These Breakfast Cookies are like a bowl of homemade granola in cookie form! They’re healthy oatmeal cookies that taste like your favourite oatmeal raisin cookies – but they’re refined sugar free, gluten free, and will keep you full for ages.
Copycat of the popular Muesli Cookies sold in cafes across Australia, these are a terrific make ahead breakfast. Fill a jar with to grab ‘n run!
Breakfast Cookies
The only 2 ingredients in these Healthy Oatmeal Cookies that I don’t put in homemade granola are almond meal and egg. So I’m not exaggerating when I say these are like a bowl of granola in cookie form!
These are a copycat of muesli breakfast cookies I’ve been eyeing at my local coffee shop for years, wanting to make a version that was actually acceptable to have for breakfast. I’ve tried multiple times and they’ve always been meh – the main problem being too dry and hard to swallow.
Finally, the penny dropped when I was smushing soaked dates for Sticky Date Pudding. MASHED DATES!!!! Thoroughly unappetising and sludge-like as it looks, this is the secret to sweetness, moisture, colour and terrific texture for healthy sugar-free cookies!!!
Customisable!
These Healthy Oatmeal Cookies are great for customising. It’s actually a very forgiving recipe – thanks to the mashed dates that makes a solid batter base. These are the ingredients you can customise:
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Flavourings: I’ve used cinnamon and vanilla. Try: orange blossom, almond essence, all spice, cloves – whatever takes your fancy!
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Add Ins: I’ve used coconut, almonds and raisins. Use any combination of coconut, nuts and dried fruit that you want… or CHOC CHIPS!!!
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Sweet: I use maple syrup or honey. Agave or any other liquid form of sweetness should work fine here. Sweetness can also be controlled – from a range of 1 to 4 tablespoons;
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Oil: In the spirit of keeping this healthy, I use coconut oil (most of the time). Any oil will be fine here – or melted butter or margarine;
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Almond Meal: Can be substituted with hazelnut meal / flour. I use these two interchangeably. Do not sub with normal flour – it makes the cookies dry and cardboardy.
Quick and easy
Breakfast cookies are so simple to make, you can make them today for a grab ‘n run breakfast tomorrow!! Soak dates, mash (strangely satisfying, despite how unattractive date sludge looks), mix with remaining ingredients, form cookies and bake.
No food processor, no beater – terrifically simple.
Go big or go home!
I’ve made these breakfast cookies hefty instead of wimpy little cookies because they are intended to be a breakfast. I made the mistake of having two of them when I took these photos and I was full for hours. So full for so long, I didn’t even have a full dinner that night.
Self control is a trait I admire from afar. – Nagi x
PS I don’t recommend making them normal cookie size/thickness. They are soft-chewy and lack the crispy edges you find in classic Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, I wasn’t thrilled with the texture. Best chunky and “meaty” – appropriate for breakfast!
More Make Ahead Breakfast – Grab ‘n Go!
And more cookie / cracker copycats
Other recipes I’ve created in the past for the same reason as these Byron Bay cookie copycat recipe (ie because I love ’em but they’re expensive!)
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Byron Bay Cookies Copycat White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies – big, thick, buttery cookies loaded with white chocolate and macadamia nuts. Crisp with a tender melt-in-your-mouth texture, just like Byron Bay Cookies!
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Gourmet Fruit & Nut Crackers for Cheese – homemade version of the rather expensive fruit and nut crackers to serve with cheese! Homemade is incredible – the flavour is so much better than the store bought. Plus it’s way WAY cheaper!
Breakfast Cookies
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
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Healthy Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients:
- 100 g / 3.5 oz pitted dates (1 heaped packed cup)
- 1/3 cup / 85 ml boiling water
- 1 egg
- 3 tbsp maple syrup or honey (Note 1)
- 3 tbsp coconut oil , melted, or other plain oil (Note 2)
- 1 tsp vanilla essence (Note 5)
Dry Ingredients:
- 1 1/4 cups rolled oats
- 1/2 cup flaked almonds (Note 3)
- 1/4 cups desiccated coconut (Note 3)
- 1/2 cup raisins or sultanas (Note 3)
- 3/4 cup almond meal (almond flour) (Note 4)
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon (Note 5)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F (standard) or 160C/320F (fan/convection). Line a tray with parchment/baking paper.
- Roughly chop dates. Place in bowl, pour over water. Cover and leave to soak for 10 minutes+.
- Mash with potato masher or fork until it becomes a paste.
- Add remaining Wet ingredients. Mix well with wooden spoon.
- Add Dry ingredients. Mix until all flour is incorporated - should be a thick batter (see video).
- Measure out just shy of 1/2 cup (6 cookies) or 1/3 cup flat (8 cookies). Flatten to 1.7cm / 2/3" thick rounds. (Note 9) Bake 20 minutes until golden.
- Remove from oven, leave to cool on the tray.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Originally published December 2018, updated for housekeeping matters April 2019. No change to recipe!
LIFE OF DOZER
“C’mon, let’s play tug-o-war! I swear the rope is totally clean and slobber free!!”
I have been making this every week,
These are so good!! Thanks for the awesome recipe 🙂
I made these for the first time today. They hit the spot. Doubled the batch (cause I knew you wouldn’t steer me wrong and they’d be awesome). Toasted coconut, raisins, dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds, and pecans. About half the honey as called for due to the sweetness of the fruit. Two thumbs up.
Made using GF oats ….. 10/10 Nagi .. beaut 😊
I’m happy that you liked it Mandy! N x
These absolutely freeze well with no loss of flavour or texture.
Thanks for letting me know Pippa!! N x
I’ve already made this recipe twice in one week! So easy to make and the perfect breakfast on the go.
I love a quick breakfast! N x
Hey 🙂 love your recipes.
How do you think coconut flour will work?
Thank you!!!
I have not tried that myself Soph but let me know if it works for you! N x
The family enjoyed these. Like big soft and cakey oatmeal cookies. Just the right amount of sweetness. Not something I would normally drawn to but would definitely be a quick and healthy option for a busy morning. I used sprouted rolled oats and a combo of coconut, salted pepitas, chopped cashews, hemp hearts, raisins and chocolate chips for the add ins.
Hi can I use oat flour instead of almond flour??
Hi Ola – i haven’t tested that sorry! N x
Is ground almonds the same as almond meal/flour
Yes Kelly they are the same! N x
Highly recommend , I used 3/4 cup of natural muesli, and 3/4 cup of traditional rolled oats, and 1 tbl maple syrup. Will definitely make again.
Any sub options for those with nut allergies?
Sunflower seed meal, you can use food processor for the sunflower seeds
What can you use instead of almond or hazelnut meal?
Nut allergy here!
Yet another amazing recipe Nagi ! I omitted the raisins ( added dark chocolate cooking chips instead) and added a banana from the freezer (I have an excess) . Absolutely brilliant , so moist and flavourful . This will be a constant in my recipe index . Thanks
Hi Nagi. I’m looking for a kids lunchbox friendly recipe which means no nuts. Do you think I can sub almond flour with buckwheat or other?
Made these a number of times, I add chia and flax seeds also.
Thanks for another fantastic recipe
It’s perfect and freeze very well . Just thaw in the fridge overnight or at room temperature
Have made multiple times perfect for quick breakfast. For interest of other readers who watch their sugar intake i have cut back to 1 tbl honey and still sweet enough Also i use 1/4 cup to portion out and get 12 biscuits still nice and moist. And one time i didnt have enough oats so sub with oat bran and quite liked it so now i use 1 cup rolled oats and 1/4 cup oat bran
Best breakfast cookies recipe ever! I make them all the time. Not only are they easy to make but they taste delicious and are perfect for breakfast on the go!
Thanks for this great recipe. Second batch now, used dried cranberries,,,,delicious.
Absolutely love these !! I added a couple of tablespoons of seed mix to make them extra healthy and justify me having 2 with my tea in the morning.
I found that 2 tablespoons of honey was sweet enough for me. Also baked them 10 min longer on a lower shelf because that way they stay chewy for longer rather than going soft.