Whether you’re sipping your coffee on the couch or spilling it as you rush out the door, some sort of morning fuel is a non-negotiable. For those of us on a plant-based diet, however, many breakfast foods are sadly off the table. Scrambled eggs, French toast, yogurt, sausage, bacon… classic staples, but not vegan-friendly.
Thanks to this breakfast cookie recipe, gone are my days of puzzling over how to create a chickpea omelet in the 25 minutes I have left before work, and I’ve sipped my last watery kale smoothie. This vegan breakfast cookie recipe packs a hearty load of whole grains, protein and antioxidants - and fuels my active mornings.
What you absolutely need:
2-4 very ripe bananas (depending on size)
1 ½ cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup instant oats
That’s it. But…
What you might want to add (choose 2-3):
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup pepitas
1/2 cup dried berries
1/2 cup crushed walnuts or pecans
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup coconut flakes
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350F degrees.
- Mash the bananas. This is where the antioxidants in the cookies come from, so the browner the better. You can mash them in the bowl with a fork, or sometimes I peel them, throw them in a plastic baggie, and smush them with my hands.
- Add the oats to the bananas in the bowl. It should be pretty moist, but about the consistency of regular cookie dough.
- Add the mix-ins! This is the fun part -- you can mix it up every week until you find your favorite combination. I like to add dark chocolate, crushed walnuts and some cinnamon raisin peanut butter.
- Roll the dough into 3-inch balls. If needed, add more oats until it rolls into a ball easily.
- Drop 3-inch balls of dough onto your cookie sheet, as many as you want since they don’t spread or change shape. Bake for 6-8 minutes. They might look a little underdone when you take them out, but that will ensure that they won’t be too dry once they cool and harden.
Enjoy with a mug of your favorite tea or coffee – at the table or on the go!
