Cookies for breakfast? Yes, please! These oatmeal breakfast cookies are sweet, nutty, and filled with healthy ingredients like oats, nuts, and fruit.
Here’s how much I love these oatmeal breakfast cookies: after I finish typing this post, I’m going to head to the kitchen to make more. They’re vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free, and they have fiber from the oats and protein and healthy fats from almond butter. Thanks to maple syrup, they’re naturally sweetened too. But these breakfast cookies aren’t just good for you. They’re also delicious! The same ingredients that pack them with nutrients give them a sweet, nutty flavor and soft, puffy texture. Who wants to eat a bowl of oatmeal when you can eat a cookie for breakfast!?
Breakfast Cookie Recipe Ingredients
This breakfast cookie recipe is a revamped version of my Carrot Quinoa Oatmeal Cookies. They have been a fan favorite (and family favorite) for years now. This time, I swapped the carrots and dried cranberries for a more summery combination of blueberries and lemon zest. Here’s what else is in them:
- Ground flaxseed: It acts as a binder and adds fiber and omega-3s.
- Oat flour, almond flour, and whole rolled oats: This combination is naturally gluten-free, and it gives the cookies a soft, oat-y texture.
- Baking powder and baking soda: To help them puff up in the oven!
- Cinnamon: For warm, spiced flavor.
- Maple syrup: It sweetens these cookies naturally.
- Coconut oil and almond butter: They bind everything together and make the cookies moist and tender.
- Walnuts: They add healthy fats and a delicious nutty crunch.
- And sea salt: To make the sweet, nutty flavors pop!
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
These cookies get lightly crisp on the bottom, but as you’ll see, they’re pretty puffy – more like a muffin top than a flat/crispy oatmeal cookie. They’re big and substantial, but not too dense and not at all dry.
Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies Tips
- It’ll be tempting to underbake them. Don’t! When you’re working with oat flour, it can be tricky to gauge when baked goods are done. These cookies might look nicely puffed and ready to eat after just 18 or 20 minutes in the oven, but in actuality, they may need a few minutes more. The best indicator here is their coloring. Make sure that they’re beginning to brown around the edges before you remove them from the oven. If the breakfast cookies are underdone, they’ll end up very soft and crumbly.
- Leave them on the baking sheet for a few minutes to cool. Like many vegan cookies, these oatmeal breakfast cookies will be delicate when you take them out of the oven. It’s tempting to reach for one right away, but if you let them rest for 5 minutes on the baking sheet, they’ll have a more cohesive texture and richer flavor. After 5 minutes, transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Freeze the extras. If you plan to eat all these breakfast cookies within a few days, store them in an airtight container at room temperature. However, they also freeze really well. I love to make a double recipe to keep on hand for a quick healthy breakfast or snack! The freezer is also a great way to hide them from Jack, who would otherwise eat one every time he walks past the kitchen counter.
Transfer the frozen cookies to the fridge to thaw overnight, or pop one in the microwave for 30 seconds when you’re ready to eat.
Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies Variations
I love the blueberry and lemon zest combination in this healthy breakfast cookie recipe, but feel free to swap in whatever mix-ins sound good to you. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Switch the fruit. Replace the blueberries with your favorite dried fruit. Dried tart cherries or cranberries would be great!
- Spice it up. Cardamom, nutmeg, and/or ginger are delicious in addition to the cinnamon.
- Swap the nuts. Instead of walnuts, use pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, chopped almonds, or pecans.
- Add chocolate. Nix the lemon zest, and replace the berries with chopped dark chocolate or chocolate chips.
Let me know what variations you try!
More Favorite Breakfasts and Snacks
If you love these oatmeal breakfast cookies, try one of these healthy recipes next:
- Blueberry Baked Oatmeal
- Overnight Oats, Many Ways
- Perfect Steel-Cut Oatmeal
- Savory Porridge
- No Bake Energy Balls
- Homemade Granola Bars
Then, check out this post for 60+ Healthy Breakfast Ideas and this one for 47 more healthy snacks!
Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed + 5 tablespoons warm water
- 1 cup oat flour, made from 1¼ cups whole rolled oats*
- 1 cup additional whole rolled oats
- ½ cup almond flour
- zest of 1 lemon, about ½ tablespoon
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ cup creamy natural almond butter**
- ¼ cup coconut oil, melted
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ⅓ cup walnuts
- ¾ cup fresh blueberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, combine the flaxseed and warm water and set aside to thicken for 5 minutes.
- In a large bowl, stir together the oat flour, the additional 1 cup rolled oats, almond flour, lemon zest, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
- In a medium bowl, combine the almond butter, coconut oil, and maple syrup and stir well to incorporate. Stir in the flaxseed mixture.
- Add the wet ingredients to the bowl of dry ingredients and fold in just until combined. Fold in the walnuts and blueberries.
- Scoop ¼ cup of batter for each cookie onto the baking sheet. Bake 20 to 24 minutes, or until browned around the edges. Cool on the pan for 5 to 10 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. If you take them off the sheet too soon, the cookies may fall apart.
- When cookies are completely cool, they can be stored in an airtight container or frozen.
Notes
I’m allergic to coconut what can I use instead and what amount
Thanks
Hi Agnes, a neutral oil (like avocado oil) or melted butter should work fine.
Whst are the nutrition facts please. Thanks
Hi Jacqueline, I’m sorry, we don’t post nutrition facts but you can plug the ingredients into a site like my fitness pal.
These are amazing!!! I made a double batch and so happy I did. They are a staple in my morning routine. And my kids love them. Can’t wait to try with different mix ins.
Hi Barbara, I’m so glad you love the cookies!
Great recipe, thank you for sharing. I halved it and got exactly 6 perfect cookies. Filling, tasty and healthy!
I’m so glad you loved the cookies!
I love this recipe and have made it multiple times as is. I find that adding the blueberries and walnuts at the end is hard to get them incorporated so I just rinse them and add them to the dry ingredients before mixing I also sometimes make a few changes that we like – add a dash of cardamom, less maple syrup, sometimes we sub peanut butter.
Looking for a sub for coconut oil in this recipe.
I love everything you do. Thank you for the healthy delicious food!
Hi Catherine, a neutral oil like avocado oil or vegetable oil (or maybe even melted butter) might work.
Apple sauce or a mashed banana would probably work…
Can I use frozen blueberries and if so, how will this change the recipe. Thanks.
would love to make these, alas my husband is allergic to nuts and coconut. Can you offer any substitutions? We do use sunflower seed oil and butter, do you think that would work? I was also wondering if banana could work?
I do love your recipes!
Hi Lori, I recommend checking out this quinoa breakfast cookie recipe instead. You could replace the almond butter with sunbutter and swap a neutral oil or mashed banana for the coconut oil. Hope this helps!
Can I use chia seeds instead of flax ?
Hi Ane, I think that would be fine.
These are a hit in our house! I’ve already made them twice in one week! I love your recipes and highly recommend them. Thank you for sharing them 🙂
Hi Leila, I’m so glad you loved them!
All your recipes look so so good! I found your page while search for how to use quinoa flour. I use quinoa flour instead of almond flour? Is it ok to freeze the dough to bake later? Thanks!
I have made these at least 5 times and freeze for periodic convenient breakfast at home or on the go. Love them and highly recommend!
I’m so glad you’ve loved them!
Tried these Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies last weened , these are actually delicious , excited to try this one.
Hi-
I just made these breakfast cookies and they are delicious!
I counted the calories in the ingredients and they are 256 cals pr cookie.
Ann
I’m so glad you loved them!
Jeanine,
Would a substitute of Avacado Oil work for the Coconut Oil? I can’t have coconut.
Carol
Hi Carol, melted butter would be a better substitute for coconut oil. I’m not sure if other oils would make these too soft since coconut oil firms up as it cools.
I cant find almond butter without added oils near me. What should I do?
Hi, I would like to know how to keep cookies crisp, as mine became soggy/ soft.
Hi Meenu, this cookies in this recipe aren’t supposed to be crisp, they’re on the soft side.
Amazing! I was looking for healthy alternatives for my 4-year-old and stumbled upon this recipe. I did have to improvise a few things based on what I had in the cabinet and it still worked. I subbed ground chia seeds for flax and just used the almond butter I had. Perfect consistency and delicious! Loved by the whole family. Thank you!!
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed them!
Do you know the nutritional value of these cookies please?
I’m sorry, I don’t post nutrition info but you could plug the ingredients into a site like my fitness pal.
I replaced the flaxseed for two eggs and almond flour for coconut flour, and the nutritional content per serving was 230 cals, 23g carbs, 13g fat, 6g protein, 4g fibre, 9g sugar. hope that is helpful!
I use the Lose It app for things like this as I’m doing weight watchers and using Lose It in parallel. For my recipe, I had to use an egg over flax, wheat flour over almond flour, and 1/4c maple syrup with 4 Tbsp of sugar. (I won’t go into detail why I subbed, mostly due to what I had on hand.) each cookie is about 250 calories and came out the same with syrup instead of sugar. Protein 6g, carbs 28g, fat 14g, sodium 200mg. These were delicious. I’d try again using some sugar substitute and less salt as that’s what I need personally for my health goals. It’s a substantial cookie so I’d suggest 1 and if you’d like, have some yogurt, fruit, or an egg with it. As you can see it’s high in healthy fats and carbs. I hope my kids can eat these over cereal on lazy mornings. My son who likes most junk foods said he approves (age 10).
hi, this recipe is exactly what I’m looking for. Is there a substitute you would recommend for the almond butter? Would apple butter work?
Hi Karen, another nut butter like cashew butter would work. Apple butter will have too much moisture.
My son has almond allergy and I am wondering what’s a good replacement for it here? Thank you.
Not sure if your son can have other nuts, but another nut butter could work. You could play with something like applesauce but you’d have to alter the recipe considerably with the extra moisture. I’d try to stick to another nuts or sunflower seed butter or soy butter. Also, I had to sub the almond flour with wheat flour and it came out nicely.