Chocolate Oatmeal Breakfast Cookie (Print Version)

A nourishing, cake-like cookie rich with oats, banana, and chocolate for a morning boost or on-the-go snack.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 1 cup rolled oats
02 - 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
03 - 1/2 tsp baking powder
04 - 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
05 - Pinch of salt

→ Wet Ingredients

06 - 2 large ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)
07 - 2 tbsp maple syrup or honey
08 - 1 tbsp melted coconut oil or unsalted butter
09 - 1 tsp vanilla extract

→ Add-ins

10 - 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
11 - 2 tbsp chopped nuts (optional)

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, combine rolled oats, cocoa powder, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt; mix thoroughly.
03 - In a separate bowl, mash bananas until smooth, then stir in maple syrup or honey, melted coconut oil or butter, and vanilla extract.
04 - Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips and nuts if using.
05 - Scoop heaping tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheet, flattening each cookie slightly with the back of a spoon.
06 - Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, or until cookies are set and slightly firm to the touch.
07 - Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They taste like a chocolate cake you're actually allowed to eat for breakfast without anyone questioning your life choices.
  • One bowl of oats and banana becomes eight cookies with almost no fuss, which means you can make them on a Tuesday and have a week sorted.
  • Naturally sweet from the fruit with no refined sugar required, so you get that satisfied-full feeling that lasts past mid-morning.
02 -
  • The baking time is critical here. Pull them out when they still feel slightly yielding in the center, because they continue cooking on the hot pan and firm up perfectly as they cool. Overbake and you're eating hockey pucks.
  • Don't make the batter and walk away to do other things. The bananas release moisture, and the oats soak it up. Bake within a few minutes of mixing or your dough goes thick and sticky.
03 -
  • Store these in an airtight container with a piece of bread tucked in. The bread keeps them moist longer by releasing a little humidity, and you can eat the bread later if it gets stale.
  • Make a double batch and freeze the baked cookies in a freezer bag. They thaw in about 15 minutes and taste nearly as good as fresh, which means breakfast is handled on the mornings when you barely have time to find your shoes.
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