These Peanut butter and Jelly cookies are delicious low sugar healthy cookies that you will be happy to offer morning, noon, or night!
When I was a kid, I saw a commercial on TV for “Cookie Crisp” breakfast cereal and BEGGED my mother to find it for me. When she reported back that it was an American thing, and unavailable in Canada, I was CRUSHED. Naturally, I’ve since made it my mission to make breakfast cookies a reality AND to do it in a legitimately balanced way. These peanut butter and jelly cookies are so nutrient-dense, they’ve become my go-to snack morning, noon and night
Table of contents
Why This Recipe Works
There are so many reasons to become obsessed with these cookies and ensure they’re suitable to serving for breakfast. First of all, they’re naturally low in added sugars, with just a bit of maple syrup, sweetened naturally with banana and freeze-dried raspberries.
I also love that these vegan breakfast cookies are loaded with lots of fibre from oats, hemp hearts, and nuts, as well as healthy fats (both omega 3s and monounsaturated fats). The result is a healthy cookie that won’t spike your blood sugar and leave you ravenous by 10 AM raiding the lunch room snack box. Here are a few more reasons why I love this recipe:
- Toddler approved! Perfect for baby-led weaning
- Vegan-friendly
- Low in sugar
- Perfect for snacking
- Contains 6g of protein and 3g of fibre per cookie
Key Ingredients
Large flake Rolled Oats – I use rolled oats over quick oats since it provides the perfect amount of firmness to hold the cookie together while also making it a great teething cookie. If you choose to use quick oats instead, it will make the cookies a little more softer since it’ll soak up the banana and is ideal for babies who are just starting solids.
Peanut Butter – I love adding peanut butter to any baking recipe since for starters, I love the taste and, have you ever heard of anyone complain about too much peanut butter! I prefer the natural (meaning it usually only contains nuts) unsweetened creamy peanut butter here.
Powdered Peanut Butter – This powdered peanut butter adds some extra protein to these breakfast cookies and a nutty flavor boost. It’s also dairy, soy and gluten free, and doesn’t clump which makes it perfect to add to a baking recipe!
Oat Flour – Oat flour is a great gluten-free sub for flour. Oats are also a whole-grain nutritious food, and a great source of carbs and fiber. If you don’t have oat flour on hand, you can actually make it yourself by simply blending up oats. I’m not kidding, it’s that easy!
Freeze Dried Raspberries – These freeze dried raspberries are perfect for baking and add just the right amount of tartness and sweetness to the breakfast cookies. Not to mention the pretty pop of colour.
How to Make This Recipe
Step 1: In a small ramekin, mix together the flax and almond milk or water. Stir with a fork until combined and sit in the fridge for an hour to form a flax egg.
Step 2: Mix the quaker large flake oats, oat flour, powdered peanut butter, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt together.
Step 3: Once the flax egg is thickened, combine the flax egg, peanut butter, coconut oil, banana, maple, and vanilla. Add the wet to the dry, then fold in the freeze dried raspberries and peanuts.
Step 4: Form into 1 ½ tbsp balls and transfer to baking sheets set 1 cm apart. Sprinkle with hemp hearts and bake for 10 minutes.
Expert Tips
When mashing up your bananas, you don’t actually need to mash the bananas completely, I personally like having some chunks throughout the cookies as they add some nice texture!
You can control how sweet you’d like the cookies to be by choosing the right bananas. Through using a more ripe banana the cookies will be sweeter. You can also use frozen bananas and either thaw them on the counter or reheat for 15-20 seconds until they’re mash-able or not completely thawed!
After you’ve mixed all your ingredients together, let it sit for around 5 minutes, this will help soften the oats! Also, these cookies will not change their shape during baking, so make sure to create the cookie shape you desire and don’t flatten them too much.
Recipe FAQs
They are! If you use gluten free oats, these breakfast cookies are completely gluten free AND vegan.
Yes! My kiddos LOVE them and because of the peanuts, they’re a great way to maintain peanut allergen tolerance which is really important to me. Of course, they wouldn’t be safe for a nut-free school but still, a really great nutritious option at home.
You can keep the cookie fresh in a cookie jar for up to 3 days, in the fridge. Another option is to freeze the cookies in an airtight container or bags and thaw a few hours at room temperature before eating.
You bet! You can use almond butter too, or try sunflower seed butter for a nut free option.
These are very forgiving and adaptable. Use add ins of your choice, just remember to keep the total to around 1/2 cup because if you add to much the dough won’t stay together.
One of the reasons why I love these baby friendly cookies is because they are so customizable. You can replace the freezer dried raspberries with any of your favorite toppings like dried cranberries, dried blueberry, any type of nut, and more to make this cookie recipe never lose its yumminess! If you want to use fresh fruit, go with blueberries. Gently stir them in so they don’t turn the batter purple.
More Recipes You Might Like
Craving more vegan-friendly recipes like these peanut butter and jelly cookies? Check out these!
What are some of your favourite treats you want to see turned into breakfast?
Leave me a comment below about these healthy vegan breakfast cookies!
Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies (Vegan & Low Sugar)
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp ground flax
- 2 tbsp unsweetened almond milk or water
- 1/2 cup natural peanut butter
- 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
- 1/2 cup ripe mashed banana
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 2 1/2 cups Large Flake Oats
- ½ cup oat flour made by processing Large Flake Oats
- ½ cup powdered peanut butter
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¾ cup freeze dried raspberries crushed
- ¼ cup minced peanuts
- 2 tbsp hemp hearts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a small ramekin, mix together the flax and almond milk or water and sit in the fridge for an hour to form a flax egg.
- In another bowl, mix the Quaker Large Flake Oats, oat flour, powdered peanut butter, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
- Once thickened, combine the flax egg, peanut butter, coconut oil, banana, maple, and vanilla. Add the wet to the dry, then fold in the freeze dried raspberries and peanuts.
- Form into 1 ½ tbsp balls and transfer to baking sheets set 1 cm apart. Sprinkle with hemp hearts and bake for 10 minutes. Allow to cool and enjoy.
Nutrition
Abbey Sharp is a Registered Dietitian (RD), regulated by the Ontario College of Dietitians. She is a mom, YouTuber, Blogger, award winning cookbook author, media coach specializing in food and nutrition influencers, and a frequent contributor to national publications like Healthline and on national broadcast TV shows.
Jt says
Where do you find freeze dried raspberries? Or what could you substitute for them? Thanks!
Abbey Sharp says
Whole Foods or amazon
Rebekah says
What could I sub for powdered peanut butter?
Abbey Sharp says
You can omit and just add more flour.
Jacqui says
How much flax do we use to make the flax egg? It’s missing from the recipe.
Abbey Sharp says
oh my apologies will edit now – 1 tbsp ground flax + 2 tbsp water or milk
Claudia says
If I substitute peanut butter for almond butter, how do I substitute powdered peanut butter? Can I use dried apricots instead of freeze dried raspberries?
Leslie says
What a great idea! I never would have thought to make a peanut butter and jelly cookie! Love it!!
Abbey Sharp says
it’s delish!
Lorie says
Oh my gosh you weren’t missing anything, promise. Cookie Crisp wasn’t all I thought it’s be when I tried it. Much rather have these delicious treats!!!
Abbey Sharp says
Amazing!
Angela says
I’m all about cookies for breakfast! These look so delicious and I know my kids will LOVE them too!!
Abbey Sharp says
Amazing!
Angela says
I’m all about cookies for breakfast! These sound delicious…and my kids will LOVE them too, can’t wait to try them!!
Deborah Brooks says
I do love oatmeal and this gives me a great excuse to eat more peanut butter. A fun breakfast option
Abbey Sharp says
Right! It’s a winning combo 🙂