These banana berry vegan oatmeal cookies are easy to make, delicious and perfect for on-the-go breakfast, lunchboxes or snacking! They’re gluten free, sugar free and will keep you full and satisfied until lunchtime.
Not only are these wholesome and delicious breakfast cookies easy to make with only 8 ingredients, but they’re also the best way to start your day!
They make a nutritious breakfast that are essentially like overnight oats, but in cookie form, which makes them a convenient and compact grab-and-go snack. And made with bananas, quinoa and oats, they are also vegan, kid-friendly and packed with fiber and complex carbs to keep you feeling full until your next meal.
Perfect to throw into lunchboxes or for those busy mornings when you are running late, but still want to make sure your kids get a healthy breakfast. These cookies are sweet, satisfying and so good that it’s hard to stop at one!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Quick and easy – you’ll only need one bowl and around 20 minutes to make them!
- Dietary restriction friendly – this recipe is vegan, nut free, egg free, gluten free and contains no added sugars.
- No fancy ingredients! Just common pantry staples like oats, cinnamon, fruit and chia.
What you’ll need
Ingredient notes
Banana – ripe bananas are best- which means brown and spotty! Like healthy banana bread, the riper the banana, the sweeter the flavour will be.
Berries – this recipe can be adapted to suit any type of soft berry. I love to use raspberries, blackberries or blueberries- or use a combination of your favourites! If they aren’t in season, you can easily use frozen berries instead.
Oats – use rolled oats and ensure that you choose gluten free, if required. Oatmeal and banana bind together to hold the cookies together without the need for eggs.
Quinoa flakes- quinoa is one of the most protein packed foods you’ll find! It also contains iron, magnesium and Vitamin B2. They can be found in flake form in most supermarkets and health food stores, however you can substitute them for extra oats, if you wish.
Currants or sultanas – can be used here, or substitute for any other chopped, dried fruit.
These cookies are naturally sweetened by fruit only. But you also have the option of adding in a little maple syrup or other natural sweetener of your choice if you like them a little sweeter.
Step by step photos
Ensure the berries are completely crushed into the banana before adding the other ingredients, to ensure the cookies stick together.
Once the ingredients are completely combined, use your hands to gently form cookies to your desired size. You can make them as big or as small as you like (although cooking times will vary). Place the cookies onto a baking tray lined with baking paper or a silicone mat.
Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes and then you are good to go! The cookies will be lightly golden on the outside and soft and tender on the inside. The texture is like a cross between a bowl of oatmeal and a chewy muesli bar or cookie.
Handy tips
- You can add up to 2 tablespoons of maple syrup or brown rice syrup if extra sweetness is desired. Although these cookies are perfectly sweet from the fruit, without any additional sweeteners.
- These cookies can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. To thaw, place them in the fridge overnight or leave them at room temperature for around 20 minutes. This means you can place them directly from the freezer into lunchboxes, to be thawed by snack time!
- The oatmeal and banana will hold the cookies together as they bake, so use your hands to gently form the mixture into cookie shapes. This recipe makes 6-10 cookies, depending on how big you require them to be.
- Berry banana breakfast cookies are a fun and easy recipe to make with kids. Your little helpers can measure ingredients, mix and roll the cookies in their hands. Just make sure that, like my kids, they don’t eat all of the mixture before baking! Although, because these cookies only contain healthy ingredients, it’s perfectly fine if they do.
Related recipes
If you love these healthy vegan oatmeal cookies, you’ll also love these other nutritious breakfast and lunchbox ideas!
For more kid and toddler lunch box ideas, check out these recipes. Or for tips on time saving and bulk baking school lunches, see this post here.
To save time and money on healthy school and toddler lunches, see my 50 Healthy School Snacks E-BOOK! It also contains a bonus Guide to Making 2 Minute Lunches.
If you try these quinoa oatmeal cookies, I’d love to hear about it! Feel free to leave a comment below and let me know your favourite, or send me a message. For more lunchbox inspiration, tips and to share your own recipes and creations, head over to my Facebook Group; Healthy Lunchboxes Australia.
Vegan Oatmeal Cookies (Banana and Berry)
Ingredients
- 2 ripe bananas spotty and brown bananas are recommended, as they will be sweeter.
- 1 cup frozen berries of choice raspberries, blackberries or blueberries are recommended. Fresh or frozen are fine depending on availability.
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- 2 tbsp chia seeds
- ¼ cup currants or sultanas, or other dried, chopped fruit
- ¼ cup desiccated coconut or shredded
- 1 cup rolled oats gluten free, if needed
- ½ cup quinoa flakes or extra oats
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 180 °C (350 F). Line a baking tray with baking paper.
- Mash the banana and berries together until the berries are crushed and mostly incorporated. Add all of the other ingredients and stir together until combined.
- Roll the mixture into 6-10 balls (depending on how big you want the cookies) and gently press them onto the baking tray, flattening slightly with your fingertips or a fork.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes, until slightly browned on the outside.
- Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to seven days, or store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Enjoy!
Notes
- You can add up to 2 tablespoons of maple syrup or brown rice syrup if extra sweetness is desired. Although these cookies are perfectly sweet from the fruit, without any additional sweeteners.
- These cookies can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. To thaw, place them in the fridge overnight or leave them at room temperature for around 20 minutes. This means you can place them directly from the freezer into lunchboxes, to be thawed by snack time!
- The oatmeal and banana will hold the cookies together as they bake, so use your hands to gently form the mixture into cookie shapes. This recipe makes 6-10 cookies, depending on how big you require them to be.
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