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)
Just used the vitamix exclusively to mix these up and it worked! Bananas first, then pulsed in dry ingredients. Baking for tomorrow morning when my son goes to his first day of kindergarten – having my friends over from his playgroup when he was two who also have kindergarteners!!! How did this happen?! These pair well with champagne and adult tears, right?
Hey Kelly, I’m so happy to hear that the Vitamix worked for this recipe. What a great idea. And wow, I can imagine the emotions will run high tomorrow (I’ll be there some day soon). Champagne sounds like a fine pairing suggestion to me. ;) Maybe even throw a bit of orange juice in there and call it breakfast. ;)
Just tried out these thumbprint cookies. Not to bad. The banana gives it a nice sweetness. I’ll make them again for sure.
Hey Jon, I’m so glad you tried them out an enjoyed them. Yes, a very light sweetness for sure…I love them with jam in the middle. Enjoy!
Also very good filled with applesauce :)
Oh good idea :)
Angela, I just wanted to share that I just made these for the first time this morning and my 14 month old son and I LOVE them!! We already gobbled up half the batch!! These will be a regular breakfast staple for us for sure. Thank you for helping me feed my picky toddler :)!
Aww I’m so happy!! Thank you Natalya. And I’m glad that we’re not the only ones who polish off a whole batch in a morning…lol! Happy baking :)
I came across this recipe a couple months ago and i’m hooked!! I do Weight Watchers and by using sugar-free jam, these satisfying morsels are only 2 weight watcher points!! (Minus the peanut butter) SCORE!! Needless to say these cookies are literally ALWAYS on my counter! And on the days i go to the gym right after work, its a perfect snack to hold me over till i finally can get home to make supper! I haven’t changed up the recipe at all, its perfect just the way it is! Love your recipes Angela!!
Aww I’m so happy to hear that Amy! We love them too (and the batch goes fast in our house!!).
Hi! In the absence of a food processor, would Scottish oats work instead of rolled oats processed through a food processor?
Thanks!
Hey Emma, From what I understand Scottish oats are ground oat groats. That’s an interesting question about using them in this recipe. My guess is that the scottish oats might be a bit more firm than ground rolled oats, so the cookie’s texture might be chewier? Again, I’m not sure…but I would love to know how it goes if you try it out! :)
Any suggestions on how to make these oat AND flour free? I would *love* to be able to try these and I know for so many of your recipes you have ideas for adapting them around various food restrictions, so I thought it was worth asking. :) (I can’t have oats, wheat, quinoa or corn …) Thanks!
Hey Heather, Hmm what about a mix of almond flour and cassava flour? I haven’t tried it, but that would be my first attempt!
Have you tried adding the peanut butter to the dough?
I don’t think I have yet, but I have been meaning to try it! :)
Can the base of this be frozen until ready for use?
Hey Kerry, Oh great question…I have not tried freezing the dough before. I wonder how the banana would thaw (whether it would discolour). If you try anything I would love to hear how it goes! Thanks :)
I didn’t have any chia or flax so I used peanut butter in the dough. DELICIOUS. These are great, thanks!! Especially if you have some supremely delicious cornwall plum jam like the one I put in the middle :)
Another recipe that doesn’t fail to impress. I’m very careful about added sugar in our diet and this recipe is super healthy and not too sweet. I made your chia jam recipe with raspberry and blueberry. My 8 year old gobbled 2 up as soon as they had cooled. Definitely will be making these again!!
Love love these thumbprint cookies. So easy and so good. No sugar highs
Perfect! My 3yr old is getting increasingly aware of my tactics to feed him wholesome food. I dubbed these “volcano cookies” and he happily gobbled them up. Haha Thanks for a great recipe!! I love how customizable it is.
Hi! How and for how long do you store these? Thanks!
I tried the recipe and it tasted very good. I added an extra half of a banana and the “dough” still did not stick together well. I’m at 7200′ above sea level in a very dry climate so I added a little avocado oil. Still very crumbly-do you have any suggestions on keeping it together better? Thanks