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.
Would using 1 cup flour and 1 cup oats help give it more of a regular cookie texture?
I have only made the recipe as written. Let us know if you try it Amber!
Can the cookies be frozen?
Yes, these will freeze well!
Hi! I love this recipe! Could you tell me if you always eat them out of fridge or can you reheat in microwave? They just taste so good warm out of the oven!!
You can do either, it’s personal preference.
Is there a substitute for apple sauce? Thanks!
I’ve only made these as written. You could try extra bananas.
What can you substitute for almond milk if you have a allergy?
You can use regular milk (or soy milk).
Thank you :)
Enjoy!
Went looking for these after having had a similar cookie in a coffee shop. I don’t know if I’d put these down as being as good as those but it’s a good starting point. (The coffee shop ones are vegan but I’m not so I’m fine with having the egg.)
For the people who said they came out tasting flat, with my first batch I agreed with you. Adding 1/4 teaspoon of salt fixed that and I’m going to write that in when I save the recipe. I appreciate not having the added sugar but I do think a small amount of flavorful sweetener (honey, brown sugar, molasses or maple syrup) would round out the flavor nicely.
I left out the chocolate and doubled the raisins to keep them breakfast-friendly.
i was thinking of making these with blueberries instead of raisins do u think that would work?
I haven’t tried it but sounds delish!! Let us know how it goes!
Sounds yummy! I want to try substituting craisins for the raisins, and white chocolate chips for the regular chocolate chips for a second batch!
Sounds like excellent substitutions to me! Enjoy, Carol!
I just took these out of the oven. Delicious! I substituted flax instead of egg to make it vegan, and I tripled the cinnamon. I did everything else exactly as the recipe was written. I will be making these again and again. Thanks for this recipe!
You’re welcome! So glad to hear you love them Carolyn!
Just tried it, love it! So delicious! They may only last at least two days tops around my house.
So quick and easy to make, my 2.5 year old whipped these up this morning! The texture caught me off guard at first (for some reason I was expecting a normal cookie texture which is my mistake!), but once I adjusted to it I was impressed. These are delicious! I omitted the nuts and added extra raisins since I don’t like nuts very much. Usually I make a big batch of oatmeal banana muffins and freeze them for breakfasts and snacks but this was a great change from the usual!
I’m so glad to hear that you loved these Elizabeth!
About how many bananas make a cup instead of three so many different sizes
Approximately 3-4 depending on the size of the bananas.
These were terrible. Would not recommend
Sherry, I’m sorry that these didn’t work for you. Most readers have had great success with these Banana Breakfast Cookies. I’ve tested and made this recipe many times and it has worked well for me as written.
This are AMAZING!!!!!! This first batch isn’t going to last long at all!! Looks like I will be making more tomorrow or the next day!! Perfect for my diabetic neighbour too!! Thank you!!!
I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
some spoke of the different sizes and ripeness of the bananas – I read once to run the bananas through the microwave and then strain the juice, boiling it down to half or whatever….and then adding the pulp back – certainly increases the flavor, of course. You have to be careful and not let the juice burn, which I did once –
Just curious, I noticed under directions that it says to store the cookies in refrigerator for up to 4 days??? So they are only good for 4 days, why???
For best freshness and taste, the cooked biscuits can last for 4 days (they are so moist, I would freeze them if you keep them longer than that).
I made these and packed them in my son’s lunch. They taste amazing and have a great texture. Love these.
I didn’t add raisins or walnuts, and added about a half cup of natural peanut butter and tad bit extra milk because of peanut butter they are delicious my 4 year old is waiting at the oven for more!
Mine have a rubbery texture. They’ve been a tremendous disappointment to my family & my ego too :(
Mine weren’t rubbery but the texture is different than a typical cookie since they don’t have a lot of fat or flour in them.
Love that these are healthy! So easy to grab a couple and hurry out the door to school, work, or wherever. I liked the flavor…not too sweet!
So glad you loved them!
Excellent and easy, no problems. I am a Weight Watcher member and wonder if anyone has the Smart Points for these cookies ?