Super soft, chewy banana breakfast cookies filled with dried berries – the perfect grab and go breakfast! Gluten free, dairy free, and refined sugar free – and no mixer required. Still have bananas leftover? Try my banana bread or one banana muffins next.
Paleo Disclaimer
This recipe calls for Bob’s Red Mill paleo flour blend and gluten free oats.
I am of the opinion that a small amount of gluten free oats is okay as part of a paleo diet, and that using a paleo flour blend is also acceptable. If you are a super strict paleo diet follower, this recipe might not be for you.
But it’s still a great recipe for those in search of all things gluten free, dairy free and refined-sugar free!
How this recipe came to be
Not in the mood for story time? Feel free to jump straight to the recipe at the bottom!
You know that game we’ve all played at one time or another where you start making weird meals out of what you have in the pantry? It’s amazing how creative you find yourself to be during that game.
You find yourself with pickles, a jar of minced onion, chicken broth and a box of Cheez-Its, and somehow you turn that into a delicious meal. Okay, well, maybe not delicious… but you did sustain yourself, so congratulations.
The great thing about that game is that at least half the time I manage to scrounge something together that ends up being magically delicious. Wait… isn’t that the Lucky Charms slogan? Good lord. I’m not a damn leprechaun.
This recipe came to be because I was playing The Great Pantry Scrounging Game, and I really wanted cookies. Buuuuuut it was 8AM and I’m trying so hard not to just sit down with a dessert with my morning coffee. You’d think that wouldn’t take that much willpower, but the truth of the matter is that it might be the hardest thing I do every day at this point.
When I bake some schtuff and it’s still in the house (since I don’t have an office to take it all to anymore), it’s allllllll fair game for breakfast. Chocolate cake? Sure. Pecan pie? Of course. Bourbon butter pecan ice cream? YUP.
Enter this breakfast cookie recipe
ANYWAY. I had a few bananas lying around and was staring at a few almost empty bags of dried fruit. I considered making my all time favorite banana bread, but I didn’t have any milk – plus, I still really wanted cookies.
I’d been meaning to try to make some sort of breakfast cookies for a long time now, and since one of the things I was fully stocked on was Bob’s Red Mill paleo flour blend I figured now was as good a time as any!
How to make breakfast cookies
It took a little trial and error, but I learned a few things:
- By using banana, there’s no need for egg because it gives all the moisture and binding you need. This is great news for people with egg allergies!
- It’s not a problem at all to use non-dairy milk like almond or coconut.
- Using whole, gluten free old fashioned oats results in horribly dry cookies that have a terribly texture. Pulsing them to at least half their size is key.
- They don’t spread at all, so you have to make sure you flatten them to the size and shape that you want before baking.
- You don’t want to roll them in your hands because they end up being kinda tough and frankly, look unappealing.
But… they don’t look baked!
They don’t brown like a normal cookie would, so they don’t change color much, which I could totally see people finding off-putting. If you let them brown, they’re totally overbaked and dry and no one likes a dry crumbly cookie.
Well… maybe you do, in which case I don’t judge. But that’s not what we’re going for here.
Are breakfast cookies healthy?
I hesitate to really ever use the term “healthy” about baked goods because everyone has a different definition of what that might mean for them. It’s all relative.
But if you’re looking for healthy breakfast cookies, these are certainly a healthier cookie recipe than, say, a fluffernutter cookie.
Assuming you make 8 of these cookies, you’re looking at approximately:
- 164 calories each
- 3 grams of protein
- 4 grams of fiber
- 5 grams of fat
- 126 milligrams of potassium (thanks, bananas!)
- 139 milligrams of sodium
- But you’re still looking at 10 grams of sugar (mostly also thanks to the bananas)
Keep in mind that sugar is coming from the bananas and honey or maple syrup – we’re not adding any granulated or brown sugars.
How do I store banana breakfast cookies?
They’re very soft and chewy, and to keep them that way you want to very loosely cover them and store at room temperature – but not for more than 2 days. The downside to this recipe is that you don’t want to make a giant batch of them to eat over time because they won’t last.
Can you freeze breakfast cookies?
Totally! Store them, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and inside a freezer-sale container or bag, in the freezer for up to 2 months.
While these might not be chocolate chip cookies, they are still cookies. So you can totally casually tell people that you had cookies for breakfast. People will look at you and think, “How in the world do they do it?!”
Now excuse me – I need to go make another batch of these and I want to give them my undivided attention. They’re a little needy.
After you’ve made this recipe, please consider coming back to share your experience with others by leaving a comment below with a star rating!
Banana Berry Breakfast Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup gluten free old fashioned oats, pulsed in food processor to half their size
- ¾ cup grain free, gluten free flour, can substitute all purpose flour if not GF
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon chia seeds
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ cup banana, mashed (about 1 medium banana)
- ¼ cup almond milk, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
- 2 to 4 tablespoons maple syrup or honey, to taste
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ cup dried blueberries
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
- 1 tablespoon orange zest, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F and line a baking sheet with a nonstick silicon baking mat or parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk to combine oats, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, chia seeds, salt and ginger. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, mash banana. Add almond milk, coconut oil, maple syrup or honey, and vanilla extract and whisk to combine.
- Add dry mixture to bowl of wet mixture and use a spatula to combine. Fold in dried blueberries and cranberries (and orange zest, if using).
- If the dough feels too sticky to manage, cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 10-15 minutes to chill.
- Using a large cookie scoop (the large scoops I use is 3 tablespoons) drop cookies on prepared baking sheet and use your spatula to flatten them to your desired size (they won’t spread while baking). Press additional blueberries/cranberries into the tops of the cookies – it’s just prettier this way! If you don’t have enough room for all your cookies on one sheet, divide them between two baking sheets.
- Bake for 10 minutes and let cool on the pan for 10 minutes before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store, loosely covered, at room temperature for up to three days – enjoy!
Notes
- They don’t spread! They don’t spread at all, so you have to make sure you flatten them to the size and shape that you want before baking.
- Don’t roll between your palms. You don’t want to roll them in your hands because they end up being kinda tough and frankly, look unappealing.
- Paleo disclaimer: This recipe calls for Bob’s Red Mill paleo flour blend and gluten free oats. I am of the opinion that a small amount of gluten free oats is okay as part of a paleo diet, and that using a paleo flour blend is also acceptable. If you are a super strict paleo diet follower, this recipe might not be for you. But it’s still a great recipe for those in search of all things gluten free, dairy free and refined-sugar free!
- Freezing: You can store the baked cookies, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months.
Gennie
I make these for my kids all the time, they love them
Leslie Kiszka
So happy to hear it!
Helen Maitsis
Sorry but these are not Paleo, oats and gluten free flour are not paleo ingredients as they contain grains,
Paleo is grain free.
They sound yummy though.
Leslie Kiszka
Hi Helen, thanks for your comment. I included text in the body of the post explaining that I am of the opinion that a small amount of gluten free oats is okay as part of a paleo diet, and that using a paleo flour blend is also acceptable and that if you are a super strict paleo diet follower, this recipe might not be for you. I have updated this post and moved this message to the top and also included in in the recipe card for additional clarity, linked to my favorite gluten free oats and paleo flour blend, and I’ve removed “paleo” from the title to avoid anyone feeling like I’m trying to do a bait and switch in case others feel the same way you do. Thanks again for your help in making sure my content is more inclusive and clear!
Nela
You could certainly label them as vegan and gluten free though! My gluten-free vegan heart is singing! :)
Lois. O
I had something somewhat similar to these over thanksgiving: butter scones with dried cranberry and yes those were amazing so I know these are gonna be good and the addition of chia seeds and all the other good stuff make this an overload of nutritious goodness! Love it!
Stacey
These sound so good and cozy!
Sam | Ahead of Thyme
Such an easy and delicious breakfast cookie! Love the bananas in this, I will be making this soon!
Carol Borchardt
Wow! These are filled with so many good and wholesome things! I’m not a big breakfast eater but I could definitely get into these!
Kim @ Berly's Kitchen
A while back, a friend told me about banana breakfast cookies. They sounded really good, but I’ve yet to try them. These sound even better with the berries, so I’ll definitely be trying them sometime soon. :)
Julie | Bunsen Burner Bakery
We do a lot of homemade no-sugar-added muffins for my toddler for breakfast. I usually find with the muffins, we don’t have to add ANY sugar because they get enough sweetness from the mashed banana. Do you think these would still be good without the maple syrup, or will they be too cardboardy in flavor without the extra sugar boost?
Leslie Haasch
I’m honestly not sure. But I’m not huge on the flavor of banana, so I sort of use the maple syrup to help cover it a bit, as well as add sweetness. Give it a shot without the maple syrup and let me know how it turns out!
Monica
I love your tips, especially about shaping them before baking! I would love to try these! And if I had access at all to a Pier One, you know I would be there looking for those plates – SO cute!
Amy Nash
I also definitely struggle with morning cookie cravings, lol! Thanks for helping a girl out with these!
Anne Murphy
DH had just suggested I might look into breakfast cookie recipes… they’re just so convenient. I may have to try these!
Becky
Love the plate and the cookies! My kids are going to go crazy for these. Also, yoga pants are my daily uniform. No shame.
Helene
How cool are your cookies? Can’t believe they are completely paleo too and they really look delicious. I can hear them calling out my name :D
Sarah @ Champagne Tastes
I’ve been stuck inside my apartment, trying desperately to make my heater work better, and just really hoping for an end to the arctic madness lol. I should’ve been making these!!!
Leslie Haasch
I mean, yeah – priorities, Sarah! ;)
Jordan
How did you know I was looking for a new breakfast cookie recipe? ;) I can’t wait to try these. Love having this type of snack around!
Leslie Haasch
I guess I’m just psychic ;)
Abby
I’m so glad my husband works outside the home so I have people to foist my baked goods onto. Making these healthy cookies instead is a good option, too!