Pumpkin Breakfast Cookies (gluten-free)

Need a healthy breakfast option for those on-the-go mornings?  Our Pumpkin Breakfast Cookies are just the ticket. Made with easy to find, budget-friendly ingredients, these oatmeal breakfast cookies are made gluten-free and nut-free.

Looking for a new breakfast recipe?  We have just the thing! Insert Pumpkin Breakfast Cookies!

Easy to make breakfast cookies are going to bring your breakfast game to the next level.  A perfectly baked little cookie made with gluten-free oats, sunflower seed butter, and a handful of healthy and delicious add-ins.  They’re chock full of nutritious oats, pumpkin puree, sunflower seed butter, and naturally sweetened with a little honey (or maple syrup).

Recipe created and brought to you by Ana Ankeny, Social Media Coordinator of The Real Food Dietitians and blogger herself! 

A breakfast you can feel good about serving

Whether you’re serving these cookies to the kids before school, making them for your own on-the-go breakfast, or making a batch to stash away for snacks, rest assured these soft and chewy oatmeal breakfast cookies will be the perfect cookie recipe to fit the bill for all of those needs.  An easy one-bowl recipe, these little cookies are just what you’ve been looking for. And if you love these ones, be sure you give our Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies a try, too! 

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Ingredients for Pumpkin Breakfast Cookies

• Rolled oats – also known as old fashioned oats. Use gluten-free oats if needed.
• Gluten-free all-purpose flour – use your favorite gluten-free all-purpose flour, we like Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-free Baking Flour.
• Baking soda & baking powder
• Pumpkin Spice – use a pumpkin pie spice blend or use a combination of cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and allspice.
• Flax meal + water – to make a flax ‘egg’ use ground flax meal (also known as ground flaxseeds) either golden or brown will work.
• Honey – For a vegan option, use maple syrup.
• Sunflower seed butter – a nut-free butter. You can also sub creamy peanut butter, almond butter, or any nut butter of choice.
• Pumpkin puree – be sure to use pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling.
• Coconut oil – melted coconut oil, otherwise, any oil you have on hand will work.

Cookie Add-ins – use what you have on hand or what sounds good to you.

• Dried Cranberries or Raisins – a great healthy add-in that adds sweetness to the breakfast cookies.
• Pepitas – also known as pumpkin seeds. Feel free to substitute sunflower seeds if you wish
• Unsweetened Shredded Coconut – we like this one, but use what you have on hand.
• Dark Chocolate Chips – Enjoy Life Dark Chocolate Morsels are our favorite and they happen to be allergy-friendly/dairy-free. 

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How to make these healthy breakfast cookies

1. Preheat the oven to 350℉.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. In a small bowl combine the flax meal and water, stir.  Set aside until it’s thick and creamy.
3. In a medium bowl combine the rolled oats, gluten-free flour blend, baking soda, baking powder, and pumpkin pie spice.  Stir.  
4. Next, in a small saucepan over low heat, melt the sunflower seed butter, honey, and coconut oil.  Stirring continually until melted.  Remove from the heat and add pumpkin puree and flax ‘egg’.  Stir.  
5. Add the melted mixture to the bowl of dry ingredients.  Stir with a large spoon until all the dry ingredients are mixed into the wet ingredients.  
6. Lastly, add mix-ins of your choice. If following the recipe exactly they would be the dried cranberries or raisins, pepitas, unsweetened coconut shreds, and chocolate chips. Fold into the batter.  
7. Scooping the batter up by large spoonfuls, place on the prepared parchment-covered baking sheet.  Divide evenly to get 12 round cookies. With hands, slightly press the dough down to form a round cookie shape. 
8. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown on the edges. Remove from oven and leave on pan for 5-10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. 

The best way to store these pumpkin oatmeal breakfast cookies

Once all of the breakfast cookies have cooled, place them in an airtight container and store in the pantry/counter for up to 4 days.

Are these breakfast cookies freezer-friendly?

Yes!  Make these cookies ahead of time or for your weekend meal prep and pop them in the freezer for later use.  Once the oatmeal breakfast cookies have completely cooled, place them in a freezer-friendly container, if stacking them place a piece of parchment paper between the stacks.  Freezer for up to 3 months.  To thaw, let them sit on the counter until they come to room temperature, pop them in the microwave for 30 seconds bursts until warm, or place them in the oven at 300 degrees until they’re completely thawed and warm on the inside.

Can you substitute sweet potatoes for pumpkin?

Absolutely!  Substituting sweet potatoes for the pumpkin in these healthy oatmeal breakfast cookies is a great swap.  Using a baked sweet potato scrape the sweet potato from the skin and send it through a food processor to make it smooth and creamy.  This recipe calls for only ½ a cup of pumpkin, so if you want to use up any leftover sweet potatoes you have, it would be a perfect time to make this breakfast cookie recipe!

Other healthy pumpkin recipes to try:

• Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal with Toasted Pecans
• Healthy Baked Pumpkin Donuts
• Pumpkin Pie Overnight Oats

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