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As my kids get older I notice more and more that lunch can be a slippery slope. One day the lunchbox comes home totally empty, while other days it’s halfway-to-completely full as kids tend to get preoccupied chit chatting or immediately bolt to the playground at lunchtime to let off some steam.
Nutritionally kids tend to get what their bodies need, so it’s no cause for alarm, but parents understandably get unnerved when they notice their kids haven’t eaten much during the day. That’s why breakfast is so important. Knowing your kids left the house with full bellies in the morning can make your after-school encounter with an untouched lunch box a little less unsettling.
But why do I hear so often from parents that breakfast is the bane of their existence? It doesn’t have to be if you have batches of Breakfast Cookies on hand. You heard me right, Breakfast Cookies!
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, give a kid food in the form of a pancake like Banana Pancake Bites, put it on a stick (consider French Toast on a Stick) or call it a cookie and it will almost guarantee they will be excited about eating it.
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These Breakfast Cookies are awesome because they have tons of protein, Omega-3 fatty acids to support brain development and carbohydrates — all things you want to get your kids going first thing in the morning.
For moms who prefer not having all the butter of a traditional cookie, I’ve reduced what this recipe would normally call for and replaced it with apple sauce, which also gives these cookies a naturally sweet and moist texture.
If everything I’ve told you so far hasn’t gotten you excited enough, these Breakfast Cookies freeze beautifully before or after you bake them so all they require is a quick pop in the toaster. How easy is that? Your kids will be so happy being sent off to school fueled with cookies and you’ll actually feel good about the breakfast you served!
What’s your favorite on the go food when you’re running out the door in the morning?
Breakfast Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup apple sauce
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 2 cups old fashioned oats
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup shelled pistachios
- 1/2 cup dried cherries
- 1/2 cup flax seeds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Place the butter, apple sauce and maple syrup in a bowl or standing mixer and beat until well combined.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet and mix to incorporate.
- Fold in the pistachios, cherries and flax seeds.
- Using a small ice cream scoop or 2 tablespoon measure, drop dough onto Silpat or parchment-lined baking sheets. Use the palm of your hand to gently press down the cookies, as they do not spread during baking.
- Bake for 15 minutes and remove to a cooling rack.
Notes
- To Freeze: Before baking, after step 7 place in the freezer for 1 hour and then transfer to zipper bags. When ready to bake add an additional minute to the cooking time.
- To Freeze: After baking, place in freezer bags and freeze up to 3 months.
Use the same amount as the applesauce called for. Just make sure it is softened before using it!
My daughter eats very little (always has) and needs to put on a few more pounds- I have the hardest time finding healthy foods that still have plenty of calories! What if I wanted to use all butter instead of subbing with applesauce? How much would I use?
[…] Breakfast Cookies also look awesome. Plus they are banana-free, for those of you who don’t like that particular […]
These are delicious! My son was thrilled to eat a cookie for breakfast, and I enjoyed one with my coffee. I used pumpkin seeds, raisins, dried cranberries, and dried coconut instead of the cherries and pistachios just because it’s what I had on hand. Next time I’ll make a double batch and freeze them! Thank you for sharing!
We are on a roll here because I couldn’t get my butter (which was left out a long time and very softened) to incorporate into the applesauce/butter mixture. I still made them and they came out well. Though I do wonder if they would be even better if I was able to make that mixture “light and fluffy” as Catherine writes. I used my KitchenAid Stand Mixer with the flat beater. Do you use that or the wire whisk?
Nor did my applesauce syrup and butter. Used standing mixer.
I feel silly, but my butter did not come close to mixing with the apple sauce and syrup. What did I do?
Oh and for the fat I used some greek yogurt and applesauce as well as some earth balance spread. Its amazing to me that you can use whole milk yogurt or applesauce or even avocado can as a substitution for oil. I only recently discovered this. As well as an egg free option using ground flax seed. Love it!
I found a recipe similar to this yesterday in my Joy of Cooking cookbook only it had wheat germ, lots of oats, honey, flax and i used toasted coconut,sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds along with chopped dates and they are the bomb! I love anything that I can hide goodness in for my 2 year old thats usually too busy playing to really want to eat. Thanks for all the great ideas and recipes!
Hi Catherine,
Thanks for sharing this. What would you recommend in place of applesauce? 1:1 substitution of 1/2 cup softened butter (i.e. total of 3/4 cup butter)?
Excited to make these! I went out and got the cherries and pistachios, only to come home and realize I’m out of flax. Any suggestions for a substitue, or can the flax seeds be left out?
Can you use ground flaxseed? If so, how much?
Thank YOU for your sweet comment!
I made theae last night and they turned out great. I gave one to my two year old daughter this morning. She must have thought she hit the jackpot since she never gets cookies in the morning. All I heard was, “mmmm”, and “Mommy, this is a yummy cookie” as she ate the entire thing. Thank you for a creative way to get her to eat a nutritious breakfast and for making my life easier by not having to go through the usual breakfast debate. The other nice thing about your recipes is that adults like them too so I only have to prep one thing. Thank you!
I totally understand. How about honey or maple syrup? Here’s a recipe you might enjoy using peanut butter, but it’s tough to play around with this recipe and have it work in the same way: http://b12.ba4.myftpupload.com/2013/11/08/peanut-butter-oatmeal-cookies-2/
Any suggestions for how to adapt this using stevia. My family has rid our diet of added sugars with the exception of stevia. Would it even work? Could you substitute peanut butter or something like that for a binding agent?