Gluten-Free Breakfast Cookies
Updated
Hearty, naturally gluten-free, and perfect for busy mornings or travel days—because who doesn’t love cookies for breakfast? These easy gluten-free breakfast cookies come together in one bowl with wholesome ingredients like gluten-free oats, bananas, peanut butter, and a touch of honey for natural sweetness. Baked in just 15 minutes, they’re a delicious grab-and-go option your whole family will love. Make a batch ahead of time and keep them in the freezer for a quick, satisfying breakfast anytime.
Gluten-free breakfast cookies are one of my favorite ways to start the day—especially because my sons get so excited when we have cookies for breakfast. They’re easy to make, naturally gluten-free, and can be dairy-free if you use dairy-free chocolate chips. Plus, they’re a great way to use up ripe bananas. If I don’t have enough on hand, I just swap in a cup of applesauce, and they turn out just as delicious. The soft, chewy texture reminds me of banana oatmeal bars, another favorite in our house, but in a fun, grab-and-go cookie form, just like my banana oatmeal cookies. With just a few simple steps, these cookies come together in no time—perfect for busy mornings or whenever we need a quick, wholesome treat!
Gluten-Free Breakfast Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 large bananas, mashed, You can substitute 1 cup of applesauce for the bananas.
- 3/4 cup peanut butter, You can substitute your favorite nut butter or seed butter for the peanut butter.
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup honey, For vegan option substitute pure maple sugar.
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups gluten-free quick oats , Use certified or purity protocol gluten-free oats.
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips, For dairy-free I like Enjoy Life Foods mini chocolate chips.
- 1/2 cup raisins
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or grease with gluten-free cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, mash two large bananas with a fork.
- Add in the peanut butter and honey to the mashed bananas, stirring to combine.
- Add the pure vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt to the banana mixture and stir until fully combined.
- Add the gluten-free oatmeal to the wet ingredients. Stir until all of the ingredients are fully combined.
- Stir in the chocolate chips and raisins. Mix until fully combined.
- Use a greased ice cream scop to drop the cookie batter onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Flatten tops slightly, because the cookies will not rise or spread when they bake.
- Bake at 325 degrees for 15-16 minutes or until lightly browned.
- Cool and store left overs in an airtight container.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How to Make Gluten-Free Breakfast Cookies Step by Step
Gather the Ingredients: Gather all the ingredients together. Preheat your oven to 325°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease it with gluten-free cooking spray.
Mash the bananas: In a large mixing bowl, mash 2 large bananas with a fork until smooth. If you don’t have enough bananas, you can substitute with 1 cup of applesauce instead.
Mix the wet ingredients: Add ¾ cup peanut butter and ¼ cup honey to the mashed bananas, stirring well to combine. For a vegan option, swap the honey for ¼ cup pure maple syrup.
Add flavor: Stir in 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract, 1 tbsp ground cinnamon, and ¾ tsp salt, making sure everything is well mixed.
Incorporate the oats: Pour in 3 cups of gluten-free quick oats, stirring until the mixture is evenly combined and coated.
Fold in the mix-ins: Gently stir in ½ cup chocolate chips (I love using Enjoy Life Foods mini chocolate chips for a dairy-free option) and ½ cup raisins, ensuring they are evenly distributed throughout the dough.
Shape the Cookies: Use a greased ice cream scoop or a spoon to drop the cookie batter onto the prepared baking sheet. Flatten the tops slightly, as these cookies won’t spread or rise while baking.
Bake and serve: Bake for 15-16 minutes or until the cookies are lightly browned.
Serving Suggestions
These gluten-free breakfast cookies are incredibly versatile, making it easy to customize them with your favorite mix-ins. My family loves adding chocolate chips for a touch of sweetness, but we also enjoy raisins, dried cranberries (Craisins), dried cherries, and dried blueberries for a naturally fruity twist. If you’re a fan of texture, try folding in chopped apples for a burst of freshness or chopped pecans for a satisfying crunch. I often serve them warm with a cup of coffee in the morning or pack them as an easy, mess-free snack for busy days.
How to Store
The breakfast cookies should be stored in an airtight container for up to five days.
It is easy to freeze the breakfast cookies. Once the cookies are completely cooled, place them in a plastic freezer bag or freezer-safe container and freeze for up to three months. Defrost the breakfast cookies in the refrigerator overnight or in the microwave.
Thank you for another yummy treat. I love breakfast cookies and your recipe just hits it right. I used unsweetened applesauce in place of banana, maple syrup in place of honey, although I’m going to try the honey next bake. I also added 1/2c dried cherries, and 1/2c pepitas…delicious!
So delicious! Third recipe I have made from you and as with the first 2 you knocked it out of the park. Great texture and overall healthier cookie that is great for breakfast or a snack. I’m always looking for recipes that use mashed bananas to use up the ones that are a bit too ripe for snacking.
Any suggestions for subsituting oats? I have an oat allergy but I really want to make some breakfast cookies.
Hi Jennifer, Since oats are a large part of the recipe, we don’t have a substitution for them that we’ve tried. Sorry!
Is it okay if I don’t use the air like containers
I tried it and it was really good for me and my brother my mom because we have celiac disease and dairy what thank you for making this
What if I only
Have old fashioned rolled oats 😀
Hi Amanda, the recipe should still work but the cookies will be chewier and may be crumblier as well.
Great cookies! I used a small scoop and made 50 cookies. Baked them for 10 minutes. I keep them in the freezer and take them out a few at a time. They are perfectly chewy and lightly sweet. Yum!
I love them and so does my husband. Very easy to make. I used crunchy peanut butter, I left out the raisins. When I was eating my cookie I was thinking coconut would be good in them so many different thing could be used: cranraisins, sunflower seeds, anything you like!
Great recipe! Made it with molasses instead of honey for iron, and pumpkin seeds, unsweetened coconut, & dried cranberries instead of chocolate chips or raisins. Made 20 3” cookies.
Very satisfying for a grab and go breakfast! I used almond butter and dark chocolate chips!. Huge success.
These are so easy to make and taste amazing!! I put 2 cookies in a snack size Ziploc bag and freeze them. My daughter takes these to work and has one for breakfast the other for an afternoon “pick-me-up”.We purchased the cookbook and it is loaded with wonderful recipes.
Thank you Audrey for making my life simple!!
Is there a good substitute for bananas in baking recipes? I am allergic to them and I know they are a great binder, I just can’t use them.
Any help or advise is appreciated.
Hi Karla! I have used both 1 cup of applesauce and 1 cup of pureed pumpkin in this recipe. They both turned out delicious! Here is the link to the recipe for the Gluten-Free Breakfast Cookies. https://www.mamaknowsglutenfree.com/gluten-free-pumpkin-breakfast-cookies I hope you will try the recipe with applesauce or the pumpkin and enjoy it.
I am also nut free- have u ever substituted the peanut butter?
Hi Gina! You could substitute sunflower seed butter (SunButter) or soy butter (Don’t GO Nuts). Both of those would work well with this recipe. I hope oyu enjoy them!