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!
Featuring all new, protein-packed salads, hearty toppers, flavour boosters, and dressings you'll want to drink, my new cookbook will transform the way you think about salads. Oh, and be sure to flip to the back for a surprise dessert chapter!
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)
this proves to be okay for lazy dorm cooking yay
These were easy and delicious. Thanks!
I love this recipe :D I’m definitely going to make another batch this week to have for breakfast (the first batch went within a day). :)
I made these cookies for breakfast for my children this morning. They were a big hit! My kids are 3 and 5 years old – super fun when breakfast looks like “dessert”. Overall my whole family really enjoys your recipes. We’ve always been vegetarian, but your recipes have helped me to add several yummy vegan meals every week. These breakfast cookies were a great start to a cold and dark monday morning here in Winnipeg. Thanks!
Thank you for this recipe! I can’t wait to try it! It would go great with a cup of one of your new teas! Especially am buzz!
I just made these for second breakfast as I ate my first :-) I’m breastfeeding my 4.5 month old, and it seems the hunger abated just a tad after his 4 month growth spurt (meaning I no longer desperately NEED my middle of the night Larabars haha). These cookies couldn’t be easier to make! I actually even skipped grinding the oats because i didn’t want to have to clean the food processor- I just used a scant 1/4 cup white rice flour and 1 3/4 cups oats instead if 2 cups of oats. They did only make 6 for me, but I must have a bigger ice cream scoop. Thanks for sharing. I will definitely make them again!
Also, I didn’t want to talk about nipples while rating a recipe, but the pain does abate! My doctor prescribed some Newman’s Nipple Cream (also called All Purpose Nipple Ointment), and I alternate applying that and coconut oil after each feeding. I sooo remember feeding my son for 8 hours a day. It was incredibly hard, but it gets better!!! I remember he seemed to figure out how to latch better at 6 weeks, and then at 12 weeks his efficiency improved dramatically. Now we are dealing with reflux, but even then he’s still a better eater than he was in those early weeks. Also, around 2-3 months he figured out how to eat side-lying in bed and that gave my back a break. Hang in there, Mama!
I bought your cookbook, and your recipes all look amazing. I can’t wait to try more things, and these cookies look AMAZING and so simple. I really appreciate how you have a good mix of recipes, and I can always find something to fit my needs (I’m gluten intolerant as well as vegan). You are my favorite vegan blog!
Ah this looks so delicious! I used to get a cookie like this from Starbucks, but they stopped selling it. I will definitely make these!
These look so amazing! I love how fresh, yet so delicious these look! It is also such a simple recipe I will definitely have to try to make these sometime, among with many others on your site :)
These will be my second breakfast!!
Looks delicious! And I love to start my day with something sweet!
I made these this morning and they were delicious! I used applesauce + 2T turbinado instead of the banana (per your suggestion) since my husband is allergic to bananas. We both thought they were quite tasty and I will definitely make them again. Thanks for another great recipe!
Actually, I used sucanat, not turbinado! :)
These were so incredibly delicious! I’ve made versions of these breakfast cookies before, but have never thought to put peanut butter and jam on them. These really hit the spot mid morning after my smoothie! These will be a staple for sure. Your creativity blows me away!
I made these last night, and they are delicious! So quick and simple to make. My boyfriend and I workout in the morning, and they are the perfect little bite to have on our way to the gym.
Love you and every one of your recipes!
These look delicious! I think everyone will love them except my non-peanut butter- loving boy (This is hard for me to understand :))!
Also, I am excited about these teas! Thank you for helping us stay healthy!
Was feeling in the mood for something sweet after a light dinner so I tried these tonight. I ate half of them over the course of the evening. Really tasty. I try hard to avoid oil and sugar so these really hit the spot without eating either.
Hi! This looks great. I have some quick-cooking steel cut oats in the house (cook in 8-10 min). Do you think these would work for this recipe?
Thats a good question and Im sorry Im not sure. I havent baked with quick cooking steel cut oats, but I’ve been meaning to pick up a bag! Let me know if you try it out.
These look delicious!
What could I use to replace the rolled oats? We cant get them here in NZ.
Thanks
This recipe is fantastic! I modified it a little because I didn’t have all of the ingredients and it still came out pretty darn fantastic. I used pumpkin puree instead of banana and completely omitted the flax (not ideal, but didn’t have it). Kids loved it, I loved it and thank you so much for this blog and all of your wonderful creations, it has helped me to eat so much better and added so much happiness to my life.
Lorene, thanks, I was wondering if they would work with pumpkin instead of banana. Made the original recipe yesterday and they were a big hit, now I don’t have to feel guilty about eating cookies for breakfast, yay!