Banana Oat Breakfast Cookies ~ What a healthy, simple & FUN way to eat breakfast. Made with oatmeal, applesauce, toasted walnuts & raisins. They make a wonderfully chewy cookie. ((I have included the optional dried cranberries in the breakfast cookies that are pictured, but of course, you can just use all raisins if you don't include the use of dried cranberries in your diet.))

Breakfast Cookies over on I saw a photo forover on Pinterest & just had to 'pin' it & try baking it. The recipe only had a few ingredients and had no sugar added & was egg, flour & dairy free! Of course, I tweaked it a bit, as I always do. These turned out really good & would make a perfect breakfast-on-the-go!! Heck, they would be a good guilt-free, anytime snack. I love it when I find recipes that are so good for you & so easy to make. I think I will be tinkering with this adapted recipe some more, I'm sure there are many additional ways to spin this breakfast cookie. You could easily add some ground flax seed, protein powder or other dried fruits & nuts...the possibilities are endless. Both Roy & J gave them two-thumbs up & I make it three. Enjoy!





Updated 7/5/2012 ~ I just did a nutritional workup for the Banana Oat Breakfast Cookies over at CalorieCount.com ~ ~ I just did a nutritional workup for theover at CalorieCount.com ~ you can link over to view the stats here .





Updated 7/9/2012 ~ In the last few days, my Banana Oat Breakfast Cookies recipe has gone viral! I appreciate all of you who have visited my site & who have made comments. For those who are concerned about the recipe including cranberries, I have more clearly noted their use in the recipe as optional since most dried cranberries do have some sugar added in their processing. Enjoy!





Banana Oat Breakfast Cookies ~ no sugar added ~ egg, flour & dairy free!!

makes 12 BIG breakfast cookies

or 16 regular sized

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups oatmeal, quick or old fashioned ~ uncooked

2 ripe bananas, mashed with fork until creamy ** (see update below)



1 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/3 cup raisins, or to taste (( optional ~ you can add in some dried cranberries (replacing some of the raisins) if you include the use of dried cranberries in your diet. Trader Joe's makes a really good one.))

~ you can add in some dried cranberries (replacing some of the raisins) if you include the use of dried cranberries in your diet. Trader Joe's makes a really good one.)) 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted (or regular, if you prefer) ***(see update below)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp cinnamon (or more, to taste)



** for those of you who don't like bananas, try using 2/3 cup pureed fresh or frozen mango in place of the mashed bananas. I've used it in place of the bananas & it's an acceptable substitute, just maybe not quite as sweet.





*** for those of you who don't eat nuts, just make the recipe without

them. No need to replace them with anything else.

Directions

Updated 6/9/2012: I've been baking this basic Breakfast Cookie Recipe for almost two months & it has become a staple in my kitchen. No joke, I make a batch about every three days. We decided we like it when I use the old fashioned oats the best, but since I can buy the quick oats in bulk at Sam's Club I still make it with that type as well. We eat them as a snack, dessert, with tea or coffee, in lunchboxes or when we just need a little something before a meal ~ they are now our go-to if we need a quick bite. Here are some other ways to enjoy my Breakfast Cookies...





Still tinkering with how we eat them, that's half the fun... :) Occasionally I like to splurge & include a little extra 'something' to my breakfast cookies. Sometimes I'll shape the cookies into 'bars', melt some carob chips & add squiggles on the cookie bars. J REALLY likes them like this, I think it makes him feel like he's getting a chocolaty, chewy cereal bar. ~ OR ~ I will sometimes add a few carob chips to the top of the cookies before I put them in the oven, pushing them down into the dough a bit, so they stay put. Roy likes them like this as a change, he feels it makes them eat like a chewy chocolate chip cookie.

heat oven to 350 degrees.vanilla extract & cinnamon into the applesauce.applesauce mixture with all other ingredients & let sit for 10 minutescookie dough, by spoonfuls, onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet & flatten cookies into rounds.approx. 20 - 30 minutes, or until golden & done.from oven & let rest on cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then move to cooling rack.in a covered container when completely cool.for breakfast, for an afternoon snack with tea/coffee or just about anytime!To see this recipe & post, click below ~ Carrot Cake Breakfast Cookies ~ with banana & oatsTo see this recipe & post, click below ~To see this recipe & post, click below ~To see this recipe & post, click below ~To see this recipe & post, click below ~To see this recipe & post, click below ~To see this recipe & post, click below ~To see this recipe & post, click below ~To see this recipe & post, click below ~