Healthy Sourdough Breakfast Cookies (1-Bowl Recipe)
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Healthy sourdough breakfast cookies are naturally sweetened and packed with protein-rich nut butter and omega-3s from chia and egg yolk. They are kid-friendly and perfect for a grab-and-go breakfast or snack. Stock your freezer with these delicious and wholesome sourdough discard breakfast cookies.
A lot of breakfast cookie recipes produce dense and heavy cookies, more like a granola bar than a cookie. I don’t know about you, but I like something lighter to snack on, especially in the mornings when all I really want to eat is coffee.
These sourdough breakfast cookies are different. They have a lighter texture; soft and fluffy — like little puffs of nutrition in sweet cookie form. Because they are packed with overripe bananas, they have a cakeier consistency, much like these amazing sourdough pumpkin cookies.
I find these breakfast cookies incredibly convenient for make-ahead breakfasts when I know we will have a busy morning. All five of my kids love them! They are great for Dad to grab on his way out the door, too.
If you are looking for a classic oatmeal cookie recipe rather than a healthy, nutrient-packed one, you’ll want to check out my popular sourdough oatmeal cookies, too.
Watch: How to make sourdough breakfast cookies
Recipe Box Repertorire
Reasons why these breakfast cookies are worth adding to your recipe collection.
- A great way to get some quick and hearty nutrition in the morning without the hassle of cooking over the stove. These easy oatmeal breakfast cookies are filled with rolled oats, which are high in fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals.
- They are a much healthier alternative to regular cookies or processed snack foods — and so much more flavorful! Plus, they are dairy-free and can be adapted to be gluten-free and vegan.
- These sourdough discard breakfast cookies are a super easy-to-make 1-bowl recipe, meaning less mess and less stress.
- It’s an excellent way to use up excess sourdough discard. Bake a batch for a new mom! They are wonderful as postpartum cookies.
Quick-Guide How-To Make
- Get the oven and baking sheets prepped. 350 degrees F. I love these silicone baking mats for baking cookies!
- Start by mashing the ripe bananas in a large bowl and mix in the rest of the wet ingredients. (Nut butter, discard, maple syrup, egg yolk, melted butter, and vanilla.)
- Sprinkle the dry ingredients over the wet. (Oat flour, rolled oats, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.) Gently stir until just combined, and then fold in the rest of the add-ins — chia seeds, sliced almonds, coconut flakes, and chocolate chips.
- Scoop dough onto baking sheets with a medium cookie scoop. Use damp fingers to shape the cookies by gently pressing them down and flattening them out a bit.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes and then cool on the pan for 5-10 minutes before transferring cookies to a cooling rack.
- Optional: Press a few more chocolate chips into warm cookies and sprinkle with a pinch of flaky salt.
Photos of the Process
These sourdough breakfast cookies are super easy to make, and there are just a few key tips for whipping out a perfect batch of these 1-bowl sourdough cookies.
These cookies come together quickly in 1 large mixing bowl. Start by mashing the overripe bananas with a fork.
Combine all the wet ingredients, then sprinkle the dry ingredients over the wet and fold in the add-ins. The batter will be very sticky, so I recommend using a cookie scoop.
Scoop the batter onto a prepared baking sheet. You easily fit 8 cookies per tray.
Use a spatula or damp fingers to gently press the cookies and flatten them into the shape you want. These cookies do not spread, so be sure to shape them before baking.
Bake the cookies until the edges look set, and the bottoms just begin browning. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes before moving them to a wire rack. They are soft and tender, so be gentle!
Keys for Success
The cookies will not spread or flatten much as they bake, so be sure to create the shape you want beforehand by flattening them a bit before you pop them in the oven.
Spoon and level the flour. Adding too much flour can ruin the taste and texture of these breakfast cookies. Fluff your flour with a spoon, spoon it into your measuring cup, and use a knife to level it off.
How to make oat flour at home
Oat flour is a delicious gluten-free alternative to all-purpose flour or wheat flour. What is it, you ask? It’s just finely ground rolled oats! It only takes about five minutes to make at home, and you can use it to make cookies, bread, muffins, and more.
Make sure to get certified gluten-free traditional rolled oats or quick oats.
How to Make It:
Just pop your rolled oats into a high-speed blender or food processor and blend or pulse until it turns into a smooth, flour-like powder. It only takes about a minute or two, and it’s a super affordable option!
Can I Use Oat Flour Instead of All-Purpose Flour?
Oat flour absorbs liquid differently than regular flour, so it may not work great when swapping it at a 1:1 ratio by weight. I’d try to substitute half of the all-purpose flour for oat flour. If a recipe calls for 1 cup of all-purpose, you could use 1/2 cup oat flour and 1/2 cup of all-purpose.
How Much Oat Flour Does 1 Cup of Rolled Oats Make?
1 cup of rolled oats is about 3/4 cup oat flour. So, if your recipe calls for a full cup of oat flour, you’ll need to blend a bit more rolled oats to make it.
FAQ
Most sourdough starters contain gluten because they are made with regular wheat flour, so there is likely a small amount of gluten in the discard. However, it is possible to make a gluten-free starter. You can also opt for certified gluten-free oats and make these cookies 100% gluten-free.
There are all kinds of variations and alternatives to try.
• Boost the nutrition by adding a tablespoon each of flaxseed meal and hemp hearts.
• Switch up the nuts with chopped pecans or walnuts, or make them nut-free by omitting the nuts altogether.
• For a vegan option, you can swap the egg yolk for 1 flax egg and use coconut oil instead of butter.
• Try different dried fruits like cranberries, raisins, chopped apricots, cherries, or even blueberries.
• Not a fan of coconut? Just leave it out!
How To Store
These cookies are best fresh the first day, but you can store them in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to two days, or pop them in the fridge for up to three.
Freezing Instructions
To freeze these cookies, ensure they have cooled completely and then store them in an air-tight container lined with wax paper to prevent sticking. Store them in the freezer for up to three months. You can also toss them in a freezer-safe storage bag, but I recommend flash-freezing them on a baking sheet first so they don’t crumble.
If you’ve tried this sourdough breakfast cookies recipe, remember to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love hearing from you, and it helps me so much! — Thank you.
More favorite recipes from Rooted Deep Home:
Get all my sourdough breakfast recipes here!
Healthy Sourdough Breakfast Cookies (1-Bowl Recipe + Naturally Sweet)
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Baking sheets These are my favorite heavy-duty sheets
- Parchment paper or silicone baking mats I use these Silpat mats and love them
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- 2 overripe bananas, mashed
- 1/4 cup sourdough starter discard 60 grams (discard or fed)
- 1/3 cup natural peanut butter or almond butter
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons salted butter, melted
Dry Ingredients
- 1 cup oat flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds
- 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats; set aside.
- Mix the wet ingredients: In a large bowl, mash bananas with a fork, add in the nut butter, sourdough starter discard, maple syrup, egg yolk, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth and well combined; a few small banana chunks are okay.
- Add the oat flour, baking soda, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and salt to the wet mixture. Stir until just combined. Fold in the rolled oats, chia seeds, sliced almonds, coconut flakes, and chocolate chips.
- Use a medium cookie scoop to scoop the dough onto prepared baking sheets. With damp fingers, gently press the cookies down a bit until they are slightly flattened because they will not spread out during baking.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until set. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Top cookies with a pinch of flaky sea salt and enjoy!
