Whole Wheat Cookies: Great for Breakfast!

You will love the simplicity and the nutty flavor of these Whole Wheat Cookies. They are perfectly sweetened with honey and make a great breakfast cookie. These healthy cookies also hold up perfectly when dunked in your hot beverage of choice. The recipe includes a vegan variation. 

For a gluten-free breakfast bar, check out this recipe for chewy granola bars.

Jump to:

• Introduction
• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Tips
• Can I make this a vegan recipe?
• More whole wheat flour recipes
• Italian breakfast cookies we love
• Recipe inspiration
• Recipe

Introduction

These wholesome, healthy cookies will quickly become one of your favorites.

I use the word wholesome because they are made entirely with whole wheat flour.

Do you know that whole wheat flour provides more fiber when compared to white flour?

This is because whole wheat flour includes the bran, the germ, and the wheat grain’s endosperm. In comparison, white flour only contains the endosperm.

The fact that there is less processing also means retaining naturally occurring vitamins like folate and riboflavin.

So many wonderful baked goods can be made with 100% whole wheat flour! This no-yeast, no-knead recipe for honey wheat bread is another example.

As was mentioned, these whole wheat biscuits are simple to make and they come together in no time.

There is, however, a waiting period of at least 30 minutes.

Not only will this allow for easier manipulation when rolling out the dough, but according to this article in the Kitchn, this rest period will allow the bran and the germ to hydrate and soften a little.

But I am getting ahead of myself. Let me show you how this recipe for whole-grain cookies comes together.

Ingredients

• Egg. We will need only one.
• Honey. A natural sweetener.
• Vegetable Oil. Feel free to use corn or canola.
• Vanilla Extract. So aromatic.
• Whole Wheat Flour. Make sure to use 100% whole wheat flour.
• Baking Powder. The cookies need just a little lift.
• Salt. Just a pinch.
• Orange Zest. Just a hint of citrus.

As far as accessories are concerned, you need a bowl, a whisk, a mixing spoon, a wooden board, and a rolling pin. You need a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper to bake the cookies.

Instructions

In a mixing bowl, whisk together one extra-large egg and the honey (4 tablespoons), followed by the vegetable oil (2 tablespoons) and the vanilla extract (1 teaspoon). 

Next, add the whole wheat flour (1¼ cups), baking powder (½ teaspoon), a pinch of salt and orange zest (½ teaspoon). 

The mixture comes together easily.

Form into a ball, wrap the dough with cling wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. 

Preheat oven to 375℉ (190°C).

With the help of a rolling pin, roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface,  ¼ inch thick. You can also roll out the dough on a sheet of parchment paper. If you prefer crispy wheat cookies, roll your dough thinner. If you prefer softer cookies, roll your dough thicker.

As far as the shape is concerned, you can cut them into any shape you want. Re-roll the trimmings to make more cookies. 

If you have an embossed rolling pin, go ahead and use it. 

Place the cookies on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. These whole-grain cookies need to bake for about 12-15 minutes. If you prefer crispy cookies, keep them in the oven for a few minutes longer. Remember to keep an eye on them as they will quickly burn.

The cookies also crisp up nicely as they cool down.

You have just made yourself a batch of these wonderful whole-wheat breakfast cookies.

Tips

• Whole wheat flour absorbs more liquid than regular all-purpose flour. 
• The idle time of 30 minutes is crucial for the bran and germ to become soft and this, in turn, makes the task of rolling the dough easier.

Can I make this a vegan recipe?

Yes. The dough on the left is the vegan version of these cookies. Replace the one egg with 1 tablespoon of ground flax seeds and 3 tablespoons of room temperature water. Replace the 4 tablespoons of honey with 4 tablespoons of pure maple syrup. Since flaxseeds do not have any fat, add an additional ½ teaspoon of oil. Proceed as directed in the recipe.

More whole wheat flour recipes

If you are trying to incorporate more grains into your diet, try replacing some all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour. That is exactly what I did in this recipe for oatmeal pancakes and this healthy zucchini bread recipe.

You will also love this whole wheat pizza dough recipe which requires no kneading.  This healthy homemade pizza is delicious, especially when topped with sauteed Swiss chard, caramelized onions, and mozzarella!

Italian breakfast cookies we love

If you like to have Italian cookies for breakfast, you might want to try these anise cookies, S cookies, or even these anise biscotti. 

Recipe inspiration

This recipe for healthy breakfast biscuits has been floating around the internet since 2013. I’ve had it bookmarked for a couple of years and I am happy that I finally got a chance to make it and share it with all of you.

The one modification I made was to add orange zest. 

It has quickly become one of my go-to grab-n-go breakfast cookies.

These whole wheat flour cookies also make a great snack.

Simple to make, wholesome and truly a great dunking cookie!

In case you are wondering, I used the honeycomb embossed rolling pin from GoodyWoody on Etsy. (not an affiliate link). 

I hope you get a chance to try them.

THANKS SO MUCH for following and being part of the She Loves Biscotti community where you will find Simple & Tasty Family-Friendly Recipes with an Italian Twist.

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Ciao for now,

Maria 

★★★★★ If you have made these whole grain cookies, I would love to hear about it in the comments below and be sure to rate the recipe!

Recipe

This post was originally published on June 10, 2017, republished on March 29, 2019 and more recently on March 2, 2021 with updated content and photos. Thanks for sharing!