I'm always looking for healthy and filling snacks for my high school son. He eats breakfast at 6:00 am, then has to last until 1:00 pm before he has lunch at school! These breakfast "cookies" are perfect for a quick snack that really keeps you feeling satisfied and full. If you like oats, and chocolate chip banana bread, then you will love these! I make a batch and stash them individually wrapped in the freezer, then I can grab one for a quick breakfast or snack.
Banana Breakfast Cookies
Makes 1 dozen
3 tablespoons liquid coconut oil
4 tablespoons honey
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup mashed ripe bananas (about two small bananas)
3/4 cup old fashioned oats
1 1/4 cups quick oats
1/4 cup flaxseed meal
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/3 cup mini chocolate chips
1/4 teaspoon salt
In a large bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, honey, and eggs. Add the vanilla and mashed bananas and whisk until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and stir until evenly combined. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours. When you are ready to bake, preheat oven to 325°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Scoop 3-tablespoon-sized portions into your hand and roll into a ball. Place the cookie onto the parchment and press down to about 1/4" with a drinking glass or your palm. The cookies do not spread while baking, so get them the size you want. Bake for 18 minutes. Just after removing from the oven, sprinkle with additional mini chocolate chips, pressing them into the soft cookie. Allow the cookies to cool on pan before moving to a wire rack.
Step-by-step tutorial:
Gather your ingredients. You will need coconut oil (liquid or melted), honey, eggs, vanilla, 2 ripe bananas, old fashion oats, quick oats, flaxseed meal, cinnamon, nutmeg, and mini chocolate chips.
In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, honey, and eggs. Add the vanilla and mashed bananas and whisk until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
The batter will seem wet and like it doesn't stick together. No worries! This is why we refrigerate the dough for a few hours.
Once the dough is chilled, you can handle it better to shape the cookies. The shape you give them on the baking sheet is the shape they will have after they are baked! They do not spread or grow. These cookies are not baked yet. Preheat your oven to 325°F and line a baking sheet with parchment. Scoop the dough with a muffin sized scoop (about 3 tablespoons at a time) and form into a ball, then place on the baking sheet and flatten with a glass or your palm. Run your finger around the edges to smooth them out. If your hands start to stick, just get them wet with water.
Bake the cookies for 18 minutes. Immediately after removing from the oven, sprinkle with additional mini chocolate chips. Allow them to cool on the pan for about 10 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.
These cookies are so dense and full of goodness!
You can serve them at a brunch, sports practice or game, or just stick them in your kiddos lunch box for a midday pick-me-up or part of their lunch!
Of course, you can customize to your liking. If you aren't a fan of walnuts, do another nut, or skip the nuts altogether. You can change the kind of chocolate chips or add raisins or other dried fruit.
The banana is what makes these feel like breakfast to me. I've had other healthy cookies made with peanut butter, and although I loved them, they were not breakfast-y enough for me to want to grab in the morning.
If you're like our family, anything with chocolate chips is a winner.
One cookie is all it takes and you will be energized and ready to take on the day! I'll grab a small yogurt or some juice with one and it's just perfect! So yummy.
Recipe Source: Recipe adapted from a recipe on Baker By Nature