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!!”
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.
I cook a double batch and eat for breakfast straight from the freezer 🙂
You are on TV now, Nagi. SBS at 8.40am EST. Love your Byron Bay Cookies so trying this oatmeal cookies today.
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?
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
Made them first time a couple of days ago!! Put cranberries and dark chocolate chips in. Family love them!!! making a double batch now so I can take some on my flight for my girlfriends and i. They are filling and taste great!!!
I made a double batch a d used the “orange infused” olive oil given to me as a present which, apart from salad dressing, I didn’t have a clue what to use it for, and some of the many jars of honey which have accumulated in the pantry. I added flaked almonds and chopped pecans, desiccated coconut and shredded, raisins and orange flower water and a little almond essence and a little ground cardamom – yep, all those half packets and leftovers.
The biscuits were wonderful, but, of course now the problem is that I will never be able to replicate them, but I have a feeling that this is one of those great recipes that accomodates many tweaks and is still wonderful.
Thanks!
BEST OAT COOKIES EVER!!! I made these to help increase my fibre intake, they are so easy to make and delicious!! I don’t like raisins or sultanas so I swapped them out with pepitas and choc chips, soo good. I also had just under the required amount of dates needed so I added in a mashed banana. I can’t wait to go shopping so I can make more!
I love these so much! I am 6 months pregnant and have been craving sweets badly and these hit the spot without the guilt afterwards! I don’t like sultanas and never have nuts around so just add more coconut and also only two tablespoons of honey as I find the dates very sweet in themselves. Today I added some chopped dark chocolate and peanut butter, and so now I’m trying to stop myself from eating them all.
I made a double batch to freeze, and I actually like them even better after they have been frozen! They are definitely chewier after freezing/defrosting. Love having a big stash ready for a grab and go brekky 🙂
That’s good to know! I’ll try that as my last batch were too soft.
I made these yesterday since breakfast foods are not something I usually eat. I had to add about 1/2 more almond flour and they still were great. Had my first this morning and sweet enough for me but not too sweet. Once again a winner.
Seriously good, crunchy on the outside when first cooked & softer the next day. Long term filling which is perfect.
Thanks for the recipe! Can I make them into bars or squares? I was wondering if they can be cut well, or will they crumble?
Hoping to make these as prep for the week – is it dried or fresh dates?
Can you substitute the nut flour for something else so they can be lunchbox friendly? My kids school is nut free
Love this recipe. I made it for some hungry nursing colleagues at work and they loved it so much+++ that I had to surrender your recipe.
So terribly simple to make, plus they are gluten and sugar-free. Going in the archive. Cheers x
Thanks for the great recipe Nagi. Is the nutrition information per one or 6 cookies?
Per cookie (Have just seen it in the recipe notes). Thanks
I’m a terrible baker but these turned out brilliantly. I shared some with an exhausted colleague (two kids) who came to work without breakfast. She loved them so I’m making her a batch. They’re my standard go to now. Thank you!
Woo hoo!! That’s amazing Stella! N x
Could you substitute the dates with prunes?
I think that might work but haven’t tested it myself. Dates dissolve pretty easily into a paste that helps to hold the cookies together and provides sweetness. Let me know how you go! N x
Made this today and it was awesome! Thanks Nagi for always curating the perfect recipes!