Banana Breakfast Cookies make a wholesome, yummy breakfast on-the-go…plus they’re naturally sweetened, gluten-free, and perfect for using up ripe bananas!
May I interest you in a COOKIE FOR BREAKFAST?!?!
Oh. Do I have your attention now? Good. Because that’s exactly what I’m sharing today…oatmeal banana cookies studded with chopped nuts, kissed with peanut butter (or your favorite nut/non-nut butter), and sweetened with a touch of honey. They’re easy to make, they’re healthy, and they’re downright addictive. They’re also gluten-free (as long as you make them with certified GF oats) and you can make them vegan (using agave syrup or kosher maple syrup in place of the honey), in case you happen to care about those kinds of things.
My kids actually don’t care about the pedigree of their breakfast. Their primary concern is that breakfast tastes good…better yet if it’s served under the guise of dessert. So yup…anytime “breakfast” and “cookie” are used in the same breath, my offspring are pretty much guaranteed to be immediate fans.
Now don’t get me wrong…I enjoy a good cookie for breakfast as much as the next (30) 8-year-old. But these Banana Breakfast Cookies are appealing for so many more reasons. First of all, this is a great recipe for your how-am-I-going-to-use-up-all-of-these-ripe-bananas file. I don’t know about you, but I buy extra bananas every time I go the grocery store just so I’ll have overripe bananas to bake with…and then I scramble to use them up before they go bad. What can I say…it’s an illness.
In addition to bananas, these cookies boast additional wholesome ingredients, including oats, nuts, and nut butter. Of course, feel free to add a handful of chocolate chips or raisins if you wish to balance out all of that goodness with a bit of sweet decadence.
Finally, these Banana Breakfast Cookies are an absolute cinch to make. No mixer is required…just mash the ‘nanners, dump all of the ingredients into a bowl, and mix with a wooden spoon. Then plop the resulting (stiff) dough onto a cookie sheet, pop in the oven, and wait patiently for your breakfast of champions to emerge! These treats are not only perfect as a quick breakfast on a busy morning or even for eating on the run, but they’re also excellent tucked into a lunchbox or enjoyed as a snack.
That’s all folks! Easy, tasty, healthy Banana Breakfast Cookies. Now you can have your cookie (for breakfast)…and eat it, too. 😉
Banana Breakfast Cookie Recipe
Banana Breakfast Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups quick oats
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 large bananas, ripe or slightly overripe, mashed (about 1 cup)
- 1/2 cup peanut butter, or your favorite nut or non-nut butter, like almond butter or sunflower seed butter
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans, or your favorite nut
- 1/4 cup chocolate chips or raisins, optional
Instructions
- Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Measure oats, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl; whisk to combine. Stir in mashed banana, peanut butter, honey, vanilla, pecans, and chocolate chips. Scoop dough using a scant 1/4-cup measuring cup for form 12 cookies. Flatten the top of each cookie on the baking sheet and bake for 14 to 16 minutes. Allow cookies to cool completely on baking sheet before storing in an airtight container.
Notes
- For slightly sweeter cookies, you may increase honey to 1/4 cup.
- Cookies will not spread, so its shape on the baking sheet is how it will look once it's baked.
- For gluten-free cookies, just be sure to use GF certified oats. For vegan cookies, you may substitute agave nectar or kosher maple syrup for the honey.
Adapted from Food Network
More Wholesome Breakfast Ideas
- Wholesome Breakfast Cookies
- Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal
- Healthy Whole Wheat & Honey Banana Muffins
- Chewy No-Bake Granola Bars with Coconut Oil
- Whole Wheat Pancake Bites
Rebecca says
September 18, 2015 at 2:27 pmThese look pretty tasty! Just in case you were not aware, honey is not vegan–though I am sure agave could be substituted here with similar results. Thanks for the recipe :-).
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
September 18, 2015 at 3:05 pmOh gosh, Rebecca…you’re right! I totally missed that and I apologize. I’ll correct the recipe now. Thanks so much for pointing out my mistake and hope you enjoy these if you have a chance to try them! 🙂
Marlene says
January 30, 2016 at 6:26 pmMade these tonight and they are so good! Sweet enough to satisfy my sweet tooth but definitely a healthier alternative. Hubby and kids all approved, and they are a tough crowd when it comes to my trials with healthy recipes. Thanks!
Martina says
April 17, 2016 at 8:25 amThe cookies are really delicious! I used chopped almonds and dried morello cherries instead of pecans and raisins – perfect for a tasty and healthy breakfast! Thank you for sharing the recipe!
Maggie says
July 4, 2016 at 6:56 pmNot to ruin the enjoyment of that scramble to use your bananas, but overripe bananas do freeze beautifully, so you don’t really have to stay within a time constraint on their use. And frozen banana pieces are delicious as “ice cubes” in cocktails or mocktails, too.
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
July 5, 2016 at 7:03 pmHa, Maggie…I do enjoy the challenge of using up overripe bananas before they’re too far gone! 😉 Seriously, though, thank you for sharing your freezing tip. The last time I tried that, I forgot about the bananas and they got freezer burn, but I’ll have to try it again and keep them visible in the front of the freezer next time! And adding frozen banana pieces to a fruity cocktail is a great idea…yum! Thanks again for sharing and hope you’re having a great week. 🙂
Holly says
December 1, 2016 at 10:23 pmJust made these and they are delicious! I love having something quick, filling, and tasty in the morning. So good!
Melissia says
March 19, 2017 at 5:06 pmJust made these and did half GF oats with half almond flour. Added 3T ground flax and 3T ground chia. Also increased cinnamon. I made them a little smaller and got 17 cookies. They were amazing. My husband loves them. Also a big hit at work! Next time I will try all almond flour to make them paleo, which is how I try to eat when possible.
Anna says
March 23, 2017 at 8:31 pmThese look yummy! I’m not a huge fan of nuts though…Can I omit the pecans without altering the rest of the recipe?
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
March 23, 2017 at 9:43 pmYes, Anna…that should be just fine. 🙂 Hope you enjoy!
Andrea says
April 1, 2017 at 12:28 pmThe dough is yummy! They’re baking right now and I can’t wait to have one.
Sally says
May 2, 2017 at 1:25 pmI made these without the pecans – I have a child who doesn’t like pieces of nuts in food. Turned out delicious! It only made 11 cookies, but oh so yummy!
Chef L says
February 16, 2019 at 12:34 pmI’m a professional chef and work in a hospital. I’ve made these when we had a lot of ripe bananas and they are a huge hit!
Calculating the nutritional value for one cookie (using chopped pecans for both cookies): using raisins- 43 calories, 5.5g carbs, 1g protein; using chocolate chips- 199 calories, 22.9g carbs, 5g protein.
Eppalonian says
March 23, 2019 at 11:02 pmThanks for the nutritional info, I am going to make these tomorrow morning and this helped
Evlena says
May 15, 2019 at 8:40 amHello there. These look and sound delicious! Can I use old fashioned oats instead of quick oats?
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
May 16, 2019 at 9:01 amHi Evlena! Yes! Your cookies will just turn out a bit chewier. You also may have to tweak the amount of oats since old-fashioned aren’t as “packed” as quick oats…just add slightly more if the dough doesn’t seem thick enough.