These sound great! Have you tried using old-fashioned oats instead of quick cooking? I prefer old-fashioned since it digests slower. I'm guessing you'd have to let the mixture sit longer than 5 minutes, or maybe let the old fashioned oats sit in just the milk first.
What's Cooking? Breakfast Cookies for the Life Hacker on the Go
Many of the breakfast cookie recipes I’ve seen online will have your arteries completely clogged by the very next day. I really like this one that I modified from the original to be fat free and have a little more flavor. You can also double this for a large batch.
This recipe is extremely healthy and easily beefed up with various add-ins to suit your preferences. It's also a great way to use up those extra bananas in a low calorie way and has absolutely no processed flour.
Here we go: 3 mashed bananas (ripe), 1/3 cup apple sauce, 2 cups uncooked quick-cooking oats, 1/4 cup skim milk, 1/2 cup raisins (or any other dried fruit you want to add), 1 tsp vanilla, 1 tsp cinnamon and 1 tbsp Splenda , sugar or other sweetener.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients in a bowl really well. Let this mixture stand for at least 5 minutes to let the oats become good and hydrated. Heap the dough by teaspoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes and let cool.
Variations: If you add some chopped nuts, you have a grab and go breakfast that includes protein as well as fruits and grains. Dried cranberries are also a great addition if you don't care for raisins, which some people don't. Cardamom fans may want to substitute that spice for the cinnamon.
You can make a huge batch of these and then freeze some, leaving a few to be snagged each morning while you and your other family members are on the way out the door.
It's important to note that this is not a dessert type of cookie, so it will not be what you are used to eating when you think cookie. These are also very moist, due to both mashed bananas and apple sauce being included. It's basically oatmeal with add-ins for breakfast that you can eat from your hand.
This made a huge difference in how well we were able to stay on track nutrition wise. They are a really power-packed cookie (particularly with chopped nuts) that can help you make it through to lunch without binging.
Another bonus? You don't have any oatmeal bowls to wash out in the morning! The dishes for these little babies are done once, when you first bake them. Love that!
Photo by Dizznbonn
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You know, I haven't. But it would seem to me that as long as they were rolled oats and you had a few minutes to let them hydrate, you should be fine. There's a lot of moisture in this recipe, so my prediction would be that more time as you suggested would do the trick. Then bake them up. Thanks for commenting.
I miss apple sauce. I haven't had apple sauce in years & have never tried them in cookie mix before. I hardly have time for breakfast so something like this can definitely work for me (someone who eats in the car).
Joann Hong
You're right, Joann. It's very difficult to find time for breakfast. I even have time carving it out, and I work at home writing most of the time. This was one of the main reasons for posting this particular recipe. It really gave us nutrition in a low calorie option that we could take on the road.
Another trick I learned a few years back for eating in the car: hot dog rolls! You can get them in wheat or whole grain and fill them with whatever sandwich filling you want. What's good about them is that the bottom side is closed, preventing your sandwich filling from dripping all over your business clothing. We were at a gathering for a colleague of my husband who is a science author. His wife was telling me that when they have to travel for book promotion events or other types of presentations he does, that this trick is what they use for eating in the car without losing their minds and wearing their food.
If you're stuck in your car all day, a couple of breakfast cookies and one of the hot dog rolls for lunch might just keep you sane. Keep me posted and happy commuting.
I'll bet these are the best! After reading the recipe, I wonder if I could use coconut milk instead. I'll give it a try. Since I'm trying to eat healthier, I'll use whatever organic ingredients I have or can find.
I do agree that old fashioned oats would be better if you have the time to use them.
Hi Robin. Thanks for taking the time to comment. I've never tried these with coconut milk. Let me know how you make out. These really are great for trying to stay on track with calories and nutrition while you are busy, which we usually are. I feel like I finally have a way to "hack" into "keeping it all together" scene, when before I always felt like I was failing with calories and time. We really LOVE this recipe.
...took your recipe did a little experimenting:
* Used 4 ounces of unsweetened applesauce (i.e., one of those little plastic containers)
* Added 1/4 cup of egg substitute
* Added a dash of salt
* Increased the amount of oatmeal to 2.5 cups
And let it sit for ten minutes--wonderful!
Thanks for the recipe!
Thanks for the research, Linda. I normally keep my tinkering to the add-in ingredients and fat replacement. Thanks for going the extra mile. I've heard you can mix 1 tbsp soy flour with 1 tbsp water to simulate and egg (and use for egg replacement). I have a bulk supply of soy flour, and hope to give it a whirl soon. Did you notice a fluffier cookie this way?
Uh--I'm going to admit I didn't make the original recipe (sorry!). When I began mixing the ingredients, I started to wonder what exactly was binding everything together, thus the addition of the egg substitute. That being said, the cookie did turn out surprisingly light--my husband loves them and he's not a big fan of "healthy" cookies.
I'm seriously thinking of trying it again by adding syrup sweetened with Splenda to add a maplely flavor. If I do, I might cut back on the apple sauce to the original amount stated in your recipe.
I'll report back with the results.
LInda
...if you're really interested, I can post the nutritional info (calories, fiber, etc.) makeup of my version of the cookie.
Hi Linda.
Posting the nutritional info would be GREAT! I wondered about the binding thing the first time I made it too, but I figured since the ingredients list was so cheap, I could afford to have a batch go bad if it didn't work. I don't buy egg substitute, but I might try soy flour and water together to see if that lifts it up. They are a heavier cookie if you make the original recipe. I just figured that was the price I had to pay for breakfast on the fly. But it sounds like you have really amped this one up to a whole new level. Good for you!
Here's a link to the nutritional info I generated:
It includes the 1/4 cup of egg whites; there's not a whole lot of difference nutritionally from your version and mine.
Again, thanks for the cookie idea!
LInda
Hello! Thank you for the recipe. I have a few questions though. I tried to copy the nutrition info from the link you supplied but even though I was signed in, I wasn't able to download a copy to print. Is there a way to get that info somehow so I can keep it with the recipe? And how many cookies does the recipe make? I realize that the nutrition info was for the whole recipe and the numbers need to be divided. I'm curious as to how many the recipe makes when you make it.
Thank you!
Susie
This is great! I've modified it to include powdered egg white for a more complete protein (and some flax meal for omega-3) =)
I'm really digging these modification strategies. I have some flax and think I'll try it in my next batch. I love these things becuause they really give you some options for breakfast on the go.
Wonderful recipe! I have oatmeal most mornings, with peanut butter on top for protein to keep me going till lunch. I will try this 'cookie', with added nuts or PB on top. Thanks!
It's really nice to have finger foods in the morning, particularly if you are on the road a lot. Even now that we aren't, it's still nice to not have the extra mess to clean up every morning when we have these things made up ahead, or a batch of whole grain muffins or whatever.
somehow these came out completely tasteless. Followed the recipe, I used chunky but not really sweet applesauce, added raisins and nuts, and somehow they are just tasteless. Didnt use an entire tablespoonn of sugar, could that have made such a big difference?
At least it does here. The tablespoon was the minimum I found I could tolerate for sweetness in this instance. And the cinnamon really amps things up. Bear in mind also that I modified this from the original for reduced fat and increased flavor only. If upping the sugar to a full tablespoon and using the cinnamon doesn't do it for you, there were some other modifications listed by some other folks that might work.
I'm not surprised you were frustrated if you reduced the sugar. If using the processed stuff isn't comfortable for you, I've used the raw sugar before with decent results. Also, if cinnamon isn't your thing, maybe cardamom?
Keep me posted, guest, and thanks for tuning back in.
Made these tonight with my 2 1/2 year old -- we both realy liked them. ("Cookies" are an easy sell, even if they are healthy). Based on the consistency, I think you could spread these into a cake pan (thinly), bake, and then cut into "bars" to get something more like commercial breakfast bars.
The cinnamon made the taste, btw. And smelled wonderful cooking.
I made these and they were wonderful. I used a little more oatmeal and 2 egg whites to help bind. I also added a handful of choc. chips to give it a little extra sweetness.
My son is allergic to egg, so we usually use flax as an egg replacer with WONDERFUL results.
1 TBSP ground flax seed
2-3 TBSP warm water
let sit for a little bit. This equals one egg.
I have not tried your recipe yet, but it looks great! And these would be a great way to have breakfast or snacks while on vacation without having to pay for a restaurant! :) Thanks!!
Hi Paula. Thanks for chiming in. The flax seed thing was something I only recently learned about. It is a really cool substitution, isn't it?
Is the egg a substitute for the banana? I'm not a fan of bananas mixed in with other foods, but I really like the idea of it being a flourless cookie.
I don't think so. I believe it was to make it more of a cookie texture with baking, as it otherwise is a bit untraditional. But still a great breakfast on the go.
You may be able to experiment with other fruit purees, though. It would be affordable enough to try without breaking the bank. Keep us posted.
Just wanted to let you know that I tried the original recipe and liked it. Sort of like individual banana bread but not quite. I know I'll be baking these often. Thanks!
Myscha, these sound great. I'm going to try them, and add the same sliced almonds and dried cranberries I put in my regular morning oatmeal. I've also got some dried cherries left from when my nephews visited; cherry and almond sounds tasty, too.
How is their "keeping" power? Should they be frozen and taken out one at a time, or will they hold over in the fridge for a while?
Readers of the Smart Spending blog contributed a lot of ideas for do-ahead and outside-the-box breakfasts that are fast, nutritious and, best of all, cheap. You can read about them at http://blogs.moneycentral.msn.com/smartspending/archive/2008/09/10/break....
Hi Donna.
The keeping time is fine for a few days, but if you are somewhere warm, I recommend freezing the extras due to their high moisture content. Really quick to mold in warm climates.
Like you I noticed how full of fat and sugar all the other recipes for breakfast cookies tend to be. I wanted something healthier for my finicky, non-breakfast loving kids. This is perfect! Thanks!
I am really late in finding this recipe. I hate (HATE) breakfast but my physical therapist insists that if I don't eat it, my body will go into starvation mode and start storing fat. (You'd think after 57 years my body would figure out that it's going to get fed eventually) Anyway, I tried the Quaker Oats breakfast cookies and they were just yuck so I searched the Internet and found you. I have a batch in the oven as I type this and I must say they do smell good.
Changes to basic: Added an egg and some salt, used dried pineapple and brown sugar and 1/2 cup coarsly chopped pecans. Yield 24 cookies - is that about right?
These turned out great tasting. Won't have a problem eating one or two with my coffee in the morning.
Does anybody remember Bill Cosby rationalizing feeding his kids chocolate cake for breakfast because it had eggs, milk, etc.? That's kind of how these cookies make me feel; like I'm getting away with something.
Glad you liked them. I find they really do help with breakfast on the run. Sort of oatmeal that you can grab and take. We've dressed them up before too, with things like cranberries and walnuts.
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I made these cookies but made a few small changes. I was making them for my teenagers who do sports at school and need a breakfast that they can carry for after the morning workout. I added 1/2 tsp of salt and doubled the sugar. Also, my daughter had apparently eaten all of the raisins so I chopped up some dried peaches. They are eating them up. May need another batch for breakfast.
Glad they're working for you, TH. Thanks for letting me know.
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Yum! I've heard of breakfast cookies elsewhere but, like you, I've been dissatisfied with the ingredients. This sounds great! I'm going to give it a go next Monday. Thanks!
Instead of using rolled oats I often put my oatmeal in the blender and make flour out of it. I use it in place of some of the flour just to bulk up the food value. Thought I'd try doing that in this recipe. I've been looking for a healthy breakfast cookie as I'm not a big fan of breakfast. This one sounds great and I am already thinking of those add ins.
Yesterday as I ate an oatmeal cookie, my husband said to me "That's breakfast, not a cookie."
Well, why not? The standard cookies wouldn't do, but I wanted to try and see if I could make a healthy breakfast cookie. These were great! I didn't have enough bananas, so I sort of fudged the recipe, but they turned out very yummy. I used dried cherries, blueberry applesauce (because that's what I had, but I think it added a nice touch), sunflower seeds, and old fashioned oats. I added almond butter, but not enough to taste, so I'll use more next time.
I'm pregnant and therefore want to eat all the time. These will be a great snack to take to work to stave off the munchies, and convince me that I only need to try ONE of whatever holiday temptation someone has brought in today.
Thank you for the lovely recipe!
Thanks, ladies for joining in the discussion. Ann, I haven't tried oat flour, but I can't think of a reason why it wouldn't work. Maia, so glad to hear these are helping you out with your pregnancy cravings. We aim to please here at Wise Bread!
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I have a batch of these in the oven right now. As I had my children mixing them I had to run out and check on the egg situation. Then I realised that yes, a mashed banana is commonly used as an egg replacement, so with three in it the recipe should be fine.
My batch has the cinnamon plus a pinch of cardamom, cranberries, sultanas and toasted almonds. And I used brown sugar for the flavor, like I do with normal porridge.
They are so much more fun when you mix stuff in the dough, and I love having the extra protein from the nuts. Sounds like a fun batch.
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I was looking around for healthy applesauce cookies to make and am glad I found this page. Other than raisins what other dry fruits do you think would go well with this recipe
Also I tried out some recipes on this site http://www.applesaucerecipe.org/ and they turned out really well.
I just came across this recipe today as I was looking for breakfast cookie recipes. Since I had some going-brown bananas in the house, I decided to make these right away. I discovered I was out of applesauce though, so I replaced it with pureed plums I had in the freezer. Instead of raisins, I used coconut/raisins/golden raisins/dried pineapple. I think they're great! 5-year-old tried a bite and said he'd finish it later, 3-year-old said she didn't like them (no surprise there), 2-year-old is napping and will get to try them after she gets up. As long as more than one of us likes them, they're a keeper! Thanks for the great recipe with so much less sugar than others I found!
Your plum puree substitution sounds interesting. I was all set to make a batch of these today and freeze them for a road trip we're going on next week, but the bananas I had stashed in the freezer had gotten freezer burned before I could get to them. Hate that.
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I make a variation of these cookies almost every week, haha! So far my fav is when I add 2 packets of sugar free cocoa and 1/4 cup of coconut shreds! SO GOOD! :)
I make a variation of these cookies almost every week, haha! So far my fav is when I add 2 packets of sugar free cocoa and 1/4 cup of coconut shreds! SO GOOD! :)
Making these now, only I didn't have any applesauce so I used canned pureed pumpkin instead. Changed up the seasoning, used some pumpkin pie spice instead of cinnamon. Think they'll come out ok?
Wish I had some walnuts or something, yum :D
i am in need of something healthy for breakfast for my school girl :) sounds like a pretty good recipe~ thanks!
i am in need of something healthy for breakfast for my school girl :) sounds like a pretty good recipe~ thanks!
I made these GF with a trail mix, flax seeds, and frosted rice flakes. I left out the sweetener. They were fabulous! I will be making another batch for next week. I am so happy I found this recipe. A co-worker gave me this recipe years ago and I had lost it. Your recipe helped me recreate the previous recipe I had. Thank you!
I know that this is a really old post, but it looks like it's still alive so I thought that I would comment. I made these for the first time tonight. I substituted one of the mashed bananas with a 1/3 of a cup of peanut butter and used rice syrup for sweetener. I used raisins and a 1/3 chopped walnuts. I cooked them for 18 minutes and they set up perfectly. My husband loves them. I definitely plan on making a weekly batch and will double my recipe next time!
Hi Kry,
So glad they worked out for you. They really are a powerhouse item to have on hand for busy families and working professionals, IMHO. Thanks for stopping by.
I'm someone who needs a good breakfast in the morning or I just don't feel too well for the rest of the day, but weekdays I never seem to have time. These are perfect! I've tried a number of variations, but think I like the basic one best (minus the sweetener, which I've found I don't need). I use unsweetened soy milk instead of dairy milk. My additions are nutmeg, ginger, a couple of handfuls of walnuts, and some shredded shredded carrots, which I can't really taste but I like the texture they add. I use old fashioned rolled oats and those work just great. I also like them a bit crunchy so bake them for a bit longer so that they're pretty dark brown on the bottom and edges.
I also use them as energy snacks throughout the day, and they work great. Thank you so much for this recipe!
Love this recipe! I just tried it this afternoon, with a few alterations based on what I had on hand. I subbed craisins for raisins, unsweetened almond milk for skim milk, nutmeg for the cinnamon, and used a stevia blend for the sweetner. I also added about a half a cup of chopped pecans. They are delicious and I'm looking forward to further playing with the recipe in the future. Thanks!
(If anyone is interested, my tweak comes out to roughly 108 calories per cookie based on a yield of 14 cookies.)
Hi Kita,
Those sound like great tweaks. That's what I love about this recipe. You can really mix and match it to what you have on hand. With the calorie count as low as you calculated, you can easily pair one of them with fruit and coffee and still come out at a pretty low cal breakfast.
Hi, I run this recipe, as is, with no changes through the recipe calculator for WW. Mind you, I have not made this recipe but plan to, so I don't know how many cookies this recipe makes, with all this said, the overall recipe has a point value of 46. If you make 10 cookies from batch, that would be 5 points per cookie. If you make 20 cookies from batch, that would be 2 points per cookie. This is what helped me decide this is a great breakfast, or maybe an anytime snack.. Thanks for the recipe.
I do apologize, because I figured the recipe with 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts. That is the only change that I made to the recipe when calculating it. I do apologize again for not catching that before I sent the first calculation. The 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts adds 11 points to the overall recipe. So, without the nuts it would be 35 point value for the total recipe. Then just figure it accordingly. 10 cookies would be about 3 points and and 20 cookies would be roughly 1 point value.
I felt it was about time I give credit where credit was due!
I found your recipe about 3 yrs ago and have used it constantly since that day. Its the perfect grab and go meal for my husband in the morning with his coffee and its easy for me to heat up and eat while i pack kid's lunches and get ready myself. Sometimes its just raisins and crunched nuts, sometimes it's decadent cranberries, white chocolate chips and crushed almonds as a treat. Thank you so much for sharing this, it's been one of my go to recipes for a long time, so eat and tasty. Thank you so very much!
Awww, thanks Geetha! It's always so nice to hear from readers and even nicer to know that a piece has made such a difference. Thanks for taking time out of your day to write such a thoughtful note.
Sincerely,
Myscha (having tech troubles and signing in as a guest)
Myscha, isn't the internet a wonderful thing?! Just found your recipe 5 years later and tried it this morning! Did some substitutions and additions as the other readers did, and I just wanted to thank you for such a great idea! Made mine more like trail mix (chocolate chips, sunflower seeds, almonds, raisins) so my honey would take them for breakfast... he ate two with his coffee this morning, and took one for a snack! yay! :)
I want to try a PB and Chocolate Chip version even if it is less healthy (yes I'm aware it defeats the purpose).
Hi, I just made the recipe this morning and I love them. I also made a couple of changes; I used a combination of dried orange flavored cranberries and dried strawberries. Instead of Splenda I used Agave nectar and I added Salba.
Thank you for the recipe. I intend to have them at school for my recess break instead of the commercial granola recipe.
Just made these and they were pretty good. From the picture I guess I expected them to me crunchy, but they were soft when I made them. Are they soft or crunchy when you make them? What do you think I could change if I wanted them to be more crunchy?
These were awesome! Subbed dried blueberries for the raisins, added some chopped almonds and wheat bran as well. This is now something I will always have on hand! Even my 2 yr old is asking for more "cookies" :)
Thanks so much for this recipe!! I make a batch every weekend and eat them during the week! They are the perfect replacement for any kind of granola bar. I add extra cinnamon and (I admit it) extra sweetener. I've tried them with raisins, craisins, sliced almonds, and even chocolate chips! They are a huge hit, my co-workers are always asking for them, and evem my healthfood-phobic boyfriend has started taking them to work with him! I'm so glad I found your delicious recipe! :)
Just wondering if something is missing from ingredients listed. i made these and mine did not in any way look like the pic posted. Came out the color of banana bread. in addition, i put it in teaspoon clumps onto the greased cookie sheet and they stayed in clumps. next batch i pressed/flattened myself.
i couldn't find it throughout the comments, but how many cookies does this yield (approximately)
thanks!!
Good recipe! I made a few changes: added 1 egg and 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder and eliminated the Splenda/sweetener. Cooked for 10 minutes and they are perfect. Thanks!
I used steel-cut oats and soy milk. I just used a heaping measuring cup of applesauce and a little above the mark for the milk and let them sit for about 10 minutes to absorb. I also added fresh blueberries and used some mixed dried fruit I had. They turned out really good and were very easy to make.
If you make it as a cookie, I think you might be disappointed as we are conditioned to a particular taste in cookies. Instead, how about making them in a 9x13 and cutting them into bars. Like a breakfast bar, you expect a different taste than the sweetness of a cookie.
These are very tasty! I added 1 egg, and i used an extra 1/2 tbsp of sugar. on my last batch i sprinkled a little brown sugar on top. i agree with the comment about making them into bars, and i will definitely try that next time! also one last tip.. if you want them to be flat, you have to flatten them out yourself. and they don't seem to spread out like normal cookies so you can cook them pretty close to each other on the cookie sheet. Thanks for the recipe :)
i found this at pinterest...Luckily I have all the ingredients in my pantry. I do love it...its not your traditional cookie and I can see why some are looking for sweetness. I myself omitted the sugar its just don't like sweet very much. I even use unsweetened apple sauce the dried fruits and mashed banana made it just enough sweetness for me. I should have read the rest of the comment because mine came out like balls I should have flatten it... otherwise, I love it healthy cookie and I added some walnuts too! Thanks for sharing!
I used coconut milk instead of almond. Is that a big difference because the cookies did not flatten at all.
Jane
Well I tried this recipe after just reading the comments attached to it on pinterest. So I missed a few ingredients I just used the banana, oats, applesauce, raisins, vanilla and cinnamon. They are actually very good.
Just found this recipe (thanks Pinterest) and tried it this morning. Used craisins and added 1 egg, a few additional rolled oats and a little brown sugar. Cooked them approx 18mins so they were dark brown on the undersides and a little crunchy when cooled. My 2yr old has been asking for "cookies" all day - he LOVES them! Will definitely be trying a bar version soon. Nice to have a quick, healthy go-to snack that we all enjoy. THANKS!
Am I the only one who didn't like how these turned out??? I found these on Pinterest and made them last night because I had some ripe bananas. I followed the recipe exactly and they came out like rubber. It was gross.
I've made these twice already. I only had old fashioned oats and they work just fine. I add fresh blueberries and walnuts and they are soooo good! Thank you so much for this recipe. I freeze them two at a time in little ziploc snack bags, bring 'em to work and eat them after they defrost. My great niece was visiting a few weeks back and she enjoyed them as well (1 and a half year old). Thank you for the recipe!
I loved this cookies! Called my mom and told her about them, emailed her the link to your recipe. Sent my friend and her kid home with some, emailed HER the link to your recipe. LOOOOVE giving my kids cookies for breakfast and they love it to. Its helped right now because they are sick and very very picky about what they eat. Thank you so much!
The recipe is awesome. My 9mo daughter does not eat pureed foods and loves bread because I think she can hold it so well. I made these cookies for her. I omitted the sugar and the raisins (choking hazard, ya know!). She ate an entire cookie. I was so excited. She got her grains and fruit. My husband and I also think they are tasty. Thanks. I also linked your recipe on my fb to share with all my friends.
Hi, I was just wondering if you might know the serving size and nutritional info for these cookies? The recipe yielded 23 cookies but probably could've made 24 if I would've proportioned them equally. I also substituted dried cranberries for the raisins.
great recipe, i had a quick question, wld you eat 1 or 2 as a bfast meal?...and also, do you happen to know the calorie cnt on these yummy bites?...
I made these with dried figs and pecans and left out the Splenda. They didn't need any additional sweetening. Delish! Thanks!
