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.
How to Make Banana Breakfast Cookies
Finally, these Banana Breakfast Cookies are an absolute cinch to make. No mixer is even required! Simply…
- Mash the ‘nanners.
- Dump all of the ingredients into a bowl.
- Mix with a wooden spoon.
- Plop the resulting (stiff) dough onto a cookie sheet.
- Then pop the pan 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 Cookies 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
These 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
Oh 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
Made 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
The 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
Not 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
Ha, 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
Just made these and they are delicious! I love having something quick, filling, and tasty in the morning. So good!
Melissia says
Just 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
These 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
Yes, Anna…that should be just fine. 🙂 Hope you enjoy!
Andrea says
The dough is yummy! They’re baking right now and I can’t wait to have one.
Sally says
I 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
I’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
Thanks for the nutritional info, I am going to make these tomorrow morning and this helped
Evlena says
Hello there. These look and sound delicious! Can I use old fashioned oats instead of quick oats?
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
Hi 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.
Anna says
These are perfect for BLW breakfast! I leave out the honey to keep them super low sugar and my 11 month old loves them. Really great recipe – thank you.
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
I’m so glad y’all enjoy them, Anna! 🙂
Marsha Boswell says
I used walnuts since I didn’t have pecans, and they were really good. Will try pecans next time. I used dark chocolate chips, since we prefer them to semisweet. No raisins (husband hates dried fruit of any kind.). I used ‘instant’ oats, since I didn’t have quick oats. Also, you mentioned for more sweetness go to 1/4 c. of honey, and I was worried about them being too sweet (or not sweet enough at 2 Tbsp.), so I used 3 Tbsp. That was just right for me. So easy to make! I will definitely be making these again and will suggest them to my kids for themselves and their kids! My only question is, how do I store leftovers? Since they are so moist, should they be in the refrigerator?
E. Day says
Delicious! Thank you for sharing. We used rolled oats, because we had them in the cabinet.
E. Day says
Thank you for sharing. Delicious! (We doubled the recipe and used rolled oats, because we had them in the cabinet.)
Alexis says
Just made these and they came out fantastic! Excellent recipe.
Heather says
AWESOME, AMAZING – I am going to make these again and again. I used regular oats (not quick) and more honey than called for – added pecan pieces and chocolate chips. These were just fantastic and hearty. I stored them in the refrigerator in sandwich baggies for a quick grab in the morning. They don’t last long but if they did, I would freeze them. This is a true winner!