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:
Flavourings: I’ve used cinnamon and vanilla. Try: orange blossom, almond essence, all spice, cloves – whatever takes your fancy!
Add Ins: I’ve used coconut, almonds and raisins. Use any combination of coconut, nuts and dried fruit that you want… or CHOC CHIPS!!!
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;
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;
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!)
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!
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!!”
What is an alternative to nut flours if normal is not good (severe allergy to nuts and nut oils)
Hi Caroline, sorry I don’t have an alternative here as corn flour & wheat flour don’t work in this recipe.
Hi Nagi,
Do you use sweetened or unsweetened coconut?
Hi Helen – Unsweetened, but either will be fine.
My grandchildren love these cookies. One of my grandsons is gluten free. I make and freeze them. Freezing works well. Just take out what I need on the day.
Hi Nagi, will these work with coconut flour instead of almond flour? Would I use the same amount?
Thanks Laina 🙂
Hi Laina, I haven’t tried to be honest but would love to know if it works the same way! – N x
Love this recipe. Make it again and again. Delicious while being super nutritious and healthy!
I’m so glad you love them Kat!
This should be obvious, but I am not sure: do you drain the dates before mashing? Thanks!
Hi Deana, no need to drain them, when you mash them it will form a paste that helps bind the cookies ☺️
I made the breakfast oat cookies. I absolutely loved them. I used whole almonds (not flaked). I also used ground almonds (not almond meal). I used melted butter (not oil). I also used only 1/2 tbsp honey. I loved them so much I made another batch with double quantity to share!! Thank you so much for this fabulous Recipe Nagi. My family of triathletes love these after a long early-morning training swim. If I have one for breakfast it lasts me all day.
That’s so great to hear Janet ☺️
Two things: scrumptious and as others have said, they freeze brilliantly. Perfect for bushwalking. Thanks Nagi.
Terrific Rosemary!
I have now made these healthy cookies so many times, i keep mine in the fridge and i take it to work for my morning tea or have it for breaky. It comes out perfect every time. Thank you so much for sharing.
Ok, well that was a big success! 😍 The cross-section looks EXACTLY like yours, always good when what you’ve cooked actually looks like the recipe, LOL. Apple sauce worked a charm! Used ginger as well as a LOT of cinnamon, walnuts and lots of crystalised ginger in place of the flaked almonds and coconut, YUM I’ll be making these regularly now, thank you for providing me with a new healthy breakfast, Nagi!
I love this!!! I’m so happy you love them ❤️
So I finally get around to trying these only to remember I’ve only got spray oil at the mo… NOT measuring that out, my finger will fall off! So I’m gonna try the apple sauce/oil switch, let’s see how this turns out!
These are amazing. I just made these and doubled the recipe which turned out perfectly. I kept the syrup at 3 TBSP which was the right amount of sweetness for me. Best healthy-ish breakfast cookie recipe I have come across!
Hi Nagi! Loving your site and quite a few of your recipes (we made your Mac n Cheese with Shrimp for Christmas dinner!). Have you thought of adding a way for folks to “favorite” your recipes? Would make it much quicker & easier to find them repeatedly.
I’ll look into it Erin – the only way you can at the moment is bookmark them in your browser ☺️
Terrific, loved by all and an ideal healthy low GI snack for lunchboxes. Make a batch a freeze in individual zip lock bags ready for term 1.
The perfect idea!!
I made mine with almond flavoring, orange zest and cranberries. They are amazing! Very moist and delicious with no sugar spike! Thanks once agin for sharing. I love your recipes…I can’t believe you just give this stuff away! 😊
Thanks so much Barbara! I’m so glad they were a hit!
BTW- These freeze great!
That’s awesome to know, thanks Barbara! – N x
Hi Nagi
Another big win! So filling and healthy! I can trust and vouch for your recipes ANY day! Cut the dates by half and didn’t use the maple syrup to reduce the sugar content. Happy with the result but might need a substitute to increase the moisture next time. THANK YOU!!!!! Mish x
I’m so glad you loved them Mish!!!
Can I leave the egg out? We have little peeps with egg allergies. I tend to use No Egg replacer for most recipes with great success.
The egg helps this one to bind, I haven’t tried with any substitutes but would love to know if it works!!
Every recipe I try on this site is my new favourite. These are fantastic!
That’s very flattering Claire!! Glad you enjoyed this 🙂 N x
Pleased to report freezing them works well. I wrapped them individually in foil, then sealed in a zip lock bag so they are easy grab and go food.
More ideal kayaking 🛶 food. Thanks Nagi.
Your recipes are amazing, I am from Australia and loooove looking at your page. I have your roast garlic butter chicken in the oven at the moment, and will also be making your lemon Greek potato’s. As well as sooo many more of your recipes!! Thank you! Do you have a book?