One of the perks of being an adult is you can have cookies whenever you want.  

 

But what if you make cookies nutritious enough you can justify eating them for breakfast? Guess what? It turns out you actually CAN have cookies for breakfast.

 

Our childhood dreams have come true!

 

All the benefits of a nourishing bowl of oatmeal in convenient handheld cookie form. With the weather getting warmer, a cookie dipped in cold milk sounds much better than a bowl of hot oatmeal.

 

These cookies have enough protein and fiber to keep you feeling full until lunch and you can customize them to your heart’s delight.

 

Like this – these are pecan, sunflower seed, chia seed and dried cranberry breakfast cookies! These were the first batch I made when I was doing the recipe tests for Breakfast Cookies.

 

 

 

There’s a base cookie with nut butter, oats and protein powder. Then you get to choose your favorite nuts, dried fruits, seeds or other goodies. For instance, chocolate, because chocolate makes mornings much happier. And if you’re having cookies for breakfast you should be really happy about it.

 

Since we’re talking cookies, check this out! – 3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies 

 

DARK CHOCOLATE CHERRY AND ALMOND BREAKFAST COOKIES

 

Yield: 12 to 14 cookies Time: 45 minutes

 

What You’ll Need:

• 1 cup almond or peanut butter – or other nut butter

• ¾ cup milk (any kind—dairy milk, almond, hemp, or soy milk. I used unsweetened hemp)

• ½ tsp salt

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil – or butter

• ⅓ cup pure maple syrup – or honey or agave, pancake syrup or corn syrup

• ½ teaspoon vanilla

• ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder – optional (but why wouldn’t you?)

• ½ cup vanilla flavored soy protein powder – or any flavor protein powder.  See tip below**

• 2 cups of quick oats (or old fashioned oats – they’re chewier)

• 1½ cups of mix-ins (dried fruit, nuts, seeds, coconut, chocolate chips, etc.)

 

Diva Tip – for this recipe I used – ½ cup dark chocolate chips, ½ cup dried cherries, ½ cup sliced almonds and I may have been a bit generous with my measurements. I drizzled with dark chocolate.

Optional – Chocolate drizzle – 2 tablespoons any variety of chocolate chips, ½ teaspoon coconut oil (do eeeet!)

 

Here’s How:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a sauce pan, over low heat, melt peanut butter. Add milk, salt, coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla and stir to combine.
3. Next pour the mixture into the bowl of your stand mixer or a large mixing bowl. Please note this mixture will be HOT. Add the cocoa powder and protein powder and mix until smooth. If you’re not using cocoa powder you can add more protein powder.
4. Add the oats and combine. Finally add your mix-ins.
5. If you’re mixing this by hand you’ll probably have to literally get your hands involved to thoroughly combine. Again, reminding you the nut butter mixture will be hot. Mix until it is sticks together and is easy to shape.
6. A stand mixer makes short work out of this recipe – KitchenAid K45SSOB 4.5-Quart Classic Series Stand Mixer, Onyx Black
7. Use a ¼ cup measure to measure out the cookie dough. Press each cookie together with your hands to be sure it sticks together and arrange onto prepared baking sheets. They don’t spread during baking so they can be close to each other. Bake 12-15 minutes. 

Let these cool before eating or drizzling.

 

Chocolate Drizzle

If you want to drizzle with chocolate; melt chocolate chips in the microwave and place in a zip top baggie. Use a scissor to cut a tiny bit off one corner and drizzle the cooled cookies. Why wouldn’t you want extra chocolate. Dark chocolate is practically guilt free!

 

 

 

You can store cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days or wrap tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. If they last that long. Mine didn’t last 3 days.

 

** Diva Tip – I use Trader Joe’s Vanilla Flavored Soy Protein Powder but you could probably use any kind of protein powder you like.  Any flavor. Any kind of protein, like whey or hemp. If you can make a shake with it, you can use it in these cookies.

 

Here are some examples – EAS 100% Pure Whey Protein Powder, Vanilla, 2lb      Body Fortress Super Advanced Whey Protein Powder, Chocolate, 2 Pound

 

Now that it’s ok to have cookies for breakfast, I think Cookie Monster had it right. Day or night.
“Me want cookie! Om, nom, nom, nom!!”

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