These vegan breakfast cookies are large and satisfying and sure to keep you full until lunch time! With oats, seeds, spices, raisins, and light banana flavor, they're healthy, easy to prepare, and delicious in the morning with a cup of coffee! This recipe is gluten-free, oil-free, and easily made without nuts.
Why You'll Love Them
Breakfast "cookies" may be a bit of a misnomer here. Really, these are like a cross between baked oatmeal bars and a meal replacement bar or cookie.
But whatever you want to call them, they're seriously delicious! The flavors of banana, nut butter, cinnamon, ginger, and raisins are so good together.
Everyone who taste-tested these loved how filling and hearty they are! I can imagine packing a few in my backpack for our next hike.
These vegan breakfast cookies are SO easy to make, too, and perfect for meal prep. Then on busy mornings you have an easy grab-and-go vegan breakfast.
Another bonus is the addition of healthy Omega-3 fatty acids from hemp and chia seeds. And each cookie has around 6 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber, depending on the exact ingredients you choose.
Ingredients
To make these vegan oatmeal breakfast cookies you'll need just 12 ingredients and about 35 minutes.
There's plenty of room for customization, too! Here are the ingredients I used:
- very ripe banana - Choose one with plenty of dark spots; these are sweeter and more moist, which is important for the recipe.
- non-dairy milk - you only need a splash; any type of milk is fine.
- raw almond butter - or peanut butter, cashew butter, etc; sub sunbutter for a nut-free cookie.
- old fashioned rolled oats
- almond flour or oat flour - this is flexible; feel free to use what you have in the pantry.
- baking powder
- seeds - I included hemp and chia seeds. You could also use pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, or chopped nuts like walnuts or pecans.
- spices - ground cinnamon and ginger
- dried fruit - I included raisins but cranberries or apricots would also taste amazing!
How to Make Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
Making these breakfast cookies is a breeze! All you need are a mixing bowl and a fork. Be sure to scroll down to the recipe for complete instructions.
- Mash the banana with a fork, then whisk in the remaining wet ingredients: maple syrup, vanilla, almond butter, and milk.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl, and mix very well.
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- Let the batter rest for a few minutes so the chia seeds, oats, and raisins can soften and absorb some of the moisture.
- Measure ⅓ cup batter per cookie, and use your hands to form them into shape. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, if desired. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 18 minutes or until they're "set" and a bit crisp on the outside.
And that's it! Incredibly easy, right? Enjoy these tasty treats right away, or allow to cool completely before placing in a storage container.
Batch Size
This recipe makes 7 large-ish cookies (about 220 calories each). So if you have a large family and want several days' worth of breakfasts, go ahead and double or triple the recipe.
If you're baking for just one or two people - or you only have one overripe banana to use - the recipe is perfect as is.
Variations
- nut-free - so far I've only tested the recipe with almond butter, but this is a very forgiving type of cookie. I'm sure any seed butter you'd like to use will work well, such as sunflower seed butter or tahini.
- other dried fruits - I get it; some people passionately hate raisins. You can omit the dried fruit altogether or try dried cherries, cranberries, chopped dates, or apricots.
- spices - adjust the amount of cinnamon and ginger to your liking, and experiment with spice blends like garam masala.
- coconut - dried coconut adds amazing flavor and makes these hearty breakfast cookies even more filling.
- chocolate - dairy-free chocolate chips are also great!
Related: if you enjoy baking with oats and banana, also try these peanut butter banana cookies!
How to Store
Store the cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for 1 to 2 months.
More Breakfast Recipes With Oats
I hope you enjoy these banana oatmeal breakfast cookies. If you try the recipe I would love to hear from you. Comment below to share your feedback!
Recipe
Vegan Breakfast Cookies (Easy, Gluten-Free)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 large very ripe banana - should equal ½ cup when mashed
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup raw almond butter, smooth and unsalted - Or your favorite nut or seed butter
- 1 tablespoon non-dairy milk of choice
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 1 to 2 tablespoons hemp hearts
- 1 ½ cups old fashioned rolled oats
- ¼ cup almond flour or oat flour - These are the two I've tested, but others should work, as well.
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger, optional
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ cup raisins, optional - or other dried fruit
Cinnamon-sugar topping, optional:
- ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar of choice, such as cane, coconut, maple, or brown sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, and line a small baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- In a mixing bowl, mash the banana with a fork. Add the maple syrup, vanilla, almond butter, and milk, and whisk until the almond butter is fully incorporated.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl, and mix very well. Let the mixture rest for a few minutes. The chia seeds, oats, flour, and raisins will absorb some of the moisture.
- At this point if the batter seems too wet and doesn't stick together, stir in another tablespoon of flour or 1 to 2 tablespoons of oats. Scoop up ⅓ cup batter per cookie, and use your hands to form them into a patty shape (your hands will get pretty messy!). Place cookies on the prepared pan. Mix together the cinnamon-sugar topping, if using, and sprinkle onto the cookies.
- Bake for 17 to 19 minutes or until firm and set. Cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
Notes
Estimated Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary depending on the exact amounts and specific products and ingredients used.
Elizabeth McGarry says
My husband can't eat eggs or gluten, and these cookies are a wonderful way to make him a healthy treat. They're whole food, low in processed sugar, and a great way to use up an overripe banana. Thank you for the great recipe, Lori!
Lori Rasmussen says
My pleasure, Elizabeth. I'm happy you're enjoying the recipe!
Jules says
My 2.5 year old and I made these together. We both love them so much. Thank you for creating such a fantastic recipe.
LynD says
I'd like to make these for my grandson who doesn't like alot of texture. Would this work if I blend a bit in the food processor? He's not vegan, but I'm trying to make him healthier "sweets".
Lori says
Hi Lyn, that's a good question! I think the cookies would still have quite a bit of texture even after pulsing in the food processor. But the smaller bits of oats would probably become softer during baking. I'd say it's worth a try! You could also omit the seeds and/or raisins if you think he wouldn't like those.
Brigitte says
I made the recipe as written I just added 1/3 cup of walnuts , those are excellent so yummy . The only little flaw they break easily , is there anything I can do ?thanks
Lori says
Hi Brigitte,
Glad you enjoyed them! Since the cookies are gluten-free and don't contain a saturated fat (like coconut oil), that makes them more delicate. If you don't need GF, replacing the oat flour with any variety of wheat flour would help them hold together.
Shellie says
These came out great. I substituted date syrup for the maple syrup. A little sweet for me, but perfect for my husband. The raisins puffed up like little balloons when I took them out of the oven, but they've gone back down now. 🙂
Jamie says
Hello Lori! I love your recipes because the flavors are complex and the ingredients are healthy. These are wonderful! They are chewy and wholesome. I added an egg and 1 Tbsp flour, and substituted sunflower seeds for the hemp seeds. I used agave syrup and didn't add the cinnamon sugar topping and found they were a bit too sweet for me. I'll reduce the agave next time. Thank you!
Annemarie says
Excellent cookie! The only change I made was to use cashew butter because it's my preferred nut butter for baking. Otherwise I followed the recipe exactly. I needed the extra tablespoon of flour in the batter (as suggested) and floured my hands for shaping the cookies. I rolled them in a ball, then flattened and shaped them. The taste and texture are both perfect. I've made a lot of banana oat based cookies over the years and this is my new favourite. I will definitely be making them again the next time I have a ripe banana. I made them bite size and got 18 cookies out of the recipe. Thanks!
LouAnn says
Do these have ANY banana flavor?
Have one in the family that doesn’t like the flavor.
Lori says
Yes, they do have a bit of banana flavor. You could always experiment with substitutes, something that will bind and add sweetness and moisture. Since these are more like an oatmeal bar, they're pretty forgiving.
Marie A Grippo says
That's 218 calories each? Wow.
Jamie says
Because it’s a breakfast cookie so it replaces a light meal or could be combined with something else for a full meal.