Will you eat these health cookies for breakfast, snacktime or dessert? An easy recipe with wholesome ingredients you can feel good about eating any time of day.
Cookies for Breakfast, Lunch, Tea Time, and anytime in between!
I thought I was out of the brown bag lunch making phase of my life when my kids left for college…..ah, no, here I am again! With both kids home, the brown bag lunch (while now heading to the office instead of school) is alive and well here in The Swamp. While I’m not physically making the lunches anymore, I am trying to keep my pantry well stocked in healthy options.
The policy I adopted when they were in grade school still holds true: feed them wholesome food at home—the best you can offer in terms of health—-because who knows what they’re consuming out of the house. Years ago it was the elusive “trade” in the lunchroom or the after school junk that filled their friends’ pantries that I was up against. Now, I’m competing with really unhealthy options that are grab and go quick and also quite tasty.
Creating something sweet enough to be called a cookie, without any added refined sugar and still keeping the glycemic index low was a challenge. After numerous tries I managed to create balance between nutritious and delicious by adding some dark chocolate and dried cranberries for flavor and some chia seeds and chopped walnuts for protein and healthy fats.
The nuts and seeds do double duty health wise because they slow the absorption of sugar into your blood stream making the overall cookie low on the glycemic index. Bonus!! This recipe lives up to its name Health Cookies on all fronts. When you make these, keep your picky eaters in mind and adjust to what will work well in YOUR house. Maybe you substitute sunflower seeds for the walnuts, or switch to raisins instead of dried cranberries…….it’s all good!
One of the best features of these cookies is they freeze well. Serious plus in my book. I can make a double (or triple) batch, keep them in the freezer and then when anyone needs a cookie fix, there they are! The ultimate healthy. meal prep in my mind.
I love a recipe that wears many hats. These cookies satisfy hubby’s need for something sweet with his cup of tea after dinner. They also fill my need for an oatmeal breakfast. Seriously, they’re on my approved breakfast menu! Perfect for the young adult who hits the snooze button a few too many times.
Cookies that are healthy? You bet! Because a momma’s need to nurture and nourish never goes away.
If you’re looking for additional grab and go breakfast options, check out these great ideas:
📖 Recipe
Health Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 ripe bananas
- ⅓ cup unsweetened apple sauce
- ¼ cup almond milk
- 1 egg*. See notes for VEGAN instructions
- 2 Tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
- ¼ cup chia seeds
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips/chunks
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅓ cup chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 and line baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper or silpat mat.
- Mash bananas in large bowl until you can’t see any chunks. Mix in apple sauce, almond milk, vanilla, maple syrup and egg until smooth.
- Stir in oats, chia seeds and cinnamon. Beat until well incorporated. Gently mix in cranberries, chocolate and nuts.
- Place a heaping Tablespoon of batter at a time onto baking tray and press gently with a fork to flatten.
- Bake 18 minutes or until beginning to brown. If you’d like a crispier cookie, bake for 20 minutes.
- Store in airtight container room temp for 5 days, refrigerator 1-2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Notes
Nutrition
Note
The nutrition calculations were done using online tools. To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in any given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients you used. You are ultimately responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information is accurate, complete and useful.
susan H
These wholesome cookies are delish and provide the satisfaction of having a treat without the guilt. I love the combo of flavors: the nuttiness from the oats and walnuts, the hint of banana and the depth of the dark chocolate. I baked these at 350 instead of 375 because I like a chewier texture and used unsweetened cherries (instead of cranberries) because I had them on hand from making the yummy granola bars on this site. Thanks for another great recipe.
Debra Klein
Thanks so much. I love the way you were able to make this work well for you! I love dried cherries….going to try them next time.