These Breakfast Cookies are like a bowl of homemade granola in cookie form! They’re healthy oatmeal cookies that taste like your favourite oatmeal raisin cookies – but they’re refined sugar free, gluten free, and will keep you full for ages.
Copycat of the popular Muesli Cookies sold in cafes across Australia, these are a terrific make ahead breakfast. Fill a jar with to grab ‘n run!
Breakfast Cookies
The only 2 ingredients in these Healthy Oatmeal Cookies that I don’t put in homemade granola are almond meal and egg. So I’m not exaggerating when I say these are like a bowl of granola in cookie form!
These are a copycat of muesli breakfast cookies I’ve been eyeing at my local coffee shop for years, wanting to make a version that was actually acceptable to have for breakfast. I’ve tried multiple times and they’ve always been meh – the main problem being too dry and hard to swallow.
Finally, the penny dropped when I was smushing soaked dates for Sticky Date Pudding. MASHED DATES!!!! Thoroughly unappetising and sludge-like as it looks, this is the secret to sweetness, moisture, colour and terrific texture for healthy sugar-free cookies!!!
Customisable!
These Healthy Oatmeal Cookies are great for customising. It’s actually a very forgiving recipe – thanks to the mashed dates that makes a solid batter base. These are the ingredients you can customise:
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Flavourings: I’ve used cinnamon and vanilla. Try: orange blossom, almond essence, all spice, cloves – whatever takes your fancy!
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Add Ins: I’ve used coconut, almonds and raisins. Use any combination of coconut, nuts and dried fruit that you want… or CHOC CHIPS!!!
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Sweet: I use maple syrup or honey. Agave or any other liquid form of sweetness should work fine here. Sweetness can also be controlled – from a range of 1 to 4 tablespoons;
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Oil: In the spirit of keeping this healthy, I use coconut oil (most of the time). Any oil will be fine here – or melted butter or margarine;
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Almond Meal: Can be substituted with hazelnut meal / flour. I use these two interchangeably. Do not sub with normal flour – it makes the cookies dry and cardboardy.
Quick and easy
Breakfast cookies are so simple to make, you can make them today for a grab ‘n run breakfast tomorrow!! Soak dates, mash (strangely satisfying, despite how unattractive date sludge looks), mix with remaining ingredients, form cookies and bake.
No food processor, no beater – terrifically simple.
Go big or go home!
I’ve made these breakfast cookies hefty instead of wimpy little cookies because they are intended to be a breakfast. I made the mistake of having two of them when I took these photos and I was full for hours. So full for so long, I didn’t even have a full dinner that night.
Self control is a trait I admire from afar. – Nagi x
PS I don’t recommend making them normal cookie size/thickness. They are soft-chewy and lack the crispy edges you find in classic Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, I wasn’t thrilled with the texture. Best chunky and “meaty” – appropriate for breakfast!
More Make Ahead Breakfast – Grab ‘n Go!
And more cookie / cracker copycats
Other recipes I’ve created in the past for the same reason as these Byron Bay cookie copycat recipe (ie because I love ’em but they’re expensive!)
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Byron Bay Cookies Copycat White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies – big, thick, buttery cookies loaded with white chocolate and macadamia nuts. Crisp with a tender melt-in-your-mouth texture, just like Byron Bay Cookies!
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Gourmet Fruit & Nut Crackers for Cheese – homemade version of the rather expensive fruit and nut crackers to serve with cheese! Homemade is incredible – the flavour is so much better than the store bought. Plus it’s way WAY cheaper!
Breakfast Cookies
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
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Healthy Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients:
- 100 g / 3.5 oz pitted dates (1 heaped packed cup)
- 1/3 cup / 85 ml boiling water
- 1 egg
- 3 tbsp maple syrup or honey (Note 1)
- 3 tbsp coconut oil , melted, or other plain oil (Note 2)
- 1 tsp vanilla essence (Note 5)
Dry Ingredients:
- 1 1/4 cups rolled oats
- 1/2 cup flaked almonds (Note 3)
- 1/4 cups desiccated coconut (Note 3)
- 1/2 cup raisins or sultanas (Note 3)
- 3/4 cup almond meal (almond flour) (Note 4)
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon (Note 5)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F (standard) or 160C/320F (fan/convection). Line a tray with parchment/baking paper.
- Roughly chop dates. Place in bowl, pour over water. Cover and leave to soak for 10 minutes+.
- Mash with potato masher or fork until it becomes a paste.
- Add remaining Wet ingredients. Mix well with wooden spoon.
- Add Dry ingredients. Mix until all flour is incorporated - should be a thick batter (see video).
- Measure out just shy of 1/2 cup (6 cookies) or 1/3 cup flat (8 cookies). Flatten to 1.7cm / 2/3" thick rounds. (Note 9) Bake 20 minutes until golden.
- Remove from oven, leave to cool on the tray.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Originally published December 2018, updated for housekeeping matters April 2019. No change to recipe!
LIFE OF DOZER
“C’mon, let’s play tug-o-war! I swear the rope is totally clean and slobber free!!”
Babs says
I made these and they turned out great. I will decrease the syrup next time as they would still be lovely with less. They ARE AMAZING. Thank you Nagi. My husband and pre-teen son love them too, so it’s a 10/10 ♥
Grace says
My daughter loves these! Anyone had any luck in making them nutfree so I can make them for her lunchbox? Thanks!
Sarah says
My husband has a nut allergy too, but I still wanted to make these for him. I substituted oat flour for the almond meal and they came out perfectly soft and yummy
Grace says
Thanks Sarah! Oat Flour sounds like a good substitute – did you just ground up rolled/quick oats? I will try it this week and let you know how I go!
Sarah says
Hi Grace, yep a food processor or blender should both work to make oat flour. I usually use old-fashioned (rolled) oats or quick-cooking oats. Hope this helps, & it works out for you!
Est says
I am waiting to hear from. Anyone else about this too! We did pumpkin and sunflower seeds and it was yum. Just don’t know about almond meal subs
Marette Schulz says
Delicious, though I had to extend the cooking time x 5/6 minutes as I made them quite ‘hefty’.🤣🤣
Sue Johnson says
Made these in a slice tin instead of separate biscuits, Cooked an extra five minutes but otherwise followed recipe.
Cut into squares and froze. They freeze well and aren’t soggy when defrosted.
My partner is taking them to work as snacks.
Hannah says
I’ve been making these every week with slight variations depending on what I’ve got in the cupboard and they’re great everytime! The batch I just made I completely forgot to add the egg, but they’ve still turned out fine, I was scared they’d fall apart but they’ve held their shape very well. Extremely happy with this recipe 🙂
Dennis Nixon says
It was sooooooo goood. i loved ittt 😀
Val says
Love these, I made a double batch, but they disappeared very quickly. I will be making more to take camping tomorrow
Charisma says
I did this and it’s super yummy. I also placed it in the fridge. I am baking it again today, Thank you for sharing this cookie breakfast recipe. Its a hit. 😍😍😍
Judy says
Best oatmeal cookies ever. One find this recipe on Sunday and made my 2nd batch tonight due to popular demand.
Karla says
I toasted the nuts and coconut (I like the caramel flavour) and added some protien powder and a dash of xtra coconut oil to maintain the wetness.
its great, the perfect grab and run on busy mornings !! Next time Im adding sour cherries thank you Nagi!! Im going to have fun tinkering with all the different flavours!
Natasha says
Can I put in protein powder into these? Would I have to sub out something like the coconut to account for it or is it OK as in? I’d be adding 2 Tbs
Gigi says
I toasted and cooled the nuts and coconut first before I added the in. An additional step, but I think it’s worth it. These cookies are delicious! Like others here, I like to eat hem right out of the freezer.
Thank you for another amazing recipe, Nagi!
Alison Mundy says
Hi Nagi
I made these and they were very good.
I was using metric cup measures (250ml = 1 cup) but had to add extra Almond flour. I’ve tried googling G weight for 3/4 cup metric for Almond flour to make it more accurate next time, but I got lots of different weights.
Do you perhaps know the correct g measure you would use for Almond Flour for this recipe?
Janine says
Hi Nagi,
I made these cookies tonight and they are fabulous! They have the perfect amount of sweet. Thanks so much! I am really enjoying these and so is my husband.
Maddie says
I use a scoop of trail mix for the add ins and added some sugar free peanut butter. I use these for my work breakfasts now.
Hannah says
Sooooo delicious! Just made a batch of these and ate one for dinner cause I couldn’t wait till morning. It’s a tiiiiiny bit too sweet for my liking but that’s on me I did add lots of fruits so next time I’m going to reduce the honey. Very yummy!
Judy says
I cook a double batch and eat for breakfast straight from the freezer 🙂
Sonya says
Love these cookies. I freeze them and pop them into the microwave oven so eat them warm and slightly soft.
I use Green banana flour instead of almond meal as it’s full of probiotics and fibre to keep you full for longer. Don’t worry it’s not enough in this recipe to give a banana flavour
Kio says
You are on TV now, Nagi. SBS at 8.40am EST. Love your Byron Bay Cookies so trying this oatmeal cookies today.
Heather says
Hi Nagi
I make these cookies every Sunday for my family to take to work for their morning coffee! It’s like brunch they say. The last batch were super soft though, I was wondering if you have any ideas on how to make them a little drier/firmer? I don’t mean crispy but these were really moist. Maybe less water? Or could I add flour?
Heather says
Nevermind Nagi! Should have read the comments first! I’m going to try a couple of the suggestions but on reflection, the first few batches were gorgeous medjool dates and the last batch were just packet cooking dates which probably prevented them binding as well. Quality matters! X