Hearty and healthy, this breakfast cookie recipe is low in sugar, vegan, and easily gluten-free adaptable. Filled with oats, seeds, warming spices, tahini, and dried fruit, they are easy to make and ready in 30 minutes! Perfect for a healthy snack or breakfast on the go. 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! Well, OK, no claims for world-renowned fame, but in our corner of the world these cookies were highly sought after- we could never keep them in stock at our restaurant!
For a while, in the midst of the chaos of starting a restaurant, there was no recipe for this healthy 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 local markets and coffee shops in the area wanting to sell the cookies, 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.
Why you’ll love About These Breakfast Cookies
- Vegan and gluten-free adaptable, low-sugar and egg-free. Perfectly chewy with warming, subtle spices, and a delightful combination of flavors that keep you coming back for more. Beware, they are a bit addictive- they taste amazing!
- They are great for meal prep! Need a quick, easy, grab-and-go breakfast? These can be made ahead and kept in the refrigerator for 10 days. Or in the freezer for up to 3 months, wrapped tightly. Thaw overnight on the counter, warm them up if you like.
- Highly Adaptable! Use gluten-free flour, change up the seeds, nuts and dried fruit and make any additions you like! I love adding chia seeds! We try to keep the ingredeints as simple as possible with minimal sweetness and healthy fats- feel free to experiment.
- Read all the glowing reviews! This recipe is a reader favorite, with over 50 5-star reviews.
Breakfast Cookie Recipe Ingredients (and substitutions)
*See recipe card for detailed measurements and instructions!
- Organic Rolled Oats (regular cut) use gluten-free oats if you prefer.
- Flour- use all-purpose flour, whole wheat pastry flour– or sub gluten-free flour blend (Like Arrowmills Organic GF Flour Blend)
- Coconut sugar – for sweetness – feel free to use cane sugar
- Baking soda – to leaven the cookies
- Salt and warming spices – cinnamon, allspice, ground ginger, ground cloves, and nutmeg
- Sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds for great texture – but feel free to sub other nuts or seeds (chopped pecans, chopped walnuts, almonds)
- Dried fruit: currants or dried cranberries, or use raisins.
- Vanilla extract
- Tahini paste – to add nutty richness to the cookies. (Feel free to substitute almond butter, natural peanut butter, cashew butter or other nut butter)
- A fresh orange- the secret to the best-tasting breakfast cookie! You’ll need both the zest and juice
- Olive oil- or sub coconut oil
How to Make Healthy Breakfast Cookies
Step 1. Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl, including the seeds and dried fruit.
Step 2. Mix all the wet ingredeints in a medium bowl- vanilla, tahini, orange zest, orange juice, and olive oil.
Step 3. Combine! Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.
Step 4. Scoop. The cookie dough will almost have the consistency of granola- and you may wonder if it will indeed adhere to a cookie form. Yes! It will. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
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. Place the oatmeal breakfast cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Step 5. Flatten the balls with a wet hand to 1/2 inch thick.
Step 6. Bake for 13 minutes on the middle rack in the oven, or until the edges are golden brown, and let cool 10 minutes before moving to a wire rack.
Easy to store and Made ahead
Make a double or triple batch of the breakfast cookies and freeze them!
Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days on the counter, 10 days in the fridge, or wrap them individually and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw them overnight for eating in the morning.
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.
I 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 Favorite Baking Recipes!
- 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!
- Cowgirl Cookies
Watch how to make Vegan Breakfast Cookies
Best Breakfast Cookie Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 10 large cookies
- Category: Breakfast, Baked, Cookies, Vegan, Snacks, vegan breakfast
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These healthy, vegan Breakfast Cookies can be made in under 30 minutes! They are chock-full 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) quick or old-fashioned rolled oats (do not use thick-cut)
- 1/2 cup (60 grams) whole wheat pastry flour (or sub all-purpose flour or a GF flour blend)
- 1/3 cup coconut sugar (50 grams) (cane sugar works fine too)
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon each of: allspice, ground ginger, ground cloves, nutmeg
- 1/4 cup each of: sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, currants, dried cranberries (feel free to make substitutions, so that you have 1 cup total)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/4 cup tahini paste
- 2 teaspoons orange zest (from one large orange)
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 1/4 cup olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon – or sub melted coconut 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.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients. It may be a little crumbly.
- Form: Using a 1.5 ounce 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 the 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
Storing: Stored in an airtight container, cookies will keep for 5 days on the counter, 10 days in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer (wrap individually).
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: 250
- Sugar: 12.3 g
- Sodium: 97.5 mg
- Fat: 12.5 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 29.4 g
- Fiber: 3.5 g
- Protein: 5.3 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Absolutely delicious!!!
Yay! Glad you liked these Tracy!
Do you think this would work as a bar cookie recipe in a 9×9 pan?
I haven’t tried it this way Leanne, the texture would be softer and I might bake a lower temperature so the edges don’t over brown. Let us know if you give it a try!
I am unexpectedly out of tahini, will a nut butter work?!
Yes, that should be fine!
These look amazing! Is there a suitable substitute for the tahini?
You can use a nut butter or sunflower butter (watch for sugar added).
Perfect, thank you!
🙂
These cookies look delicious! Can you recommend a way to make them with a bit of crispness? I am not fond of soft cookies! thx!
You may have to experiment here Carol. These cookies come out more chewy than soft. Perhaps try making them thinner and flatten them out before baking.
These are the best cookies ever!I didn’t have cranberries and used dried cherries instead. The cookies were perfection.
Unfortunately though, I can’t stop eating them…
Haha…they are addicting for sure!
Hi Sylvia, you are amazing!
So grateful for all your wonderful recipes!!
Thank you and Happy New Yeay
Hugs from NZ
Thanks Maggie- very appreciated! Happy New Year!
Just took these out of the oven and scarfed one down. DELICIOUS
Awesome to hear Nappie! Thanks for the review.
I know this is called a breakfast cookie, but it is so amazing, I can eat it any time of day. Therein lies the problem… If you have self control though, it is great for people like me who are up early and on the go!!!
Ahahaha! Glad you are enjoying them!