You can mix up these delicious breakfast cookies in under 30 minutes using peanut butter or almond butter! This recipe features classic Peanut Butter Breakfast Cookies and Almond Cherry Breakfast Cookies. Both are freezable, versatile, and nutrient-packed!
When I get tired of granola and baked oatmeal for breakfast, I switch over to making these breakfast cookies for breakfast prep.
Unlike classic cookies, these are a little lighter on the added sugar (just ¼ cup for the entire batch!) and feature nutritious ingredients like rolled oats, dried fruit, and nuts.
I originally shared the recipe for peanut butter breakfast cookies in 2021, but I'm updating it today to include an improved recipe and a new variation: Almond Butter Cherry Chocolate Cookies!
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Why you'll love this recipe
- Versatile: I include recipes for peanut butter breakfast cookies and ones made with almond butter, but you can even use cashew butter or sunflower seed butter for a nut-free option.
- Grab & go: Breakfast cookies are a great quick-grab option in the morning because they freeze well.
- Texture: Soft, chewy, and almost like a soft granola bar.
- Easy to customize: The base recipes is endlessly customizable! Just add up to 1 cup of nuts and dried fruit to make these cookies your own.
Ingredients
- Rolled oats (old fashioned oats): A previous version of this recipe used instant oats, so either option works. Note that instant oats will make a softer cookie because the oats cook more.
- Creamy peanut butter or almond butter. If using natural peanut butter, make sure it is well stirred before measuring.
- Brown sugar: We're adding just ¼ cup of brown sugar for subtle sweetness.
- Applesauce lightly sweetens the breakfast cookies and helps the dough bind in place of oil or butter. I typically chose unsweetened applesauce.
- Seeds like chia seeds, flax seeds, and pumpkin seeds. These help with binding and add a lot of nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, and protein. Feel free to mix and match these options.
- Nuts like walnuts, pecans, and almonds. If using raw nuts, I recommend toasting them in a pan for a few minutes to enhance their flavor.
- Egg: This helps the cookies become more fluffy.
- Whole wheat flour: This binds the cookies and thickens the batter a bit. Because this isn't a traditional cookie, you should be able to use almond flour or oat flour as a direct swap with success. All purpose flour also works.
- Dry fruit like cranberries, raisins, and dried cherries.
- Almond extract: This is added in the almond butter variation. I highly recommend it as a way to up the almond flavor, but if you don't have any on hand, the cookies will still turn out well.
Step by step instructions
Step 1. In a medium mixing bowl, add the peanut butter, applesauce, egg, brown sugar, and vanilla extract. Whisk until well combined.
Step 2. Add dry ingredients: oats, whole wheat flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt. Stir until combined.
Step 3. Fold in the nuts, seeds, dried fruit, and chocolate chips.
Step 4. Use a 2-ounce scoop or ¼ cup measure to scoop cookies onto a parchment-paper lined baking sheet. If you keep them in this ball shape they will stay this way because they don't flatten out like a traditional cookie. Flatten them with a spatula or the palm of your hand.
Step 5. Bake on the middle rack in a 350-degree oven for 11-13 minutes. They will still be soft when you remove from the oven, but should firm up as they sit.
Variations and tips
- Add-ins: The amount of nuts and dried fruit added to the peanut butter cookie dough should total no more than ¾ cup. Any variety of nuts and seeds works as long as it totals about ¾ cup (or less.)
- Chocolate: Add in 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder to make chocolate breakfast cookies.
- Protein: Add a scoop of your favorite protein powder to make these even higher in protein.
- Gluten-free option: Oat flour or almond flour should work as a swap in place of whole wheat flour, because the flour is not added for the gluten but to help bulk up the cookie structure.
- Powdered sugar drizzle: For extra sweetness, make a powdered sugar glaze to drizzle on top of the cooled cookies. Start with 1 cup of powdered (confectioners) sugar and add 1 teaspoon of milk at a time, whisking until it reaches a drizzle-able consistency. Drizzle on the cookies once they are cooled.
- These cookies don't change shape while baking. If you keep them in the ball shape that a cookie scoop makes they will stay this way. Flatten with a spatula or your hands to ensure even baking.
Storage tips
Leftovers: Breakfast cookies are best kept refrigerated because they are more moist than typical cookies. Keep for up to 5 days refrigerated.
Freezing: These cookies freeze well. Let the cookies cool to room temperature before transferring to an airtight freezer container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Let thaw at room temperature.
More easy breakfast recipes
If you like these cookies you'll love my pecan date cookies, which are also vegan and made with whole foods.
Did you try this recipe? You can leave a star rating in the recipe card or a review in the comments below. Or check out my cookbook and keep up to date with my YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, or newsletter!
Recipe
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Peanut Butter Breakfast Cookies
Ingredients
Breakfast Cookie Base
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups old-fashioned oats also called rolled oats
- ⅔ cup whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons hemp hearts or chia seeds (optional)
For the Peanut Butter Cookies
- ⅔ cup peanut butter see note #1
- ¼ cup toasted pumpkin seeds see note #2
- ¼ cup toasted pecans
- ¼ cup raisins
For the Almond Butter Cookies
- ⅔ cup almond butter
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- ⅓ cup toasted sliced almonds see note #3
- ⅓ cup unsweetened dried cherries
- ⅓ cup dark chocolate chips semi-sweet also works
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
For the Peanut Butter Cookies
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the applesauce, peanut butter, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla extract until well combined.
- Add dry ingredients: rolled oats, flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, hemp hearts. Stir until combined. Fold in the remaining ingredients: pumpkin seeds, pecans, and raisins. It will be a relatively wet, sticky batter.
- Use a 2-ounce cookie scoop or ¼ cup measure to scoop out 12 cookies onto the parchment-paper-lined baking sheet. Flatten each cookie with your hand or a spatula, as they'll keep their shape as they bake.
- Bake on the middle rack at 350F for 11-13 minutes, until golden and set at the edges. The cookies will still be soft in the center when you remove from the oven, but should firm up as they sit.
For the Almond Butter Cookies
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the applesauce, almond butter, brown sugar, egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract until well combined.
- Add dry ingredients: rolled oats, flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, hemp hearts. Stir until combined. Fold in the remaining ingredients: toasted almonds, dried cherries, and chocolate chips. It will be a relatively wet, sticky batter.
- Use a 2-ounce cookie scoop or ¼ cup measure to scoop out 12 cookies onto the parchment-paper-lined baking sheet. Flatten each cookie with your hand or a spatula, as they'll keep their shape as they bake.
- Bake on the middle rack at 350F for 11-13 minutes, until golden and set at the edges. The cookies will still be soft in the center when you remove from the oven, but should firm up as they sit.
Video
Notes
- Peanut/almond butter: I use "natural" peanut/almond butter, but I tested with regular Jif and it also works. Make sure natural peanut/almond butter is well stirred before measuring.
- To toast nuts: Skip this step if you're using roasted/pre-toasted nuts. Heat a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Once hot, add the nuts. Toast, stirring frequently, until golden and aromatic. Remove from the heat and let cool for a few minutes before adding to the batter.
- Variations: Use the "breakfast cookie base" and ⅔ cup of any nut butter to make your own variation. Switch up the type of nuts/dried fruit/chocolate chips, using up to 1 cup total.
- Powdered sugar drizzle: For extra sweetness, make a powdered sugar glaze to drizzle on top of the cooled cookies. Start with 1 cup of powdered (confectioners) sugar and add 1 teaspoon of milk at a time, whisking until it reaches a drizzle-able consistency. Drizzle on the cookies once they are cooled.
- Storage: Refrigerate for up 4-5 days for best quality. The cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months; thaw in the fridge or in the microwave.
Nutrition
Mr. Wilson
I promise that I try my best to keep the cats away from my cooking, but if you have a cat you know that they're often smarter than us. And they have no shame. In this case, mid-video we have Mr. Wilson jumping onto the table to attempt to nab a cookie. What else is new?
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