Prep: 10 Cookies for breakfast? Yes, please! These Oatmeal Date Breakfast Cookies are about to become a new favorite! They’re soft and chewy with lightly crisp edges, naturally sweet from banana and dates, and made with wholesome ingredients like oats, nuts, and cottage cheese, meaning they’re protein-forward, high in fiber, and super filling. I love keeping a batch in the fridge for busy mornings when I need something I can grab for both myself and my kids on my way out the door!
Healthy Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies… with Cottage Cheese!
I’m a big fan of prep ahead breakfasts, especially when school is in session, and life feels extra busy. Most weeks, I try to prep at least one grab-and-go option like my Palm Springs date overnight oats or banana chocolate chip muffins so mornings run a little smoother.
But these date cookies for breakfast? Oh my goodness. We’ve been obsessed with these over here, not only for breakfast, but for snacks, desserts and everything in between. Honestly, they’re so good! They taste like a cross between sweet almond flour banana bread and baked oatmeal, but in an easy-to-eat cookie form. I often add a little chocolate, too, just for a fun touch. You can never go wrong with chocolate, right?
Made with cottage cheese, these cookies are surprisingly protein-forward while still tasting like a treat. They’re wholesome, satisfying, and so good that my littles don’t even realize that they’re healthy. They’re perfect for mornings, but I also like to stash a few away for post-dinner desserts, too!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Large Batch – As written, this recipe makes 16 cookies, which lasts my family the entire week. You can also easily double or even triple the ingredients if needed!
- Protein + Fiber – With 5 grams of protein, vitamins, nutrients, and fiber, these oatmeal date cookies are a better-for-you breakfast option that I know will keep me full and satisfied until lunch.
- Versatile – These cookies are naturally gluten-free and can easily be made nut-free, if needed. You can also mix and match different ingredients to switch up the flavor and make them your own! I provide suggestions below.
- Perfect for Meal Prep – Leftover cookies store well in both the fridge and freezer. So, I often make an extra batch to freeze for those weeks when I just don’t have time to cook but still want to start my day with something healthy!
RELATED: Giant Air Fryer Cookies
Ingredients
- Cottage Cheese (opens in a new tab) – I prefer whole milk cottage cheese, but any kind will work. Since it’s blended, both large curd and small curd are totally fine.
- Maple Syrup – Adds sweetness and helps the cookies hold their shape. Substitute honey if preferred.
- Vanilla Extract
- Eggs – These act as a binder, helping the dough hold its shape. Plus, they add more protein! I haven’t tested this breakfast cookie recipe with an egg substitute like flax eggs, and I can’t guarantee your results if you do.
- Banana – The riper your banana, the sweeter your cookies will taste! Make sure to mash it before measuring, or your cookies may turn out a little dry.
- Nut Butter – I typically use almond butter, but peanut butter, cashew butter, or any nut butter you like best will taste great. You can even use a seed butter like sunflower seed butter to keep the cookies nut-free!
- Rolled Oats – Avoid quick oats or steel-cut oats. They won’t soften the same as rolled oats! Look for certified gluten-free oats if you need to keep your cookies gluten-free.
- Almond Flour (opens in a new tab) – I don’t recommend substituting any other type of flour because they all absorb moisture differently.
- Baking Soda
- Nuts and Seeds – Pumpkin seeds (opens in a new tab) and chopped walnuts add nutty flavor, crunch, fiber, and healthy fats.
- Dates – These add sweetness and nutrients while creating a sticky dough, helping the cookies hold their shape. I like Deglet Noor (opens in a new tab) or Medjool dates, but any variety will work. Just make sure they’re pitted before you begin.
- Cinnamon + Salt
How to Make Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
All you need for this recipe is a blender (opens in a new tab), a large bowl (opens in a new tab), a small ice cream scoop or spoon, a baking sheet (opens in a new tab), and a wire cooling rack for this recipe. Here’s how to make Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies:
- Combine the ingredients – Combine the wet ingredients in a blender until smooth. Then, mash the banana, and measure it out. Whisk the mashed banana, nut butter, and blended ingredients in a bowl.
- Add dry ingredients – Stir in the dry ingredients until everything is well combined.
- Portion – Divide the batter into equal portions. I use an ice cream scoop, but a spoon is totally fine! Place the cookie dough balls on a prepared baking sheet, and use your hands to form them into a nice round shape.
- Bake – Transfer the cookies to the oven, and bake just until they’re lightly golden brown and set.
- Serve – Let the cookies cool and set on the baking sheet, and enjoy!
Chocolate Option
Truly, these cookies are delicious on their own. However, to turn them into more of a dessert, I like to fold in 1/3 cup of chocolate chips. Or, I add a chocolate coating! To do so:
- Melt the chocolate – Combine chocolate chips and coconut oil (opens in a new tab) in a microwave-safe bowl, and microwave in 20-30 second increments, stirring in between.
- Coat the cookies – Dip the cooled breakfast cookies into the melted chocolate, or drizzle it on top. Add a sprinkle of flaky sea salt immediately while the chocolate is still wet.
- Set – Let the cookies rest at room temperature until the chocolate hardens and sets, and enjoy!
Tips
- Finely chop the dates. Chopping the Medjool dates into small pieces helps them distribute evenly throughout the cookies so you get little pockets of natural sweetness in every bite.
- Blend the cottage cheese until smooth. This eliminates any curds that may give away the presence of the cottage cheese, creating a smooth batter that’s easy to shape.
- Lightly press the cookies before baking. These cookies don’t spread a ton while baking. So, I use my hands to gently press the dough down into round cookie shapes to help the cookies bake evenly.
- Avoid overbaking. The cookies may look slightly underdone, but that’s okay! They’ll continue to bake slightly as they cool and set. Keep a close eye on your oven, and pull them out as soon as the edges are set and the bottoms are lightly golden brown to ensure the centers stay soft and chewy.
RELATED: Oat Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies
Variations
Boost the protein. Add even more protein by swapping 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the almond flour with vanilla or unflavored protein powder. Add a splash of milk as needed if the dough feels too thick!
Make them nut-free. If you need a nut-free option, swap the walnuts for sunflower seeds or additional pumpkin seeds. Then, use sunflower seed butter instead of nut butter.
Swap the mix-ins. These breakfast cookies are super flexible! Try adding shredded coconut, dried cranberries, chopped pecans, or hemp seeds for a slightly different flavor and texture.
How to Store
Once cool, transfer leftover cookies to an airtight container, and store them in the fridge for 4-5 days. You can also freeze oatmeal breakfast cookies for up to 2 months! I recommend placing a sheet of parchment paper between each cookie to prevent them from clumping together.
To serve, thaw frozen cookies in the fridge overnight. Then, enjoy them cold, or let them come to room temperature. I sometimes microwave them for 15 seconds or so for a warm, soft, bakery-style texture, but it’s not necessary!
Healthy Oatmeal Breakfast Recipes
- Oatmeal Breakfast Bars
- Berry Overnight Oats
- Blueberry Oatmeal Bake
- Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Date Bars
- Snickers Overnight Oats
- Easy Blueberry Chia Overnight Oats
More Ways to Use Cottage Cheese
- Healthier Lemon Posset
- Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Protein Soufflé Pancakes
- Cottage Cheese Chocolate Chunk Cookies
- Cookie Dough Cottage Cheese Bites
- Cranberry Orange Cottage Cheese Muffins
Looking for more? Find 35+ cottage cheese recipes!
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Breakfast Date Cookies
Equipment
- 1 Ice Cream Scoop
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup cottage cheese (opens in a new tab)
- 3 Tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup mashed banana
- 2 Tablespoons nut butter
- 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
- 1/2 cup almond flour (opens in a new tab)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds (opens in a new tab)
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- 9-10 pitted medjool dates (finely chopped)
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Chocolate Dip (optional, OR just mix in some chocolate chips!)
- 2 ounces dark chocolate (chopped (or about 1/3 cup chocolate chips))
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil (opens in a new tab)
- Flaky salt (for topping)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F, and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a small blender, blend the cottage cheese, maple syrup, vanilla, and eggs.
- Mash the banana on a flat surface and measure it out.
- Whisk the mashed banana, nut butter, and blended liquid ingredients together.
- Add the dry ingredients on top and mix until evenly combined.
- Use a small ice cream scoop (or large spoon) to scoop the cookie dough on to the pan, lightly pressing down on top and shaping each cookie into a nice round shape.
- Bake for 18-19 minutes, then let cool on the pan slightly befor transerrring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- If you want, melt the chocolate chips and coconut oil in the microwave until smooth (about 30-40 seconds, mixing every 15 seconds).
- Dip each cookie in the chocolate and top with a little bit of flaky salt. Let the chocolate set at room temperature or in the fridge, then enjoy!
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Nutrition
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Tag me on socials at @JarOfLemons (opens in a new tab) or #JarOfLemons (opens in a new tab)
Can the cottage cheese be swapped with an alternative? Or will it totally ruin the recipe?
Hey Kay, I haven’t tried making this with an alternative. I can honestly tell you though that you don’t taste the cottage cheese in this recipe at all if that’s the concern!
About how many TBSP dough for each cookie?
Hey Catherine, I use a cookie/ice cream scoop. I believe it’s 1 to 2 Tablespoons. Enjoy!
I made these and they are so tasty! I didn’t have dates however I used Thompson raisins instead and they are still tasted great. I’ll make sure to have all the correct ingredients for next time.
Great swap! Thanks for the review, Poppy.
These are good,I was able to use our homemade black walnut syrup in this recipe,I also put the chocolate and or peanut chips right in the batter .
Thanks, Cindy. I’m glad you like this cookie recipe!
Baked these oatmeal cookies with dates this morning—so chewy and just the right amount of sweetness!
Thanks for the review, Sammy!