Healthy Breakfast Cookies (Sugar-Free)

These healthy breakfast cookies are full of wholesome, nourishing ingredients like oats, seeds, dried fruit, and date paste to naturally sweeten them! Along with packing a nutritional punch, they are gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free, and oil-free!

If you didn’t think that cookies could be eaten as a part of a healthy breakfast, think again. These healthy breakfast cookies aren’t only delicious and full of texture, but they may just be the healthiest cookies you’ll ever try, jam-packed with nutrients and superfoods, and definitely worthy of adding to your healthy breakfast rotation along with keto chia pudding and apple cinnamon baked oatmeal.

Super Seedy Healthy Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies

With an ingredients list loaded with seeds (five kinds!), oats, and dried fruit, these sugar-free cookies are chock-full of fiber, heart-healthy fats, omega 3s, plant-based protein, and several macronutrients. That means these cookies are locked and loaded with nutrients needed to nourish your body and keep you satisfied until your next meal.

More so, they are free from all refined flour, empty calories, and sugars, relying on healthy date paste to naturally sweeten them. This is great for those trying to reduce their sugar intake and excellent for avoiding mid-day sugar crashes!

Did I mention that these oatmeal breakfast cookies are super versatile, too? You can easily mix and match the seeds, and dried fruit based on what you have available – making them easy to prepare at a moment’s notice. Better yet, the recipe is incredibly simple. All you need is a couple of bowls and a spoon. They’re also meal-prep friendly and freezer-friendly, perfect for busy mornings.

The Ingredients

This healthy breakfast cookie recipe relies almost entirely on pantry staples, versatile enough to adapt to what you have available.

• Oats: You’ll need rolled oats. Use certified gluten-free oats if necessary.
• Flax egg: A combination of ground flaxseed and water will make an egg substitute to help bind the vegan breakfast cookies.
• Nuts/Seeds: I used a combination of sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, and hemp seeds (optionally sesame seeds). I also added peanuts, but feel free to use more seeds for a nut-free version or use your nut of choice – pistachios, walnuts, pecans, etc.
• Ground sunflower seeds: Or use almond flour instead.
• Dried fruit: I used a combination of raisins and dried cranberries, but other dried fruits like blueberries, apricot, or finely chopped dates would also work.
• Tahini: I love to use tahini, but any (thin) nut butter or seed butter should work (i.e., almond butter, cashew butter, sunflower seed butter, etc.)
• Cinnamon: Just a pinch adds a wonderful warmth. You could also add nutmeg, pumpkin spice, cardamom, etc.
• Date paste: This will be used to sweeten the sugar-free cookies. If you can’t find it in-store, you could make your own by blending Medjool dates with some water into a paste. Alternatively, you can use 120 g of date syrup or any other liquid sweetener.
• Salt: Just a pinch of salt helps enhance the various flavors in the healthy oat seed cookies.

Optional add-ins:

As mentioned before, this healthy breakfast cookie recipe is incredibly versatile. Along with all of the listed subs above, there are plenty of other mix-ins you could choose from to make all sorts of flavor variations.

• Vanilla extract: Use pure vanilla for the best (non-artificial) flavor. Just a small splash will do.
• Citrus zest: A small amount of lemon or orange zest would taste amazing in these oatmeal breakfast cookies.
• Dairy-free chocolate: Feel free to use sugar-free chocolate if preferred. I recommend using around ¼ cup of chips or chunks.
• Cacao nibs: Add 1-2 tbsp to the cookie batter to add even more crunch and healthful antioxidants to these sugar-free cookies.
• Shredded coconut: Add 2-3 tbsp for extra texture and flavor.

Please read the recipe card below for the full ingredients list, measurements, complete recipe method, and nutritional information.

How to Make Healthy Breakfast Cookies?

This healthy breakfast cookie recipe requires just a few simple steps, including:

• First, preheat the oven to 350F/177C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. At the same time, prepare the flax egg by combining the ground flaxseed and water, mixing well, and setting it aside for 5 minutes.
• Then, combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix.

• Add the wet ingredients and mix to combine.

• Use a tablespoon (measuring spoon or small cookie scoop) to spoon the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Leave a small amount of space between each cookie.

These cookies won’t naturally spread in the oven, so press them down gently if needed, to slightly flatten them.

• Bake the oatmeal breakfast cookies for 15 minutes. Then, remove them from the oven and allow them to cool completely before enjoying them!

Enjoy one of these healthy breakfast cookies alone, with a cup of tea or coffee, and tucked into a lunchbox.

Storing Instructions

Store: Once cooled, you can store the leftover cookies in an airtight container on the counter for 5-7 days.

Freeze: Flash freeze the oatmeal breakfast cookies on a tray until solid, then transfer them to a Ziplock bag for 2-3 months. When you want one, allow it to thaw at room temperature OR use the microwave to help defrost it.

FAQs

Can I use quick oats?

Technically yes, though it will reduce some of the ‘chewy’ texture in the baked cookies.

Can I substitute the oats?

They may work with similar ‘flakes. For example, quinoa flakes or possibly buckwheat flakes. However, I haven’t tried.

Can I use roasted and salted nuts/seeds?

I wouldn’t recommend it, as the cookies will be far too salty. Instead, I recommend using raw (though roasted should also work) unsalted nuts and seeds.

Can I substitute the date paste?

You could use date syrup, maple syrup, or any other liquid sweetener, however, use less, about 3/8 cups or 120 grams.

Recipe Notes and Top Tips

• Mix and match nuts and seeds: These healthy breakfast cookies are super versatile, so use whatever nuts and seeds you have on hand.
• Experiment with flavors: Once you have the base recipe sorted, there are tons of ways to adapt this recipe by mixing out spices and dried fruit/ other mix-ins. i.e., apple cinnamon, pumpkin spice pecan, tropical dried fruit with coconut, etc.
• Adjust the texture: You could use a food processor to lightly pulse the oats and seeds until they are slightly broken down. These will make them slightly less chewy and easier to eat (especially for young children).
• For more flavor: You could toast the nuts and seeds in a dry pan until fragrant.
• The yield: This recipe makes 16-18 tablespoon-sized cookies. You can make them slightly larger but may need to increase the baking time.

More Healthy Vegan Breakfast Recipes

• Healthy banana bread (sugar-free)
• Homemade nut-free granola
• Healthy oatmeal chocolate chip bars
• Strawberry oatmeal bars
• Chocolate granola bars
• Peanut butter overnight oats

If you try this versatile vegan breakfast cookie recipe, I’d love a comment and ★★★★★ recipe rating below. Also, please don’t forget to tag me in re-creations on Instagram or Facebook with @elavegan and #elavegan—I love seeing them.