If you're a fan of carrot cake, then you'll LOVE these soft, nutty & healthy breakfast cookies! Make a big batch and freeze them for on-the-go treats.
For a while, I went through a frittata phase, then there was the chia bowl phase, followed by a bit of a smoothie kick… which brings us to my current morning trend: cookies for breakfast!
But before you think I’ve completely given up on myself, hear me out – I make these cookies with lots of good things – carrots, oats, flax, walnuts, pepitas, cranberries, and QUINOA. Yes, carrots and quinoa – it almost sounds like a salad, but I promise you these “healthier” cookies are so delicious and energizing in the morning. They’re also vegan, gluten-free, and sweetened with maple syrup instead of refined sugars. They’re about halfway in between a muffin and a cookie – big, hearty, and filling, but also sweet and nutty – they’re almost like eating carrot cake for breakfast!
Quinoa Cookies Tips
Let’s talk for a second about quinoa in cookies. I recommend that you use leftover quinoa here. I like to make a big batch of quinoa early in the week for easy toss-together lunches and dinners. Store your cooked quinoa in the fridge so that when you’re ready to bake these breakfast cookies, it’s ready for you.
If you haven’t baked with oat flour before – it’s so easy. No need to go shopping for fancy flours, just blend your oats in a food processor for about a minute, and you have oat flour. It’s gluten-free, but be sure to seek out certified gluten-free oats if gluten is a problem for you.
Over here, my family is obsessed with these. They’re best straight out of the oven, but they also freeze incredibly well (hence, my 1 cookie per day breakfast obsession).
More Favorite Breakfast Treats
If you love these quinoa breakfast cookies, try one of these breakfast treats next:
- Carrot Cake Cookies
- Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
- Healthy Banana Muffins
- Chocolate Chip MuffinsÂ
- Blueberry Muffins
- Pumpkin Muffins
- Healthy Banana Bread
For more healthy breakfast ideas, check out this post!
Quinoa Breakfast Cookies
- 1 cup oat flour
- 1 cup (additional) whole rolled oats* (see note)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ cup cooked quinoa
- 1 cup finely shredded carrots
- 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed + 5 tablespoons warm water
- ½ cup almond butter
- ¼ cup coconut oil, melted
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ½ cup nuts and/or seeds (I used walnuts + pepitas)
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Use a food processor or a blender to process the 1¼ cups rolled oats into a fine flour and measure out one level cup. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, the remaining 1 cup whole oats, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and sea salt. Fold in the quinoa and then the shredded carrots, stirring until the carrots are completely coated with flour.
- In a small bowl, combine the flaxseed and warm water and set aside to thicken for about 5 minutes. In a medium bowl, combine the almond butter, coconut oil, and maple syrup and stir well to incorporate. Stir in the flaxseed mixture.
- Add the wet ingredients to the bowl of dry ingredients and fold until just combined. Stir in the walnuts, pepitas, and cranberries.
- Scoop about ¼ cup of batter for each cookie onto the baking sheet. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
- When cookies are completely cool, they can be stored in an airtight container or frozen.
Hi, I didn’t have any almond butter so I substituted (on a whim) 1/4 c melted butter and 1/2 cup applesauce. and a bit of almond flour and ground coconut flakes, If anyone is looking to make these nut-free, I am pretty sure the bit of almost flour that I added for flavor is optional.
Absolutely delicious! I am avoiding most flours, and love that these are made from gluten free oat flour. The texture is so moist, fluffy and slightly chewy. To me this is the perfect texture. The flavor is spot on. I enjoyed with coffee and went back for seconds while my husband enjoyed 3. Don’t think they will make it to the freezer. Can’t wait to try the pumpkin chocolate chip version! Thank you for another amazing recipe that is still on the healthy side.
Leaving 5 stars as I forgot to hit the stars from my last post. If I could, I would give this recipe 10 stars
Thanks Amy! I’m so glad you loved them!
They are great at any meal! Thanks so much. Can’t wait to try the pumpkin/choc chip cookies!
Would like nutrition information for your recipes.
These are AMAZINGLY delicious. It is really hard to only eat one… Or two… ?
Do we know the nutritional info for these yums?
Holy cow, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but this recipe came out amazing! I didn’t add any nuts, and replaced almond butter with peanut butter, and added a splash of vanilla. So delicious, healthy, and glad it’s vegan! Thank you for the recipe! I’ll be trying more of yours 🙂
I’ve heard great things about this recipe – do they freeze easily for grab and go breakfasts?
Yep, they freezer great! My favorite thing to have stashed away in my freezer.
Have made these twice so far. Subbed cooked diced sweet potato for carrot, pb for almond butter, applesauce for coconut oil, all whole rolled oats instead of half oat flour, and one jumbo egg instead of flax egg and I formed them into ‘meatball’ shapes by hand and they were BEAUTIFUL! Thanks ?
Yum city! These really lived up to the hype. I followed advice to shred the carrots in the food processor after making the oat flour, and I subbed olive oil and a regular egg, and used pepitas, pecans and dark chocolate chips. My partner said, “I”m just going to eat all of these OK?” of the 6 cookies left on the sheet? And they’re practically a health food! They did fall apart a little while still warm (we couldn’t wait) but firmed up nicely when fully cooled. Make them!
Hi Tania, I’m so glad you both loved them!
These cookies look delicious. I cannot wait to try them! Would it be ok to use quinoa flour instead of cooked quinoa?
Hi Acelya, no I’m sorry that wouldn’t be a 1:1 swap.
I am an avid user of your cookbook and recipes on line and have never been disappointed in the taste!
I made these cookies today and love the flavors, although they fall apart easily. Any suggestions?
Also, if I don’t have flaxseed, can I substitute 1 egg?
Thanks for offering healthy foods with great flavors!
Hi Amy, if you bake them longer, they’ll hold together better (these don’t overbake easily). When the bottom becomes more firm, they become more cohesive. You can also try leaving them on the baking sheet until they’re cooled completely. They’ll be crumbly just out of the oven but should firm up as they cool.
Also, be sure your almond butter is smooth and not at all chunky.
I haven’t tried with eggs, but I would try 1 egg plus 1 tablespoon water instead of the 5 tablespoons that’s listed.
Hope that helps!
Can I make the oat flour with quick oats for this recipe
I love these the first time I made them and want to make them again but I only have 1 cup of oats due to quarantine (not enough to make oat flour) can I sub almond flour instead?
Hi Grace, so sorry for my slow reply, I’m not sure, I think it could work but it’s hard to say without trying.
Do you think you could use oat bran instead of the oat flour?
Thanks!
Hi Emily, since oat bran is more coarse, I don’t think they’d hold together.
I’ve made these cookies 3 times. Although we really like the taste, we don’t like that they crumble so easily. Not just when they’r warm, but when they’re fresh out of the refrigerator. I even tried using eggbeaters (equivalent of 1 whole egg) and it didn’t help very much. I’ve now put the batch in the freezer – we’ll see how that works! Any suggestions?
Hi Barb, try baking them a little longer and try leaving them on the baking sheet to cool for a little longer before transferring to a rack. Also, make sure your almond butter is pretty smooth and not dry/chunky. Hope that helps!
I stumbled upon the Quinoa Breakfast cookies…..sensational…love the recipe…moist and delicious….super easy.
Hi Doreen, I’m so glad you loved them!
Thank you so much for your creative healthy recipes, I loved this one! Many times healthy recipes are too dry or bland but these are great, even my picky husband liked them:)
I ran out of coconut oil so I used 3tbs melted butter instead and it worked well.
Made half with choc chips and half without, we actually liked them without chocolate better.
Thank you again!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
OH MY GOD amazing I almost ate all the dough before I even cooked any I will make these again
Haha, I’m so glad you enjoyed them 🙂
Just made a batch. I love them. I only had 1/4 cup of maple syrup so I used honey for the other 1/4 cup of sweet stuff. Used almond slivers and cran-pomegranate. I thought they were wonderful. The true test will be when my grandkids come this weekend. 🙂
Lovely recipe and a great way to get my kid to eat some quinoa! I used 2 eggs instead of the flaxseed as I didn’t have any flaxseed home and we are not vegan. I also didn’t add any nuts or cranberries & the biscuits were still delicious!
My husband said they taste like carrot cake biscuits!
Thank you for a wonderful recipe!
I’m so glad you all enjoyed these!
Hi there! I have an allergy to oats so I try to avoid them. Is it ok to increase the quinoa and carrots to make up the difference? Or just increase the quinoa?
Thanks!
Hi, I’m sorry I don’t think this recipe will work without oats, they likely will fall apart with just quinoa.