Peanut Butter Banana Oat Breakfast Cookies with Carob / Chocolate Chips

Peanut Butter Banana Oat Breakfast Cookies ~ These cookies have the great flavor of peanut butter, are power packed because of adding protein powder and are egg & flour free and are sweetened with bananas & applesauce.  If you want to indulge, add some chocolate or carob chips & take the flavor up to the next level!

They go perfect with a cup of coffee...
Peanut Butter Banana Oat Breakfast Cookies with Carob / Chocolate Chips (optional) ~ I've come up with another recipe/spin on my original Breakfast Cookie.   This newly created recipe turned out so good & we ate it so quick ~ it barely lasted two days around here.   This time my recipe includes peanut butter, vanilla protein powder, chopped nuts ~ and a carob / chocolate chip option that is really wonderful.  Hands up if you love the flavor combo of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups ~ pb & c, ROCKS!   Nutella, spread on top of these cookies, is another winner in my book & the boys agree.  Roy told me these cookies really helped to keep the hunger pains away when he had them for a late afternoon snack.  The extra protein from the peanut butter & the vanilla protein powder give them that little extra bit of oomph, to give them even more staying power than the original Breakfast Cookies.  Very cool!

The cookie is soft, thick & chewy (it reminds me of 'Grandma's Cookies' brand) ~ with the great taste of peanut butter & the extra goodness from the vanilla protein powder.  I think the taste & the texture is even better the second day, the flavors seem to develop more as the cookie sits.  If you're a fan of peanut butter cookies, give this new Breakfast Cookie a try

I'm really digging eating these different Breakfast Cookies in the mornings...  How about you?   :)

** Updated 7/15/2012 ~ If you are having a hard time finding vanilla protein powder or butter extract, you can make the cookies without them, no need to replace them with anything else.  The texture/flavor will just be a little bit different.

If you don't like or don't/can't eat peanut butter,  you might try using your favorite nut butter instead.   ((or even soy butter for those who want the flavor / taste of peanut butter without actually using a nut butter))  Just change the name of the cookies to match the name of the new nut butter ((or soy butter)) used.  

I worked up the nutritional info for the cookies, over on Calorie Count.com, based on 16 cookies in a batch, like I normally make.  The info is without the optional carob / chocolate chips or butter extract, but I did include the protein powder.  Check out the nutritional info using the link here.

 Cheers!  :)


Peanut Butter Banana Oat Breakfast Cookies ~ with optional carob or chocolate chips
makes 16 regular sized cookies or 12 large sized

To print a copy of the recipe ~ CLICK HERE ~



  • 2 ripe bananas, mashed until smooth & creamy
  • 1/3 cup peanut butter ~ creamy or chunky 
  • 2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1 scoop vanilla protein powder ** (can be made without, cookie will just be lower in protein)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp butter flavor extract ** (optional)
  • 1 1/2 cups quick oatmeal  ~ uncooked  (or use old fashioned oats for more oatmeal texture)
  • 1/4 cup chopped nuts (peanut, walnut, or your favorite)
  • 1/4 cup carob or chocolate chips (**optional)

Preheat heat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix mashed banana & peanut butter until completely combined then add in the applesauce, vanilla protein powder & the extract(s) ~ mix again until all are completely combined.

Add in the oatmeal & nuts to the banana mixture & combine.  (** add the optional carob / chocolate chips at this time if you want them mixed throughout)

Let dough rest for 10 minutes.

Drop cookie dough, by spoonfuls, onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet & flatten cookies into circles. (** if you just want the carob / chocolate chips on the top of the cookies, add now)



Bake cookies approx. 20-30 minutes (some like their cookies less cooked, some cooked more - try it both ways to find which works best for your tastes) or until golden brown & done.  Remove from oven & let rest on cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then move to cooling rack.  (if you want the traditional fork tong marks on the cookies, use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to score the tops of the cookies while they're still warm)
 
When cookies are completely cool, store in a covered container.  Enjoy!

...or with a cuppa tea.


                                                                                        

300 comments:

  1. I hate bananas! Any suggestions for a substitute?
    Thanks!

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    1. Leave the bananas out and try coconut oil. Add raisins too. You can use all unsweetened applesauce too. That is what I do.

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    2. Thanks for sharing your tips! I'll have to try those changes in the future. Cheers! :)

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    3. You could probably use pumpkin puree

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    4. That sounds like a good idea for an 'autumn' breakfast cookie. Hmmm, Ill have to tinker with that idea this fall... ;)

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    5. How much coconut oil would you suggest? Coconut oil is a nursing mommas staple!

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    6. I've never cooked with coconut oil, so I can't guide you here. If you do come up with a way to use it, please share your success. Good luck!

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    7. I just made these, using a can of pumpkin instead of bananas. I had to increase the oats to make up for the extra moisture, but they turned out delish!! A great way to get extra protein into my picky toddler!

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    8. Oooo, that sounds so good! Thanks so much for sharing! Perfect change-up for the upcoming autumn season. :)

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    9. Pumpkins sounds great! Going to try that soon...I just made these this morning and only had one banana so I used it plus 1/3 cup organic apple butter...yum!

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    10. Oooo, apple butter! I love that stuff ~ what a perfect combo!

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    11. Wow the cookies came out wonderful I didn't have any vanilla extract or protein powder so subsituted Quaker oats Strawberry and Cream oatmeal Delicious and its Healthy thank you for sharing this recipe. I made it and putting them in a ziploc bag for my husband when he gets off work I am pretty sure he will love these He definitely has a sweet tooth

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    12. So happy to hear that you liked them! Great change up. :) Thanks for stopping by and commenting ~ Cheers!

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    13. Hi! Just wanted to tell you that I really love everything about this recipe and my husband loves them. I'm so happy to know he's eating these with his coffee and yogurt at work instead of a purchased breakfast bar loaded with all kinds of chemicals and possibly GMO corn syrup. I have a question: have you ever made these without any nut butter or banana and used all applesauce for the "fat/sugar"? I use applesauce instead of oil in most of my recipes and I was wondering if you've tried all applesauce in these? I'd like to make a version with chopped Granny Smith apples cinnamon, nutmeg, and raisins and don't want nut butter or bananas if I can help it. Thanks so much!

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  2. I'd try using mashed/pureed mango, about 2/3 of a cup. I think they would have a similar texture to the banana, without giving you the banana flavor. The change might affect the sweetness of the cookies, so taste the batter before you bake them. Sounds like it might make for a good combo, think I'll have to try that myself. :)

    If you have a Trader Joe's near you, they have a good price on frozen mango chunks. Cheers!

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  3. Question; Can the batter or the cookies be frozen? These will be a great breakfast item during the school year. Thanks so much!!

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    1. I haven't tried doing that, but I don't see why not. I would freeze the dough in flattened circles, just like you were about to bake them, that way they would thaw out quicker & you could just take out as many as you need. I'll have to try that & see how it goes. Probably would work for baked cookies, too. We ran out of cookies today & the hubby went to work without any. He was not a happy camper. :) If they freeze well when baked, that would have been a life saver. Thanks for the idea, I know what I will be trying out tomorrow! :)

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  4. have you tried without the butter extract? i noticed on your other banana oat cookies (with cranberries) you don't use it, so i'm wondering about not using it here. this sounds like a great healthy recipe. i think i might try them tonight!

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    1. also...have you ever tried PB2? It's a great alt to the traditional pb and is much healthier!

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    2. No,I've never heard of it, but I did just take a look on the Internet & it looks AMAZING!! I've got to try it!! Where do you get it?

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    3. I used the butter extract because I had some & thought it would give the cookies a richer flavor. It could easily be left out.

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    4. Amazon - or netrition.net best place for pb2 or www.bellplantation.com

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    5. I ordered both the regular PB2 & Chocolate PB2 through Amazon. They had a great price & I got free shipping. :) Just waiting on their arrival. Looking forward to tinkering with this new form of peanut butter. :)

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    6. they have PB2 in all my local grocery stores - in the PB aisle!

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    7. Lucky you! :) I've found that if I mix the PB2 with extra water & let it sit overnight, it absorbs the water & is still plenty thick for spreading ~ and ~ I think the flavor is even 'more' peanut-y after spending the night in the fridge. It's like getting an extra spoonful(s) for 'free' ~ gotta love it when that happens. Certainly makes my tummy happy! :)

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  5. Just wondering if you could make this in bar form?

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    1. I make my 'bars' just by shaping them that way instead of as a round cookie. Check out the picture of my 'bars' towards the bottom of my post on my Banana Oat Breakfast Cookies ~ http://watching-what-i-eat.blogspot.com/2012/04/banana-oat-breakfast-cookies.html ~

      You can certainly try them in a square or rectangular pan, but I would line it with parchment paper for ease of removing & I'd make sure to make it a consistent thickness, about 1/2" thick. It would probably need extra time in the oven, too. Good luck!

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  6. what if i cant get protein powder where i live? any suggestions or just forget the recipe?!

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    1. You can buy it on Amazon if you want to include it.

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    2. Very cool! Thanks for the info. I just went over there & there are some good deals on the 16oz size!! The Cocoa PB2 sounds really good & it's even cheaper than the regular PB2! I'll be ordering both types today. I like to read the comments people leave on products & someone sprinkles it on toast ~ YUM! & another says it mixes great in smoothies ~ double YUM! I always batch my orders with Amazon in $25 groups, so I get the free shipping. Thanks so much for turning me on to this fantastic product. Cheers! :)
      ~~
      For anyone who is following this thread & is interested in PB2 that seems to be a good price on Amazon, here at the links...

      http://www.amazon.com/Plantation-PB2-Premium-Chocolate-16-Ounce/dp/B005DFL4PM/ref=sr_1_3?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1342622582&sr=1-3&keywords=pb2

      ~~~ http://www.amazon.com/Plantation-PB2-Powdered-Peanut-16-Ounce/dp/B004P4POZ8/ref=sr_1_2?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1342622582&sr=1-2&keywords=pb2

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    3. I live in Nebraska and our Hy-Vee grocery store carries both kinds of PBS-2

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    4. So very lucky! I'm going to have a lot of fun with this PB2 peanut butter. Can't wait to try it in a smoothie! YUM!!

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    5. I see I replied under a comment again... opps ! here is my rely to the original 7/14 question & my replay from 7/14 ~ Keep the recipe & just forget the protein powder! I added it to up the protein in the cookies,if you don't add it, it shouldn't affect the taste or texture too much.

      You could try adding some powdered Slim Fast or other powdered breakfast drink if you still wanted to try & up the protein. Good luck! :)

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    6. I'm looking for new breakfast ideas and can't wait to make these today thx for posting! AlsO I use pb2 in my smoothies and love it! My favorite combo is pb2, frozen Banannas, dark chocolate almond milk and vanilla protein powder yum!!

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    7. Becky ~ That smoothie sounds REALLY good! As soon as I replenish my frozen bananas, I'm so gonna make that! Hope you like the breakfast cookies, there are a lot to choose from. I want to come up with a PB2 cookie recipe, still trying to get it right. :)

      Thanks so much for stopping by & commenting ~ Cheers!

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  7. Keep the recipe & just forget the protein powder! I added it to up the protein in the cookies,if you don't add it, it shouldn't affect the taste or texture too much.

    You could try adding some powdered Slim Fast or other powdered breakfast drink if you still wanted to try & up the protein. Good luck! :)

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  8. i just made the cookies, and left out the protein powder and butter extract, they turned out great!

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    1. So glad you liked them! They are such a great cookie to tinker with. Thanks for sharing the comment! :)

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  9. Hello! I found this recipe (and your blog) on pinterest. I tweaked this recipe a little: used almond butter, lightly roasted almonds, hemp protein powder, and dried blueberries. They turned out wonderful! Thanks for posting this, my breakfasts this week will be great. :)

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    1. Oooo, that sounds so good! I've not tried hemp protein powder yet, I'll have to give it a go. So glad you enjoyed the recipe, it's a fun one to play around with. I'll have to try using dried blueberries sometime, I've only made breakfast cookies with frozen. Thanks for the ideas! :) Cheers!

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  10. Did u calculate the calories, carbs, fat, protein etc??

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    1. Thanks for stopping by. I updated the post today, look for the link to Calorie Count.com for the recipe/nutritional info. Cheers!

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    2. I was wondering how many cookies the nutritional value was for. I know it says 42.4 grams, but wasn't sure if that equals 1 or 2 cookies. Thanks!

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    3. The nutritional info over on Calorie Count is based on making 16 cookies in a batch. The serving size/calorie information is for one(1)cookie at 42.4 grams.

      If you make a different amount of cookies from your batch, the calorie count will change up/down accordingly. Thanks so much for stopping by Cheers!

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  11. Do you know the nutrition facts of these? (Fat/Carbs/Fiber/Protein) I want to calculate the Weight Watchers PointPlus value!

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    1. Thanks for stopping by. I updated the post today, look for the link to Calorie Count.com for the recipe/nutritional info. Cheers!

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  12. Great recipe! I'm going to try it tomorrow. Can I leave the apple sauce out or change to something else?
    Thanks for the idea :D

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    1. You need the moisture/bulk from the applesauce. You could use all banana, but it might be too much of a good thing. I'd say try another fruit to replace the applesauce... Hmmm, you could probably replace the applesauce with some pureed pears. I'd drain a can of pears, measure a 1/2 cup of sliced fruit, puree that & see how much it makes. It will probably take a full cup of slice fruit to make the 2/3 cup pureed. You could use fresh, peeled pears, too.

      Pureed mangoes are another option, either fresh or frozen ~ maybe peaches, fresh, peeled, canned or frozen, too.

      Good luck tinkering with the recipe, hope you like it! Thanks for stopping by. Cheers!

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  13. These sound great! I'm going to try them on my picky 3 year old twins. Have you tried it with chocolate protein powder instead of vanilla? I only have chocolate right now and was contemplating using it.

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    1. We only have vanilla protein powder, but I bet the chocolate will be really good in the cookie, I'm all for the flavors of peanut butter & chocolate! Carob or chocolate chips would be right at home on that breakfast cookie! Sounds like a winner ~ YUM! Thanks for stopping by ~ Cheers!

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  14. I originally pinned this recipe just because they looked so yummy and then saw that you added protein powder and realized how perfect it is! Our whole family drinks protein shakes and we are always looking for ways to add protein to other foods (pancakes, muffins, etc). I use body by vi protein products so I did this recipe and added 2 scoops body by vi which is not only protein but also lots of vitamins. Awesome!!! I also love the pb2 and we order it online but we also have a gluten free store that sells the pb2 powder in regular or choc peanut butter flavor. If you are interested in adding a little more nutrition with your protein powder check our the body by vi products ! Www.carlystone13.bodybyvi.com

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    1. I love sneaking protein powder into things, it's such an easy way to boost the nutrition of so many different meals/snacks. I'm looking forward to using the PB2 products, they sound awesome. I'll look into the body by vi products. Thanks for stopping by. Cheers!

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  15. Hi! My Name is Enid Jones with Enid Jones Photography. Usually when I edit pictures I take brakes on Pinterest and see what my friends are talking about. I saw a few of them pinning your cookies recipe...and since I was also hungry with bananas that needed used, I decided to make them.

    THEY ARE AMAZING! What a perfect breakfast for me! I dont usually eat breakfast, just coffee, since I am not usually hungry first thing in the morning. But, I know its not good for me, so this is great! I was also reading your comments and saw some people had questions about the butter flavor....I did not use any and it was fine. I also saw some people asking if they would freeze...I did that too..and they did great! I also liked them so much that I blogged about it on my page.

    http://enidjones.blogspot.com/

    Then I also posted it on Facebook! I posted a link to your page! Thank you for making a breakfast person out of me after all! keep your wonderful ideas coming! I think I will be visiting you more often!

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    1. I'm so glad that you like them ~ that picture of the cookies & coffee ROCKS! I'm not much of a morning person either, so they really do come in handy. They are a great recipe to tinker with.

      I checked out your blog/Facebook page & looked at your photos, you take lovely photos! Please do come back often & let me know if you find any other things to make that tickle your fancy. I shared your Facebook post on both of my sites. (I've got a Watching What I Eat Facebook page, too) Cheers!

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    2. Ha! I just came by to see what else I could find and saw your reply! Im still a little slow on this whole blogger world! I am catching on though! Thanks for the compliments! Thank you for sharing my page too! I will have to find you on FB...I dont know why..but I am not able to "Like" a page from my business page....but I can from my personal? Not sure why...anyway...I will find you! I love your stuff! Great site!

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    3. Thanks so very much! If you want to go to my Facebook page, I put a link to it at the just under my header, on the right side of the page. Hope you stop by! :)

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  16. I just wanted to verify something. It says to bake them at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Is that correct? Most cookies and similar items take around 10 minutes. Seems like 30 minutes would burn them to a crisp.

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    1. I baked them for about 20...they did fine. They are very soft.

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    2. Since the cookies use soft fruit for sweetening instead of sugar, as well as replacement for butter & oatmeal instead of flour, this cookie has a moist dough that doesn't 'crisp up' like a traditional cookie would. It's chewy & takes longer to bake. I've never had any problem with the 30 minute/350*.

      Thanks for sharing you experience, Enid! I just got back from an outing with my son & haven't been on the computer for awhile. :) Cheers!

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    3. Thank you! I've never tried cookies like this, so I had no idea that they would be different than standard ones. I'm glad that I asked.

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    4. It's funny, I'm so not a natural born baker, that it never occurred to me that 30 minutes was a long time. We never baked sweets much at our house when I was growing up ~ cookies & cakes almost always came from the market. Now, cooking meat & veg we did, but not sweets. Baking has been a real learning curve for me & not always in the right direction. heehee :)

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    5. I should probably add...I baked them for less time, because my oven is off. I live in an apartment...so....I have found I need to bake for less time some times. But, I did bake a bit over 30 on a batch...and they did fine too! They did not burn up...so these cookies are pretty Non-baker friendly! Trust me...I burn most cookies! All of these came out great! First for me!

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  17. If this is for taste and fun or to make a healthier junk food great if this is for a healthy breakfast not so much and here's why.

    Honestly these cookies might be better than using white sugar and white flour but they are loaded with carbs and fats and fructose is not much better for you than sugar and some people believe fructose is actually worse because it does not cause the insulin response and keeps your blood sugar high.

    Not to mention all of the fats in the oils from the nut butter and nuts are not really healthy after cooked. Nuts should be eaten raw or soaked. Personally I love raw nut butters but as soon as they are cooked heavy as a rock when I eat them. When you cook nuts the oils change chemical composition.

    You would be better off health and calorie wise finding an oatmeal cookie recipe and use Stevie or xylitol instead of sugar and coconut oil (the best oil for cooking) instead of butter and skip the bananas and applesauce if you're doing this for health. Bannas are mostly sugar and canned apple sauce it nutritionally dead as are all canned foods.

    I can't see this as a healthy breakfast food... unless you are used to eating donuts and bear claws for breakfast.

    If you doing this just for taste or to make a healthier junk food for a cheat day go for it, it not much better or worse than your average cookie minus the preservatives.

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    1. At this house, we do enjoy having a breakfast cookie with our morning tea or if we want a little something during the day. I first made my Banana Oat Breakfast Cookies as a better alternative to store bought cookies for my English hubby, he just loves a 'biscuit' with his 'cuppa' tea. :) I didn't like all the extra things they sneak into an innocent looking cookie, as well as all the refined sugar & HFC that is in almost everything these days. I also liked the idea of getting some of our daily fruit & grain servings in such an easy to enjoy form. I've had fun tinkering with the original recipe & making a peanut butter breakfast cookie was just one of the many tweaks that we like. Peanut butter cookies are notoriously high in calories, so my version was a happy compromise on the cookie front. :)

      To address some of your comments on other types of ingredients that you prefer; I am not a fan of xylitol due to the intense stomach distress it can cause, it's weird 'cool' aftertaste, as well as the danger it poses to dogs. I'm also not a fan of baking with stevia, I much prefer just using pureed fruit to naturally sweeten my cookies. I also like the fact that with using the banana/applesauce I can get away without having to add any additional fat to the cookies. ((personally, Coconut oil is just way too high in saturated fat for me to contemplate using it in any of my cooking)) I know there is fat in peanut butter/nuts, but that is there for the flavor (& the added benefit of protein :), so without it they just wouldn't be a peanut butter cookie.

      I can honestly say, I do not eat donuts ((well, maybe a French cruller once in a blue moon)) so I do not agree with your comment regarding the cookies being just as bad a eating donuts. Just for fun (since there was nothing to watch on TV) I looked up the nutritional stats on bear claws & cake-type donuts, over on Calorie Count (the link for the pbbobc stats, on CC, are in the actual post), and compared them to the pbbo breakfast cookies, just to really see how they compare. I had to tweak it a bit so they were about the same serving size so I could really compare apples to apples (or should I say cookies to doughnuts, heehee :). This is what I found out...

      1 Bear Claw (128g) ~ 460 cals, 27g fat((14g sat,70% DV)), 49g carbs, 2g fiber, 17g sugar, 10g protein, 28% DV choles
      VS.
      3 Cookies (127g) ~ 297 cals, 13g fat((2g sat, 12% DV)), 34g carbs, 5g fiber, 10g sugar, 13g protein, 3% DV choles
      ----------------------
      1 Cake-type doughnut (60g) ~ 250 cals, 12g fat((3g sat, 15%DV)) 34g carbs, 1g fiber, 19g sugar, 3g protein, 11% DV choles
      VS.
      1 1/2 cookies (63g) ~ 149 cals, 7g fat ((1g sat, 6% DV)), 17g carbs, 3g fiber, 7g sugar, 9g protein, 1% DV choles

      Happy to report, the cookies are nowhere close to being in the same league as the donuts you mentioned. I don't consider the cookies to be a 'healthier junk food' for a 'cheat day', we just enjoy them in moderation, as we try to do with all of our dietary choices. I do think they are better than the average store bought cookies ~ and hooray for no preservatives! Thanks for the comment & stopping by.

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    2. Hi I came across your recipe on pinterest, and just wanted to add this is a great recipe for anyone with food allergies. When cooking for children with food allergies, it is encouraged to substitute with apple sauce or banannas. My son does have a peanut allergy(along with wheat, milk and eggs) but I have found I can substitute any other nut butter, plus with talking with our nutritionist, she agrees that nut butters are great ways to get in protein especially for picky kids. This is a great recipe for my family, thanks for sharing!

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    3. My pleasure! I hope you & your family like the cookies. It's an easy recipe to tinker with, so easy to tweak it & make it your own. I just bought some soy butter to use instead of peanut butter, for the next time I make this kind. I've been tweaking the basic recipe (Banana Oat Breakfast Cookies) since I first posted it back in April. I keep adding different breakfast cookie recipes to the blog, as I create ones we like. ((the hubby is REALLY fond of the Double Cherry Carob Chip recipe I posted today)) Thanks so much for your comment & for stopping by, it means a lot to me ~ Cheers! :)

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    4. Also, if you were worried about the insulin response/ glycemic index, the fats in these cookies are a good thing b/c fat automatically reduces the glycemic index and thus the insulin response to foods! I prefer to soak my oats for easier digestion, so I'm tinkering with this recipe from that perspective, but it is a GREAT healthy breakfast idea and I'm hoping to be able to make bunches at once and freeze them in portions for about a week at a time to have with a boiled egg for breakfast for both my boys and my hubby on school/work mornings! :D thanks so much for a great recipe. Pay no attention to the nay-sayer s/he has no clue what he's talking about

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    5. Thanks SO MUCH for your kind comment, it means a lot to me! :) I wonder if 'pre-soaking' the oats in the 2/3 cup applesauce (or the applesauce & some water) would work for soaking your oats for easier digestion? I always let the cookies set for 10 minutes after mixing so the oats can begin to absorb some of the moisture before going into the oven. How long would you soak the oats for before starting to make the cookies? I love soaking my raw almonds, it's amazing how some foods change when they're soaked before eating. It sounds intriguing doing that with the oats, too... :) I'm always up for trying a new spin with these breakfast cookies. I'm so glad you stopped by ~ Cheers!

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    6. This is for sure healthier then the traditional cookie. Use natural peanut butter or nut butter so you don't have the excess fat, mainly good fats, old fashioned oats have less preservatives then the instant and its a complex carb which is good and recommended, the sugar from the bananas is fine because its a natural fruit sugar not added sugar. I'm currently following a 10 day cleanse and all of the ingrediants are listed under the foods to eat, I would just have to check about the applesauce, might have to hold off to make until I finish, but I would definetly make these for my kids, maybe then my daughter will actually eat breakfast

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    7. Thanks for stopping by! The breakfast cookies are a fun recipe to tinker with, hope you find one that you all like. My hubby's favorite right now is the double cherry carob chip. Lucky for me I found them on sale the other day, so I could stock up my freezer. :)

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  18. I agree with the last post. I tried them and they were by far the least tasty of the healthy breakfast-style "cookies" I've made (3 separate recipes). I'd go back to the drawing board and try to work in more whole nuts and less nut butter.

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    1. Thanks for stopping by. I'm assuming the other breakfast cookies that you like better have similar ingredients, & are diary, egg/ flour free & no added sugar? If so, I'd love to give them a try if you'll share the links ~ I'm all for trying out & tasting new breakfast cookie recipes! Yum!

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  19. Thanks for this recipe. My hubby was recently diagnosed as "pre" diabetic which means changes to his diet. Bananas, peanutbutter, oats, unsweatened apple sauce are all things he can still enjoy and better yet, No white flour. Can't wait to try it and see if it will satisfy his sweet cravings.

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    1. Thanks for stopping by! My hubby's favorite cookie is still the original cookie that I made, the Banana Oat Breakfast Cookie. That is still the one he asks for the most & it's really tasty with a little schmear of peanut & almond butter. We enjoy them being a chewy cookie & once they cool, the sweetness of the fruit really comes out. Hope you find one that your hubby likes. If he does like them, it's a fun recipe to experiment with ~ I get a kick out of changing up the type of oatmeal that I use, kind of fruits & nut butters that go into them. Good luck ~ Cheers!

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  20. How long do these cookies usually last? Also do you think they would ship okay with out going bad? Thanks.

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    1. We never have them around the kitchen any longer than 3 days, we usually eat them in 2 days or so. So, at least that long & they'd keep longer in the fridge. I don't really think they'd ship well, they are a moist cookie & since you know how hot trucks & mailboxes can get, as well as how slow the mail could be, I don't think it would be pretty. I think regular style cookies that use flour & butter are a better bet for mailing. Thanks for stopping by ~ Cheers!

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  21. I love the idea of a cooke I can make, freeze and grab and go for breakfast, plus potentially for snacks. The problem I have is that it is too filling and heavy. If I have the cookie around 6:30am, I can have lunch at 2ish. Even then, I have to force myself to an extent.

    It could be the protein powder in it, which would be quite plausible, though even without the protein powder, they are very protein rich.

    Also I've had mine for a week and they're still fine and on the bench.(in airtight containers). It is winter though, so that helps

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    1. Maybe making the cookies even smaller might be an option. Like you mentioned, you could skip the protein powder. We really enjoy the first breakfast cookie that I posted about ~ Banana Oat Breakfast Cookies ~ maybe these might work for you, too. Glad to hear the cookies are lasting so well for you. Thanks for stopping by ~ Cheers!

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  22. Hi! Looking forward to trying your recipe but a couple of questions. I am making these for my husband to eat before work and when it comes to cookies (which we don't eat often) he wants an actual cookie. We eat healthy and work out and all of that but every now and then we indulge. I told him about this recipe because of the protein and he wanted to find out if there's any way to replace just normal ingredients for the bananas and applesauce? If not, I'll just sneak it in on him and see what he thinks. Thanks! Can't wait to try!

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    1. *** I was just looking at the comments & I see that I responded to your comment on 7/25 as a 'new comment' ~ instead of as a 'reply'. So, in case you didn't see this reply, I'm putting it in the correct 'reply' position. Opps, so sorry! :) ***

      I use the banana & applesauce to replace having to add sugar & fat, so to replace them with butter & sugar defeats the spirit of the breakfast cookie I wanted to make for us. That being said by all means, change it up anyway YOU want to & make it your own. It is a chewy cookie, so if your hubby likes his cookies crisp, it might not work for him. All that being said...

      I was reading your comment to my hubby & he wanted to let your hubby know that he was also opposed to the cookies before he actually tried them. He was a 'cookie should be a cookie' kind of guy in the past ~ but now he is wholeheartedly on the breakfast cookie bandwagon. His favorite of all my breakfast cookies is still the first one that I made, the Banana Oat Breakfast Cookie. He suggested having your hubby try that one first & then go from there (since that is how mine has evolved into a breakfast cookie junkie :) You can always spread some peanut butter on the top of the basic cookie for some extra protein or you can easily add protein powder (to any of the cookie recipes to up the protein) without making any other changes.

      You should look at the post I did on Paleo cookies ~ one recipe was from the blog Peas & Thank You, for a Chocolate Chip Cookie. I made my own tweaked version of a Paleo-ish cookie ~ Oatmeal Raisin Walnut Cookies. Both cookies use almond flour instead of wheat flour. They are really good & I'm sure with a few tweaks here & there you could come up with something that will make you both happy. If you do, please share what worked for your guy ~ my guy is always up for taste testing cookies!

      Just type in Oatmeal Raisin Cookies in the ~ Search This Blog ~ box & it'll pull up that post. OR for the basic breakfast cookie type in ~ Banana Oat Breakfast Cookies

      Thanks for stopping by ~ Cheers!

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  23. I use the banana & applesauce to replace having to add sugar & fat, so to replace them with butter & sugar defeats the spirit of the breakfast cookie I wanted to make for us. That being said by all means, change it up anyway YOU want to & make it your own. It is a chewy cookie, so if your hubby likes his cookies crisp, it might not work for him. All that being said...

    I was reading your comment to my hubby & he wanted to let your hubby know that he was also opposed to the cookies before he actually tried them. He was a 'cookie should be a cookie' kind of guy in the past ~ but now he is wholeheartedly on the breakfast cookie bandwagon. His favorite of all my breakfast cookies is still the first one that I made, the Banana Oat Breakfast Cookie. He suggested having your hubby try that one first & then go from there (since that is how mine has evolved into a breakfast cookie junkie :) You can always spread some peanut butter on the top of the basic cookie for some extra protein or you can easily add protein powder (to any of the cookie recipes to up the protein) without making any other changes.

    You should look at the post I did on Paleo cookies ~ one recipe was from the blog Peas & Thank You, for a Chocolate Chip Cookie. I made my own tweaked version of a Paleo-ish cookie ~ Oatmeal Raisin Walnut Cookies. Both cookies use almond flour instead of wheat flour. They are really good & I'm sure with a few tweaks here & there you could come up with something that will make you both happy. If you do, please share what worked for your guy ~ my guy is always up for taste testing cookies!

    Just type in Oatmeal Raisin Cookies in the ~ Search This Blog ~ box & it'll pull up that post. OR for the basic breakfast cookie type in ~ Banana Oat Breakfast Cookies

    Thanks for stopping by ~ Cheers!

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  24. I just posted asking about alternative ingredients. I just got done making them your way and while breakfast cookies aren't my thing they did taste good! I added a little bit more protein powder because hubby is a muscle guy and he loves protein. I also thought the bananas were a little strong so next time in gonna put a little more peanut butter. I think hubby will like though especially after I drizzle some nutella on top!!

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    1. I'm with you, Nutella makes everything taste good! Tinkering around with this recipe can lead to so many different, tasty new cookies. Let know how your new batch turns out. :)

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  25. We're trying to do more "Paleo" foods...I wonder if I subbed Almond Flour for the oats what would happen??? Any ideas?

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    1. I did a post on Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies (recipe from Peas & Thank You) as well as my tweaked version ~ Oatmeal Raisin Walnut Cookies (using both almond flour & oats). Funny you should ask, because I just talked about this today...look at the reply I did to a comment today 7/25. (my comment is just above Brooke h's, which is just above yours). I'm sure you could tinker around with a recipe using bits & pieces of all three cookies & could come up with a really tasty cookie.

      To see the paleo cookies ~ just type in Oatmeal Raisin Cookies in the ~ Search This Blog ~ box & it'll pull up that post.

      Good luck & let me know how your cookies turn out, I'm all for healthy cookies ~ Cheers!

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  26. Genius! Genius! I feel like I would have done this years ago if I knew it was possible! I just didn't know about baking in terms of chemistry, appropriate emulsifiers or substitutes--one change can make a big difference! Thanks so much for posting! These are amazing. This also gives me more confidence to experiment, myself... hehehe :D

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    1. :) What a kind comment ~ Thank You!! I'm a budding/challenged baker, who doesn't really know what should & shouldn't work. I think that has helped me a bit with these breakfast cookies, if it sounds interesting, I'll try it. Not all have worked out like I thought they would, but we eat them anyway. :) And if I need to add a little Nutella or a dab of jam on top, works for me until the batch is all gone. Waste not, want not ~ is my motto in this house.

      These cookies really are fun to tinker with. I've got a few other recipes, check them out if you haven't already. Have fun coming up with your own versions. Share you favorites, I'm always up for trying new breakfast cookies! Thanks for stopping by & commenting ~ Cheers!

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  27. Is the oatmeal cooked first?

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    1. Nope. Just straight out of the canister. :)

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  28. Sound delicious! Thanks for using us over at Calorie Count to calculate your nutrition info :)

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    1. No, THANK YOU!! Your site is SUCH a big help & a WONDERFUL resource!! I've tried a few other sites & they were cumbersome & difficult to use. But not Calorie Count, your site is VERY user friendly & easy to use ~ yours is so straight forward & simple to make changes to. It is now my go-to site for calorie info on any recipe I use (either mine or another I have found)

      What a valuable service you are providing to the Internet community! Kudos!! Thanks for stopping by & commenting ~ Cheers! :)

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  29. Second time making the "cookies". I found making them in a mini muffin time makes them a little hardier! I also subbed vanilla protein with Shakeology chocolate this time, we'll see how that turns out! Great recipe!

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    1. Thanks for sharing the mini muffin tin trick!! I'll have to try that next time I make this kind of breakfast cookie. Chocolate protein powder sounds like another good idea. Very cool ideas!! So glad you like the 'cookies'. :) Thanks so much for stopping by & commenting ~ Cheers!

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  30. I'm so excited to try these out! I was just wondering, though, could I use regular old fashioned oats instead of quick oatmeal?

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    1. Sure, they will just have a bit more of the oatmeal texture. :)

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  31. Hi- I'm really excited to make these cookies for my family. I've seen other breakfast cookie recipes but they've seemed so complex that I'm always too intimidated to try them! These are nice and simple and I love hearing that they're forgiving. :)

    I have one question- is the peanut butter you used the kind with sugar added or the "old fashioned" peanut butter that's just peanuts with (or without) salt? We only use the kind without the sugar so if you use the kind with sugar would you recommend adding in some sugar to make the cookies more palatable?

    Thanks for your great recipe and for accommodating everyone's questions, I learned a lot just from reading through the comments! :)

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    1. What a great question! I always use nut butters that are just the ground nut. I'm not a huge fan of all the additional things that are often added to foods that really should be simple. I'm lucky enough to have a Trader Joe's around, so I buy my nut butters there. I found out about a product called PB2 from a visitor to the blog & just ordered some/received it from Amazon. I'll be tinkering around with that dried peanut butter, a lot. 85% less fat than regular pb ~ gotta love that. :)

      The breakfast cookies really are a fun 'cookie' to tinker with. I use the Banana Oat Breakfast Cookie as my basic recipe & keep branching out from there. Hope you enjoy playing around & have fun making the recipe just the way you like it. Thanks so much for the comment & for stopping by ~ Cheers!

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  32. I've been making something similar for years but I use eggs. Mine are flour and sugar free. Just a suggestion for those who don't have protein powder, use powdered milk instead if you use milk.

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    1. What a great tip! Thanks so much for stopping by & sharing ~ Cheers!

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  33. Hi ... these sound amazing and I can't wait to try them. I skimmed the replies to see if you've already answered this question ... but didn't so I thought I would ask. :) I assume by 1 1/2 cups "quick oatmeal" you mean cooked oatmeal? Does it matter if you use quick oats vs. regular oats? Thanks!!

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    1. Nope, you use uncooked oats. The 'quick' oats are the name of the oats that cook in just a minute & the regular oats (aka 'old fashioned') oats take a few minutes more. You can use either kind of uncooked oats in any of the breakfast cookie recipes. The 'old fashioned' oats will just retain more of the oat texture. This is a fun recipe to tinker with try out new add-ins. :) Hope you like them. Thanks so much for stopping by ~ Cheers!

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  34. Can you tell me the calorie count for these cookies?

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    1. Look for the 7/15/2012 Update ~ I worked up all the info over on the Calorie Count website. There is a link to CalorieCount.com, just before the actual recipe, & it will take you there. It's blue & says 'Check out the nutritional info using the link here.'

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  35. Is there any chance that you can switch out the applesauce with something? I realize that you probably don't taste it once they're cooked, but there is just something about applesauce (even working with it) that makes me gag.

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    1. You're right, the applesauce flavor doesn't come through in these cookies, it works as a replacement for oil/sugar. You could try another pureed fruit that you like. Some that come to mind are ~ mango, pears (though they might be too gritty, a jarred baby food kind of pears might be alright), peaches or crushed pineapple. Depending on the replacement fruit, you might get a new hint of flavor in your adapted cookie & the texture could be a bit different. I've not tried using another fruit in place of applesauce in this recipe ~ good luck tinkering with the recipe. :) Thanks for stopping by ~ Cheers!

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    2. Thank you so much! We'll see what happens. o_O

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  36. Yes I am going to try this with natural peanut butter and instant soy protein powder that I have so it will maintain its properties while it bakes. Will post the outcome :) thanks for the recipe!!!!

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    1. It's a fun recipe to tinker with! I really like adding carob chips. I just love peanut butter & chocolate flavor together. :)

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  37. Can't wait to try these Vicki. I usually just have vanilla whey protein in milk for breakfast, but this would would be a nice change, plus my daughter might like them. I order Vanilla Whey protein powder by Source Naturals from Vitacost.com. It doesn't have soy or artificial sweetener in it. As for coconut oil, Trader Joe's now carries an organic, cold pressed coconut oil. I previously ordered Nutiva coconut oil online.

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    1. Hope you like them, it's a fun recipe to tinker with. My hubby likes just about anything I throw carob chips on. :) His favorite breakfast cookie right now is the Double Cherry Carob Chip ~ lucky for me cherries are still cheap. :) I checked out your blog, it is BEAUTIFUL! I see that you're a So Cal gal, too. I just LOVE Trader Joe's, they have the best goodies. I always buy their Tomato Basil Marinara Sauce & their Sun-dried Tomato Basil Chicken Sausages, sooo very good!. I grew up in LA, a Valley Girl born & raised. :) I'll be spending more time wandering around your blog, it's just so inviting. Thanks for stopping by & commenting ~ Cheers!

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  38. I have a 2 year old & 3 year old and these seemed perfect for them, but my son has a severe peanut allergy, so I used Sunbutter (peanut butter substitute made from sunflower seeds) instead and they turned out great. Just wanted to share in case anyone else has to contend with peanut allergies!! Thanks so much for sharing your recipes :)

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    1. So glad you stopped by & shared your substitute! It really is a fun recipe to tweak/tinker with! I've not tried the Sunbutter, only soy butter, I'll have to give it a try! Cheers!

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  39. HI! This sounds wonderful and I'll be in my kitchen very quickly to make my own batch. I''m wondering if you have a "print" function somewhere for your recipes. I'd like to print them rather than read off of my iPad in the kitchen.

    Just wondering....thanks for your great site.

    ~

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    1. Hope you like them, there are a few different ones to choose from. :) I've been trying to find an easy plug-in for 'print recipe' in Blogger, but haven't come across one yet. I have found some sites that give you info on how to do it, but they require editing html (ah, what's that??... then my eyes begin to glaze over... :) & seem to have a lot of steps. I will try to find something/someone who might be able to help. I like that recipe feature, too. I'm not techie in the least & have 'customized' my blog by just using what Blogger supplies for those of us who know just enough to be dangerous to our blogs (haha) & a few cut/paste add-ons. I will keep searching. Thanks for stopping by ~ Cheers!

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    2. Hi Liz! Well, I looked & looked (& looked some more) & couldn't find an easy 'proper' way to add the print recipe feature to the blog without having to delve into html code editing. (my eyes are glazing over just writing that again) So, I gave up & decided to do a little recreational reading over at ~ The Pioneer Woman blog... and I THINK I've got it kinda, sorta worked out. I'm going to start adding the recipes over at the Tasty Kitchen recipe sharing site & THEY have a print function available for the recipes you add/share over there. So, you should be able to click the print recipe link I'll start putting on my recipes, choose the print size you'd like & hopefully, print away! If it works for the blog ~ Pioneer Woman ~ (that is how she does her print recipes) then it works for me, too! Please let me know how this works out for you.

      If it's not what you were looking for/used to, as a 'print option', I'll keep looking around. Thanks for putting this 'recipe printing option' back on the front burner. (heehee, pun intended, I love kitchen humor) Cheers! :)

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  40. If I leave out the nuts will affect them? I know it'll affect the nutrition values but any other issues with leaving them out? My family doesn't like chopped nuts in anything.

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    1. It should be fine, maybe just a little bit less 'peanuty' in flavor. If you wanted too, you could add some peanut butter spread on top instead of the chopped nuts, just add before serving... or maybe pb & honey OR pb & jam. (think I know what I'll be topping mine with next time :) Carob chips & chocolate chips are nice in these, too. Maybe you could add some raisins if they do dried fruit. It's a fun recipe to tinker with, good luck. :) Thanks for stopping by ~ Cheers!

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  41. Has anyone tried Chocolate protein powder? I've never had vanilla, would it effect the sweetness?

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    1. It should be just fine, just a little different in flavor ~ depends how chocolatey the protein powder is. I'm tinkering with using PB2 & cocoa powder in the breakfast cookies & it I like the flavor of the peanut butter & chocolate together... now if I can just get the PB2 to behave. :) Good luck! Cheers!

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  42. Did you try the pb2 yet?

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    1. Yes & it is wonderful! I'm in love, but I can see it will take time & patience to nurture this relationship... It's really good & so simple to use in some meals, like mixed in Greek yogurt & sprinkled on buttered toast. Baking with it is more challenging... I'm going to start an outtakes page for photos because of it, hahaha. Some of the baked goodies I've made haven't turned out as I've hoped, thank goodness for Nutella, it's saved a few batches of PB2 cookies. I'll master it, this challenged baker will not give up ~ as least as long as the PB2 bag still has PB2 in it! heehee ~ Thanks for asking! :)

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  43. Just made these and ate two, even though it isn't breakfast time :) I changed the recipe just a tad by adding some flax seed meal and craisins. YUM!

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    1. So glad you are enjoying them! Funny you should mention the changes you made to your cookies today ~ my hubby was just saying I should add raisins/craisins next time I make these. He must have be channeling your baking vibe. :) Thanks so much for stopping by, sharing your recipe tweaks & commenting. ~ Cheers!

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  44. Thank you so much for this! My 15 month old son is gluten free, and because he is too young to understand why his sister can eat a cookie and he can't, we are now all gluten free. I used sunbutter because he also has a peanut allergy as well as eggs. It is so hard to find gluten free baked goods without eggs! I made a batch with Pb for my daughter and I and they are great! The sunbutter ones are still in the oven, I added some honey to those since I find sunbutter is a little bland. I have been looking for something quick, easy, and not messy for breakfast since my oldest is starting school this year. We are used to waking up at 9, so getting out of the door by 7:50 every morning is going to be a challenge! These will definitely help with that!

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    1. Oh, I'm so glad that you & your family are enjoying them! There are a bunch of other flavors, so I hope you can find others to temp you & your little ones with. :)

      This really is such a fun cookie recipe to tinker with, I'm always trying out new versions. Is there a favorite fruit that your son or daughter enjoys? I'm always looking for inspiration for new flavors!

      I feel for you on having to get out the door earlier. I'm not a morning person & school starts in 2 days. My son is starting 2nd grade, so I'll be right there with you in the kitchen drenches in the morning, trying to get everything done before heading out the door. We'll be eating these, too. :)

      Thanks so much for stopping by & commenting ~ Cheers!

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    2. Michelle, I just saw this cookie recipe & thought of you, it uses almond flour & has no gluten & no eggs. If your son can eat almonds this might be a cookie to look into. You can use either butter or coconut oil in the recipe. I'll be making these REAL soon, they sound so good!

      http://detoxinista.com/2012/03/almond-flour-frosted-sugar-cookies/

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    3. Michelle, here is another interesting cookie recipe. It's a vegan Snickerdoodle, egg/dairy/grain free. It might also work for your son's dietary needs. I can see that I've got a lot of almond flour baking in my future. :)

      http://urbanposer.blogspot.com/2012/06/snickerdoodle-cookies.html

      Cheers!

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  45. I added flax, cinnamon, chocolate whey, and unsweetened cocoa powder to knix the whey taste and up the chocolate. easy, delicious, quick, and healthy. perfect for early mornings... with my coffee

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    1. Oh man, that sounds good! Thanks so much for sharing your changes to the cookie, it's a fun cookie to tinker with. :) Thanks for stopping by & commenting ~ Cheers!

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  46. Oh my goodness! They sounds like Elvis cookies! Banana, Peanut Butter, and Chocolate! I am going to have to try these. YUM

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    1. Hahaha! Minus the bacon, of course! :) The name is catchy, I'll have to work that into the text when I get the PB2 cookies figured out. Leave me your first name & I'll mention this chat. :) Thanks for the laugh!

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  47. Vicki, my family and I have an album on facebook of things we try cooking. It's totally amatuer but I think it's fun. We made your breakfast cookies this afternoon for this week. And I wanted to share our process. We had a blast. You should definitely include in your blog that these are totally kid friendly to make.

    And as to your other commenters about "sugar". It would be the first time my kid has actually had REAL COOKIES for breakfast so having these will be awesome. In my book these are totally sugar free.
    Thanks for a great breakfast inspiration.

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    1. oops. here's the fb album. http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151215799632932&set=a.496329747931.303781.720977931&type=1&theater

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    2. Kristin ~ Thanks so much for the invitation into your kitchen!! I would love to look at your album, but I'm getting this error message.
      =
      This content is currently unavailable
      The page you requested cannot be displayed right now. It may be temporarily unavailable, the link you clicked on may have expired, or you may not have permission to view this page.
      = ;(

      If you have another link available, please let me know, I so want to check out what you guys did. BUT...

      I was so inspired by you wanting to share what you & your family are cooking in your kitchen, I decided to add a link over to my blog's Facebook page & invited everyone to share their kitchen photos if they'd like. Thanks so much for the idea! Look for the photo I just did showing my cameras ~ both new & old & it'll link you over. :) (it's on the right side, can't miss it :)

      I gotta share this also, it's amateur hour in this kitchen too. So many of my dinner plate photo's don't show the hungry & getting impatient hubby/son waiting for me to get done taking a picture if his/his meal. He/they complain(s) I'm stealing the 'soul' of the food. I tell him/them to be patient, or next time it will be cereal for dinner, since I don't need to take a picture of that. :)

      Sometimes the pictures come out a bit fuzzy, but hey, it's really what we're eating. As my son says ~ You get what you get, and you don't throw a fit! (I guess he was listening that day in kindergarten, way back when :)

      You know, taking kitchen photos is how this blog got started. I had posted over 200+ pictures of food/drinks in just under a year on my Facebook page. I was afraid everyone would 'unfriend' me because of all the food pics, so I decided to channel the energy into a blog. It's been a steep learning curve & a great creative outlet. Besides, it's a free hobby that gets me cooking creatively in the kitchen. It's a win-win... except for having to do the dishes. heehee

      Thanks so much for listening to me ramble & also for sharing your family's tradition! The Kids Cook Monday is always looking for family's who are doing what you're doing... ever thought of blogging about it? I heard about a gal who had a Facebook food album, and she started.... heehee :)

      Looking forward to seeing your photos soon ~ Cheers!

      p.s. ~ here is the link I mentioned ~ they are part of the 'Meatless Monday' campaign group I post for on Mondays
      http://www.thekidscookmonday.org/

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  48. I made these today and they turned out good, but I burnt them on the bottom. I cut them and they were still wet on the inside, so I let them go another few minutes and they burnt. They were still a little wet on the inside too. It didn't bother us, they were still good! My boys and I both had them for our snack this morning. So, my question, are they suppose to be a little wet on the inside? The only thing I didn't do was add the butter extract and protien powder. I also used 1/3 c coconut oil instead of the applesauce. If they aren't suppose to be wet, maybe the oil was too much? We don't keep applesauce on hand and we aren't afraid of good oils like coconut! I will definitely play with the recipe some more!

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    1. So glad that you & your boys liked them. :)

      The cookies shouldn't be 'wet', but they are moist. They will firm-up the longer they set. I've never baked with coconut oil & don't know how it would impact the recipe. Maybe they would need to sit longer to absorb more of the oil? Skipping the butter extract will do nothing to the texture. Skipping the protein powder will change the texture up some, since it does absorb some of the moisture. Next time I'd up the oats & add maybe an extra 1/4 - 1/3 cup or so, maybe a bit more if you're still skipping the protein powder. Maybe split the dough in 1/2 & add some extra oats to one half & even more oats to the other half & see which 'half' you like better. (it'd save making two batches :)

      Have fun tinkering. :) Let us know how it goes, I'm sure others would be interested in your coconut oil findings. Thanks for stopping by & commenting ~ Cheers!

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    2. P.S. ~ Since the cookies don't have the traditional ~ flour, egg, butter, sugar ~ they don't behave like regular cookies in the oven.

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    3. I was thinking about the coconut oil, was it semi soft or was it melted when you blended it all together? Since the oatmeal 'absorbs' the liquid from the applesauce, if the coconut oil wasn't in it's 'liquid' form that might be part of the problem. Also, you might be able to cut back on the oil, since applesauce is part fruit (fiber/bulk) & juice (liquid) going 1/3 cup for 1/3 cup might be too much oil. Since I'm not really a 'baker' (I'm learning as I g hereo, I consider myself a 'cook') I don't really know the ins & outs of how things affect baked goods. Hope some of this helps. ;)

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  49. These sound delicious. I really need something easy to carry & eat to sustain me throughout my school/work day. I am trying to add calories to my diet; is there a way I can bulk up the calorie content of this recipe?

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    1. For starters, make the cookies a bit bigger. Bigger serving size = more calories. I'd probably increase the amount of nuts you put in the cookies, maybe add another scoop of protein powder & maybe add more nut butter. Depending how much/what you add, you might need to add a little more oatmeal, too.

      Some of the readers of the blog like using coconut oil, so that is another option. If you do dairy, adding some butter is another option. Have fun tinkering with the recipe.
      Thanks for stopping by & commenting ~ Cheers!

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    2. Adding hemp seeds or any type of dried fruit is a great way to up the calorie count (raisins, craisins, cherries, apricots, blueberries... the possibilities are endless!)

      I haven't tried them yet, but I can't wait. My 3 year old will be so excited to learn that our morning activity is baking cookies. My 12 month old is allergic to eggs, wheat, dairy, potato and most tropical fruit, so these look awesome :)

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    3. Hope you have fun making them. I like the fact the batter is just fine for eating right out of the bowl. :) Thanks for stopping by & commenting ~ Cheers!

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  50. Great Recipe! I left out the butter extract, chopped nuts, and carob chips. I added an egg, a tsp of cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder. They turned out fantastic and super fluffy! I also topped some with raisins :)

    Great recipe and the perfect grab and go breakfast!

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    1. Kimberly,
      Thanks so much for stopping by & commenting! I really liked the sound of the changes that you did to your cookies that I had to try them that way, too. I just had to share the newest breakfast cookie that you came up with ~ with everybody! Hope you like the pictures. It was such a great idea, switching up the ingredients like you did. Thanks much for sharing your baking ideas. You ROCK! Check out the post 8/26/2012 ~ Peanut Butter Oatmeal Raisin Breakfast Cookie ~ Kimberly's Version
      Again, thanks so much for sharing!! Cheers!
      Vicki E
      p.s. ~ keep the ideas/sharing coming, I love hearing about fresh ideas! :)

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  51. The kids and I are eating these right now; these are one of the best that I have made! I did add raisins and did not use the butter. I am eager to see if these freeze well because this would be a great go-to grab for breakfasts. Next time I will add a little ground flax.

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    1. Oh, and I used almond butter instead of PB.... :-)

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    2. N I C E! ~ Thanks so much for sharing your changes to the recipe. It's a fun recipe to tinker with & using different nut butters is an easy place to start. :) So glad you & your family like the breakfast cookies. Thanks for stopping by & commenting ~ Cheers!

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  52. Thanks for sharing this. There are so many great ideas here for so many variations. For me, I will add flax powder instead of protein powder as it's what I have on hand. It also is full of protein.

    So many things could be added, blueberries, cranberries, can't wait to try different variations. I like the idea of replacing banana with pumpkin, sounds so yummy.

    My 2 cents is that I don't buy quick oats, so a way to make them "quick" is to powder 1/8 of a cup or so up in the chopper. We'll see how that works!

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    1. I hope you have fun tinkering with the different recipes, I sure do. I'm all about using what you've got on hand & I really cook/live by the old Monty Python saying from the skit with the bank robber in the lingerie shop ~ Adopt, Adapt, Improve. :)

      For some reason, I really prefer the quick oats in this breakfast cookie recipe, but like the old fashioned oats in all the others. I guess it must be the peanut butter. I'll have to try your trick with the oats.

      Thanks so much for stopping by & commenting ~ Cheers!

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  53. Stumbled upon this recipe vis pinterest and happened to have a banana that needed to be used up. I made a small batch of these since I only had one banana and eye balled the measurements for the ingredients. I am currently nursing my 4 month old so along with using whole steel cut oats I added brewers yeast and flax seed (all ingredients found to help maintain or increase milk supply). These just came out of the oven and although some of the bottoms are a little darker than I'd prefer they are delicious! These will be a great alternative to the standard nursing cookie recipe for me! Thanks so much!

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    1. Congrats on the new baby!! I remember those days. I used to eat A LOT of blue cornmeal, made into polenta or mush. I'd bake it in the oven, so it was pretty easy to always have some on hand. A friend of mine was married to a gent from the island of Anguilla & that is what all the women in his family did to keep the milk flowing. I've never heard of nursing cookies before. 8 years ago it was all about drinking herbal teas. :)

      I'm so glad that you enjoyed the cookie & shared your changes. This is an easy recipe to tinker with & it's really nice that so many readers are sharing their spins on all the different breakfast cookies. :) Thanks so much for stopping by & commenting ~ Cheers!

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  54. I was so excited to find your blog tonight! I'm your newest follower. I've been working on cutting out processed foods for almost 6 months now, and I love reading about what other people are doing with it.

    Amy
    www.newlifeitsanewdayandimfeelingood.blogspot.com

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    1. Welcome!! So glad you like what you see, it's fun having a blog. Sure makes me up my game in the kitchen. :) I was wandering around your blog, too. Love your header statement! Congrats on getting noticed for all your hard work, it's nice when others appreciate the time & effort that you put into something. I've joined your blog, too. :) I still remember my 7th grade science teacher - Mr.Chernoff ~ he was the coolest, most unconventional teacher (of course, coming from California,in the late 70's, that's probably not saying much) & we all loved him dearly. As a student, you always remember the good ones. Your students are very lucky to have such an optimistic teacher. Thanks for being such an inspiring teacher. Love the 'mints', brilliant! So glad to 'meet' you! :)

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  55. Cannot wait to try your breakfast cookie recipes. My husband will not touch fruit, but loves a cookie. I'm on a mission to get him to eat healthy foods... It is all in the baby steps, lol. These would also be great to eat on my way out the door for school. Thank you for posting such yummy looking recipes. I will definitely be visiting your site often!

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    1. Hope you can find a cookie that you both will like! :) My hubby likes the Banana Oat & Double Cherry Chip Breakfast Cookies the best. He is a confirmed cookie eater (or biscuit, as he calls it, he's English :) & he has come around to these 'cookies' & eats them every day. It's such an easy way to get some of your daily fruit/grains. You're right, it's all in the baby steps. Hope you do find other recipes that you like. I like cooking lots of different things, so there should be something out there for you to like. :) Thanks so much for stopping by & commenting ~ Cheers!

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  56. Great cookie! My husband love Oatmeal Raisin cookies but is diabetic, but this option is full of fiber, fat slows down the carb absorption and the protein powder is huge. He loves them and he now eats breakfast instead of skipping it. Great blogg will keep checking back. PS I use old fashion oats and slivered almonds for the added texture and chew power.

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    1. So happy to hear you & your hubby like them!! Thanks for the compliments, food blogging has become a fun hobby & has really upped my game in the kitchen. I can tell you breakfast cookies go fast around here. :) Hope you can find other recipes that you like. Thanks for sharing your tweaks to the recipe, I'll have to try them that way, too. Thanks so much for stopping by & commenting ~ Cheers!

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  57. Great naturally gluten free recipe (provided you use gluten free oats) - I skipped the butter and protein powders but used walnuts. Pretty tasty - reminded me a little bit of banana bread. I also had the thought as these were baking to put them in muffin tins, will try that next time.

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    1. Sounds like a tasty spin, I love how easy it is to change up the recipe to get it just the way you like it. :) Let us know how it turns out using the muffin tins. Thanks for stopping by & commenting ~ Cheers!

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  58. I have seen that you spread Nutella on the cookies sometimes. Sounds awesome!! Nutella really does make everything better :) I cant wait to try these cookies with it. FYI: Maranatha makes a dark chocolate almond butter that is really good if you like the dark chocolate taste and it is nutritionally better than Nutella because of less sugar. I might try that too for a little less sweetness.

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    1. It's been years since I've had Maranatha products, I'd forgotten all about them. We ran out of Nutella the other day, so I've been mixing cocoa powder with nut butter & a little sweetener or PB2, cocoa powder & sweetener. It's not quite the same thing, but it's pretty good & a lot lower in sugar. :) Thanks for stopping by & commenting ~ Cheers!

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  59. Thanks so much for the recipe--these are great! My 2 year old LOVES them and I don't have to feel bad about letting him eat more than one :)
    I wonder what they would be like using Nutella instead of peanut butter...just might have to try it! I'll be blogging about these wonderful cookies soon!

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    1. So glad you & your son like them! I really like how you don't have to worry when the little ones want to eat some of the cookie dough. I'm sure the Nutella would make an outstanding spin on these cookies ~ it makes everything taste good. :) Please, let me know when you blog about the cookies, I love to see it. I checked out your sites ~ you take fantastic newborn photos ~ absolutely stunning! Thanks so much for stopping by & commenting ~ Cheers!

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  60. Your recipie calls for a "scoop" of protein powder....what is the measurement of the scoop? A cup or half cup?

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    1. Good question. :) I use Pure Protein Vanilla Whey Powder & I use the scoop that is included in the tub. It shows a one scoop serving size is 38 grams, which is about a heaping 1/4 cup. That being said, I've also used a Trader Joe's Vanilla Soy Protein Powder & a 38 gram serving size from that tub was actually two scoops, since it was less dense than the whey protein.

      So, the best answer I can give you is to see what the serving size of your protein powder is, and use that. 38 grams seems to be the magic number, which could be one scoop or two scoops, depending on the kind & brand being used. Thanks for stopping by & commenting ~ Cheers!

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  61. Wow, these look amazing! I can not wait to make this recipe. I've been trying to find a good morning snack that will hold me up until lunch, and I think I found just what I was looking for! Thank you for the post. I'll be making these and featuring them on my blog at http://gardnofeatn.blogspot.com/

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    1. Hope you enjoy them! I stopped by your blog, the crock pot roast beef recipe sounds really good! Hope you have as much fun doing your blog as I do mine. :) Thanks for stopping by & commenting ~ Cheers!

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  62. These were/are yummy! I just baked a batch last night, aiming for a healthy breakfast snack for my 15 month old son. Dad doesn't have a lot of time to make him breakfast in the morning before heading out the door, so this seems like a perfect thing to grab and go. I'll have to get the report tonight as to whether baby boy liked them! I skipped the butter extract and protein powder, but added extra chopped peanuts and did add the carob chips (mostly beacuase we have a dog, and I'm sure he will end up eating some of these). I also love your variations on these on your blog. Fun! I love recipes you can tinker with and bake based on the season or what you have on hand. I can't wait to play around with this. I still have pureed pears from when my son was on pureed foods, so I'll be sure to try that, maybe with dried blueberries. I can see lemon zest working nicely in these too. Thanks for sharing this! The variations are endless.

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    1. Hope your son likes them! You are so right ~ these breakfast cookies really are a fun recipe to tinker with. Hope you have fun creating your own different spins. Thanks so much for stopping by & commenting ~ Cheers! :)

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  63. I just made these and used fresh ground almond butter in place of PB, added 1/2c Stevia. Baked for 20 mins. They are very good and I will for sure make again. For me, just baking without the flour, butter and extra sugar and finding a cookie that is edible is wonderful. Thanks for the recipe

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    1. I am so happy that you liked them! It's such an easy recipe to tinker with & get just the way you like or to work with what you have available in the kitchen, so glad it worked for you. :) Thanks so much for stopping by & commenting ~ Cheers!

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  64. I just made these and my big suggestion would be to lower the amount of cooking time because they were really dry. I basically made them just the way the recipe stated except for no protein cause I didn't have any. I did a blog post on them http://iamonly1woman.blogspot.com/2012/10/pinterest-healthy-cookies-roundup-and.html

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    1. Thanks for giving them a try. Since my breakfast cookies have no added sugar & are dairy and flour free, they are quite different/bake differently than traditional cookies. Dr. Oz's cookies have egg, wheat & agave, so they will have a more traditional cookie texture/behavior while baking. I've never really had a problem with mine being dry, I wonder what happened. Just a few thoughts...maybe the bananas were a bit smaller or not as 'juicy' when mashed up. I know the more I mash my bananas, the more liquidy they get. Did you let them set for 10 minutes before baking, so the oats could soak up the moisture? It looks like they weren't as flat as I make them, maybe that affected the baking, as well as the missing protein powder? I did update the cooking time to show 20-30 minutes, for those who like their cookies baked less. I've tried to like the 20 minute baked versions of the breakfast cookies & I always go back to the longer cooking time. :) Thanks so much for stopping by & commenting ~ Cheers!

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  65. Thanks for the recipe!!! I have two pre-schoolers and sometimes we are rushing in the morning. I put 3 mini M&M's or sprinkles on top and they are super excited! I'm sure they will think I am the coolest mom letting them eat their "cookies" in the car on the way to school on those morning we are pressed for time. Read the Pumpkin puree idea and that is my next batch!

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    1. Thanks for commenting, you gave me a giggle & made my night! I'm so glad your kids liked the breakfast cookies & I agree, M & M's or sprinkles ALWAYS make things better. Thanks again for stopping by, commenting & making me smile ~ Cool Moms ROCK! :)

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  66. I made these this morning for breakfast. My whole family LOVES them!! I pretty much followed the recipe exactly. Will be making these again and trying different nuts and fruit in them. Thanks for the great recipe!!!

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    1. Excellent!! So glad you all liked the breakfast cookies. It's an easy recipe to tinker with, have fun. :) Thanks so much for stopping by & commenting ~ you just made my day ~ Cheers!

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  67. awesome awesome awesome! ever since i found this recipe on pinterest i have made them 4 times. i put dried blueberries and cut up hershey kisses in mine, just a handful. they are so delicious and i don't feel guilty eating them. post more healthy recipes soon! nicole

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    1. Nicole ~ You've made my day!! Thanks so much for the kind words. :) Check out my other Breakfast Cookies for other fun spins on eating a 'cookie' for breakfast. :) Thanks so much for stopping by & commenting ~ Cheers!

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  68. Has anyone tried with pumpkin puree??? I am not a big fan of bananas.

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    1. I know some have tried making the breakfast cookies with pumpkin puree instead of using bananas, but it doesn't really make the cookies sweet enough, so some have added honey or sugar to help it out. I've used pureed mango in place of the bananas with success. Check out the Tropical Coconut Mango Breakfast Cookies. Hope this gives you some ideas. Cheers!

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  69. Hi! Just came across your blog and this recipe. There are so many "breakfast cookie" recipes out there that seem like any other cookie, or call for a bunch of ingredients I don't have on hand. These are baking in the oven right now and smell great! (minus the butter flavor extract - I didn't have it so I left it out). Looking forward to checking out other recipes on your blog!

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    1. Hi Amy ~ Hope you enjoyed the breakfast cookies! You're right, they sure do make the house smell good when they're baking. :) Hope you find other cookie flavors/recipes that you like. Thanks so much for stopping by & commenting ~ Cheers!

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  70. Hello! I'm also baking a batch of the cookies. I left out the protein powder and the butter flavor extract. I added 2 tablespoons of hemp seeds for protein. They smell yummy and can't wait to try them.

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    1. Hi Natural Violet! Hope you liked the breakfast cookies. It's an easy recipe to tinker with & get it just the way you like it. That's why I kept posting more recipes, just trying out new things. :) Thanks so much for stopping by & commenting ~ cheers!

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  71. This recipe looks great! I have a batch in the oven as we speak--left out the protein powder and butter extract (dairy allergy) and I am using raw almond butter instead of peanut butter. Also topping with Chia seeds...I am excited to see how they turn out! Always looking for healthier "sweets". Thanks for the recipe post!

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    1. Hi Monica! Hope you liked the breakfast cookies. It's an easy recipe to tinker with & get it just the way you like. I hadn't thought of adding Chia seeds, I'll have to try that next batch. Thanks so much for stopping by & commenting ~ Cheers!

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  72. I HAVE to make these! I just immediately started bothering le boyfriend for some of his protein powder. These would be perfect between classes and while I'm student teaching. I'm going to spring these on my grandma when I go home-they sound like a perfect way to sneak something healthy that she'd actually like! Thanks for all the alternatives too!

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    1. Hi Nolette! Hope you enjoy them. They're an easy breakfast cookie to tinker with and get just the way you like. If you come up with a different spin, please share. I love hearing what others do with the recipes. Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting ~ Cheers!

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  73. This is awesome. I mean it really is healthy and at the same time very yummy. I tried this with my bro and he liked it. Thanks for sharing this one Vicki. Thanks a lot!

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    1. Hi Cami! So vary glad that you both enjoyed them! Hope you try some of the others, too. It's an easy recipe to tinker with & change up as you like. Thanks so much for stopping by & commenting ~ Cheers!

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  74. They are actually good (sweeter) with chopped dates :)

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  75. I found this recipe on pinterest about two months ago and have not stopped making them since!!! I keep buying extra bananas just to let them go 'bad' so that I can make these. Thank you for this delicious healthy recipe!!!

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    1. You have made my day, so happy that you enjoy them! Thanks so much for stopping by & commenting ~ Cheers!

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  76. Really really good! I made them slightly less healthy but still 2 of them make a very good, fast, healthy breakfast. Added about 2.5 tbsp honey, 1tsp cinnamon, 0.5 tbsp butter, and a pinch of salt. I used Trader Joe's quick-cooking steel-cut oats and they came out perfect in 30 min. Thanks for the recipe!

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    1. Thanks so much for sharing your tweaks to the recipe. Glad to hear that you found a way to use steel-cut oats. I've had a few people ask if they could use them, but I didn't have success when I've tried using that kind of oat. Happy to find out there is a way to use them! I'll have to make them your way too. If you leave me your first name, I'll let everyone know who cracked the steel-cut oat problem. :) Thanks so much for stopping by & commenting ~ Cheers!

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    2. Hey, Charles here again (above poster). I've now made them twice because they're so good! This time I tried it with rolled oats and I have to say, it's much better than the steel-cut kind - lighter, and more like a cookie. Also the steel-cut oats are denser, so I wouldn't use 1.5 cups (that's double the calories of rolled oats!). Probably use 1 cup or less and add some more peanut butter / applesauce and cook for a bit longer.

      Incidentally I sweetened this time with maple syrup instead of honey, that's also really good. This recipe is definitely fun to mess with! Also easy to do that since you can taste the batter as you go :-).

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    3. Glad to hear that you're having fun tinkering with the cookies. That's what I love about them. Thanks for sharing you new tweaks! If you have any 'batter' left over, it makes for a pretty tasty 'pancake'... :)

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  77. i had a huge craving for chocolate chip cookies, I remember pinning this so i thought to try this instead of the evil chocolate chips, they were delicious!!!!! So happy I pinned this recipe!! Thank you!! I used the bananas,pb, protein powder,van extract, oats, nuts, apple sauce and chocolate chips, although I probably would have set the timer for 24-25 rather than 29 (the bottom got a tiny bit burned, not enough to spoil the flavor, thank you again!!!

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    1. So glad to hear that you liked the cookies! They are a fun one to tinker with & change up to suit your mood. Happy that you found the recipe on Pinterest & remembered it. There are lots of other breakfast cookie flavors, hope you get a chance to check them out. Thanks so much for stopping by & commenting ~ Cheers!

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