Hearty, healthy breakfast cookies made with whole wheat flour and filled with dates, walnuts, oats, and chocolate–nutritious with a touch of sweetness.

Hearty, healthy breakfast cookies made with whole wheat flour and filled with dates, walnuts, oats, and chocolate.

When you’re a busy, working parent or a stay-at-home parent with kids and you’re trying to get everyone fed and off to school, breakfast can be challenging. It’s easy to put instant oatmeal in the microwave, but it’s just as easy to keep some healthier steel-cut oatmeal pre-made in the freezer and pop that in the microwave.

Hearty, healthy breakfast cookies made with whole wheat flour and filled with dates, walnuts, oats, and chocolate.

Grab and go recipes are great also. I made these breakfast cookies a couple of weeks ago and David and I loved them. I didn’t so much eat them for breakfast but enjoyed one in the afternoon with a cup of green tea. See…we’re not eating things like chocolate chip cookie in a mug all the time!

Hearty, healthy breakfast cookies made with whole wheat flour and filled with dates, walnuts, oats, and chocolate.

 

Breakfast Cookies Recipe:

I think these breakfast cookies, along with some milk or orange juice, would be an excellent way to start the day for young kids. They’re not too sweet, so you don’t get a sugar high, and they have enough fiber and nutrition to serve as good brain food.

And they’re super easy to make!

Just combine the oats, whole wheat flour, baking powder and soda in one bowl. Then mix the butter, sugar, flaxseed, salt, and cinnamon with a stand mixer until creamy, add the egg and yogurt, then the oat flour mixture, then just stir in the dates, banana chips, chocolate chips and walnuts.

There’s no rolling or chilling this dough, although you certainly could if you want to make it ahead of time. You mound the dough on baking sheets and bake it right away.

I’ve also frozen these cookies after baking and they keep well in the freezer. Perfect to pull out on a busy morning!

What are your favorite quick and easy breakfast foods?

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4 from 4 votes

Breakfast Cookies

A hearty, healthy breakfast cookie made with whole wheat flour and filled with dates, walnuts, oats, and bittersweet chocolate.
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 40 minutes
Servings: 16 cookies

Ingredients 

  • 1 ½ cups chopped walnuts
  • 1 ½ cups rolled oats
  • ¾ cup whole wheat flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
  • ½ cup dark brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons flaxseed meal
  • 2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ cup plain yogurt
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 cup chopped dates
  • ½ cup chopped dried banana chips
  • ½ cup bittersweet chocolate chips

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 375. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and toast walnuts until golden, about 8 minutes. Set aside. Line two baking sheets (can use the same one as the walnuts) with parchment paper.
  • In a medium bowl, combine oats, flour, baking powder, and baking soda. In a large bowl or a stand mixer bowl, beat butter, sugar, flaxseed, orange zest, salt, and cinnamon until creamy. Add yogurt and egg and beat to combine.
  • Add oat mixture and beat to combine. Fold in dates, banana chips, chocolate chips, and walnuts. Mound dough in 1/4-cup scoops on prepared baking sheets. Flatten slightly to yield a bigger, flatter cookie as the dough will not spread much.
  • Bake until golden, about 18 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Nutrition

Serving: 16cookies, Calories: 281kcal, Carbohydrates: 30g, Protein: 5g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Cholesterol: 27mg, Sodium: 125mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 16g
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Calories: 281
Keyword: breakfast cookies, wholesome cookies
Love this recipe?Mention @southernfoodandfun or tag #southernfoodandfun!

Recipe adapted from Breakfast Cookies in Oprah magazine.

Lucy standing behind a counter with a cheese board and glass of wine.

About the author

Hi, I’m Lucy! I’m a home cook, writer, food and wine fanatic, and recipe developer. I’ve created and tested hundreds of recipes so that I can bring you the best tried and true favorites.

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