A banana bread + chocolate chip cookie hybrid, these vegan banana bread breakfast cookies make for quick and healthy snacking or breakfast on the go. Made with spelt flour and naturally sweetened with bananas and maple syrup.
Banana Bread meets Chocolate Chip Cookie
Imagine the taste of banana bread combined with the texture of a muffin top, formed into the shape of a perfect chocolate chip cookie! That's how I would describe this awesome little recipe.
A healthy snack or breakfast on the go
Banana bread cookies are great for a take along breakfast or a quick healthy snack. They store really well in the fridge so you can make these ahead of time for those Monday mornings when you snooze a little too hard!
What is a breakfast cookie?
Essentially, a breakfast cookie is a healthy cookie that is made with less sugar, includes whole grains like oats, and contains fruit (typically dried).
My breakfast cookies include all of the above, except they use fresh ripe banana to naturally sweeten the cookies and add a soft texture. As well, the banana adds that unmistaken “banana-bread” flavour, which is the main reason I made them.
Naturally Sweetened Cookies
As mentioned, my vegan banana bread breakfast cookies are sweetened with bananas and maple syrup. I consider them a healthier treat because they contain fiber and Omega 3 from ground flaxseed.
The chocolate chips in this recipe do add some refined sugar, however, I used semi-sweet dark chocolate morsels and made sure not to overload the recipe with them. The measurement is just right and gives a good chocolate fix without it being overpowering or too sweet.
This Recipe is
- Vegan
- Dairy-free
- Egg-free
- Soft and slightly chewy
- Great for breakfast on the go
- Easy to make
- Able to be made ahead
- A great cookie-muffin hybrid of textures
For this recipe you will need:
- Ripe bananas
- Flax meal
- Coconut oil
- Maple syrup
- Vanilla extract
- Spelt flour
- Baking soda
- A pinch of salt
- Rolled oats
- Semi-sweet chocolate pieces
How to make this recipe
This recipe is very easy to make. The most time consuming part is mashing the bananas.
To a large bowl, simply add the mashed banana, coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla and flax mixture and stir to combine. In another small bowl, you sift together the dry ingredients (except the chocolate chips and oats), and then add it to the banana mixture.
Next you just have to stir in the oats and chocolate, portion the dough/batter, press them down and then bake in a preheated oven.
The cookies bake for 12 minutes until they're slightly golden around the edges. After they've cooled, they'll be ready to enjoy.
Tips to make this recipe
- Use very ripe bananas - they're easier to mash and sweeter. The bananas should have some brown spotting on the peel.
- The batter/dough mix is somewhat sticky. It should resemble a cross between muffin batter and cookie dough. It's meant to be like that, so don't worry.
- Use a medium sized cookie scoop to portion the dough/batter.
- When pressing the cookie dough, you can lightly flour your hands if you find it sticking too much.
- Allow the cookies to cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
How to Store
Because this recipe uses fresh bananas, it's best to keep them in a covered container in the fridge to retain their flavour and texture. They will last for 3-4 days this way.
Substitutions for this recipe
If you don't have spelt flour on hand, you can exchange it for whole wheat flour in a 1:1 ratio. You can also substitute the maple syrup for agave syrup or liquid honey in equal measure.
If you prefer, you can also omit the chocolate and add chopped walnuts or pecans instead in equal measure. You can also use softened vegan butter in equal measure, instead of coconut oil.
Want More Recipes Like This?
If you love my vegan banana bread breakfast cookies, you might want to give these recipes a try, too!
Chewy Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies [vegan]
Vegan Double Chocolate Banana Bread
Vegan Gluten-free Maple Almond Cookies
Ultimate Breakfast Cookies (vegan, gluten-free + sugar-free)
Vegan Banana Bread Breakfast Cookies
A banana bread + chocolate chip cookie hybrid which makes for quick and healthy-ish snacking. These vegan banana bread breakfast cookies are made with spelt flour and sweetened with bananas and maple syrup. Make these banana bread cookies ahead of time so you have a quick breakfast if you snooze a little too hard on a Monday morning!
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup mashed banana approx. 1 ½ bananas
- 2 tbsp flax meal + 4 tbsp water
- ¼ cup softened coconut oil
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups spelt flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- pinch of salt
- ½ cup rolled oats
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate pieces
Instructions
-
Preheat oven to 375'F. In a small bowl, combine the flax meal (ground flax seeds) and water and let stand for 5 minutes.
-
To a large bowl, add the mashed banana, coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla and flax mixture and stir to combine. In a small bowl, sift together the spelt flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the banana mixture and stir to combine. Stir in the oats and chocolate pieces until evenly distributed. You will have a mixture that resembles a cross between a muffin batter and cookie dough.
-
Using a spoon or cookie scoop (my preference), portion the dough into 13 rounds and place them on a large baking sheet approximately 2" apart. Using the palm of your hand or the back of a spoon, gently flatten each round until approx ½" thick (the batter is quite sticky, so don't be alarmed if you have some pulling off onto your hand. If you prefer, flour your hand a little to prevent sticking).
-
Bake for 12 minutes in a preheated oven or until slightly golden around the edges. Remove and allow to cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet. Gently move each cookie to a wire rack to cool completely.
Recipe Notes
Because this recipe uses fresh banana, it's best to keep them in a covered container in the fridge to retain their flavour and texture (for 3-4 days).
Alison says
I just baked my second batch of these, as muffins this time! Absolutely perfect as muffins, just bake a bit longer (I kept them in for about 22 minutes). I also added dried cranberries and mixed seeds instead of chocolate chips. Such an adaptable recipe if you’ve got some bananas that are getting sad!
Heidi Richter says
So so happy you like them...and my goodness, I need to try these as muffins now 🙂
xo
Arlene says
I doubled the recipe, but used the same for oats and added some partially blended sunflower seeds to make up the other part. I used part dark chocolate and part semi-sweet and added in some chopped craisins. I added 1 tsp of lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of cooked date purée.
The cookies are delicious and children approved.
Heidi Richter says
I'm so happy to hear you and the kiddos like the recipe, Arlene! Love your adaptations!
Allison D. says
These were so delicious I’m so happy to have found this recipe! I used regular flour and a mix of chocolate chips and dark chocolate chopped up from a larger bar (quarantine baking with what was in my cupboard lol). These are great if you’re wanting to making something besides banana bread and have ripe bananas to use up. I’ll definitely make them again!
Heidi Richter says
I’m so happy to hear it, Allison 🙂 Thank you for making my recipe and for the lovely feedback!
Cecile Laloux says
I have been making these a lot! Probably 10 times in past couple weeks. I shared the recipe with my best friend and she also loves it. It is very convenient and super healthy. Of course it’s always better with chocolate chips, but walnuts are a great replacement for me. This recipe will stay with me for as long as I live. Thank you!
Heidi Richter says
I am so happy to hear it, Cecile 🙂 Thank you for sharing. And yes, walnuts would be an awesome addition!
Gilda Manns says
These are fantastic! Many thanks for this recipe!