummy idea!!
2 cookies is one serving. Each serving will have approximately 123 calories depending on ingredients (and including the optional chocolate chips).
I was reading through comments as I love doing, and it cracked me up that you finally just calculated the nutrition facts after having to direct so many people to myfitnesspal. Ha! You are patient :)
Looking forward to making this recipe with my browning bananas!
:) Thank you Delaney! I hope you enjoy these!
Are you using sweetened or unsweetened applesauce?
I use unsweetened but either will work in this recipe!
Made these today and added oat bran along wth peacans. Thank you great recipe..
I made these, minus the nuts because we were out, and they were slimy and wet, not moist and delicious. I had a heck of a time forming them into cookies, then an even more difficult time getting them off the parchment paper. I added a cup of blended-to-powder oats and an extra egg and tried again, and they’re still kind of a slimy texture in the middle. Any suggestions?
I’m not sure why these didn’t work for you, I’ve made them several times and never had those issues. Were your bananas extra large? What type of oats are you using? You might like to try adding your banana a little at a time, the dough should hold together fairly well and hold its shape to the point that you need to push it with a fork to flatten the cookie.
In the process of making these, silly question, the batter can last for four days in the fridge or the cooked biscuits?
The cooked biscuits can last for 4 days (they are so moist, I would freeze them if you keep them longer than that).
How long do you microwave them for when taking them out of the freezer?
I would just let them defrost on the counter for about 20-30 minutes or microwave them for about 10-15 seconds. Microwaves can vary but they won’t take long.
Any thoughts on what you might could use as a substitute for the raisins? Blueberries or strawberries perhaps?
You could leave the raisins out or try dried cranberries.
I used rolled oats, and substituted slivered almonds for the walnuts. The batter was quite liquid and did not hold together at all, but I went ahead and baked them as instructed… they turned out beautifully! They made the house smell wonderful. They are a mildly sweet, nutty, deliciously nourishing way to start a morning with the kids.
I’m so glad you loved them Sarah!
If you let the batter sit for 10 minutes before you bake them it will let the oats soak up some of the moisture and it won’t be so runny. I prefer using rolled oats, as well.
Thanks for the recipe. Pinned!
Has anyone tried substituting the egg for a “flax egg”?
I’m curious about this, too…did you try it?
I just made these with a flax egg because I used my last eggs this morning. It worked perfectly!
Do the bananas have to be really ripe like when making banan bread?
Yes, it makes them easier to mash and a little bit sweeter.
I’m making these with two very large bananas and with old fashioned oats. Hoping that they turn out, ill update you on how it looks!
They turned out great with the old fashioned oats and I substituted walnuts for pecans! Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe!
Thanks, I’m gonna make them as well, I’ve got both quick oats and rolled oats…hmmm, decisions decisions…lol
I’ll keep you posted!
any way to get the nutritional value for the breakfast cookies? They look yummy.
Love you site and recipes.
Thank you Roberta!
Basically no protein a.k.a too much carbohydrate. You would need to eat something in addition to avoid insulin spike…
You could add a scoop of protein powder
We follow the starch solution diet by Dr McDougal and I got my mom off her insulin. I make an oatmeal muffin that is simular but has added sugar added 1/2 cup for 12 and i have her numbers in the 110s to 130s.
So do you think these will be okay for your mom to eat? My 18 year old granddaughter is away at college and doesn’t have time before her first class to eat breakfast so right now she is eating a granola bar, which is very costly and I’m sure not good for her with diabetes. The bar has pretty much the same ingredients as these cookies so I think she’d like them. She said they have a roomy little refrigerator so she’d be able to store them. Going to try making them and when she comes home for Labor Day weekend, see if she likes them…thanks everyone for sharing the recipe and the comments.
Just made these. My house smells so delicious and the kids love them!
I love these, I make a batch and stick them in the freezer and pull them as needed. They are quick and easy to make.
Could these possibly be made into bars instead of cookies?
I’ve only made the recipe as written so I can’t say for sure. I’d love to hear how it works for you if you do try it!
Can you only use quick cooking oats?
I have only made this using quick cooking oats. If you use a different type of oats, please let us know how it works out for you!
I used rolled oats and they work just fine! Delish!
Those look delicious. Just wondering how much of difference does making them without the raisins make?
They’d still work out perfectly if you skipped the raisins.
I don’t care for raisons either so use cranberries or any dried other fruit but cook them first. should be real good.
I make a cookie with dried cranberries in them..I think this would be a GREAT alternative to raisins too!! = )
can you use regular milk?
Yes, that should work just fine!
Just an FYI…been making these for years…reci poo e from DIABETIC cookbook. Thought you and others might like to know.
ALSO…if all of you wouls pay attention and read this ENTIR post…the nutrition info for cookies is posted here after cookie instructions.
Thank you Joanne. The nutritional information was just added recently due to the number of requests for it.
do you know how many cookies per serving size
for the nutrition facts label
The nutrition facts are per cookie.
Thanks for the nutritional value, it’s a great help