These Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies are soft, chewy, and made with simple ingredients like oats, peanut butter, and ripe bananas. They're the perfect addition for busy mornings, lunchboxes, or after school snacks. Not only that, these easy breakfast cookies come together quickly and freeze beautifully.
If your mornings feel anything like ours during planting, harvest, or baseball season, having a batch of breakfast cookies ready to grab can make the day feel just a little easier.
These breakfast cookies also tuck nicely into a cold lunch alongside fruit, cheese, and other lunchbox favorites. They hold up well in lunchboxes and feel like a fun little treat while still being hearty and filling.
Sometimes cookies for breakfast just hit the spot. The kids will think they're getting away with something, while you'll know they started the day with oats, peanut butter, and banana.
Heart
- Soft and chewy texture
- Made with pantry staples
- Great way to use ripe bananas
- Freezer friendly
- Kid approved
- Easy to customize
- Perfect make ahead breakfast
These oatmeal breakfast cookies are hearty enough to hold everyone over until lunch while still feeling like a fun treat.
If you're staring at spotted bananas on the counter, be sure to check out my collection of banana recipes for even more ways to use them.
Ingredients
- Overripe Bananas - Use very ripe bananas for the best flavor and natural sweetness. The browner (or uglier), the better.
- Old Fashioned Oats - Old fashioned rolled oats give these breakfast cookies with banana the perfect chewy texture.
- Peanut Butter - Peanut butter adds protein and helps hold the cookies together. Creamy peanut butter works best.
- Honey - A little honey adds sweetness without making the cookies overly sugary. An equal amount of real maple syrup may be substituted for the honey.
- Egg - The egg helps improve the texture and gives the cookies structure.
- Cinnamon and Vanilla - Warm cinnamon and vanilla give these cookies cozy homemade flavor.
- Mini Chocolate Chips (Optional) - Add mini chocolate chips for a sweeter cookie that kids especially love.
For another simple oat based snack, don’t miss my Healthy Oatmeal Bites Recipe. They’re perfect for tossing into lunchboxes or grabbing on the go.
How to Make Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
- This recipe is super simple. Mash bananas, then stir in peanut butter, honey, egg, and vanilla extract until combined.
Add oats, cinnamon, and salt. Stir until everything is evenly mixed.
Scoop dough onto the prepared baking sheet using a cookie scoop or about 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie. Gently flatten slightly.
- Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until the cookies are lightly golden around the edges and set in the center.
Allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
FARM GIRL TIP
Make Them Yours
These banana oatmeal breakfast cookies are delicious as written, but they're easy to customize. Stir in mini chocolate chips, raisins, dried cranberries, or chopped nuts depending on what your family likes best.
For a tropical twist, try my Hawaiian Banana Bread with pineapple and coconut.
Top Tips
- Use ripe bananas for maximum sweetness and flavor.
- Don’t overbake. These cookies stay soft and chewy.
- Mini chocolate chips distribute more evenly than regular chocolate chips.
- Let the cookies cool before storing so they don’t become soggy.
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If you love baking with ripe bananas, these Strawberry Banana Muffins are another family favorite.
Easy Variations
These easy breakfast cookies are simple to customize based on what you have in the pantry.
Try adding:
- raisins
- chopped walnuts
- dried cranberries or dried blueberries
- chia seeds
- flaxseed
- shredded coconut
You can also swap the peanut butter for sunflower butter or almond butter if preferred.
Storage and Freezing
Store banana oatmeal breakfast cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
To freeze, place cooled cookies in a freezer safe bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months. These cookies hold up well in lunchboxes and make an easy addition to a cold lunch alongside fresh fruit, cheese, or yogurt.
If you enjoy make-ahead breakfasts, my Blueberry Baked Oatmeal and Strawberry Banana Baked Oatmeal are more easy option for busy mornings.
Frequently Asked Questions
These breakfast cookies are made with oats, bananas, and peanut butter which makes them a more filling option than traditional cookies. They’re a great grab and go breakfast for busy mornings.
Yes! These oatmeal breakfast cookies freeze very well. Simply thaw at room temperature or warm slightly in the microwave before serving.
You can substitute almond butter or sunflower seed butter if needed.
More Banana Recipes You'll Love
If you have extra ripe bananas sitting on the counter, be sure to check out my other favorite banana recipes.
More Packable Breakfast Ideas
Recipe
Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies (Easy Make-Ahead Breakfast)
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, mash bananas until mostly smooth. You'll need ¾ cup mashed ripe banana.
- Stir in ½ cup peanut butter, ¼ cup honey, 1 large egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
- Add 2 cups old fashioned oats, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Stir until everything is evenly mixed. Let the mixture rest for 10 minutes so the oats can absorb some of the moisture.
- Fold in ½ cup mini chocolate chips, if using.
- Scoop dough onto prepared baking sheet and gently flatten slightly using the back of a spoon or clean fingers.
- Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until lightly golden around the edges.Allow cookies to cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Farm Girl Tips
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- ½ cup mini chocolate chips
- raisins
- dried cranberries
- chopped walnuts or pecans
- shredded coconut
Daniella says
These are delicious, we devoured them! My daughter is allergic to peanuts too, so it was nice to see the almond butter swap. The one change I made was to use raisins instead of cranberries for less added sugar.
Deanne Frieders says
These sound like great swaps, Daniella. Glad you enjoyed them.
Daniella says
These are delicious, we devoured them! My daughter is allergic to peanuts too, so it was nice to see the almond butter swap. The one change I made was to use raisins instead of cranberries for less added sugar.