You know what I despise? Airports.
I love traveling, but airports – I mean, the worst.
OK, that’s not fair. Some are adequately stocked with some sub-par options – anything with a Jamba Juice is A-OK in my book. But usually, you get charged $5 for a bottle of water, they spell your name wrong on your coffee, and there isn’t a vegetable in sight.
However, there is one shining beacon of hope in the Portland airport. Not only does Coffee People have pretty decent coffee and tea – almond milk latte, ftw – they also have something called “The Wonder Muffin.” And that, my friends, is exactly what it is.
I tried and tried to make the gluten-free, vegan blueberry muffin that would live up to the Wonder Muffin title, but, alas, I did not succeed. It seems that recipe is still floating around out there somewhere in the universe, waiting to be discovered. Until then, breakfast cookies.
After one too many failed muffin attempts, I shifted directions and realized the closest thing to a muffin is a breakfast cookie, which is totally doable both vegan and gluten-free!
This recipe is simple, requiring just 1 bowl to prepare! Plus, it’s (vegan) butter-free, vegan, gluten-free, and naturally sweetened. Oh yeah.
These breakfast cookies are the real deal. They’re:
Tender
Hearty
Loaded with oats + fiber
Blueberry-laced
Perfectly sweet
& Delicious
Make this recipe ahead of time to bring along to work or school (or traveling!). They make the perfect light breakfast or snack and are loaded with wholesome ingredients!
If you give this recipe a try, let us know what you think! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a picture @minimalistbaker on Instagram. We’d love to see your breakfast cookies in action!
Blueberry Muffin Breakfast Cookies (Vegan + GF)
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp flaxseed meal (to make flax eggs)
- 5 Tbsp water (to make flax eggs)
- 1 medium to large ripe banana, mashed (1 banana yields ~1/2 cup mashed)
- 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/2 cup almond butter or peanut butter (I mixed both 1/2 + 1/2)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 Tbsp melted coconut oil
- 3 Tbsp maple syrup or agave nectar
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 pinch sea salt
- 1 ½ cups gluten-free rolled oats
- 1/2 cup almond meal (finely ground from raw almonds)
- 1/2 cup gluten-free oat flour (finely ground from gluten-free oats)
- 3 Tbsp chopped walnuts or pecans
- 1/2 cup dried blueberries* (or other dried fruit // plus more for topping)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C).
- In a large bowl, combine flaxseed meal and water and let rest for 5 minutes to achieve “eggy” texture.
- Mash in the bananas until well combined. Then add applesauce and whisk thoroughly to combine.
- Add peanut butter or almond butter, vanilla, melted coconut oil, maple syrup or agave nectar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and whisk thoroughly.
- Add oats, almond meal, and oat flour and mix well until just combined. The batter will look a little wet and sticky – that’s good!
- Add walnuts and dried blueberries and stir until just combined (see photo). Refrigerate batter for 5 minutes to harden and lightly grease a baking sheet (because there are 24 cookies, you’ll need to bake in two batches // amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size).
- Use a Tablespoon, small spoon, or cookie scoop to scoop batter onto your baking sheet, then press down slightly with your fingers to spread out a little. They won’t expand much, so you can put the cookies pretty close together. Top with a few more dried blueberries (optional) and press gently to adhere.
- Bake for 15-16 minutes or until the cookies are slightly golden brown on the edges.
- Let rest on baking sheet for 3 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. After completely cooled, store in an air-tight container to keep fresh for up to a few days. Will keep in the freezer up to 1 month.
Video
Notes
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.
Kay says
Awesome recipe! I swapped the flax eggs for chicken eggs and the applesauce for pumpkin purée (as suggested in the other comments) and they turned out great! I added some pumpkin pie spice, walnuts, and chocolate chunks. Perfect fall cookie!
Lovely! Thank you for sharing, Kay! xo
Stephanie Kintzing says
Love these! How do you store them when frozen? Do they need to be individually wrapped and then freezer bag/container?
We’re so glad you love these cookies, Stephanie! They don’t need to be individually wrapped, but that would keep them extra fresh! Just let cool fully, then transfer to a sealed container of choice.
prashanthi atluri says
Did you guys make a video for it?
Yes, you can find it here.
Hazel says
Hi! Can I use olive oil instead of coconut oil? Thanks!
Yes, that should work!
Molly says
Hii! If I wanted to add some cooked quinoa where would the adjustment come in? My guess would be either leave out the almond meal or the oat flour… Curious on thoughts! Thanks!
Hi Molly, in place of some of the rolled oats might be best! These cookies are a bit more tender with the banana and applesauce though, so we aren’t certain quinoa would work as well in this recipe. We’d love to know if you try it!
Karin says
Love these cookies!!! Even the not vegan family members like them!!!😁 Thank you!!!
Here is the vegan muffin recipe I use. You can add blueberries or my favourite dark chocolate chips.
2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 1/2 cups blanched almond flour*
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 large eggs at room temperature
1/4 cup mashed very ripe banana about 1/2 small banana
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
Mix-ins: Up to 1 cup of fresh or frozen fruit such as blueberries, raspberries, or diced strawberries; if using frozen, no need to thaw OR 1/2 cup of smaller, harder mix-ins, such as chopped dried fruit, nuts, and chocolate chips
Hope you enjoy!
Whoop! We’re so glad the cookies are a hit in your family, Karin. Thank you for sharing! xo
Sandra says
Hiya,
I made the Blueberry Muffin Breakfast Cookies, and they are wonderful!
The banana gives a nice, mild flavor. And the other ingredients give the breakfast cookie a pleasing, light texture. I am very happy with the recipe.
It adds more healthy variety for my much needed breakfast. Thanks so much! I appreciate your dedication to good tasting, healthy food!
-Sandra
Thank you so much for your lovely review and support, Sandra! We’re so glad you enjoy our recipes! xo
Laura says
The recipe sounded good to me so I decided to try it and was not disappointed. I used blueberry infused cranberries and all peanut butter (instead of half peanut/half almond butter). Use a melon scoop and ended up with 30 cookies. Cooked on parchment paper. They are a soft cookie with just the right amount of sweetness.
Yay! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Laura. Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications! xo
Sharon says
I am allergic to bananas. Anything I can substitute?
Hi Sharon, we’d recommend trying sweet potato purée, more applesauce, or dairy-free yogurt. Let us know how it goes!
Stacey says
Can I sub spelt flour for the almond meal?
Hi Stacey, that might work! Spelt is much more absorbent though, so we’d suggest using half the amount. Let us know how it goes!
Michelle Stone says
Is there a substitute for oats if I can’t eat oats?
Hmm, we’re not sure if they’ll work without oats! Maybe more nuts + a gluten-free flour blend. Let us know if you do some experimenting!
Louise says
Haven’t made this yet but saw the question about a sub for the rolled oats. There are several other rolled grains available like barley and rye flakes which have similar texture to oats. Rolled or flaked quinoa is also available though it is much lighter in texture and I assume absorbency.
Kathryn says
I think I’ve seen rice flakes that are something like rolled oats. Maybe those would work. I think I saw them in Bulk Barn.
Amelia Mindich says
Hello – how can I make this with regular wheat flour instead of the almond meal? Trying to use what’s in the house :)
Hi Amelia, we’d recommend using about 1/3-1/2 the amount since all purpose is more absorbent. Let us know how it goes!
Tracy Hoesel says
What would you suggest as a substitute for applesauce? I’m allergic.
Hi Tracy, pear sauce would be the best sub! Otherwise, more mashed banana or perhaps subbing pumpkin purée. Let us know if you try it!
Suzy says
Hi! Can I use regular blueberry and not dried? Is there any reason to use dried blueberries?
Hi Suzy, other readers have reported success with fresh blueberries. We haven’t tested it ourselves and think they may turn out more mushy and tender. Let us know if you try it!
Suzy says
Hi, I tried with fresh blueberry and yes it came out little mushy. Also if the blueberry was placed at edge of cookie, it dissolved and became liquid so the shape looks deformed. Also it tasted a bit sour but it came out great overall! Thank you for your reply!
Thank you for the update, Suzy! Glad to hear it turned out great overall! xo
Corelia says
I’ve made this recipe a few times now with great success! It is seriously SOOO flexible – if I don’t have peanut butter, I use hazelnut or almond, sometimes I omit the coconut oil in favour of applesauce, sometimes I use sliced apples instead of applesauce, and I never use the maple syrup & instead do an extra 1/2-1 banana (just to make it even more guilt-free.) Oh and I always double the amount of nuts, and add raisins. (It’s really, really good with raisins!!!) This is now my go-to cookie recipe for literally every occasion!! Highly recommended. :)
Amazing! We’re so glad you enjoy it, Corelia. Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing all your creative modifications! xo
Grace says
Hi there- can we use almond flour in place of almond meal? Thanks in advance!!
Hi Grace! That should work well!
Susan Sherman says
Hello,
Ive made many of your recipes and they always turn out great. My question is how can I make this recipe into a cake? I’m traveling to see my brother, who loves blueberry, and thought they would end up breaking in route. Any suggestions?
Susan
Hi Susan, we’d suggest referencing our V/GF banana bread recipe for inspiration. Let us know if you do some experimenting!
Michal says
I made this but replaced the flax egg with an egg and the coconut oil with butter. Loved it ! Super soft and just the right amount of sweetness
Lovely! Thanks so much for sharing, Michal! xo
Shelagh says
Hi,
Would I just use one egg in place of the flax egg?
Hi Shelagh, we’d recommend subbing 1 small chicken egg per 1 flax egg, so in this recipe, that would be 2 eggs. Hope that helps!
Shelagh A Tillott says
Thanks! I’ll try that! Have a blessed day!
Natalie says
So so so good! My house smells amazing right now. I ran out of apple sauce so I thinly shredded some apples instead and they are a hit! What a perfect cookie and love the cleaner ingredients and no refined sugar.
Thanks for the recipe!
Love that swap, Natalie! Thank you so much for sharing! xo
Kamaria says
Hi! How can I make this nut-free?
Hi Kamaria, maybe sunflower butter for the nut butter, sunflower seed meal for the almond flour, and more oats for the walnuts/pecans? They may end up a different color and we can’t guarantee they will turn out the same as we haven’t tried with these modifications. Let us know if you do some experimenting!
Sarah says
I made these this afternoon! Super easy to make and delicious! I used fresh blueberries and used just almond flour and oats instead of oat flour and they still turned out great. Also added some cinnamon :) so yummy!
We’re so glad they turned out well! Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Sarah! xo
VICKY says
Really good breakfast cookies! Made these with fresh blueberries and it turned out great!
Yay! Thanks so much, Vicky!
Jess says
I left out the sweetener, used frozen blueberries and used AP flour. I also grind up apple in my vitamix for the applesauce. They turned out great! I would flatten them more next time because they were a little underdone. Will definitely make them again.
Thank you for sharing, Jess! If using frozen blueberries, it might also help to add more flour because the blueberries add more moisture. Hope that helps!
Charisse says
Delicious!
xoxo!
Loraine Campbell says
These are delicious. I want to make these for someone with a tree nut allergy. Can I substitute the almond meal with oat flour? I thought I saw a comment that said this was ok but I can’t find it.
Thank you.
Hi Loraine! We haven’t tried it but it could work, if you have it you could also try using gluten-free blend instead. Let us know how it goes if you give it a try!
Julie says
Hi. What can I substitute for banana?
Thanks in advance.
Maybe sweet potato puree?
Nicole says
Just made this for breakfast! Love it. Made half with dried cranberries and half with frozen blueberries. Also, I used more mashed banana to replace applesauce since I don’t have any at home. Thanks for sharing this recipe
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Nicole. We are so glad you enjoyed them! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
pilar says
HI! I love this recipe! Can you recomend how you’d make it nut free, while still vegan? My son’s school has a nut free policy and i’d like to send him something like this.
thanks so much!!!
Hi Pilar, we haven’t tried, but maybe sunflower butter for the nut butter, sunflower seed meal for the almond flour, and more oats for the walnuts/pecans? They will probably end up a different color though and we can’t guarantee results. Let us know if you do some experimenting!
Jennifer says
My new favorite cookie. My son bought sweetened applesauce and I really didn’t want the extra sugar so swapped it with pumpkin. Also used frozen petite blueberries. Perfection!
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Jennifer! xo
Stephanie says
Hi! I was searching for muffin recipes and your recipe came up so I decided to give it a try. Who doesn’t love cookies? :) They are excellent! Not too sweet, just right. I didn’t have dried blueberries so subbed raisins, and my family doesn’t like chopped nuts (crazy!) in their baked goods so I just added an extra 1/4 cup of the oats. They were perfect. Thanks for an unexpected, but truly great recipe! I will be making these regularly for sure.
Yay! We’re so glad you and your family enjoyed them! Thanks so much for sharing, Stephanie!
Tsveta says
I am in love with your recipes all of them,thank you.What is the measure for one cup in all of your recipes ?One cup is 200 grams and half is 100 …am I thinking right? Thank you again 🤗
Thanks Tsveta! Not sure we are understanding your question, but 1 cup will vary in weight based on ingredient. You can find the weight measurements for each ingredient by clicking “metric” beneath the ingredients header. Hope that helps!
Tsveta says
Thank you ,yes this was my misunderstanding..with metric is perfect.
Kent says
What a delicious way to start the day. They have ingredients you can feel good about in the morning. Like a handheld bowl of oatmeal. I just wish I could get them to look pretty.
Thanks for sharing, Kent! Is it the shape or color that’s not pretty? Or something else? Would love to help troubleshoot if we can!
Iain says
Made these with my 6 year old daughter today. Subbed half the dried blueberries for fresh ones and grated 1/2 apple. Biscuits were soft and juicy – perfect for breakfast and to dunk in oat milk! 5 stars 😊
Love the website too, wonderful recipes to do with kids!
Aw, thanks so much for sharing, Iain. We are so glad you both enjoyed them! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
Paige says
Update: after making these weekly for months on end, I am so in love with these breakfast cookies. Thank you for such a great recipe Dana. I stopped using dried blueberries back in March, when the bulk area of our grocery store was closed for virus-protection. Since then, I’ve been using about 1 cup of frozen blueberries in each batch. They are just as delicious, and I don’t have to worry about the added sugar in the dried blueberries. Also, I was lazy last night and did not feel like making a flax egg. So I substituted it for about 3-4 TBSP of coconut yogurt. It turned out so good!!
We’re so glad you enjoy them, Paige! Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing that they work with frozen! xo
Jennie says
This recipe is so forgiving! I got lazy and didn’t use oat flour, instead just all rolled oats and almond meal. I was also out of vanilla extract and dried blueberries so I just used cranberries and went without vanilla. I also used 2 tbsp of sweetener instead of 3. All in all they still turned out well and I just had one as a light breakfast today. Omitting a star only because I have yet to taste them as designed! Thanks for the easy recipe.
Thanks for sharing, Jennie!
Tiffany says
These look great, but I don’t have applesauce – would extra mashed banana also work?
Maybe! Let us know if you try it!
Anna Nalyvayko says
These look so good!
Do you think I could use frozen blueberries instead?
Hi Anna, we haven’t tried it, but other readers have done so with success! Let us know if you try it!
Shon says
Really yummy! I subbed about 6 mashed dates for syrup, added stevia-sweetened mini chocolate chips, and used fresh blueberries instead of dried. Also added a bit of unsweetened shredded coconut. Delicious! Though they may not keep as well as using dried bluebs… if I made again, I’d add cinnamon.
Thanks for sharing, Shon!
Caroline says
I am not vegan and would rather use regular eggs instead of flax eggs, will that work with this recipe?
Yes! Worth a shot. Sub 1 small chicken egg per 1 flax egg.
Paige says
I’ve made these so many times now after an effort to stop eating our store-bought bars for breakfast. They are so good, pretty darn easy, and I feel much better about having them daily. Thank you as always Dana!
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing, Paige!
Lauren says
Could mashed avocado or sweet potato be used instead of the banana? We have a banana allergy in the home.
Hi Lauren, we aren’t sure whether that would be sweet enough, but it might work. Another reader mentioned doubling the applesauce and omitting the banana with success! Let us know if you give it a try!
Sophie says
These cookies are so good!! It is like blueberry oatmeal in the form of a cookie, which is absolutely perfect for someone like me who loves a sweet breakfast. I love to make these, freeze some, and then have a couple with coffee every morning to start my day. SO GOOD! also, the trader joe’s dried blueberries are really good.
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Sophie. We are so glad you enjoy them! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
Dara says
How do you reheat them? Making a big batch to take from the freezer is the best! as long as they reheat nicely with flavor and texture.
Nicole says
Love these! I used all almond butter, subbed extra oat flour for the almond meal, added some cinnamon and used dried cherries instead of blueberries. Very yummy and great for morning snacking.
So glad you enjoy these, Nicole! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Rohini Bajekal says
This is just the best cookie ever! So chewy, wholesome and moreish. I subbed the oat flour for spelt flour and the oil for an extra half banana and it was still perfect – just needed 5 mins longer in the oven! Also added in some cinnamon :) Incredible!
Yum! Thanks for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Rohini!
Linda Rivera says
Can I use stevia to sweeten them? I don’t have the other sugars on hand & I don’t like to use regular sugars. How much stevia do you recommend? I love all of your recipes. Thanks!
Hi Linda, we haven’t tried these with stevia, but it might work! Another reader used 4 drops liquid stevia. If you give it a try, we would love to hear how it goes!
Vicky says
My daughter is allergic to nuts, so can’t have peanut or nut butter. What can be used as a substitute. Thank you for a great site
Hi Vicky, thank you! You could try sunflower butter, but fair warning that they may turn green! Let us know if you give it a try!
Hillary says
It’s about time I comment because I have made these so many times and just love them. They got me through pregnancy, raging breastfeeding hunger (hello, 2am snack!), marathon training, and more. I leave out the 3 tbsp of maple/agave and still find them perfectly sweet. I’ve also subbed canned pumpkin for the applesauce (just because I didn’t have it) and that worked too. Love ’em. Thanks for another goodie!!
Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Hillary. We are so glad you have enjoyed these! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! xo
Esther Rowan says
Hi!
If using regular egg(s), how many?
1 small chicken egg per 1 flax egg
Monica says
Just made these again today with my two young daughters. It’s pretty much a no fail recipe, it’s so good and perfect for my Celiac husband and my restrictive diet. First time I made it I used frozen blueberries (put them in frozen) and for today’s batch we used half raisins, half cranberries. Both times I subbed coconut oil for the applesauce – I thought they were going to turn out crispy (didn’t mind that they would) but they still came out chewy. I also appreciate recipes that yield exactly the amount they say (the more, the merrier) and this does just that – 24 cookies. Needless to say I will undoubtedly be making them again… and again…
Yay! Thanks for your review, Monica! xo
Ronica says
These are fantastic and kids loooove them! I added lemon zest and used frozen blueberries, thanks for such a delicious nutrient plant based recipe
Jessica says
I love this recipe so much! I’ve been making these weekly (or even biweekly) for a few months now and just realized I should write a review. So since I’m out of cookies and haven’t started whipping up the next batch yet, thought I’d do it now. I didn’t have dried blueberries the first time I made these, so I used dried raspberries (about half of a Trader Joe’s dried raspberry bag). And for me, where there are dried raspberries there is chocolate. So I throw in enough chocolate chips so that there are 2-4 chips in each cookie, depending on how large I make them. I reduced the maple syrup from 45mL to 30mL to minimize my guilt from this addition and they still taste GREAT. Also, I started to have banana-flavor fatigue (I like them, but don’t love them) so I have stopped using banana and now just double the applesauce. Same end-result consistency, but without feeling like you’re eating banana bread all the time (which, hey, can have it’s moments). I’ve also occasionally been lazy and avoided shaping the cookies by just pressing the batter into a glass baking pan and made bars instead – only had to add on some baking time. Aside from these cookies being delicious, they are so handy because you can grab 2 or 3 of them as you’re running out the door and have a super-healthy breakfast, and they’re so filling that you will legitimately not be hungry until it’s time for a late lunch. I don’t think I’ve ever made an online recipe as many times as I’ve made this one! Thank you! ???
Thank you so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Jessica! That chocolate + raspberry combo sounds dreamy!
Prajakta Apte says
Is it okay to substitute soy butter for almond/peanut butter? My kids are allergic to peanuts and almonds.
Thank you!
We haven’t tried that, but it might work! If you give it a try, we would love to hear how it goes!
Darlene says
Could you use an extra 1/4 cup coconut oil in these cookies to sub in for the apple sauce.
We haven’t tried that, but think it would yield a less chewy and more crunchy cookie. If you give it a try, we would love to hear how it goes!
Darlene says
Thanks for the answer.
Rohini Bajekal says
This recipe came out wonderfully! So delicious and filling. I replaced the nuts with dark chocolate chips and that worked beautifully with the texture of the cookies.