This Oatmeal Banana Breakfast Cookies recipe incorporates a few “typical” trail mix ingredients with bananas and rolled oats. The result is a high-fiber, antioxidant-rich, vegan banana cookie that’s easy to make, chewy, and moist. They are a healthy grab-and-go breakfast.
Introduction
Do you have a few overripe bananas on your countertop, just waiting to be transformed into baked goods?
If you are tired of making banana bread or banana muffins, I’ve got the perfect banana recipe!
Healthy banana oatmeal cookies!
They are made with wholesome ingredients, like nuts, seeds, and dried fruits, and make the ideal breakfast for the person on the go.
Yes, you read that correctly… this dietitian is telling you that you can eat cookies for breakfast! Guilt-free!
These banana breakfast cookies are also vegan, dairy, and gluten-free.
Are you ready to turn those overripe bananas into something new and delicious?
Directions
These oatmeal banana cookies come together in no time.
The process begins by combining 3 tablespoons of dried cranberries with enough water to cover them for 10-15 minutes. Set aside for now.
Next, preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C and place the rack in the center.
Then, line one large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl: 2 cups of rolled oats (old-fashioned), ⅔ cup of finely chopped almonds, ⅓ cup unsweetened shredded coconut, 1 teaspoon of baking powder, ½ teaspoon of cinnamon, and a pinch of salt.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk your wet ingredients together: 1½ cups of mashed bananas (about 3 medium), ¼ cup of coconut oil, 2 tablespoons of maple syrup, and 1½ teaspoons of vanilla extract.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. With a rubber spatula or a wooden spoon, stir until combined.
Fold in ⅓ cup of dark chocolate chips, 3 tablespoons of cranberries (soaked, drained, and patted dry), and 3 tablespoons of pumpkin seeds.
Use a medium-sized cookie scoop to portion out the dough (about 1 tablespoon) and place it on the cookie sheet. Press the tops of the cookies lightly with the back end of a fork.
Bake in the preheated oven for 15-18 minutes or until the cookies begin to brown around the edges.
Allow cooling in the pan for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool down completely.
Tips
- Soaking the cranberries before baking will prevent them from absorbing moisture from the rest of the ingredients. Their texture also remains soft and chewy.
- Its consistency may surprise you if you’ve never worked with coconut oil. This oil is generally solid at room temperature! It can quickly be melted in a microwave at 30-second intervals until liquid.
Variations
You can create endless variations according to your preferences and the ingredients in your pantry. Keep total amounts equal so the cookie dough holds its shape when scooping it out. Here are a few ideas:
Vary the dried cranberries with other dried fruit like goji berries, raisins, dates, prunes, figs, cherries or apricots.
Switch the pumpkin seeds with sunflower, chia, flax or hemp seeds.
Substitute the almonds with equal amounts of chopped walnuts, hazelnuts or any other nut in this recipe.
Replace the chocolate with cacao nibs.
FAQ
Old-fashioned oats are the best choice for this recipe. During baking, they hold their shape and provide a final product with the best texture with the right chew. Although the two types of oats can be used interchangeably, it is important to consider their main differences. Quick-cooking oats cook faster and have a softer texture when compared to old-fashioned varieties. The latter offers a cookie shape that spreads out less.
Once the cookies are at room temperature, place them in an airtight container and refrigerate them for up to five days for optimal taste and freshness. I would not recommend leaving them at room temperature for longer than a day; the cookies are quite soft and spoil easily.
Yes, these oatmeal breakfast cookies can be frozen for up to three months. Therefore, it is essential to store your cookies in a single layer, in freezer-safe containers, with wax or parchment paper between each layer to avoid sticking together. To thaw, simply remove them from the freezer and place them on the countertop at room temperature for about half an hour.
More breakfast cookies
If you like to have cookies for breakfast, you might want to try these healthy whole wheat cookies or these oat bran cookies.
Recipe origins
These vegan banana oatmeal cookies are a healthy and delicious way to satisfy your sweet tooth.
I’ve been making them for years, and it becomes a new recipe every time I do. That’s because ingredients can easily be swapped with whatever you have in your pantry. If you are interested, the original recipe can be found here.
They also make a healthy grab-and-go breakfast or a quick snack at any time of day – so go ahead and enjoy!
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.
Ciao for now,
Maria
★★★★★ If you have made this recipe for breakfast cookies with banana, I would love to hear about it in the comments below and be sure to rate the recipe!
Recipe
Easy Oatmeal Banana Breakfast Cookies
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups old fashioned oats SEE NOTES
- ⅔ cup almonds finely chopped
- ⅓ cup shredded coconut unsweetened
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- pinch salt
Wet ingredients
- 1½ cups mashed ripe bananas about 3 medium
- ¼ cup coconut oil melted, SEE NOTES
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup or can use honey
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Add-ins
- ⅓ cup chocolate chips
- 3 tablespoons dried cranberries soaked, drained and patted dry SEE NOTES
- 3 tablespoons pumpkin seeds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Position rack in the center.
- Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium size mixing bowl, combine the all the dry ingredients. Whisk together. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, incorporate the mashed bananas with the coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla extract.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir to combine.
- Fold in the chocolate chips, cranberries and pumpkin seeds.
- With a medium-sized scooper (about 1 tablespoon), scoop out dough and place on parchment-lined cookie sheets.
- With the back end of a fork, press down gently atop each cookie.
- Bake for about 15-18 minutes or until the cookies begin to brown around the edges.
- Allow cooling in the pan for about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool down completely.
Notes
- Soaking the cranberries before baking will prevent them from absorbing moisture from the rest of the ingredients. Their texture also remains soft and chewy.
- If you’ve never worked with coconut oil before, its consistency may surprise you. This oil is generally solid at room temperature! It can quickly be melted in a microwave at 30-second intervals until liquid.
Nutrition
This post was originally published on August 24, 2016 and republished on January 11, 2022 with updated content and photos. Thanks for sharing!
Franca
Oh my goodness! These breakfast cookies are scrumptious. They are healthy, delicious, super easy to make, and portable. These are definitely worth waking up for! Another fantastic recipe from She Loves Biscotti.
Maria
Thank you kindly Franca!
Elizabeth
Thank you for this recipe! These are amazzzzing! They didn’t feel like they were going to stay together before I baked them, but they did, and all the ingredients bound together so nicely—great texture and my husband is obsessed! I used date paste instead of maple syrup and ground sunflowers in place of shredded coconut. And lots of different seeds, goji berries, raisins, and cacao nibs. Awesome results, can’t wait to make more!
Maria
How wonderful Elizabeth! Thanks so much for sharing!
Josette leclerc
Bonjour Maria, j’ai une question, qu’est ce que le cocoa nibs ? Merci à l’avance ! Josette
Maria
Allo Josette♥ C’est des fèves de cacao finement moulues. Je les achète chez Aliments TAU. Merci.
Sky
Sounds great. But I will roast banana first.
Maria
Thanks Sky. I agree, it will taste amazing with roasted bananas! Thanks for stopping by, appreciate it!
Linda
Love these!
They’re sure to become a regular for us. Thanks for sharing 😊
Maria
My pleasure Linda! Thanks for taking the time to comment, I appreciate it!
Anne
These are fantastic! Not too sweet, completely satisfying, and it’s very difficult to eat just one. I was not sure how small to grind the almonds in the food processor. I decided to leave some texture …. it was like very coarse sand. I think I will grind the almonds more finely the next time, so I can compare the results. YUM!
Maria
Amazing Anne! I am thrilled to hear you enjoyed these banana cookies. Thanks for taking the time to comment, appreciate it!
Marisa
I love this! My sister is gluten intolerant so I’ll definitely be making this for her! Thanks for sharing Maria😊
Maria
My pleasure Marisa! These trail mix cookies are truly so versatile. Hope you guys like them. Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Redawna
Okay these sound spectacular! They are like the healthy cousin to the Monster Cookie! My favorite cookie is one that starts with oats! Looking forward to trying them soon.
Have a fantastic rest of the day!
Maria
Thanks so much Redawna! We just love the simplicity of these trail mix cookies. Thanks so much for stopping by ♥♥♥
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
I love trail mix and I love cookies so ya know I’m gonna love these! I usually lways miss those food holidays…there’s just too many to keep track of. Considering that these are ‘trail mix’, these cookies are perfectly acceptable for breakfast with coffee 😉
Maria
Yes, these trail mix cookies would definitely be appropriate for breakfast…or lunch… or supper 😉 Thanks so much for stopping by Dawn ♥♥♥
deb@glutenfreefarina
Seems like the perfect pre-or post workout snack. I’m always looking for something simple that will give me the boost I need. Love that I can change it up for whatever is in my pantry. Thanks.
Maria
Absolutely! They also freeze well …that always helps with the quantity control:) Thanks for dropping by Deb!