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!
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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)
I just made this recipe for some college orchestra girls who are spending the night with us while on a concert tour. One is vegan, and these looked perfect to give them in the morning. I made them a day ahead. How should I store them? Air tight? Refrigerator? It sounds like most folks may eat them all right away, but surely someone keeps a few until the next day. Thanks!
I’m making these tonight! My “baby” is coming home from college for his fall break and we’re getting up really early to go and puppy sit my other “baby’s” puppy. These will be a great on the road breakfast!
I just made these . . . they turned out awesome!! I used pineapple jam for half of them and strawberry jam for the other half.
Thanks for sharing!
There is just nothing better than a vegan and gluten-free cookie. Thank you for all of the amazing recipes you share with us! Such a joy to watch you share your love of food with the world.
Kris
I am excited to try out this simple and elegant recipe. Wishing you all the best in your nursing adventures! Adriana sure is lucky to be so well-loved :)
I made these this morning. Like the recipe indicates, they are like baked oatmeal. There is a strong banana flavor, and I definitely recommend using the nut butter drizzle. I would have liked them to be sweeter but I think that would defeat Angela’s goal for this recipe (and I ALWAYS want things to be sweeter, so that doesn’t mean much.).Even though we didn’t care for them, gave this recipe 3 stars because it is easy to assemble, and surely would make a healthy morning snack. But for us, it just didn’t really hit the spot.
I do implore other followers to consider refraining from rating the recipes until you actually make and sample them.
I can’t wait to try these! Angela, have you thought about perfecting a lactation cookie recipe?
These are delicious! And so simple to make! And healthy. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe :)
I am saving this and making these tonight! I already have all of the ingredients and these look delicious!
These are good, Angela! They were so easy to make. I only had apricot jam, and they turned out great!
Hello!Do you store these at room temperature or in the fridge?
thank you for the recipe
Great breakfast or snack idea for my kids! Next time however I would add a bit of maple syrup to the batter as I was told they tasted a bit “grainy”. But I love the idea of a “fat-free” cookie! Also, quick and easy, can make anytime; love that!
My batch is in the oven and I am very excited! This recipe makes 8 HUGE cookies, is that right? Will update once I taste them. Very simple to make.
Just made these. First taste when they were just out of the oven was hmmm…. I wasn’t so sure they were for me. But after the drizzle of peanut butter, and a tiny bit of butter, they were awesome. I’m new to “healthy” eating, but this is for sure a super easy recipe that I can enjoy. Having my third now with a cup of coffee. Delicious! I will try to freeze them to grab in a hurry on my way to work instead of a muffin or croissant. Very filling. Thx! I also have a 2 week old, and these are a welcome snack that I don’t need to feel bad about unlike the leftover Halloween candy….
I have made these twice already! They are honestly the best lactation cookies EVER! I am going to make them for all my nursing mommy friends. Must be the flax, that is what was missing from the oatmeal version I made.
This is the second week I’ve made a batch of these cookies. They’re so pretty and yummy and this plus a cut up apple = perfect work breakfast finger food! Fall always sends me into a baking frenzy and your recipes never let me down.
Hi Angela! I made these cookies but use chia seeds and chose orange marmalade then dipped the tops in melted super-dark chocolate. They were crazy good and my three guys loved them too (two little, one big!). Thank you!
So I have just made these with the apple sauce. Personally I would like them to be a bit sweeter but they definitely turned out great with the apple sauce. I added two table spoons of granulated sugar. To my surprise my daughter of almost 6 years old ate two of them and just gave me thumbs up! So I am curious what my husband’s verdict will be when he comes home. Definitely easy to make and child proof.
By the way, I finally baked a batch of your cookies (from the cookbook) that came out the way they suppose to be! I am on a roll with you recipes the last few weeks ♡
Is there anything I could use in place of bananas? My husband can’t eat them. So many recipes use them too!
I think a blog reader said she successfully used applesauce plus a couple tablespoons of dry sweetener. I havent personally tried it yet though. Good luck!!
Angela, this recipe was awesome for several reasons. The first was I made 95% of it while holding my 11 month old on my hip using one hand. (He is my second child and fellow foodie who is quite spoiled!) Second, after they came out of the oven my little buddha belly son was shouting num num num! He downed one all by himself since they were easy to hold, can crumble, and soft enough to chew for him. The hubby enjoyed these too on our way back to our gym that day in the car. Thanks for helping our fast paced family fill in the gaps with healthy snacking on the go! I am looking forward to your lentil loaves and saweet potato casserole for thanksgiving! I wish you and your little girl many fun mommy/daughter tasting sessions in the future. Love is sharing food!!