These healthy and hearty blueberry banana breakfast cookies are packed with 9 wholesome ingredients to power you through the day. This simple 1 bowl recipe is easily adaptable and comes together in minutes. They taste like really dense and delicious baked oatmeal!
Good morning sunshine!
Don’t these cookies look a little bit like blueberry muffin tops? They don’t taste like muffin tops at all, but the resemblance makes me happy. You know what else makes me happy? These cookies are actually pretty good for you—with zero refined sugar, plenty of wholesome oats, almond butter, and fruit. In fact the only thing missing is a cup of coffee and bowl of yogurt because, like blueberry muffins, these cookies are most definitely breakfast-worthy (just like my original breakfast cookies).
Why You’ll Love These Cookies
Today’s blueberry banana breakfast cookies are super chewy, hearty, thick and taste like really dense baked oatmeal. They’ve got major staying power, too! You only need 9 ingredients and some can easily be substituted. I list substitutions in my recipe notes if you’re curious. Here’s what else you’ll love about them:
- Super healthy
- Quick and easy to make
- 1 bowl recipe
- No cookie dough chilling
- Egg-free (I have a growing collection of egg-free recipes here)
- Loaded with berries
- Adaptable with different add-ins and flavors
- Freeze beautifully
- Perfect make ahead recipe
- Delicious for breakfast, a snack, or even dessert
How to Make Blueberry Banana Breakfast Cookies
This is an easy 1 bowl recipe—cookies are ready in just 45 minutes. It’s perfect for busy days and I highly suggest making a double batch because these disappear QUICKLY!
- Mix everything together in 1 bowl.
- Scoop mounds of cookie dough. I use about 1/4 cup of dough per cookie—they’re massive! The recipe makes 12 cookies, so place 6 big cookies on each baking sheet. Slightly flatten the cookies out because they won’t spread much in the oven.
- Bake until lightly browned. These cookies bake at a lower temperature. They’re so thick that anything higher could burn the tops rather quickly. Because of the lower temperature, the cookies will take about 20 minutes in the oven.
- Cool before enjoying.
These cookies stay fresh all week in the refrigerator and they freeze wonderfully, too. I like to freeze them individually and stick one frozen cookie in the refrigerator before bed. It’ll thaw out by morning. They are *so good* cold.
How to Easily Mash Bananas
Banana is a main ingredient in this recipe.
Did you know you can use your electric mixer to mash bananas? Break or slice your peeled spotty bananas into large pieces and place them in the bowl of your stand mixer—or use a regular mixing bowl and your hand mixer. Begin beating on low, then gradually increase to medium-high speed as the bananas break down into mashed banana. You can use this bowl for the rest of the breakfast cookie ingredients. I do this for my banana muffins, too!
Are These Cookies Gluten Free?
These cookies are gluten free if you use certified gluten free oats.
If you’re craving more gluten free recipes, here’s my section for all gluten free recipes. A few of my favorites are: apple cinnamon baked oatmeal cups, healthy berry streusel bars, and blueberry almond snack bars.
Possible Substitutions
This cookie recipe is easily adaptable to your tastes and preferences. Here are a few substitutions I’ve tested with delicious results:
- Bananas: Ripe bananas not only sweeten the cookies, they help bind the ingredients together. In place of bananas, I suggest using 1 egg plus 1/3 cup applesauce instead. The cookies won’t be as sweet, so feel free to add 1 more Tablespoon of honey.
- Sweetener: Instead of honey, you can use maple syrup or brown rice syrup (both substitutions are vegan options).
- Nuts: You can leave out the nuts or use any chopped nut you like best. Or substitute dried cranberries, raisins, or sunflower seeds.
- Blueberries: Leave out the blueberries and add dried fruit, seeds, unsweetened coconut, or extra nuts. I love dried cranberries in these cookies!
- Nut Butter: Instead of almond butter, try peanut butter, cashew butter, cookie butter, or sunflower seed butter for a naturally nut-free option.
If you do love the combination of blueberry and banana flavors, try these banana blueberry muffins next!
More Healthy Breakfast Recipes
- Baked Oatmeal
- Morning Glory Muffins
- Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins
- Whole Wheat Banana Bread
- Blueberry Almond Power Muffins
Blueberry Banana Breakfast Cookies
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 12 cookies
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Blueberry banana breakfast cookies are packed with 9 happy and wholesome ingredients to power you through the day.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (173g) mashed bananas (about 3 medium or 2 large ripe bananas)*
- 2 and 1/2 cups (213g) old-fashioned whole rolled oats*
- 1 cup (250g) any nut butter (I use almond butter)
- 1/2 cup (60g) chopped pecans or walnuts*
- 1/3 cup (113g) honey*
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (190g) fresh or frozen blueberries (do not thaw frozen)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
- Add everything to a large bowl and mix together with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until combined (or use a hand-held or stand mixer).
- Scoop mounds of dough, about 1/4 cup each, onto baking sheets. 6 cookies per baking sheet since they are so large. The cookies won’t spread much in the oven, so gently press the mounds down to create a flatter shape.
- Bake for 18-21 minutes until lightly browned on the sides.
- Remove from the oven and let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Cover and store cookies at room temperature for up to 4 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: Cookies freeze well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature, if desired, before enjoying.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Stand Mixer | Silicone Baking Mat or Parchment Paper | Baking Sheet | Cooling Rack
- Bananas: Instead of bananas, use 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce and 1 large egg. The cookies will not be as sweet, so feel free to add 1 more Tbsp of honey.
- Gluten Free: These cookies are gluten free if you use certified GF oats.
- Nuts: You can leave out the nuts or use any chopped nut you like best. Or sub in dried cranberries, raisins, or sunflower seeds.
- Honey: Instead of honey, you can use maple syrup or brown rice syrup.
- Add-ins: If desired, leave out the blueberries and add dried fruit, seeds, unsweetened coconut, or extra nuts. I love dried cranberries in these cookies!
- Nutrition Information: Using SparkRecipes calculator and following the recipe as written, each cookie contains 260 calories, 12g fat, 28g carbs, 6g fiber, and 6g protein.
Keywords: healthy cookies, breakfast cookies
I have made this recipe several times now and the cookies are always delicious. I use an extra half cup of nuts, 1/2 cup walnuts and 1/2 cup pecans. Thanks for another wonderful recipe Sally!
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I have made these cookies several times and they always turn out great! Thanks for another amazing recipe Sally!
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Hi! Question about this: can you add flax and brewers yeast to make these lactation cookies? Thanks!
Hi Annie, You could! We also have a recipe that is perfect for lactation cookies. Use these breakfast cookies and follow the directions in the blog post under the heading “Turn Them Into Lactation Cookies”. Hope you love them!
These quickly became my husband’s favorite and he immediately asks that I make more of them as soon we run out of them. Thanks so much!
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I just made these breakfast cookies and sampled one – SO good! My add ins were: dried orange-flavored cranberries + dried blueberries + unsweetened coconut, and I also used cashew butter. Thanks for another delicious recipe, Sally!
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OM Gosh! So delicious – made 2 batches for my house and will make another batch for the grandkids, although slightly smaller. Thank you thank you!
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These are so much more delicious than I thought they would be. I will be making these for us to grab and go to work. The ingredients are so healthy and hearty. Thank you for this wonderful recipe. I made these exactly as the recipe is written.
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Hi Sally,
Thanks for this recipe! I made it exactly as written with peanut butter, and next time want to try almond butter or cashew butter. I would love it if you would create a zucchini bread breakfast cookie recipe because I am craving zucchini bread for breakfast but would love to make something healthier 🙂
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Hi Amber, so happy you enjoyed these cookies! If you love these, I think you’d also like our original breakfast cookies. And, I know these aren’t a traditional breakfast cookie, but you might enjoy our zucchini oatmeal chocolate chip cookies!
These are amazing! I just made them for the first time using almond butter and 1/4 cup chopped almonds and 1/4 cup Craisins. I also did the applesauce/egg substitution without adding extra maple syrup. Not overly sweet, as you said, and so moist and delicious. I mean, really, really good. I am so, so glad my daughter found your website; we have loved everything we’ve tried so far!!
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These cookies were SO DELICIOUS! 🙂 my sister and I baked them this morning and they were super easy to make. They were so good and we loved this recipe!
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My son has a bit allergy, do you think I could substitute tahini for the nut butter?
Hi Michele, We haven’t tested it with tahini. Other readers have used sunflower or WOW butter if that would work for you. Let us know what you try!
Just found this recipe…I was tired of yogurt and granola but needed something quick and nutritious for breakfast. First one I ate, I’m like ok…not very sweet but good. By the 2nd one, it’s this tastes really good. Chewy and moist but also crunchy with the pecans and you can really taste the peanut butter, which I love. I guess my 1/4 cup measure was smaller because I got 18 cookies. Thanks for sharing. Love your recipes!
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These taste amazing made recipe exactly with maple syrup. Only thing is that they look grayer in color definitely less appealing looking.Not golden brown even though I cooked them a little longer. Any hints?
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Made these for the first time today. Sooooo delicious! I didn’t have blueberries so I subbed extra nuts and a few chocolate chips. I’m pretty sure these will be a new weekly staple!
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These are yummy!!! I used craisins instead of blueberries – so delicious. Love all your recipes, Sally!
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Hi Sally! I love these breakfast cookies! I know they’re similar to baked oatmeal but could they be made in a pan and cut into bars? If so, how do you recommend doing so? Thanks so much!!
Hi Jamie Lee! I’m unsure of the exact bake time for bars, but bake until the center looks set and the edges are very slightly browned. I’m guessing a 9×9 inch square pan would be best. They’ll be thick bars.
Yummy and healthy way to start the morning. Thanks for the recipe!
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Hey Sally. Im an Ironman triathlete and made this recipe dozens of times. These are my “go to” fuel during a race, and as a pre and post workout snack. The carbs give steady energy and digest well. I never noticed the comments at the bottom, so thanks for the recipe! I have a friend that makes a similar high carb bar but somehow uses coffee giving it an interesting flavor. Are you familiar with any recipies that incorporate coffee? All the best, Lee
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Hi Lee! I’m happy to help. While I haven’t tested this recipe with any additions of coffee, I often add espresso powder to chocolate cakes, brownies, and cookies. 2 teaspoons of espresso powder would be excellent in these.
I noticed in your other breakfast cookies you couldn’t use previously frozen bananas. Same in this recipe?
Thank you! Can’t wait to try these!
Hi Niki, I’ve found these cookies are overly wet when using frozen/thawed bananas. It *can* work in a pinch– just as long as you drain off excess liquid from the thawed bananas.
So I got up Sunday morning with the intention of making these for my family (1/2 batch). They were all gone within 30 minutes. Unfortunately my family didn’t get any as I ate them all before they woke up. I will try again this weekend. They are soooo good!!!
Hi Sally,
These cookies look so good, I want to bake them for my 15 month old son.
Could you please let me know if these can be baked with Steel Cut oats instead of Rolled oats and if yes how do I incorporate the steel cut oats in the recipe.
Thanks a bunch!
Hi Shruti! No, I don’t recommend steel cut oats in this cookie recipe. Regular whole oats are best.
Would this recipe work as a smaller size cookie? These seem too big for my small children.
Absolutely. Reduce the size down to about 2 Tablespoons of cookie dough per cookie. The bake time will be a little shorter.
Hi Sally! I just love your recipes. Thanks so very much! I live in Italy and sometimes I can’t find some of the ingredients. Can you give me a substitute for nut butter?
Thanks!
Hi Jeannette! Thank you so much. Any nut butter– peanut butter, almond butter, or even biscoff spread (if you have that!) will work.
I made these for my friend who recently became a mum and she said they were a lifesaver, so I’d say that’s a win 🙂
I saved some for myself as a quick breakfast for busy mornings and they are very nice, they are quite heavy and dense, but that’s not really a bad thing, it makes it nice and filling and as long as you have a drink on hand it’s fine.
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Absolute staple in my household. I make these and the baked oatmeal every week (and one of your treats on Fridays). Toddler friendly, picky eater friendly, easy to grab-and-go. Forever part of my weekly snack prep. Excited for what healthy but delish snacks you’ll come up with as Noelle grows in toddlerhood. Feeding small people is no easy feat. Perhaps a #NoelleApproved section for us moms haha.
AMAZING. Your blog is a pearl ! 🙂 I love your recipes so much. This one is perfect ! Sweet enough, chewy and soft. I used almnd butter and tahini, and a little less honey. They are so gooood. I think I will eat them before tomorrow’s morning ^^. Thank you so much Sally.
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Made these following the recipe exactly! So so good!
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I made these with canned pumpkin in place of the bananas for fall. They’re delicious! Put in pumpkin pie spices and substituted pure maple syrup for the honey and also added in pumpkin seeds and dried cranberries.
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I would like to make these as an easy snack for my friend who is a new mother, but I’m wondering if I should freeze the dough individually (so it can be taken out of the freezer and popped straight into the oven to bake), or would it be best to bake them all and then freeze them individually?
For these breakfast cookies I like to bake them and then freeze them. It will be especially helpful for your friend if she can eat them without having to turn on her oven! 🙂
Could I use peanut butter as the nut butter; or maybe half peanut butter, and half real butter?
You can use peanut butter, yes! I use it instead of almond butter in this recipe all the time. I don’t recommend using butter– stick with nut butter.