Start your day off right with delicious breakfast cookies. Yes, you read that right—we’re talking about cookies for breakfast. These cookies are made with oats, dates, shredded coconut and chocolate. You can make them even healthier by adding sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries or whatever other seeds, nuts or dried fruit you’d like. Et voila, you’ve got a tasty, filling and nourishing on-the-go breakfast.
Ingredients for Breakfast Cookies
- Butter: Use unsalted butter so you can control the salt content and overall flavor of these cookies.
- Brown sugar: Brown sugar keeps cookies moist and provides a rich molasses flavor.
- Egg: Make sure your eggs are at room temperature before using so they blend well.
- Egg yolk: Adding an egg yolk will help improve the chewiness of your breakfast cookies.
- Old-fashioned oats: Don’t use instant oats; they don’t keep their texture well after baking.
- All-purpose flour: It’s very important to accurately measure flour. Otherwise, the texture will be too dense.
- Whole wheat flour: Whole wheat flour provides structure and a nutty flavor to these cookies.
- Baking soda: Keep in mind that once you’ve opened your baking soda it should be used within six months—otherwise, it’s time for a new one.
- Salt: As with anything, salt does a great job of enhancing all the flavors in these cookies.
- Chocolate chunks: Substitute for chocolate chips or leave out altogether if you want a healthier cookie.
- Chopped dates: Use any other dried fruit you’d like if dates aren’t your favorite.
- Sweetened shredded coconut: Don’t use fresh coconut because it has too much water (this will create soggy cookies).
Directions
Step 1: Beat the creamed mixture
Preheat the oven to 350°. In a large bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy (about five to seven minutes). Beat in the egg and egg yolk.
Step 2: Mix the other ingredients separately
In another bowl, mix the oats, flours, baking soda and salt. Gradually beat them into creamed mixture and stir in the remaining ingredients.
Step 3: Shape the dough
Shape the dough by 1/4 cupfuls into balls, then flatten them to 3/4-inch thickness. Place them two inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.
Step 4: Bake
Bake for 13 to 15 minutes or until the cookies are golden brown. Cool on pans for two minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Breakfast Cookie Variations
- Use your favorite combo of fruit and nuts: Don’t feel like you have to use dates or coconut. You can substitute or mix in other nuts or dried fruits like apricots or cranberries.
- Sweeten things up: We love using a bit of honey, maple syrup or agave syrup in this recipe for a natural sweetener.
- Drizzle chocolate on top: Especially if you have kids who may initially shy away from these semi-healthy cookies, we’re betting a drizzle of chocolate sauce will entice them.
How to Store Breakfast Cookies
Store breakfast cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. They’ll keep for up to one week. To reheat, microwave each cookie on high for 15 to 20 seconds or until just warmed.
Can you freeze breakfast cookies?
Yes. Freeze unbaked cookies in a freezer-safe container, separating layers with waxed paper. To use, place the dough variations two inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Let it stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking. Bake as directed, increasing the time by one to two minutes.
Breakfast Cookie Tips
How do I ensure the breakfast cookies have the right texture?
Don’t overmix the batter—once you’ve added the flour and the other ingredients to the butter, brown sugar and egg, mix everything until it’s just blended. (We’ve found that over mixing can give these cookies a too-chewy or rough texture.)
Can I make these cookies vegan?
Yes. Use a plant-based egg substitute, dairy-free chocolate and dairy-free butter if you’d like to make these breakfast cookies vegan.
Can I double this recipe?
Yes, you can easily double this recipe. Just treat it as two separate batches of cookies rather than trying to combine double the ingredients all in one batch.
