Gluten free Dairy free Breakfast Cookie

These gluten-free breakfast cookies are here to save the day and get you out the door quickly with a clean and tasty breakfast. They are gluten-free and dairy-free with only good-for-you ingredients and can be frozen for on-the-go and out-the-door!

For those looking for an almond butter, peanut butter, and cashew butter free breakfast cookie, this one is it. As an allergy mom myself, I know how difficult these types of nut-free recipes can be to find!

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I am not a doctor or dietician, so please consult one of these professionals if you are restricting your diet in any way.

Why you'll love clean eating breakfast cookies

Reasons why I love these oatmeal breakfast cookies. Oh, let me just list them here if the photos alone didn't give you enough reason:

• They're gluten-free and dairy-free and full of only good-for-you ingredients
• One batch makes 15 cookies, enough for several breakfasts for the average family (or 15 breakfasts just for you if you hoard them like I do!)
• They're full of fiber to keep you full and healthy fat to give the body what it needs with a touch of added sweetness from the honey and dried fruit
• They freeze really well (yay for make-ahead breakfast!)
• They're customizable in terms of the add-ins and, of course, super tasty.

Baking up a clean breakfast

I created this recipe for Bella Magazine's January issue. The theme of that issue is Reinvention. Ahhhh, how wonderful of a word is that, especially for the month of January when we are all feeling like making a fresh start.

These breakfast cookies fit in perfectly with that theme.

They allow you to get a fresh, clean start every morning while giving you a delicious, filling breakfast. How about that for reinvention?!

These cookies are super easy to put together, too. Blend all your dry ingredients, then the wet ingredients and bake. I use gluten-free oats, however, you can certainly feel free to use whatever kind you have.

For this recipe, grind up half the oats to create oat flour.

This will allow the oats to be a bit easier to digest as well as provide different textures in the breakfast cookie. And grinding the oats into a flour helps build structure to the cookie, like in any standard cookie.

For the wet ingredients, I added in both honey and applesauce for flavor and sweetness. Just be sure to pick applesauce without any added sugar.

Then throw in your dried fruit for added texture. It's easy to go overboard with the fruit, but a little goes a long way with dried fruit, especially if you are watching your sugar intake.

Also be sure to pick dried fruit without any added sugars, if possible. For cranberries this may be difficult, as dried cranberries without added sugar are hard to find.

GLUTEN FREE DAIRY FREE BREAKFAST IDEAS

Whether you have a dairy or gluten intolerance or just prefer to avoid them, you’ve still got a ton of good-for-you breakfast options. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Make-Ahead Breakfast Sandwich: Egg whites and bacon on gluten-free English muffins. Omit the cheese or use a vegan substitute.

Cinnamon Swirl Bread: Slather a thick slice with dairy-free butter for a grab-and-go breakfast. So good!

Overnight Oats: Swap out your regular breakfast oatmeal for this thick and creamy version with chia seeds. Use plant-based yogurt instead of dairy yogurt

Paleo Sandwich Bread: Toast a piece and top it with smashed avocado and a fried egg for a filling and healthy start to your day

Ingredients & substitutions

• Gluten-free oats: rolled oats give these cookies a thick chewy texture I love, but you can substitute quick oats
• Flax meal: often used to make flax egg in vegan recipes, flax meal acts as a binder and adds a mild nutty flavor in this recipe
• Arrowroot starch: gives the cookies a bit of lightness and lift
• Kosher salt 
• Ground cinnamon: for that classic oatmeal cookie flavor
• Eggs: another binder that holds all of the ingredients together
• Honey or maple syrup: either of these natural sweeteners will work great. If using syrup, make sure it’s pure maple syrup, not pancake syrup
• Applesauce: unsweetened applesauce is what I use, but you can also substitute apple butter, which is like concentrated applesauce that’s thicker and sweeter
• Coconut oil: adds extra moisture and flavor to the tender cookies
• Vanilla extract: you can’t make cookies without it!
• Dried fruit: any dried fruit will work here, so use your favorite. Raisins, cranberries, cherries, apricots and blueberries are all great options

BREAKFAST OATMEAL COOKIES VARIATIONS

Get creative and customize these easy breakfast cookies with whatever mix-ins sound good to you. Here are a few options:

• Add chocolate: Throw in some dairy-free chocolate chips or chop up a dark chocolate bar 
• Try some nuts: If you are not avoiding nuts, add chopped almonds, pecans and walnuts. They are great for adding extra crunch. Pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds or flax seed are other sources of healthy fats that taste amazing in these cookies
• Get spicy: Add more warm, cozy flavor with ground ginger, clove, cardamom or nutmeg 
• Go tropical: Unsweetened coconut shreds, golden raisins, macadamia nuts, and chopped dried mango or papaya make a cookie that tastes like a day at the beach. Try adding in ripe banana for a fun flavor variation! 

HOW TO MAKE HEALTHY BREAKFAST COOKIES

Step 1

First things first, heat your oven to 350ºF and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. 

Step 2

Make oat powder by grinding 1 cup of oats in a food processor. It should have a fine texture, like the consistency of flour. Add in the arrowroot, salt and cinnamon and pulse again until all of the ingredients are combined. Pour everything into a large mixing bowl and stir in the rest of the oats until they are well incorporated.

Step 3

Blend the eggs, honey, applesauce, melted coconut oil and vanilla in the food processor. 

Step 4

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir everything together. Add in the dry fruit and give it another good mix.

Step 5

Use a large cookie scoop or quarter cup measuring cup to form the dough into balls. Place 5 cookies on each large baking sheet.

Step 6

Bake them for 15 minutes. For the best results, rotate the baking sheets halfway through baking. This will ensure they bake evenly and are done at the same time. Once you remove the cookies from the oven, let them cool on the cookie sheets.

How to Make a Vegan Version of this Recipe

I have not tested a vegan version, but here are my suggestions for vegan substitutions in this recipe.

Substitute more applesauce for the honey or use pitted dates that have been soaked in hot water and pureed. For the eggs, replace with flax eggs.

Pro Tips 

• If you do not have a food processor (or you don't want to take yours out - been there!), this recipe will work just fine without grinding half the oats first. If the breakfast cookies seem a bit dry when you are mixing the batter, try adding a bit more honey or applesauce, about 1 teaspoon at a time, until it reaches your desired consistency. You can also whisk the wet ingredients thoroughly instead of pureeing in the food processor
• Make these breakfast cookies your own by adding any dried fruit you have on hand or that you prefer. I had dried cherries and cranberries when I mixed up this batch pictured and they were delicious. No need to go out and buy extra ingredients
• Since I'm typically the only person in my house who eats these breakfast cookies (no complaints here!), I like to make a batch and freeze them. To do so, wrap each cookie individually in plastic wrap, place all the cookies in a freezer-safe ziptop bag and throw in the freezer. You can remove one breakfast cookie at a time and warm it gently in the microwave or even the toaster oven after unwrapping it

Like this recipe? Follow me on Pinterest for lots more recipes just like this one! And don’t forget to pin this recipe for later by clicking on one of the images below the recipe. Or, click on any of the images in this post to save to Pinterest.

FAQs 

Does oatmeal have gluten?

Oats are naturally gluten-free. However, they can easily be cross-contaminated with other foods that contain gluten. If you are sensitive to gluten I recommend using certified gluten-free oats.

How do you keep gluten-free cookies from falling apart?

It’s true, some gluten-free cookies can crumble apart, but not these! The combination of ground oats, arrowroot, flax meal and eggs bind all of the ingredients together.

These extra soft, chewy cookies also have plenty of moisture from the applesauce and coconut oil so they hold together nicely.

Which is better for cookies, rolled oats or quick oats?

Though they are basically interchangeable, rolled oats are usually better for baking. Their thicker size means the finished cookies will have a chewier, heartier texture. They make the perfect breakfast cookie.

FOR ALL MY FAVORITE BAKING TOOLS INCLUDING THOSE USED TO MAKE THIS RECIPE, CHECK OUT MY BAKING RESOURCES PAGE!

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