10 Healthful Cookies You Can Eat for Breakfast

These vegan cookies from Sally’s Baking Addiction combine healthy ingredients like oats, nut and apple butter, maple syrup, banana, and a handful of dried cranberries, raisins, and pumpkin seeds. Pumpkin seeds (also known as pepitas) add a touch of flavor and crunch, as well as plenty of nutrients. Just one ounce of unsalted pumpkin seeds (no shell) offers 1.84 g of fiber (about 7 percent DV), 2.3 mg of iron (12.8 percent DV), 156 mg of magnesium (37 percent DV), and 2.2 mg of zinc (20 percent DV), according to the USDA. Magnesium, for example, is a mineral that helps regulate blood pressure and blood sugar, as well as build bone and DNA, according to the NIH. If you don’t have apple butter, use unsweetened applesauce.

Nutrition per serving (1 cookie): 295 calories, 15g total fat (2.1g saturated fat), 9g protein, 33g carbohydrates, 5.3g fiber, 17.2g sugar (9.8g added sugar), 150mg sodium

For hearty, gluten-free breakfast cookies, start with a base of gluten-free rolled oats, almond meal, and unsweetened shredded coconut. Then choose a variety of mix-ins, like dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, or cherries), nuts (walnuts, pecans, or hazelnuts), and seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, or flaxseed). This recipe from My Darling Vegan incorporates chia seeds, which offer tons of nutrients in a single ounce: 4.7 g protein, 9.8 g fiber (35 percent of the DV), 2.2 mg of iron (12 percent DV), and 1.3 mg of zinc (12 percent DV), according to the USDA.

Nutrition per serving (1 cookie): 235 calories, 16g total fat (7g saturated fat), 5g protein, 18g carbohydrates, 3g fiber, 6g sugar (6g added sugar), 180mg sodium

These cookies from the blog Choosing Chia pack gluten-free rolled oats, almond flour, nut butter, dried cranberries, and sliced almonds, plus four types of seeds: sunflower, pumpkin, chia, and sesame. Nuts and seeds offer plenty of omega-3 fatty acids, which are a type of polyunsaturated fatty acid that may play a role in reducing inflammation and cholesterol, according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. One cookie is also a good source of fiber, with 4 g. Because these are somewhat lower in calories, they’d go great with some fresh fruit or yogurt.

Nutrition per serving (1 cookie): 155 calories, 11g total fat (2g saturated fat), 4g protein, 17g carbohydrates, 4g fiber, 9g sugar, 20mg sodium

This recipe from the Clean Eating Couple combines pumpkin puree with flavorful spices like ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground cloves. To make these cookies vegan, you can swap the egg for a substitute made from flaxseed (find a tutorial at the Minimalist Baker). Like chia seeds, flaxseed is a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. One of these cookies makes a great ending to a savory meal like scrambled eggs.

Nutrition per serving (1 cookie): 113 calories, 8g total fat (4g saturated fat), 2g protein, 9g carbohydrates, 2g fiber, 3g sugar, 7mg sodium

These chewy breakfast cookies from Sally’s Baking Addiction are full of juicy blueberries. Berries in general have some of the highest levels of antioxidants among common fruits like melons, bananas, and apples, research shows. Vitamin C is an example of an antioxidant that protects your body against damage from free radicals, which are often found in cigarette smoke and industrial chemicals, according to an article in Pharmacognosy Review. Free radical exposure causes oxidative damage, which is associated with conditions including kidney disease, cancer, and heart disease, notes a review published in April 2018 in Clinical Interventions in Aging. Snack on a cup of fresh blueberries and you’ll get more than 14 mg of vitamin C and 3 g of fiber, making them a good source of both nutrients, according to USDA data.

Nutrition per serving (1 cookie): 324 calories, 17g total fat (1.7g saturated fat), 9g protein, 38g carbohydrates, 6.7g fiber, 12.9g sugar (7.7g added sugar), 98mg sodium

You’ll score spicy, flavorful breakfast cookies with this recipe from Oh Sweet Basil, thanks to cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and dried orange zest. Plus, these cookies feature almonds, which are an excellent source of vitamin E, with nearly 7 mg per ounce, according to the NIH, and a good source of magnesium as well. Vitamin E is an antioxidant found in immune cells, and it scavenges free radicals and directs the function of T cells (a type of white blood cell), according to a review in the November 2018 issue of IUBMB Life. Meanwhile, magnesium helps regulate blood pressure and keep your bones healthy, per the NIH. Enjoy one with a smoothie or fruit.

Nutrition per serving (1 cookie): 164 calories, 3.8g protein, 22.6g carbohydrates, 2.8g fiber, 12.3g sugar

These breakfast cookies from Just a Taste pack beneficial ingredients like oats, bananas, honey, dried fruits, nuts, and creamy peanut butter. Peanut butter, for example, provides roughly 3.5 g of protein, 1.5 mg of vitamin E, 27 mg of magnesium, and 2 mg of niacin per tablespoon, per USDA data. Niacin, or vitamin B3, helps your body use food for energy, notes the NIH. Plus, the oats in this recipe offer soluble fiber, which can help lower cholesterol, according to a review from the January 2018 International Journal of Molecular Medicine.

Nutrition per serving (1 cookie): 306 calories, 16g total fat (2.2g saturated fat), 9g protein, 32g carbohydrates, 5.1g fiber, 12.9g sugar (9.2g added sugar), 169mg sodium

This hearty recipe combines almonds, oats, flax meal, almond butter, coconut oil, maple syrup, and egg. Mix in extras like raisins, dried cherries, and chocolate chips for added flavor and texture. Cherries provide beneficial plant compounds called anthocyanins, which research notes is what gives the fruit its color. Such plant compounds have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that may guard against disease, per a review published August 2017 in the journal Food and Nutrition Research. One of these cookies from Choosing Chia also provides 3 g of fiber and 4 g of protein. Have it as a sweet snack after a savory breakfast wrap.

Nutrition per serving (1 cookie): 140 calories, 8g total fat (3g saturated fat), 4g protein, 16g carbohydrates, 3g fiber, 7g sugar

For a nutty, salty, and sweet cookie, try this recipe from Mile High Mitts. These gluten-free cookies combine oats, nuts, peanut butter, honey, shredded coconut, and oat flour, which offers both fiber and protein. A single ¼ cup serving of oat flour provides 4 g of protein and 3 g of fiber, according to the USDA. To make this recipe vegan, use maple syrup in place of honey and flax eggs instead of regular eggs. (See Minimalist Baker's flax egg tutorial.) Add a banana with nut butter to make it a meal.

Nutrition per serving (1 cookie): 142 calories, 8g total fat (2.2g saturated fat), 4g protein, 13g carbohydrates, 2.2g fiber, 5g sugar (4.3g added sugar), 146mg sodium

This recipe from Chocolate Covered Katie starts with a base of rolled oats, applesauce or mashed banana, and nut butter. Then it blends the sweetness of mini chocolate chips (opt for sugar-free chocolate chips if you want to lower the sugar content) with the tartness of freeze-dried raspberries. Because they are so small, you can enjoy these mini-cookies one at a time, or bulk them up with chia seeds, shredded coconut, or more dried fruit. Enjoy with some fresh fruit or yogurt.

Nutrition per serving (1 cookie): 35 calories, 2g total fat (0.4g saturated fat), 1.3g protein, 3.5g carbohydrates, 1g fiber, 1g sugar