Pre-Workout Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
These oatmeal breakfast cookies are a life saver for busy mornings. They’re sweetened with a little brown sugar, honey and applesauce and made with whole wheat flour, chia seeds and oatmeal. I like to think of them as a bowl of oatmeal, in cookie form.
These cookies are more than just a make-ahead breakfast. Enjoy them as a pre-workout snack or an after dinner sweet treat. They’re meant to be small to ensure they don’t dry out while baking so you can have a few of them and be totally satisfied.
For more protein packed sweet goodies, check out these macro friendly desserts like, protein berry cobbler, chocolate Rice Krispie treats or lemon blondies.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- 113 calories per cookie.
- Simple ingredients.
Ingredients and Substitutes:
These are the main ingredients for healthy breakfast cookies. See the recipe card below for the full ingredients list and instructions.
- Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats: do not use quick oats (instant oats) or steel cut oats. They don’t bake the same as old fashioned oats and will change the texture of your cookies.
- Whole Wheat Flour: or all-purpose flour.
- Honey: or pure maple syrup.
- Light Brown Sugar: or dark brown.
- Unsweetened Apple Sauce: be sure to use unsweetened.
- Whole Egg
- Coconut Oil: or melted butter.
- Chia Seeds: or pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds.
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips: or white chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips.
Variations
- Add dried cranberries, raisins or dried fruit.
Dietary Modifications
- This recipe is dairy-free as written.
- To make gluten-free, use gluten-free flour and make sure your oats are certified GF.
How to make this oatmeal cookie recipe (a visual step-by-step guide):
Step 1: preheat and prep
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Step 2: mix dry ingredients
In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, whole wheat flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt (image 1).
Whisk to evenly combine (image 2).
Step 3: mix wet ingredients
In a separate large bowl, add the honey or maple syrup, brown sugar, applesauce, egg, coconut oil and vanilla extract (image 3).
Whisk to fully combine the wet ingredients (image 4).
Step 4: combine wet and dry and fold in mix-ins
Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients (image 5).
Stir with a rubber spatula to fully combine (image 6).
Add the chia seeds, and chocolate chips, or any other mix ins if using (image 7).
Gently fold into the cookie dough (image 8).
Step 5: scoop
Using a 1.5 Tbsp cookie scoop drop scoops onto the prepared baking sheet (image 9).
Step 5: bake, remove and cool
Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden. I bake for 8 minutes.
Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Expert Tip!
These are chewy cookies and meant to be small. If you want them bigger, up your baking time but they may become slightly dry if too big. They don’t spread in the oven and there’s no need to press them down. Just drop onto the baking sheet and bake for the perfect dome-shaped cookie.
Recipe FAQs
Store your leftover cookies in an airtight container on the counter for up to a week.
Freeze for up three months. If frozen: remove from the freezer before you head out to the gym so they thaw a bit on the way. If you’re feeling wild, eat frozen! SO good.
I wouldn’t. Old-Fashioned oats are the best for baking because they give a perfect chewy texture. Quick oats can become too mushy and steel cut oats will stay too dry.
Check out some of our other easy recipes!
- Easy Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Lemon White Chocolate Cookies
- Pumpkin Banana Cookies (with chocolate chips)
- Oreo Chunk White Chocolate Chip Cookies
If you make this recipe, please leave a rating and/or comment! Tag me on Instagram @ohsnapmacros, I love hearing from you!
Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
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Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats 100g
- 3/4 cup whole wheat flour 114g
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- pinch of salt
- 1/4 cup honey or pure maple syrup 74g
- 2 Tbsp. light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce 64g
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup coconut oil melted, 48g
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 Tbsp. chia seeds
- 1/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips 57g
Optional Add Ins
- 1/2 cup raisins or dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup chopped nuts optional
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, whole wheat flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together the honey or maple syrup, brown sugar, applesauce, egg, coconut oil and vanilla extract.
- Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir until just combined.
- Fold in the chia seeds, and chocolate chips (or any other mix ins if using).
- Using a 1.5 Tbsp cookie scoop drop scoops onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden. I bake for 8 minutes.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Nutritional information is an estimate and will vary with substitutions.
- These are meant to be small. You can make them bigger but they become slightly dry if made too big.
- Drop them into a ball on the cookie sheet. Do not press them down, leave as is.
OMG these are so addictive!! Even the ladies at they gym loved them (brought them in for my bday :)..)
have made them multiple times… now I need to freeze them so that I don’t eat them all ..lol
Thank you !!
Can I sub some of the flour for protein?
I personally have not tried it.
Could almond flour be substituted for the whole wheat flour?
It’ll change the taste and texture quite a bit.
I made these this weekend for my husband to have during the week. OMG, OSM! They are so delicious! I like that they’re not overly sweet like a traditional cookie, but still sweet enough that you feel like you have a treat! Hubby was impressed too! Thank you Danielle!
Yay!! So happy you both love them! Just enough sweetness, I agree!
These are great! I subbed butter for coconut oil. My husband is usually averse to “healthier” baking recipes and he loved these.
I seriously had to have so much self control to not eat all of these after making them! These are the perfect pre-workout snack before hitting the gym and also a great option for something on the sweet side for dessert too! Easy to make and with basic ingredients I already had in my kitchen. Definitely a 10/10 recipe for us!
These are awesome!! Easy to make and so yummy. I always workout early in the morning and typically don’t eat anything first. These made such a difference- gave me that extra fuel I needed for my leg day. My husband loves them too – a great breakfast or snack.
So happy they’re helpful. It’s so hard to grab something first thing in the morning. Glad you love them!
These are SO good! My husband and I were trying not to eat them all fresh out of the oven.
How of before working out do you need to eat these to reap the carb benefits??? I lift at 5:30 am, could I potentially eat on the way to the gym? So about 15 mins prior?
What can you replace for the coconut oil?
Butter, listed under the variations and substitutions. 🙂
What can d applesauce be substituted with.
Can’t wait to make these but can I omit the chia seeds??? I am NOT a fan!
Just omit, no problem!
These came out so good + are the perfect cookie for before my workouts, but also for adding to my tween’s lunch. Something sweet, fun, but also fueling. And I LOVE all the fiber these have! Totally winning recipe.
Woohoo!!!! Thank you so much Taesha, so happy you loved them!