These Vegan Breakfast Cookies are chockfull of flavor and sustenance. Filled with oats, seeds, spices, tahini and dried fruit these healthy, vegan breakfast cookies are like granola, but in a cookie form. A fast and easy recipe that can be made in under 30 minutes! Perfect for a snack or breakfast on-the-go. Gluten-free adaptable. Video!
We shake with joy, we shake with grief. What a time they have, these two housed as they are in the same body. ~ Mary Oliver
The secret is out! First time ever released…here is our “legendary” Mizuna Breakfast Cookie recipe. Not too sweet, chewy, and subtly spiced, with a delightful combination of flavors that keep you coming back for more. Beware, they are a bit addicting.
Well ok, no claims for world-renowned famous, but in our corner of the world, these cookies were highly sought after.
The recipe was created shortly after we opened Mizuna Restaurant, a vegetarian eatery in the heart of a meat and potatoes town, in the mid 90’s. Ya… forever ago! Today there are still people asking for the recipe. We thought we’d just get the goodness out there and we are delighted to share with you today.
Vegan Breakfast Cookies| 60-sec Video!
For a while, in the midst of the chaos of starting a restaurant, there was no recipe for this Breakfast Cookie, so it was just thrown together each time hoping that it was close enough. When we started to get breakfast cookie regulars, as well as requests from a few stores and coffee shops in the area wanting to sell the cookie, it seemed a recipe might make things easier!
There was a LOT of winging it in those days, the kind of experiences that can force us to dig deep inside for what we didn’t know we had. Looking back I think, “Holy crap! I did not know what I signed up for! AND I learned that I am capable of so much more than I ever thought.”
True soul-growing experiences often push us far out of our comfort zone. But somehow we survive, and possibly even thrive. We are stronger than we realize.
Ingredients in Vegan Breakfast Cookies:
- rolled oats (regular cut)
- whole wheat pastry flour
- coconut sugar
- baking soda
- salt
- spices
- sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds,
- currants, dried cranberries
- vanilla
- tahini paste
- orange- zest and juice
- olive oil
How to make vegan Breakfast Cookies (in a nutshell):
- Mix dry ingredients together
- Mix wet ingredients together
- Combine
- Scoop
- Bake!
It is a simple process of combining all the dry ingredients together, including the seeds and dried fruit.
What makes this Vegan Breakfast Cookie Recipe the Best!
Orange Zest and juice of an orange.
This really gives the cookies a tangy balance. Mix together the vanilla, tahini, orange zest, orange juice, and olive oil.
Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.
The mixture will have the consistency of granola. You may wonder if it will indeed adhere into a cookie form.
Yes! It will.
A cookie scoop works best here. Really pack it in.
Alternatively, using lightly wet (or oiled) hands, roll into 9-10 balls, roughly the size of a golf ball.
Flatten the balls with a wet hand, to 1/2 inch thick.
Bake for 13 minutes and let cool.
Make a double or triple batch of the breakfast cookies and freeze them.
Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days, or wrap them individually and freeze.
A quick and easy snack!
Rather than resisting all things hard or challenging these days, I try to focus more on resiliency. One sure thing to count on is that everything will always ebb and flow. So I practice allowing the process. Trusting that “this too shall pass”, and even welcoming in challenges, along with the fear and the pain, trying to remember to ask with curiosity, “what are you here to teach me?” Somehow this way of being more fluid with life has brought me so much more freedom and ease in my whole being. When the unexpected hits I seem to have more of a reserve to look at things objectively. It is a “muscle” that I will be training for a lifetime. Life is a journey.
Hope you enjoy these simple, easy Breakfast Cookies! Play around and adapt them to your taste. Add nuts, your favorite dried fruit, coconut, cocoa nibs, and chocolate chips….so many options and potential! Let us know what you create!
More recipes you may like:
- Vegan Energy Balls with Masala Spice
- Chocolate Sesame Cookies
- Homemade Maple Granola Recipe (Vegan & Gluten-free)
- Spicy Chai Molasses Cookies
- Overnight Oats
- How to make Muesli!
- Skillet Baked Oats w/ Maple Glazed Apples
- 65 Best Breakfast Ideas!
Breakfast Cookie Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 13 minutes
- Total Time: 28 minutes
- Yield: 10 large cookies 1x
- Category: Baked Goods, Cookies, Vegan, Snacks
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These healthy Breakfast Cookies can be made in under 30 minutes! They are chockfull of flavor and sustenance -filled with oats, seeds, spices and dried fruit they are vegan and deliciously addicting! Perfect for breakfast on the go.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups (162 grams) rolled oats (not thick cut)
- 1/2 cup (60 grams) whole wheat pastry flour (or sub a GF flour blend)
- 1/3 cup coconut sugar (50 grams) (regular works fine too)
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon each of: allspice, ginger, cloves, nutmeg
- 1/4 cup each of: sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, currants, dried cranberries
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/4 cup roasted tahini paste
- 2 teaspoons orange zest (from one large orange)
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 1/4 cup olive oil
Instructions
- Heat oven to 375 F degrees.
- Combine dry ingredients: oats, flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, currants, and cranberries in a large bowl.
- Combine wet ingredients: In a separate bowl, mix together vanilla, tahini, orange zest and juice, and olive oil. When mixed thoroughly add to dry ingredients.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients. It will be crumbly.
- Form: Using a scoop or forming by hand (make sure to wet or oil your hands!) press cookie dough firmly into a scoop or firmly press together into a ball and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. You should have 9-10 cookies. Press cookie to flatten so it is a little less than 1/2-inch thick.
- Bake: Turn the oven temperature down to 350F. Bake for 13 minutes. Or until just starting to color.
Notes
Stored in an airtight container cookies will keep for 5 days and also freeze well.
Getting the cookies to stick together:
Using a cookie scoop makes a world of difference because you can really pack them in.
Make sure the oats are not thick cut.
If the flour is grainy it can effect the adhering of the dough. Using a softer flour (not a strong whole wheat) is helpful. Fresh whole wheat pastry flour, all purpose works, as well as oat or barley flour.
Try adding a flax “egg” (1 tablespoon flax meal to 2.5 tablespoons water)
Put 1/2 of the dough into the food processor and pulse a few times. An extra step but maybe a helpful without having to add anything in.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 240
- Sugar: 12.3 g
- Sodium: 97.5 mg
- Fat: 12.5 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 3.3 g
- Protein: 5.1 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Such a fun Healthy treat! I love these and hope to make them often, thank you to Ann for sharing that she used almond butter as I did not have any tahini, I will try next time to use tahini… Sylvia you are AWESOME!
Thanks Faye! Thrilled to hear this.
Oo, I forgot to say that I added cardamom and used almond mutter instead of tahini
yum!
Omg! These are excellent! The explosion of taste in my mouth is telling me these are going to be regular- although they are so addictive….! thank you!
Yay Ana! So happy you enjoyed.
I (uncommonly) followed the recipe as instructed- adding he flax egg. They tured out perfectly delicious!
Haha… glad they turned out Alynn!
These cookies are amazing! We eat very low sugar, so I skipped the sugar. I also used my GF flour blend. They were a little dry, so I added an egg. Perfect for a little snack with some almond milk!
Glad they worked out for you Allison. Love that you adapted!
These cookies taste amazing! We eat very low sugar, so I left the sugar out. I used my GF flour blend. They were a little dry, so I added an egg. Perfect for a little snack with almond milk!
Great to hear Allison!
I used Greek yogurt instead of tahini so they aren’t vegan but they taste great. Used a bit more orange juice so dough was moist. I got about 15 good sized cookies.
Oh nice idea! Glad they worked out for you!
Love your site! Thank you for all the work you do! What movie ght be a good substitute for the oats in this cookie? My husband is allergic to oats. Thanks
Maybe you could try something like quinoa flakes or in a combo with almond flour and puffed cereal (like millet, amaranth, kamut, buckwheat etc.). These cookies are pretty adaptable- would love to hear what you try!
Thanks so much!
You are welcome 🙂
I added a little water until it stuck together better, worked great
Oh great!
What size cookie scoop do you use?
1.5 ounce.
Can’t leave well enough alone…I added poppy seeds and shredded coconut, cut the sugar in half and used buckwheat flour. Should have read the notes and comments first to help them keep their shape, but of the double batch I have enough nice ones to share with the neighbors. Oh, I also toasted the oatmeal first. A trick I learned from a chef friend. Delicious, and I love the orange juice and zest in these. Thank you!
Oooo…yummy! You may need less flour if using buckwheat. Toasting the oats- brilliant!
Excellent!
So happy to find a vegan cookie recipe that uses healthier sugar alternatives! These were delicious! I added a flax egg and a smidge of maple syrup and the texture was wonderful. Soft cookie, not at all crumbly. We’re looking forward to playing around with more flavor combinations with this base.
So glad you enjoyed these Amanda! Let us know what fun flavors combos you come up with!
I made these today and the large size cookie scoop really assisted, packing the dough in and then releasing it onto parchment paper to bake. I used demerara sugar, chia, hemp hearts, flax seed meal, walnuts, crans, white raisins and it all mixed well and the balls were easy to stay together with pressing into the scoop. I can’t wait to try one, they seem solid and worthy!
Glad you gave them a go!
Exactly what I hope for in a breakfast cookie. I added chocolate chips (for the kids) and chia seeds. This will be on repeat.
Yum! Awesome Megan!
Theses are amazing. I have made them several times. I usually double the batch also. Sometimes I will warm them a little with a teaspoon of almond or peanut butter.
Awesome Deborah! So happy you are enjoying these!
Love these breakfast cookies. The orange in it makes them sooooo fresh!
Glad youa re enjoying Mirjam!
Can you make this without Tahini? If so, what do I use instead?
You could sub a different nut or seed butter? Sunflower or almond would be good!
This is my new go-to breakfast! I subbed 1/4 tsp orange extract for the zest and added the flax egg the second time I made them (which was about 2 days after the first time I made them). Perfect! I made a double batch and froze them, defrosting a few at a time for daily breakfasts. Very flavorful, lots of texture and not too sweet. Delicious!
Perfect- so glad you enjoyed these!
Love these! It’s unbelievable how great tasting these are! Thank you for another winner Sylvia!
What would be a substitute for tahini?
Hi Amy- How about almond butter or peanut butter? Or some nut or seed butter. 😉
Amazing! LOVE these!!! I added mini chocolate chips to entice my teenager 😉 I can’t wait to try a GF version. The spices made my kitchen smell amazing while they were baking. Thank you for the recipe!
Awesome, yes to chocolate chips!
This has to be the Best Cookie Recipe.
I made it for a friend who has health issues. She promptly asked for the recipe and I sent her to your site.
Over the months I have made a few adjustments by adding an egg and some small semi sweet chocolate chips.
I’ve also changed the tahini for almond butter and replaced the orange ingredients for lemon (white chocolate added and cardamon in place of the chocolate and cinnamon). Both excellent but a different taste.
Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe.
Thanks Loraine- glad you are enjoying this!
Can’t wait to make these. OMGoodness!