August 1, 2019
updated
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Pumpkin Breakfast Cookies make a delicious and healthy fall breakfast! I mean really, who wouldn’t want to eat a cookie for breakfast?
Grab your glass of milk and check out how these awesome breakfast cookies are made:
Along with the Carrot Cake and Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies, these pumpkin breakfast cookies are 100% gluten-free and the perfect breakfast or afternoon snack. Plus, the batter can be eaten by the spoonful, because this recipe is eggless!
Keep reading to see how these breakfast cookies come together.
How to Make Breakfast Cookies Healthier
If we’re going to have cookies for breakfast they need to meet 3 qualifications:
- They must be soft, chewy, and delicious.
- They have to be made with healthy, wholesome ingredients that I can quickly grab from my pantry.
- It needs to be a recipe I can make ahead of time and store in the freezer or fridge for a spur of the moment breakfast cookie!
These Pumpkin Breakfast cookies are all that and a lot more. Made with pumpkin puree, peanut butter, honey, oats and pumpkin spice they’re the perfect delicious texture and easy to whip up.
Since we’re making pumpkin pie cookies, let’s talk about one VERY important ingredient, the pumpkin.
Not only do we get to enjoy our favorite fall flavor (more pumpkin recipes here) but the pumpkin pureé adds moisture and makes these cookies soft and chewy. What more could you want?!
Best Ingredients for Healthier Breakfast Cookies
Traditional cookie ingredients include butter, all-purpose flour, eggs, sugar. While there is nothing wrong with enjoying a traditional chocolate chip cookie or two, I want something with more nutritional value for breakfast, and I’m sure you do too.
So let’s talk about the ingredients swaps this recipe uses to help make these breakfast cookies healthy.
Pumpkin puree
Pumpkin puree takes the place of butter and adds a ton of moisture to the cookie, so they come out moist and delicious. Also, let’s not forget how incredible pumpkin spice is, especially in a warm, chewy cookie.
Honey
Instead of white/brown sugar, these cookies call for ½ cup honey or maple syrup. The honey adds more flavor, and it’s slightly sweeter than regular sugar, so you don’t need as much.
If you want to make these cookies vegan swap the honey for maple syrup.
Fruit
You’ll notice this recipe doesn’t include eggs, thanks to the fruit! Most of my other healthy breakfast cookie recipes call for mashed banana which help keep everything together, but today we’re focusing on the pumpkin.
Either way, fruit is a great way to blend the ingredients together, give you a delicious cookie and add some extra sweetness to your cookies.
Peanut Butter
Much like the banana or pumpkin, peanut butter helps keep these cookies together. In case, you need a nut-free alternative for peanut butter, try one of these peanut butter swaps.
They’re just as tasty and the perfect alternative for peanut butter.
Gluten-Free Breakfast Cookie Recipes
Since oats are naturally gluten-free, they make it easy to create a delicious and healthy gluten-free cookie. Unlike certain gluten-free flours, oat flour helps keep baked goods moist, chewy and dense, just the way they should be!
Here are a few more delicious gluten-free breakfast cookie recipes:
- Oatmeal Breakfast Cookie
- Carrot Cake Breakfast Cookie
- Blueberry Breakfast Cookie
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Breakfast Cookie
- High-Protein Breakfast Cookie
- Grian-Free Paleo Breakfast Cookie
More Healthy Breakfast Ideas
Since we’re already on the topic of breakfast ideas here are a few more EPIC recipes I know you’ll love. Any of these options are full of nutritious, wholesome ingredients, and did I mention they taste incredible?
Go ahead, find out for yourself.
- Fruit & Yogurt Parfaits
- Peach Cobbler Smoothie
- Sweet Potato Toasts
- Apple Pie Overnight Oats
- Strawberry banana oatmeal
So many deliciously healthy breakfast options to choose from, but first, let’s start with these healthy pumpkin breakfast cookies!
Healthy Pumpkin Pie Breakfast Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- ½ cup natural peanut butter, or nut free
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 1 ¼ cup quick oats
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, stir together the pumpkin, peanut butter, honey, and vanilla.
- To the pumpkin, peanut butter mixture add the oats, pumpkin pie spice, and baking powder.
- Stir the oat mixture into the pumpkin mixture until combined.
- Using a cookie scooper, drop mounds of dough 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets. Using your hands, flatten, and spread each mound of dough shaped like a cookie.
- Place the cookie sheet in the preheated oven and bake for 13 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow cookies to cool down.
Lauren B
Very light yet addicting snack! We used crunchy peanut butter and it added a good texture. The cookies do fall apart some but they’re so good!
Kara
Thank you for a recipe without banana!
Christy
I have made these 3 times in 3 weeks! We love them! I have been doing half peanut butter, half almond butter and it seems to take the peanut butter aftertaste down a notch. Thanks for an easy, nutritious cookie!
Christine
Would regular peanut butter be ok too? Or would the taste be different without natural peanut butter?
MOMables-Laura
Hi Christine, you can also use regular peanut butter.
Kelly
Love these. Even without pumpkin pie spice they’re delicious. My husband loves them too. I make them pretty flat and smallish, so they’re not too soft.
Paula Walters
I added some low sugar craisins and that was delicious (I put craisins in Everything) I think I want to try with a 70% dark chocolate chip next. Maybe dark chocolate drizzle on top.
MOMables-Laura
That sounds amazing, Paula!
Liana
Can you use regular oats and not “quick oats?”
Is there even a difference? I am dieting and I need a week treat and this looks perfect! Ty!
MOMables-Laura
I’ve not made this recipe with regular oats so I can’t say for sure. If you do try it, let me know how the cookies turn out.
Lauren
Yes, there’s a difference. Most likely, your bake-time will be affected.
Sheryl
How many calories in 1 cookie?
MOMables - Laura
As stated in the recipe, without substitutions, there are 100 calories per cookie. Enjoy.
Lisa
Could you add some vanilla protein powder to these?
MOMables-Laura
I have not tried this recipe with protein powder so I can’t say for sure if it will work. If you do try it with protein powder, let me know how they come out. Good luck!
PAUL WOOD
I just read your GF Chocholate Chip cookie recipe and will definitely get to this soon. I have been struggling with trying to understand why the treats I have been making have not been coming out with the consistency expected. After reading your instructions I see I need to amend my recipes to use appropriate ingredients. Thank you very much for the comments – very helpful.
MOMables - Laura
Thank you for checking out my recipes, Paul! Following a tested recipe is key when baking treats (almost any recipe). I hope this helps!
Andrea
Can I substitute almond butter or powdered peanut butter for the natural peanut butter?
MOMables-Laura
You can use any other nut butter or alternatives such as soy butter. Powdered peanut butter won’t help the dough adhere as well so I wouldn’t use it.
Diane Wallach
Hi. I am making these and I am not vegan, but your recipe says they are vegan. Honey is not vegan. Since I am not vegan, I will enjoy!
MOMables - Laura
Sorry, there was a typo. These can be made vegan by using agave or maple syrup. If you’re not vegan, you can use honey or either of the other two.
Jean
Perfect pantry breakfast cookies – delicous!!
Sarah M
Great little snack for babies. I make these for my 1 year old. They’re soft and a great healthy alternative to store bough breakfast bars.
Patti
so good! I added pumpkin seeds in the mix and on top!
MOMables - Laura
delicious add-on, Patti!