You only need 8 ingredients to make these amazing and delicious healthy Vegan Breakfast Cookies that are gluten-free, oil-free and refined sugar-free! They have an amazing depth of flavor compared to other breakfast cookies because of the pumpkin pie spices and a crispy and chewy texture that is undeniable!
VEGAN BREAKFAST COOKIES
These are a serious step up from traditional breakfast cookies because they are rich in pumpkin spices and they have an unexpected ingredient to make the crispiest texture…brown rice crisp cereal! They are chewy, moist and crispy and SO delicious in flavor. They are seriously one of my favorite cookie recipes ever.
These are actually featured in my cookbook and were also featured in People Magazine last year! I think you are going to love them. It’s the perfect make ahead breakfast, too, or on-the-go snack.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED
(Only 8 main ingredients needed. Full details and measurements on the recipe card below.)
- Roasted creamy almond butter: This gives the fat needed for these gluten-free breakfast cookies and also a wonderful depth of flavor. Make sure you are using a runny, smooth nut butter and not a dry chunky one. I love the Trader Joe’s brand or the Simple Truth brand from Kroger. Make sure it’s premixed well from the jar before using since the oil and almonds can separate. I like to pour it all in a food processor and blend it briefly to make it smooth and mixed and then store it in a separate container. Or you can make my Homemade Roasted Almond Butter, but just make sure it has completely cooled before using.
- Pure maple syrup: Or you can use agave.
- Ground flaxseed: This helps give another dose of omega-3 fats, nutrition and some binding.
- Pumpkin pie spice: This gives these cookies a major depth of flavor! So so good. I use my homemade blend, of course.
- Old-fashioned oats: Use certified gluten-free if needed.
- Brown rice crisp cereal: This is where the most magical crunchy factor comes in. I use the Nature’s Path brand. You can find this at some stores like Whole Food’s or online. I also like the One Degree brand. Both of these don’t have additives or any oil and hardly any sugar. Another option that would work well would be puffed quinoa.
- Dried cherries or cranberries
- Pistachios or pumpkin seeds: To be honest, I LOVE pistachios so much more. They are my favorite nut and taste so buttery and delicious, but I was out of them, so I used pumpkin seeds. They are still good, perfect if you need nut-free, but just make sure they are fresh. Rancid pumpkin seeds taste really gross.
HOW TO MAKE VEGAN BREAKFAST COOKIES
Step 1: Mix the almond butter, syrup, flaxseed, pumpkin pie spice and salt in a large bowl. Stir until well combined.
Step 2: Add the oats, rice crisp cereal, cherries and nuts/seeds. Stir until a very thick and sticky batter forms.
Step 3: Use a cookie scoop with 2 tablespoons worth of batter and place them onto a lined sheet pan (with parchment paper) 2 inches apart.
Step 4: Use a small square piece of parchment paper to gently press each cookie down to 1/2 inch thickness. The mixture will be VERY sticky and fragile, loose, but will firm up a ton after baking, so don’t worry. Piece any loose pieces back together along the edges of the cookies, trying to form a round shape.
Step 5: Bake these vegan gluten-free breakfast cookies at 350°F (177°C) for just 10 minutes. They should be looking golden brown. Do not overbake these, as they will taste burnt and not good. The cookies will be VERY tender after removing them from the oven, so do not try to remove or eat them yet or they will crumble. Leave them o n the pan for 15 minutes, and they will be totally firm and crispy by then.
MORE VEGAN COOKIE RECIPES
- 4 Ingredient Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies
- Almond Butter Blossoms
- Vegan Lemon Cookies
- Old-Fashioned Iced Oatmeal Cookies
- Crispy Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Vegan Snickerdoodles
- Best Vegan Gluten-free Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Grain-free Chocolate Coconut Cookies
- Grain-free Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies (made with cashew butter)
- Vegan Thin Mints
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Vegan Breakfast Cookies (Oil-free and Gluten-free!)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (128g) roasted creamy almond butter
- 6 tablespoons (120g) pure maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon (8g) ground flaxseed
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice (I used my homemade blend)
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 cup (50g) gluten-free old-fashioned oats
- 1/2 cup (23g) brown rice crisp cereal
- 1/4 cup (45g) dried cherries or cranberries
- 1/4 cup (45g) pistachios or pumpkin seeds for nut-free
- I use this scale.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Add the almond butter, syrup, flaxseed, pumpkin pie spice and salt to a large bowl and stir very well until mixed.
- Add the oats, rice crisp cereal, cherries and nuts/seeds. Stir until a very thick and sticky batter forms.
- Use a cookie scoop with 2 tablespoons worth of batter and place them onto the pan 2 inches apart. I always get 13-14 cookies. The batter will be VERY sticky and fragile, loose, but will firm up a ton after baking, so don't worry.
- Piece any loose pieces back together along the edges of the cookies, trying to form a round shape.
- Use a small square piece of parchment paper to gently press each cookie down to 1/2 inch thickness.
- Bake for JUST 10 minutes. They should be looking golden brown. Do not overbake these, as they will taste burnt and not good. The cookies will be VERY tender after removing them from the oven, so do not try to remove or eat them yet or they will crumble! Leave them on the pan for 15 minutes, and they will be totally firm and crispy by then. Transfer to a cooling rack using a thin spatula. Store at room temperature covered.
Notes
- BROWN RICE CRISP CEREAL: This is where the most magical crunchy factor comes in. I use the Nature's Path brand. You can find this at some stores like Whole Food's or online. I also like the One Degree brand. Both of these don't have additives or any oil and hardly any sugar. Another option that would work well would be puffed quinoa.
- NUT-FREE: To make these nut-free, use sunbutter instead of almond butter if you don't mind the taste of sunbutter. Use pumpkin seeds instead of pistachios.
To assure everyone who needs an okay about the swaps- this recipe was almost hilariously amendable. I used sun butter instead of almond butter, cut the maple syrup in half, used double the oats and no rice crisps because that’s what I had) I’ll stop saying that now), and for mix ins swapped pistachios and cranberries for walnuts and dark chocolate chips. They turned out great! The one rule you can’t change is letting them sit. I tried to eat one right away because I’m impatient. It was crumbly and not very good 😊 The ones in the morning were amazing!
Aloha from Hawaii! Love this pumpkin spice nutty cookie recipe!
Can you make the cookies 3” big and still come out firm and crispy?
Also, you said it’s also chewy. What makes it chewy? Trying to find a recipe that’s crispy throughout. Is it the dried fruit?
Sorry for so many questions but what can I use in place of flax seed? Ground chia seeds?
Mahalo!!!
Sounds amazing getting ingredients today to bake
We have these often. They’re so good and don’t last very long around here. I’m out of puffed rice and wondering if I could substitute puffed millet in place.
Awesome to hear!
Hi Shellie,
Hope you don’t mind me asking but is it a chewy cookie? I’m looking for a crispy cookie recipe.
Thanks!
Just delicious! These came out perfect. I used dried tart cherries and pumpkin seeds. My rice crisp cereal is unsweetened. I did substitute date syrup for the maple syrup. Everyone just inhaled them all so I’ll be making them again today.
These sound great. My creamy almond butter is raw not roasted. Will that be okay to use?
These cookies are amazing- with breakfast, as a snack, or dessert! I didn’t have quite enough almond butter, so I used half peanut butter as well. Also, I froze them to have on hand later, and not only are they delicious frozen, but the brown rice crisp cereal stays crispy that way. Delicious!
Hi Coby!
Hope you don’t mind me asking but did they turn out crispy or more chewy you’d say?
Thank you so much!
Hi Brandi, thank you so much for this fantastic recipe, I’ve made it several times and it’s always delicious. Just one comment regarding the weights in the recipe. 6 tablespoons of maple syrup weighs much less than 120g for me (around 60g) so I’m just wondering if that’s correct. Thank you again! 🙂🙏🏼
These are delicious! I used dried cranberries and pistachios. I baked for 10 minutes as instructed and allowed them to cool 15 minutes on the pan & a couple on the rack before I couldn’t wait any longer to try them. I’m thrilled with how they came out and will certainly make them again!
These cookies are so good! Thank you for Sharing recipe.
Question, can I use peanut butter in place of almond butter?
thanks
That should work!