Hey Friends! How’s it goin?
If you read my post on Monday, you’d know that I’m gearing up to start packing healthy lunches and snacks to take to school when I get back next week. One thing I didn’t mention though, was healthy breakfasts. It isn’t always easy to grab something easy and nutritious for breakfast on the go so today I’m sharing these Almond-Chocolate Breakfast Cookies to help you do just that.
Cookies for breakfast are a bit of a foreign concept for me. When I was younger, my mother had this rule that we couldn’t eat snacks before 10am. No matter how much we begged or pleased, snack time would never happen before that time. As I’ve gotten older, this random rule has stuck with me. Other than a few hairy mornings in first year, you would almost never catch me eating a chocolate bar, my favourite cookies or anything like that before 10 and far less for breakfast.
Of course, I was still knocking back multiple bowls of sugary cereals and “orange juice” for breakfast, so I wasn’t exactly being healthy. But even after I started understanding more about healthy eating and changing my lifestyle, I still clung to my no snacks (cookies) for breakfast. I even resisted the breakfast cookies for a while but this week, I decided that it was a new year, so I’d give it a go.
I ended up making three batches of these guys, searching for the perfect texture. The first two were way too soft for what I had in mind. They were more along the lines of these 3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies. I’ve seen a lot of recipes for breakfast cookies that are pretty similar to those but it wasn’t exactly what I was looking for. For some reason, I had it in my mind that these cookies needed a crunch. Apparently, soft cookies should be an after 10 thing if my random brain is to be believed.
But once I tasted that last batch, it was clear that I’d been missing something amazing. It isn’t even the fact that I was foregoing chocolatey goodness for breakfast, but more that I was denying myself breakfast cookies as a whole. Crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside. Full of fibre. Sweet, but not too sweet. Add in the ultimate combination that is bananas + nut butter + chocolate, and these are breakfast heaven.
Oh, and have I mentioned that they’re customizable? Don’t like almond butter? Use any nut or seed butter your little heart desires. Too chocolatey? Leave out the chocolate chunks or sub the cocoa powder for oat flour. Want some more fruit with your breakfast? Add raisins, cranberries or other dried fruit to the batter. Seriously, even the pickiest of eaters can find a way to enjoy these. You’re welcome.
- 1 medium ripe banana, mashed
- 3 tbsp almond butter + extra for topping
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder
- ½ cup quick cooking oats
- ½ cup rolled oats
- 2 tbsp slivered almonds
- Optional mix-ins: chocolate chips/chunks, dried fruit, nuts or seeds
- Preheat oven to 350F, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside
- Mix together the mashed banana, almond butter and cocoa powder in the bottom of a mixing bowl
- Add in the oats and mix well
- Fold in mix ins and mix until well incorporated
- Spoon out balls of dough onto baking sheet and flatten to form desired cookie shape. These will not spread in the oven so don't skip this step
- Bake for 15-18 minutes until the edges are crisp
- Remove from oven and allow to cool for about a minute before topping with extra melted almond butter and devouring
What about you?
Do you have any weird food rules like my no snacks before 10am rule? Are you a fan of breakfast cookies? What’s your favourite breakfast cookie combo?
Share in the comments below!
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Love this recipe, I definitely need to try it sometime. All of my favorite things, not to mention a fairly clean recipe! Have a great day!
Glad you like it Ana! Let me know what you think if you give it a try 🙂
WANT WANT WANT!!!!
Linz @ Itz Linz recently posted…Shakeology 3 Ways
Yum! These look awesome and easy. Going to whip up a batch for my freezer this weekend.
I haven’t tried these from the freezer yet, but that’s the next step once I get back to Canada this weekend. Great minds 😉
Chocolate almond is my FAVORITE dessert combo. Can’t wait to munch on these!
Julianne @ What the Bride Wore recently posted…The Top 5 NEW Wedding Dresses from BHLDN
Awesome! Let me know what you think 🙂
Anytime that I can eat cookies for breakfast, I am 100% on board!
Hannah @ CleanEatingVeggieGirl recently posted…What I Ate When I was Home for the Holidays
I’m still getting used to it, but I susupect it’ll become the norm pretty soon haha
Hello (scribbles on to-make list) beautiful cookies! This is a perfectly acceptable quality breakfast! Just what I like!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine recently posted…Cinnamon Pear Oat Pancakes
Glad to know I’m not the only one with a written to-make list. Mine is miles long btw lol
these look delicious! will have to try ♥
Tianna recently posted…Top 21 Best Green Beauty Products of 2014
Thanks Tianna! Let me know what you think 😀
I love breakfast cookies, and it definitely helps that I happen to have everything this recipe calls for already! <3 Definitely making a batch once I finish cleaning out my kitchen! 😀
Farrah recently posted…Review: SB Bars (Giveaway!)
Let me know what you think Farrah! And happy cleaning 🙂
These look great! I like the rule of no snacks before 10am. I am guilty of eating left over chocolate chip cookies for breakfast. Big no no, but when I first wake up I’m not thinking right yet! LOL! I will have to give these a try! 🙂
haha understandable! It’s hard always hard for me to think pre-coffee lol
Let me know what you think if you try it 🙂
You are so right! Banana + nut butter + chocolate seriously is the ultimate combo! These look delicious.
Chelsea @ Chelsea’s Healthy Kitchen recently posted…Shallot and Gruyère Omelette
Hanks Chelsea 😀
Love how crisp your photos are…makes the food look even better!
Amanda @ Queenofthelandoftwigsnberries recently posted…Tickle Monster–Josie Bissett
These look amazing and sound so healthy! I am allergic to banana so I’m going to try it with applesauce instead. Hopefully that will work!
Yum! These look scrumptious. I could definitely do these in the morning. Thanks for sharing!
Leslie recently posted…Silent Sunday
These look great. Any reason to eat chocolate for breakfast. Great ingredient list, too!
Michelle @ Vitamin Sunshine recently posted…Raspberry and Golden Beet Kale Salad
And….Yum!
Kierston recently posted…5 ways to add more oophm to your treadmill runs…
Sounds great for a quick breakfast and has the protein, fruit to give you that great start to your day.. They sound so tasty too. Thanks for sharing on Real Food Fridays. Pinned & twitted.
Hi Giselle,
Just a note to let you know that I have chosen your article as one of my features on this week Real Food Fridays Blog Hop that goes live Thursday @ 7pm EST. Thanks for sharing and being part of Real Food Fridays.
Cookies for breakfast?! Yes, please =) Love the sound of these chocolately-delicious oat cookies. Your mom was a wise woman! Fortunately these look like something totally mom-approved =) Thank you so much for sharing these at Healthy Vegan Fridays! I am pinning this to the Pinterest Board and am excited to see what you share this week!
PS. These are being featured tomorrow on HVF – I made them for breakfast this morning and LOVE them =D =D =D
Thanks for the feature Kimmy! And so glad you liked them 😀
I found your recipe from Healthy Vegan Friday, and OMG I need these in my life. Never made breakfast cookies before but that is going to change! These will also definitely be a hit with my kids 😀 thanks for the great recipe Giselle!
Kyra recently posted…Pizza Pancakes
Breakfast cookies are a must! Let me know how you and the kids like them if you try the recipe 🙂
These are to die for…Thanks so much for sharing!
-Cindy