Vegan Breakfast Cookies
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure.Vegan breakfast cookies are the perfect grab and go breakfast option for busy mornings. Make this easy recipe in just 20 minutes and have on hand for a quick meal, wholesome snack, or healthy dessert!
Mornings can be so busy and rushed, especially when you’re trying to get yourself (or your whole family) out the door. It isn’t always realistic to make an elaborate breakfast for the family. That’s where these healthy breakfast cookies come in!
Packed with wholesome ingredients like oats, nuts, and fruit, these morning cookies are not only a tasty treat, but are also a healthy way to start your day.
The best part? They can easily be prepped ahead of time for the entire week, making them the perfect solution for busy mornings when you don’t have time to sit down for a meal. Make a large stash for a quick way to feed your family. You can even freeze these to keep them fresh and handy!
When you need to switch things up from the classic bowl of oatmeal or toast, I definitely recommend these easy peasy vegan gluten free cookies for your morning meal. They are loaded with healthy fats, fiber, and protein for long-lasting energy that’s perfect for a busy work or school day.
Whether you’re vegan or just looking for a nutritious breakfast option, these grab-and-go cookies are sure to become a new favorite in your meal rotation. They really are the best breakfast cookies!
👩🏽🍳 Why This Recipe Works
- Easy grab and go breakfast
- Made with wholesome ingredients
- Healthy snack option
- Great for busy people
- Breakfast meal prep
- Best vegan gluten free cookies!
Latest Recipe Video!
🥘 Ingredients
With a few healthy ingredients you can make the best homemade breakfast cookies. Check out the recipe card at the bottom of this post for exact measurements.
- Ground Flaxseeds & Water: When using flaxseed meal make sure it is finely ground for best results. You will make a flax egg using 1 tbsp flax and 3 tbsp water.
- Rolled Oats: For a hearty cookie use old fashioned oats. For less texture try quick oats. If you want you can try vegan muesli cookies too!
- Oat Flour: You can make your own oat flour by blending oats in a food processor, or buy ready to go flour at the store. If you prefer, almond flour or almond meal also works for this easy vegan breakfast cookies recipe.
- Chia Seeds: Add extra nutrients with chia seeds! They are a good source of fiber and plant-based protein with about 2 grams of protein per tablespoon.
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda: Baking powder and baking soda will help these good morning cookies rise and spread.
- Cinnamon & Vanilla Extract: Add cinnamon for a comforting taste that pairs perfectly with oats for the best breakfast cookie. Pumpkin pie spice can also be used. And these vegan oatmeal breakfast cookies aren’t complete without a hint of vanilla!
- Maple Syrup: For a touch of sweetness use maple syrup. You can also use coconut sugar, brown sugar, or date paste.
- Peanut Butter: Nut butter will give these gluten free vegan breakfast cookies a good source of healthy fats and protein. You can use almond butter, cashew butter, or sunflower seed butter for whatever nutty flavor you prefer.
- Dried Cranberries: You can use whatever dried fruit you’d like, or add dark chocolate chips for a boost of antioxidants.
🔪 Instructions
Whether you’re looking for healthy snack cookies or breakfast on the go, this easy to follow recipe will be a new favorite of yours! Follow along step by step with these easy instructions. Here is how to make this vegan breakfast cookie recipe:
Preheat The Oven, Make The Flax Egg: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F / 180 C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. The first thing you’ll want to do is prep your flax egg. Mix together the ground flaxseeds and water in a small bowl, set aside for 5 minutes to form a gel. It only takes a little while to start seeing it thicken.
Mix The Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl mix together the oats, oat flour, chia seeds, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon.
Mix The Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl whisk together the liquid ingredients of flaxseed gel, maple syrup, peanut butter and vanilla extract until smooth.
Combine Ingredients: Next, add the dried cranberries and wet ingredients to the large bowl with dry ingredients. Mix until well incorporated. Place in the fridge for 10 minutes to firm up.
Place Cookie Dough On Sheet: Using an ice cream scoop, scoop out 2-3 tbsp of cookie dough and shape into a ball and place on a cookie sheet. For big cookies, use 4 tbsp of dough per cookie. Repeat with remaining mixture. Lightly flatten the tops of each cookie with back of a fork.
Bake The Cookies & Let Cool: Bake these vegan healthy cookies in the oven for 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove and allow these breakfast oatmeal cookies to cool on the baking tray before transferring to a wire rack to reach room temperature.
💭 Expert Tips
- Use an ice cream scooper. These gf breakfast cookies will be a little sticky so use a small cookie scoop or spoon to roll them into cookie dough balls (vs. your hands). Lightly wetting the spoon or scoop with water will help prevent the mixture from sticking to it.
- Flatten cookies before baking. Using a wet hand, gently press the tops of the oat breakfast cookies to slightly flatten them, since they won’t spread as much as typical cookies.
- For chocolate lovers, vegan chocolate chips can be used instead of, or in addition to, dried cranberries. The antioxidants in dark chocolate still make this a healthy breakfast cookie recipe.
- For a gluten free breakfast cookies recipe, make sure that the oats and oat flour have a gluten-free certification.
- Set in the fridge first. Placing the mixture in the fridge allows the dry ingredients to absorb the wet and for the mixture to become firmer. Don’t skip this step otherwise the dough will be hard to work with!
- As a heads up, these vegan cookies won’t rise or spread much.
📖 Variations
- Different Mix-Ins: Try adding a mix of sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, slivered almonds, shredded coconut, sultanas, walnuts or even dried apricots instead of the dried cranberries, to change up the flavor of these healthy vegan cookies.
- Sugar Free Breakfast Cookies: If you are looking for sugar free or low sugar breakfast cookies, you can use monk fruit or skip the sweetener all together. Make sure that your nut butter does not contain any added sugar in it.
- Banana Breakfast Cookies: Next time, try making these easy breakfast cookies with banana! You can easily replace the flax egg with a ripe banana. Mash well and mix in with the other ingredients. You can also check out this banana breakfast cookie recipe.
- Nut Free Cookies: For a nut free option, you can use tahini which comes from ground sesame seeds or sunflower butter.
- Other Egg Replacements: You can use unsweetened applesauce, mashed banana, or chia egg as vegan egg substitutes (alternatives to the flaxseed egg) for these eggless breakfast oatmeal cookies.
❓Recipe FAQs
Are cookies ok for breakfast? Are breakfast cookies healthy?
Traditional bakery cookies are not really ok for breakfast, as they are more of a sugary dessert than a breakfast option!
But, when made with whole foods and nutritious ingredients, cookies can be the perfect breakfast! This simple breakfast cookie recipe is a healthier alternative to sugary muffins or pancakes loaded with syrup.
This breakfast cookie is healthy because:
** It’s low in sugar: You can enjoy one giant cookie with only about 5-6 grams of added sugar per cookie! (the rest of the sugar is natural sugar from the fruit).
** It’s packed with whole grains: The base of these oat flour breakfast cookies are whole oats and oat flour, making them packed with heart healthy whole grains and making them gluten free at the same time!
** It’s balanced: It contains protein, fats, and fiber with whole grains to keep you feeling full for hours.
How many calories in a breakfast cookie?
Each breakfast oatmeal cookie has only about 130 calories, with balanced ingredients to keep you feeling energized and focused on busy days. (Compare that to – most bakery cookies or bakery breakfast cookies will run you upwards of 300 calories per cookie!)
These low calorie breakfast cookies are much healthier than other grab and go foods like protein bars or store bought snacks.
Are vegan breakfast cookies kid-friendly?
Yes! These healthy vegan breakfast cookies are perfect for kids. Little ones will love these chewy cookies with the subtle sweetness and delicious flavor. It is so fun for kids to be able to have cookies for breakfast, and you can feel good knowing they are getting a balanced meal to start their day. Their first time biting into one of these they’ll be asking for seconds! It will quickly become one of your favorite healthy recipes for picky eaters too!
How to store vegan breakfast cookies?
Store cooled cookies in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 5 days. You can also freeze these cookies to last longer. To freeze, let these breakfast healthy cookies cool, then transfer them to an airtight freezer safe container or freezer bag. To help them last longer, you can wrap each one in plastic wrap beore placing them in the container or freezer bag. They should keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to eat, defrost frozen cookies or heat up in the oven for a few minutes.
🥞 More Easy Breakfast Recipes!
- Pancake Tacos
- Gluten Free Vegan Waffles
- Spinach Banana Muffins
- Croffles
- Cottage Cheese With Fruit
- Strawberry Donuts
- Homemade Cinnamon Toast Crunch
- Baked Oats Without Banana
- Sourdough Croissants
- Cream Cheese Toast
- Overnight Weetabix
- McDonald’s Hash Browns Recipe
- Vegan French Toast Casserole
- Healthy Flapjacks
- Nutella Waffles
- Green Waffles
- Healthy Banana Bread
- Peanut Butter Banana Overnight Oats
- Mango Pineapple Smoothie
- Strawberry Smoothie Bowl
Love this plant based breakfast recipe? Please leave a 5-star rating 🌟 in the recipe below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page!
You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM, and PINTEREST to see more delicious, healthy, family-friendly food, and if you have any questions, I’m here to help!
📋 Recipe Card
🎥 Watch How to Make It
Vegan Breakfast Cookies
Vegan breakfast cookies are the perfect grab and go breakfast option for busy mornings. Make this easy recipe in just 20 minutes and have on hand for a quick meal, wholesome snack, or healthy dessert!
Servings: 9 cookies
Calories: 134kcal
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseeds
- 3 tbsp water
- 1 cup rolled oats
- ¼ cup oat flour
- ½ tbsp chia seeds
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup peanut butter or any nut butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F / 180 C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Mix together the ground flaxseeds and water in a small bowl, set aside for 5 minutes to form a gel.
- In a mixing bowl, mix together the oats, oat flour, chia seeds, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flaxseed gel, maple syrup, peanut butter and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Next, add the dried cranberries and wet ingredients to the dry ingredients.
- Mix until well incorporated. Place in the fridge for 10 minutes for the batter to firm up.
- Using an ice cream scoop, scoop out 2-3 tbsp of cookie mixture and shape into a ball and place on prepared tray. Repeat with remaining mixture.
- Lightly flatten the tops of each cookie.
- Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes.
- Remove and allow to cool on the baking tray before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Store cooled cookies in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 5 days.
Notes
- The cookie mixture will be a little sticky, so using your own hands to roll it into balls will be challenging. I recommend using a small ice cream scoop or spoon. Lightly wetting the spoon or scoop with water will help prevent the mixture from sticking to it.
- Using damp hands, gently press the tops of the cookies to slightly flatten them.
- A ripe banana, mashed, can be used instead of the flaxseed if preferred.
- Vegan chocolate chips can be used instead of dried cranberries.
- Use gluten-free oats and oat flour to make these cookies gluten-free.
- Placing the mixture in the fridge allows the dry ingredients to absorb the wet and for the mixture to become firmer.
- Any nut butter can be used such as almond, cashew or peanut butter or even tahini if you’re wanting a nut-free cookie.
- Try adding pumpkin seeds, slivered almonds, currants, sultanas, walnuts or even dried apricots instead of the dried cranberries, to change up the flavor of these cookies.
- These cookies won’t rise or spread much.
- Store cookies in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 5 days.
- Cookies can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 134kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.001g | Sodium: 64mg | Potassium: 129mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Vitamin C: 0.03mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 1mg
These are so tasty and perfect for breakfast on the go. Definitely making these again.
They really are!! So happy you enjoyed them!
Enjoyed these for breakfast this morning and started my day off right! Easy, quick and delicious; the perfect pairing with my morning cup of coffee, indeed!
Yay!! I’m so glad you loved these cookies Sara!
My whole family loved these cookies, and yes, we had them for breakfast! Perfect on the go!
Awesome!! Thanks Julia!
What a fantastic recipe that has totally improved our busy mornings! These cookies are tasty and so nutritious — a great way to get the day off to a positive start.
Thanks so much Liza! So happy to hear that!
Made these tasty cookies with a flax egg and they were very satisfying for a quick breakfast. Will be making lots more. Thanks 🙂
A flax egg works great in these cookies!!
Enjoyed these for breakfast this morning and they did not disappoint! Easy, tasty and perfect for busy mornings; my kids loved them!
Yay!! So glad you all liked this recipe Sara!
I love grab and go breakfasts like this – so quick and easy and these are so delicious too!
I know right?? Perfect for busy mornings!
I made these cookies this morning (I didn’t have any cranberries on hand so just used raisins) and I loved them! Just sweet enough and the warm cinnamon is perfect. I ate 3 for breakfast, and am so glad I have more for the rest of the week!
Yay! So happy to hear that Maryanne!
Cookies for breakfast? Yes please! These look so tasty! Perfect for picky kiddos.
I know right?? My kids love these!
I don’t really like pumpkin. What else can be used in its place?
Hi Christine! I haven’t tried substituting the pumpkin with something else, but I think it would be worth replacing the pumpkin with 1/4 cup melted coconut oil, or 1/4 cup melted butter. You could also try substituting the pumpkin for one flax egg. Just note the nutritional info will change if you make that switch as well! If you try it with one of the substitutions I mentioned, let me know how it turns out!