This past month has been an emotional one, that’s for sure. Both on a personal level, and the world at large. I’ve experienced incredible highs, where my heart feels like it’s just going to burst. I’ve laughed more than I have in a while, cried happy tears, and watched in awe as our baby girl experiences her new world each day. This week Adriana has started to really see us, studying our faces, and she’s giving these huge, goofy grins in return. Maybe she just passed gas, but I’d like to think she’s really tickled pink with her mama! Or maybe she thinks we’re funny looking? Her eyes light up when she hears my voice and my heart just about melts every time. It’s amazing how these simple moments can bring so much happiness. Happiness that I never knew existed before she came along. It makes me forget about everything else…the hard times, the frustrated tears, the postpartum pains, and the self doubt. There’s been a lot of those emotions too and I’m sure there will be plenty in the future, but I know the one consistent thing is that our love will get us through anything. It’s the one reassurance that keeps me going when I’m having a hard day.
This month has found me back in the kitchen a fair amount. For one, I’m hungry all. the. time. It’s a bit ridiculous. And two, it’s so comforting, especially during a time when my emotions and day to day routine are all over the map. The act of cooking and baking is a reassuring daily ritual, so I find myself squeezing in some simple food prep whenever I can, even if it’s a simple pan of roasted vegetables or a batch of breakfast cookies that can be whipped up in 10 minutes. It’s all about simplicity right now.
Did someone say breakfast cookies?? Yea!
These cookies won’t make you feel sluggish or give you a sugar crash. No one wants to start off their day like that. Thanks to the super wholesome ingredients, you’ll be feeling amazing, light, and energized. I made these simple creations because I needed some healthy fuel handy for our early morning nursing sessions. Now that I’m breastfeeding at all hours of the day and night, my hunger sneaks up on me and I need something fast and portable. I definitely don’t consider these a breakfast replacement (my appetite is much too strong for that), but they are a nice snack to take the edge off. They would also be nice as a pre-workout snack too.
I used a base of oats and ground flax, which are thought to help boost milk supply in nursing mamas. Flax has a nice amount of omega-3 fatty acids and for good measure I added a hefty dose of cinnamon to help balance blood sugar levels. No sugar crash here! Feel free to play around with the recipe – I think shredded coconut, chocolate chips, cocoa powder, nuts/seeds, etc. would all be fun to try out.
PS- If you are looking for super easy “dessert” cookies, check out the other cookie recipe I posted on Instagram this week! Yup, it’s a 2 for 1 kinda week. Cookies for all!
Flourless Thumbprint Breakfast Cookies
Yield
10 cookies
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Healthy, wholesome breakfast cookies sweetened with banana. These cookies are soft, doughy, and dense—almost like portable baked oatmeal. Have fun changing up this recipe with different mix-ins, like chopped nuts or seeds. Recipe inspired by Ambitious Kitchen.
Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats (use certified gluten-free if necessary)
- 1 cup (250 mL) mashed ripe banana (about 2 very large)
- 3 tablespoons chia seeds or ground flaxseed
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
- 8 teaspoons (40 mL) jam
- Peanut butter (or almond or sunflower seed butter), for serving (optional)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a food processor, add the oats and pulse until a coarse meal forms. Don't process it into a flour, some big flakes are good.
- In a large bowl, stir together the processed oats, mashed banana, chia seeds, cinnamon, and salt until combined. The mixture will be very wet and dense.
- With a retractable ice cream scoop or a spoon, scoop the dough into 10 mounds. (The cookies do not need to be spaced far apart on the baking sheet as they don't spread out.) Press your thumb into the centre of each cookie to create a well. Fill each well with 1 heaping teaspoon of jam.
- Bake cookies at 350°F (180°C) for 11 to 13 minutes, until the cookies are slightly firm on the outside, but soft and doughy in the middle. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack for 10 minutes.
- If desired, pipe on your favourite nut butter. These cookies also taste great with a pat of coconut oil on top!
Tip:
- To make the cookies nut-free, omit the peanut butter topping or swap it with sunflower seed butter instead.
Nutrition Information
(click to expand)
How do you store these? Just made them and they are delicious. Just wondering if I should put them in an air tight container on the counter or air tight in the Fridge? Any suggestions?
I usually store them in the fridge :)
These were really good:) but my sister didn’t like them. Oh well, more for me! I added chopped pecans instead of the ground flax and they came out great! I made them for breakfast and I’m eating them right now as a snack.
Made these for breakfast last week and they were delicious! Planning to make them again tomorrow morning … :)
These look wonderful. I scanned thru the post and the comments but I do not see info as to whether these have to be refrigerated? It would not seem so. I will be on a 5 day trip and staying in a hotel with no refrigerator in the room. It would be great to bring these! Just thought I would double check
I keep them in the fridge or freeze, I’m sorry Im not certain about room temp! My guess is they’d be fine for 2-3 days, but not entirely sure!
I made these yesterday to snack on them throughout the week. They turned out just great – like every recipe I have tried from your page or your book! I did expect nothing less :)
In fact, when your book arrived my husband practically snatched it out of my hands and dog eared every other page “oooh, this sounds good! When will you make this?” or something like that.
Anyway, back to the cookies. They are soft, chewy and not too sweet. I topped them with a three-fruit-jam and I am happy to never be without a healthy snack. This used to be my weak spot, that afternoon snack. I would be too lazy to pack something up and end up gobbling on something that was not good for me (or my waistline, btw).
So thanks again, Angela, for this great recipe.
Oh, I’ve been meaning to ask: how’s Sketchie holding up? He okay with his new role as big brother?
Oh I love these cookies! They’re absolutely what I prefer to cook / bake and to eat and the best is, that I have them all for my own!!!!!!! My son hates bananas and my husband prefers “classic” cookies. But I am in love with this recipe. Yummie!
How long do these keep for? Assuming they don’t all get eaten straight away.. ;)
My toddler loved these! Good kid breakfast. File it away for when that little one of yours joins you at the table!
These are so so good! I just made them and they are really tasty and really filling.
Thank you for the recipe!
Julia Kristina
http://juliakristina.com/blog
I just made these and they are exactly what I needed! I subbed chia for the flax because that’s all I had on hand. I reduced the amount and they were a-ok! Thanks for breakfast inspiration!
I make these ALL THE TIME!!! They are so quick and easy to make! I often add 1/4 cup of coconut flakes (YUM!) or sub the jam for a handful of mini chocolate chips or walnuts, or diced apples and cinnamon. The possibilities are endless! Thanks, Ang!
how did you get the perfect peanut butter drizzle? anyone?
thanks!
I LOVE your recipes and I have your cookbook and use it all the time. This recipe, however, was absolutely HORRID. I felt really bad about the waste of all these lovely ingredients, but could only manage one bite of one cookie and into the garbage they went.
Made these this morning and they’re delicious! I don’t grind up the oats because I like a heartier cookie, and I left out the flax seed. Definitely going to make these again!
Just made a batch of the Flourless thumbprint Breakfast Cookies. Used Boring Oats with chocolate in them. They are AMAZING! Like chocolate drop cookies with jam on them. Too good for words.
Hi! My baby boy is only 2 months but in the future I really want to make my own baby food. Any thoughts or recipes? Inexpensive would be top.
Angela, I am such a fan!! Congratulations on your new baby, she is beautiful! After pinning this recipe to one of my boards I noticed that the link for people to share the post on Google+ is spelled wrong and thought I’d give you a heads up :) Thanks again for all your fabulous recipes! Can’t wait to try this one..
These are perfect for a grab and go breakfast. I left out the jam and peanut butter but added another teaspoon of cinnamon (2 total), one more tablespoon of flax seed meal (4 total) and 1/2 cup pecans. In the middle of each cookie I pressed a pecan half. Now on the mornings I’m running a little late, I grab 2 of these from my freezer and eat them at work with my morning tea. They are so satisfying! I break off little pieces and really enjoy flavors and texture. Thanks for a wonderful recipe.
Thank you for this yummy recipe, my celiac husband loves that I’ve found your site!
I can’t stand banana, so I made these with raw apples and dates mushed together instead. Turned out great, and with dates no added sugar was needed. I might add some carrot as well next time.
Amazing recipe <3 perfect for breakfast or for an healthy dessert. I did it with an homemade blueberry chia seed jam.
These turned out so much better than I thought they would. Usually when I make these banana and oat only cookies they turn out too chewy and gummy and rubbery and don’t taste like anything other than, well bananas and oats. But these were so much tastier and a little crunchier (I got about 18 cookies out of my batch) and the peanut butter made it so much yummier. I ate so many of these and will probably have 5 for breakfast. Thanks a ton and ahhgg they’re so good. Make these as many times as you have bananas, oats, peanut butter, and jam. The cinnamon made them so so good and banana and cinnamon with peanut butter mmmmm ooh sorry for the ranting and terrible punctuation but dang. Make these now guys. Vegan and fabulous? Yeahh! :-) Take care
Thank you so much for this recipe! I’ve been making it once a week along with a batch of your chia jam. As a breast cancer survivor, I’m trying to cut back on fats and refined sugar. These recipes help satisfy my sweet and with the added benefit of fiber, fruit, and some omegas. Added bonus: my kitchen smells amazing when I make them.
How long will these store for?
Hi Jessica,
They should keep for up to a week in the fridge, or you can freeze them.
Great recipie! I do something similar with the processed oats, grated apple, Splenda, cinnamon and water, mix it all and cook it in the pan as pancakes!
I was looking for other breakfast healthy options I will be trying this cookies right away!
I just started looking at your website recently and have made a few recipes, and I have loved them all. My husband and I have 2 boys, and I am constantly searching for snack and dessert recipes that are healthier. On too many vegan websites, I have had to cut the sugar in half from what the original recipes suggest. I have never had to adjust the sugar in any of your recipes. They are just sweet enough for our entire family. Thank you so much for making vegan recipes I can actually feel good about. I made these thumbprint cookies yesterday. I didn’t have brown rice flour, so I substituted gram flour and they were still an incredible hit. Sorry this is so long, but I think your obviously well-tested recipes deserved more than a simple ‘great recipe’. Thanks again..I will be experimenting with more of your recipes soon. Van
Angela! These breakfast cookies are incredible (as are you!!) Delicious, so quick and easy to make, plus all those oats really help my lactation … I wish I had this recipe a year ago when I was starting to nurse my son. These cookies are perfect for the new nursing mom!!
These work way better with chia seed jam than regular jam! Each time I made it with regular jam, the jam would run out the sides but the chia works great. I just can’t stop eating the chia jam once I make it… Also added 3 tbsp hemp hearts to boost the protein and they still taste great and kiddos didn’t notice the addition and are wolfing them down :)
Another recipe I made with my 4 year old. Again, super simple and they turned out great. They held together and seem moist, with great flavor. Excited to drizzle peanut butter on for a breakfast treat!
Instead of adding sugar to sweetness… try a heaping tablespoon of maple syrup and a 1/4 cup of organic juicy raisins!!!! LOVE this recipe!
OH! one more thing… Apricot jam. OUT OF THIS WORLD
These saved me from breaking my diet haha thank you so much.
Does the banana give it a strong banana flavour or a light flavour? They sound scrumptious but I’m not a fan of banana.
Hi Mia, Yes you can definitely taste the banana in there.
I’ve been looking for a desert recipe that is healthy, kid friendly, and easy to make. This looks like a winner! I will be letting my four-year-old daughter help me make these, too.
Will steel cut oats work in this if I grind first?
These were awesome :)! I had to use a tiny bit of water to get all of the oats and flax into the mixture though. They also make larger cookies than the pictures lead you to believe which is always great!
Thanks for the great recipe! I make these with homemade applesauce and they turn out fantastic.
So so good. Made twice. Forgot to grind the oats first time. Still delicious. Ground the second with strawberry chia seed jam and on a couple with chocolate chips. (For the kids…ha ha). So good and so easy. I also topped with shredded coconut and it toasted in the oven making it oh so good. These are really versatile.
I have made many of your recipes and have not disappointed. I’m in the hunt for a gluten free low sugar carrot cake??? Any suggestions? Tried one on another blog and sad to say the texture was…not so great.
Thanks for everything.
My 1 year old loved these cookies too.
Hi Angela,
Have you tried with applesauce instead of banana yet?
wow-wee!!! These are fabulous, Angela! I just made them for my 4 year old son and myself. Instead of using jam (because I didn’t want to use up all of my husbands tart cherry) I soaked dates, pitted them, pureed them with a touch of salt, coconut manna, almond butter, a bit of the soaking water and chia seeds (to rethicken). Wow.. Absolutely perfect. Thanks for another amazing recipe :)
Super yum! I make these with blueberry magic chia jam. Also, these freeze perfectly. The might be a bit darker after they thaw, but they are still chewy and the jam has the same texture as before freezing. I make double batches and have some ready to go for a couple of weeks! Thank you for these!!!
I made these for my (non-vegan)boyfriend for Valentine’s Day. I added some unsweetened coconut and some golden raisins and left out the nut butter. He couldn’t get enough! He called me last night and said he ate all of the cookies in one sitting! This was very exciting to hear coming from a guy who eats the junkiest food out there. He even uttered the words, “I think this is my new favorite cookie”. Thanks, Angela!
I would love to try this recipe, but my son and I are sensitive to many grains. Can I substitute the oats for something else? Like sorghum or quinoa? And if so, should I cook it first, mill it, or leave it raw?
Just made a double batch for a house warming party/brunch we attended today. They were a huge hit! Thank you for such a wonderful recipe!
Can I substitute something other than oats for the grain? Milled quinoa/sorghum or something? My son and I can’t have oatmeal either.
I’m new to this blog, but am so excited to find health yummy recipes and baby tips — I’m 25 weeks pregnant with my first baby right now and am finally feeling like cooking and eating well again. Perfect timing! I made these cookies last night and both my husband and I LOVE them! My only issue was “drizzling” the peanut butter as it seems you were able to do from the pics … It more sort of just globbed than drizzled. They’re still super yummy, but just wondering if you have any PB drizzling tips?
These look fabulous and I noticed you posted them with coconut butter on your instagram account today. Quick question: how do you get the nut butter or coconut butter to spread like that? Do you heat then drizzle with a spoon?
I just inhaled two of these hot out of the oven, burning my fingers on the jam twice. So suffice it to say, they were delicious haha. These would be perfect pre- or post-workout. GREAT recipe!
Hey!
I skimmed so I may have missed it but are there any substitutes you might suggest for flaxseed?
I baked them for breakfast for my busy boyfriend. They worked nicely but a teaspoon of jam was a bit too much. Love the blog!
Had to wait a few days for my bananas to ripen, but I’ve just made a batch of these and boy, they’re just as delicious as I imagined! Just sweet enough and chewy. I filled them with some of your Magical Blueberry Vanilla Chia Seed Jam. Delicious! Thanks for another great recipe. I’m going to…go eat another one…