These Healthy Breakfast Cookies are loaded with nuts, seeds, oats and whole grains for a cookie that packs some serious health benefits. Once you make them you’ll see why they’re the best! They can be made gluten-free and vegan if needed.

breakfast cookies on a marble board

Are cookies healthy for breakfast?

There’s a saying I’ve heard before that goes a little something like this: “breakfast is the most important meal of the day.”

Now whether or not you believe this to actually be true, I think we can all agree that breakfast becomes a whole lot more important when there are COOKIES involved.

If you’re wondering if cookies actually make a healthy breakfast, the answer is it really depends. Sugary chocolate chunk cookies might not be the best for you first thing in the morning, but I can assure you that this recipe for the best Healthy Breakfast Cookies makes a wonderful healthy balanced breakfast.

These breakfast cookies are made with a combination of nuts, seeds, dried fruits, oats and an egg, which is basically everything you would find in a healthy breakfast.

Why you’ll love this recipe

  • Gluten-free cookies. These breakfast cookies are naturally gluten-free (made with gluten-free certified oats) and can easily be made vegan by replacing the egg with a flax egg.
  • High in protein and fibre. Each cookie is packed with 4 grams of protein and 4 grams and fibre to keep you feeling full all morning long.
  • No mixer. These cookies are easy to make directly in a bowl, no mixer required!
  • Freezer-friendly. These breakfast cookies can be frozen for up to 2 months.

Healthy breakfast cookie ingredients

These Healthiest Breakfast Cookies have also got a permanent place on my weekly meal prep rotation. I love to prepare a batch of these healthy breakfast cookies on a Sunday and have them ready to go for the rest of the week!

healthy breakfast cookie ingredients
  • Whole-grain gluten-free oats: it’s best to use large flaked oats here for more texture, but quick oats will work too. Just make sure not to use steel-cut oats.
  • Almond flour: This flour is naturally gluten-free and is made from ground almonds. You can substitute with whole-wheat flour with all-purpose flour if needed.
  • Nuts: I use almonds as my nuts in this recipe, but you can use any type of nuts you love like walnuts, pecans or cashews.
  • Seeds: I use a combination of sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds and chia seeds. You can mix up the seeds you use or leave out any seeds you don’t like.
  • Maple Syrup: this is used to sweeten the cookies and help them stick together. You can also use honey or agave syrup.
  • Egg: this is an important ingredient to bind the cookies together. For a vegan variation use a flax egg. (1 tablespoon of ground flax seeds mixed with three tablespoons of water that you let sit to gel for 5 minutes.)
  • Vanilla extract: for flavour.
  • Tahini: this also helps coat all the dry ingredients to bind them together. You can substitute tahini with any other nut or seed butter you love.
  • Dried Cranberries: You can substitute with any dried fruit.
  • Chocolate chips: Optional, but who doesn’t love chocolate chips in cookies?!
  • Cinnamon: just a pinch for some extra flavour.

Health Benefits of Seeds

Firstly, these cookies have not one, not two, not three, but four different types of seeds – sunflower, pumpkin, chia and sesame.

Seeds are a great source of protein, healthy fats and provide many micronutrients that are missing in many western diets.

Chia seeds are known for their fibre and omega-3 fatty acids, pumpkin and sunflower seeds have been shown to reduce the risk of breast cancer, and sesame seeds are known to regulate levels of estrogen.

How to make oatmeak breakfast cookies

Step 1

Mix the oats, almond flour, almonds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, chia seeds, cranberries, chocolate chips, cinnamon and a pinch of salt together in a large mixing bowl.

Step 2

In a separate bowl whisk together the egg, maple syrup, tahini and vanilla extract.

Step 3

Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients and mix together until combined.

Step 4

Use a cookie scoop to scoop out cookies then use your hands to press them down on the baking sheet. Because the cookies have no baking powder or baking soda they won’t spread much on their own, so it’s important to press them down with your hands to form a cookie shape

Step 5

Bake the cookies at 350 degrees F for 12-14 minutes until golden brown around the edges. Let the cookies cool before eating.

How to store these cookies

Counter: store leftover cookies in an airtight container on the counter for up to a week.

Freezer: store leftover cookies in an airtight container or a freezer bag in the freezer for up to 2 months. to defrost let thaw on the countertop and optionally warm slightly in the oven.

Expert tips for making breakfast cookies

  • These cookies are very versatile. You can use any type of nuts or seeds you love or have on hand.
  • Make sure to press these cookies down on the baking sheet with your hands. They won’t spread, so doing this will give you the cookie shape.
  • Use parchment paper on your baking pan for easy cleanup.
  • If you want to make these cookies vegan, substitute the egg with a flax egg. Simply mix 1 tbsp of ground flax seeds in 3 tbsp of water and let it sit to gel for 5 minutes. Then pour this into the mixture as you would with the egg.
a stack of 6 breakfast cookies on a piece of parchment paper

If you tried these Healthiest Breakfast Cookies or any other recipe on the blog let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment/rating below! Be sure to follow along on PinterestInstagram and Facebook for even more deliciousness!

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the healthiest breakfast cookies

The Healthiest Breakfast Cookies

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 74 reviews
  • Author: Jessica Hoffman
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 12 minutes
  • Total Time: 22 minutes
  • Yield: 16 cookies 1x
  • Category: Breakfast
  • Method: Bake
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Description

These are the BEST healthy breakfast cookie ever!


Ingredients

Units Scale

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking pan with parchment paper.
  2. Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl.
  3. Mix all the wet ingredients together in a separate bowl.
  4. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet and mix together until well combined
  5. Use a cookie scoop to scoop evenly sized cookies onto the baking sheet. Press down with your hands (these cookies won’t spread)
  6. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes.


Notes

You can use any type of nuts and seeds you have on hand for these cookies.

Make sure to press the cookies down with your hands after scooping them onto the baking sheet. They won’t spread out much on their own.

To make a flax egg mix 1 tbsp ground flaxseed with 3 tbsp of water. Let sit to gel for 5 minutes then use as you would an egg.

Store in an airtight container on the counter for up to a week or in the freezer for up to 2 months. 


Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 cookie
  • Calories: 155
  • Sugar: 9g
  • Sodium: 20mg
  • Fat: 11g
  • Saturated Fat: 2g
  • Carbohydrates: 17g
  • Fiber: 4g
  • Protein: 4g