These healthy chocolate breakfast cookies are chocolaty, naturally sweetened and packed with superfoods. Perfect for breakfast, they also make a fantastic pick-me-up through the day whenever you need a boost of energy!
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I love nutritious snacks, but I also LOVE chocolate. So I simply combined the two to create a healthy chocolate snack loaded with good-for-you ingredients and that actually tastes good! They’re perfect for a quick breakfast on the go and also make a great pick-me-up through the day. My kids love them at playground and I devour them after yoga.
So what’s in there? Naturally sweetened with mashed bananas, these healthy chocolate breakfast cookies are prepared with unsweetened cocoa powder. They’re also fiber-rich, packed with superfood seeds and nut butter to provide long-lasting energy. Try them too!
Why you’ll love these healthy chocolate breakfast cookies
- Vegan, gluten-free and lactose-free
- Fiber-rich and packed with superfoods
- Naturally sweetened with bananas
- Easy to make in one bowl and very versatile
What goes into healthy breakfast cookies?
- Oats. I recommend quick oats for soft cookies. Alternatively you could use rolled oats, but stay away from steel-cut oats that are not suitable for these cookies.
- Bananas. Choose them ripe to sweeten your cookies as much as possible.
- Nut butter. I used natural smooth peanut butter, but any other nut butter will do.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder. Make sure your cocoa is unsweetened for best results.
- Coconut oil. It will help the cookies stick together.
- Seeds. There are options here, depending on what you have at hands. I used pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and hemp seeds. Sesame, chia seeds, flax seeds or even poppy seed would work too.
- Mini chocolate chips. I recommend 70% dark chocolate. Make sure you use mini chocolate chips rather than regular size for best results.
How to make healthy chocolate breakfast cookies
Head over to the recipe card for the full recipe instructions. But really, there is absolutely nothing difficult in making these cookies. Just add all the ingredients to a bowl and adjust the liquid quantity so you have a soft, malleable texture. You should be able to shape into balls. I used a cookie scoop to ensure they’re all equal in size but you can well shape the cookies by hand too.
Recipe tips
- Use quick oats. While many breakfast cookies call for rolled oats, I find that using quick oats provide a perfectly soft and moist texture. Alternatively, you can do a mix of quick oats and rolled oats. If using rolled oats only, expect some crispier cookies.
- Adjust the ratio of dry/wet ingredients. You should be able to shape the cookie dough into balls. If the texture is too dry, you can add some water (or maple syrup), one Tablespoon at a time. If too wet, add more oats.
- Press the cookies down before baking. These breakfast cookies do not spread, so you’ll need to flatten them slightly before baking to achieve the perfect cookie shape.
Recipe variations
I said it before, but these healthy chocolate breakfast cookies are extremely versatile, and you can easily keep the base and swap the toppings, and even more! Here are just a few ideas to consider:
- Topping ideas. Instead of mini chocolate chips, you can add cranberries, raisins, dried apricots (chopped), blueberries, etc.
- Nuts and nut butter. Feel free to replace the peanut butter with any other nut butter of choice (almond butter, cashew butter, hazelnut butter, you name it!).Tahini also works great. Another option is to add some nuts in the recipe, such as chopped walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, etc. You may need to adjust the quantity of wet/dry ingredients to ensure the breakfast cookies are not too wet and not too dry either.
- Applesauce can be used to replace mashed bananas. To keep them as healthy as possible, use unsweetened apple sauce.
Meal prep and storing instructions
Storing. Allow the cookies to cool completely, then transfer to an airtight container. You can either keep them on the countertop for a couple of days or transfer directly in the refrigerator and keep for 5 days.
Freezing and meal prep. I suggest you double the recipe so you can have some extra cookies for a breakfast on-the-go or whenever you have a little snack craving. Allow the cookies to cool completely and transfer to a ziplog bag. Cookies will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw on the countertop.
Other nutritious snacks for you to try:
- Vegan Banana Oatmeal Cookies
- Soft Apricot Cashew Granola Bars
- Healthy Oat Peanut Butter Cups
- Sugar-Free Almond Butter Banana Muffins
- Soft Chocolate Granola Bars
Healthy Chocolate Breakfast Cookies
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 9 cookies 1x
- Category: Cookies
- Diet: Vegan
These healthy chocolate breakfast cookies are chocolaty, naturally sweetened and packed with superfoods to improve energy.
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Ingredients
- 2 cups (225g) quick oats*
- ¼ cup (20g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 (approx. 280g or 1 ¼ cups) ripe bananas, mashed
- ½ cup (125g) natural peanut butter
- 1 Tablespoon maple syrup or agave syrup (optional)**
- 1 Tablespoon coconut oil
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup (40g) mini chocolate chips
- 2 Tablespoons pumpkin seeds
- 2 Tablespoons sunflower seeds
- 2 Tablespoons hemp seeds
- 2 Tablespoons water, or more as needed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combined the quick oats with cocoa powder. Add the mashed bananas, peanut butter, coconut oil and maple (or agave) syrup. Add the mini chocolate chips and all the seeds, a few spoonfuls of water, and mix well. If the mixture is too dry, add more water, one Tablespoon at a time, and stir until combined.
- Using an ice cream scoop, shape into balls and place on the baking sheet, flattening the top of each ball.
- Bake for 15 minutes, or until set. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely before serving. Store leftovers in an airtight container placed in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Notes
* Note that both quick oats and old-fashioned oats work for this recipe. However, I find the that the cookies stick together better with quick oats.
* For a gluten-free version, make sure you use gluten-free oats.
** I find that these cookies taste better with maple syrup, but you can skip it in the recipe. If doing so, you may need to adjust the amount of water you use in the recipe to ensure the ingredients stick together – you should be able to shape them into a ball.
Did you make this recipe?
Lastly, if you make this Healthy Chocolate Breakfast Cookies, be sure to leave a comment and give this recipe a rating, letting me know how you liked it. And of course, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Thank you and enjoy!
Sarah
Thank you for this nice recipe! I was honestly a bit disappointed by the shape of the cookies when they got out of the oven (I hadn’t taken care of it too much, thinking the heat would) and I was afraid I failed the recipe but they turned out to be delicious. I’ll definitely add the recipe to the kids’ snack options and will indulge too.
Delphine Fortin
Thanks, Sarah, I’m happy you loved them! As for the shape, they do not spread when baking, that’s why its best to give them their shape pre-baking. Next time they will come out perfect both in flavor and in shape!