Oatmeal protein cookies are easy, vegan, & gluten-free! Using peanut butter, flax, & cinnamon, they make a yummy, & healthy breakfast option!

A couple things you should know about me:
One. I absolutely have to have protein with breakfast or I feel awful the entire day. I always make sure my toddler gets protein at breakfast, too. It honestly just helps keep her full and happy during the day. A happy toddler = a happy home. haha
Two. My toddler has suddenly become really picky, and will refuse most protein options in the morning. No eggs. No meat. Not even yogurt. Nothing. I’ve really had to become pretty inventive so that she gets breakfast options that she will eat and that are actually healthy and filling.
Enter oatmeal protein cookies. I’m honestly so proud of these because not only are they easy, they’re packed with protein and healthy fats, and my toddler absolutely LOVES them. Honestly, so do I!
Does oatmeal have enough protein for breakfast?
Nope! A 1/2 cup serving of oatmeal has about 6-7grams of protein. I usually aim for at least 15-20 g of protein per meal to help keep me full. If you’re looking to stay full until lunch, you’ll definitely want to up the amount of protein in your oatmeal.
These oatmeal protein cookies have peanut butter, flaxseed, and chia seeds in them, giving them extra protein and fiber to help keep you full in the morning. Plain old oatmeal just doesn’t do the job like these do!
A serving size of two cookies, which contain 1/2 cup of oatmeal, has 16 g of protein and 10 g of fiber. They are soooo filling and so delicious.
Are protein cookies good for weight loss?
These breakfast oatmeal cookies are really high in fiber and in protein. One serving is 2 cookies, and they will keep you full until lunch, which will help curb your cravings for extra snacks between meals!
Eating healthy, balanced foods and eating enough at meals to actually fill you up is key for weight loss, and these cookies will help you do just that!
RELATED: Almond Flour Banana Muffins
What’s in these 8-ingredient Oatmeal Protein Cookies?
These oatmeal cookies are simple, gluten-free, and delicious. They contain 8 natural ingredients:
Old fashioned rolled oats – These oats work well for this cookie recipe, and are high in fiber and complex carbohydrates. Make sure to used certified gluten-free oats if avoiding gluten. Overall, rolled oats are a really healthy whole grain!
Cinnamon – One of my favorite flavors, ground cinnamon adds such a nice flavor to these healthy oat cookies.
Pure vanilla extract – A natural ingredient that the imitation stuff can’t compete with. Vanilla extract adds another level of flavor to the cookies.
Pure maple syrup – The perfect natural sweetener for almost all baked goods. Pure maple syrup is a healthier sweetener than most other sugars.
Ground flaxseed – The best plant based source of omega-3s, ground flaxseed add texture, healthy fats, and tons of fiber to these oatmeal protein cookies.
Chia seeds – Chia seeds are a great source of healthy fats, and help to absorb some of the moisture in the cookie batter. This keeps the oats more crisp while adding structure and healthy fats to the cookies.
Mashed banana – An easy and inexpensive alternative to added oils in baked goods. You can also use apple sauce or even pureed baby food to add moisture and flavor to the oat cookies.
Peanut butter – The main protein source in these vegan oatmeal cookies, peanut butter helps to keep everything together while adding lots of flavor. You can substitute almond butter or sunflower seed butter instead if desired.
Web Story Video Tutorial Here!
What do oatmeal protein cookies taste like?
They taste sort of like a chewy, naturally-sweetened peanut butter oatmeal cookie! They don’t have any flour and are gluten-free, so they aren’t fluffy like regular cookies. However, they stay together after baking because of the peanut butter and maple syrup.
What oatmeal is good for cookies?
The best type of oatmeal to use for cookies is old-fashioned rolled oats. Don’t use steel cut oats, quick oats, or oat flour for this cookie recipe.
Can I use previously frozen bananas?
Yes, you can! Previously frozen bananas are easy to mash, and bake great in cookies. The bananas just need to be thawed out before you use them in order to be used for these healthy oatmeal cookies.
What can I substitute for banana?
The best things to use in baked goods if you are out of bananas are:
- Applesauce
- Pumpkin puree
- Butternut squash puree
- Pureed baby food
All of these work really well in this recipe, and keep these oatmeal cookies healthy!
Can I add protein powder to oatmeal cookies?
You can definitely add protein powder to almost any cookies, but not all protein powders are created equal! If you’re going for a higher protein cookie, make sure to use a high quality protein powder that won’t make your cookies chalky.
I personally use Designer Whey Protein Powder for pretty much everything, because it’s low carb, high in protein, high fiber, and isn’t chalky at all!
Grab that protein powder here:
What else can I add to oatmeal protein cookies?
Even though I like to keep things simple, you can always throw in your own favorite ingredients! Here are some fun ideas:
- Coconut flakes
- Cocoa nibs, white chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, or mini chocolate chips
- Dried fruit like raisins, dried blueberries, craisins, banana chips, or even dried apricots
- Chopped nuts like almonds, walnuts, pecans, or peanuts
- Substitute in other nut butters like almond butter or sunflower seed butter
- Protein powder
How To Make Oatmeal Protein Cookies
- Start by preheating the oven to 325 degrees.
- Mix together the oats, cinnamon, vanilla extract, peanut butter, maple syrup, banana/apple sauce, flaxseed, and chia seeds in one bowl.
- Form the oat mixture into 12 even cookies, and place on a lined baking sheet.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Cool, and serve!
How long do these healthy cookies last?
These oatmeal protein cookies will last at room temperature for about 7 days in an airtight container. They stay moist and chewy, and don’t dry out so quickly like other cookies sometimes do.
Can I freeze oatmeal protein cookies?
Yes you can! Almost all cookies freeze pretty well, as long as they are wrapped to keep the air away from them! You can freeze these cookies for up to 3 months.
Simply wrap them in plastic wrap or aluminum foil (or both!) before placing in the freezer.
Healthy Oatmeal Protein Cookies
What I love about these cookies is how healthy they are! No flour, no oil, no butter, and not a hint of refined sugar.
These do call for peanut butter, but any nut butter would work just fine. Personally, I like to use natural peanut butter with limited salt and sugar added. This one has 80 mg of sodium and only 4 g carbohydrate per serving. Plus, its a great, budget friendly option:
Nothing but whole, natural foods in these cookies. Even my toddler loves them, especially covered in homemade chia seed freezer jam.
Total nutritional content per serving (2 cookies) is:
- Calories: 468 calories
- Protein: 16 grams
- Sodium: 114 mg
- Carbohydrates: 46 grams
- Fiber: 10 grams
*This nutritional information is an estimate and calculated based on the ingredients used to create the recipe. The nutritional value of your ingredients may differ slightly. Furthermore, this food is not intended to prevent, diagnose, cure, or treat any disease.
Looking for another easy way to add protein to your morning? Try making protein coffee at home!
Easy & Simple Oatmeal Cookies
Using only those 8 ingredients, these simple oatmeal protein cookies come together really quickly and don’t require any specialty ingredients.
This recipe can be made using only one bowl, too! Just mix up the ingredients, shape into cookies, and bake for 15 minutes! They’re honestly so easy and so fast to make.
Pro tip for parents: if you have leftover baby puree or if your toddler suddenly started hating it like mine did, you can use 8 oz of that instead of the banana or apple sauce. Bonus if it’s got veggies! The peanut butter covers up the taste of the puree anyway, they won’t even notice!
Budget Friendly
12 cookies can be made for only $4.58. That works out to be about $.38 per cookie, which is a bargain considering how healthy they are! 76 cents for breakfast is really, really cheap!
If you’re adding some other ingredients to these, obviously the price per serving will work out a little different. But I’m willing to bet they’ll still be relatively cheap to make!
Here are some other cookie recipes you might love:
Other recipes you might like:
Recipe
Simple Oatmeal Protein Cookies
Ingredients
- 3 cups old fashioned rolled oats
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- ¼ cup ground flaxseed
- ¼ cup chia seeds
- 1 cup mashed banana, apple sauce (or pureed baby food)
- 1 cup peanut butter (or other nut butter)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Mix together all 8 ingredients in a medium bowl until well combined.
- Shape into 12 balls, and mash down with your palm to flatten into a cookie shape, arranging evenly on the lined cookie sheet. Each cookie is roughly ¼ cup of the cookie mixture.
- Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow to cool, and serve!
- Store in an airtight container for up to 7 days at room temperature.
Video
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If you end up making this and loving it, take a photo and tag me on Instagram! I’d love to see your versions of my recipes! And feel free to rate it down below in the comment section. I would really appreciate it!
Oatmeal protein cookies are the perfect grab and go breakfast, and are incredibly easy and simple to make! They’re perfect for the whole family!
xoxo Megan
Robin says
I may have errored in my ingredients ( I used peanut butter,but no applesauce as it was suggested as a alternative to peanut butter), yet in your video you used both (9 ingredients instead of the printed recipe of 8 ingredients). Perhaps this is why my cookies were extremely dense & not so palatable? Do you usually use both? I do love that each cookie delivers healthy fiber & protein!
Megan Byrd, RD says
Yes you really need both applesauce and peanut butter. The applesauce adds sweetness and makes them softer.
Becca says
Could we use powdered peanut butter instead of jarred pb? I want to watch my fats.
Megan Byrd, RD says
The peanut butter is what holds the cookie together so I don’t know that the powdered PB would work very well.
Diane says
LOVE these cookies. I am so grateful for you publishing this recipe. I make them every week for breakfast cookies for my teenage son and me, and they are much healthier than cereal or other things he might eat. There is so much fiber and protein in them. I add 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips.
Megan Byrd, RD says
This makes me so happy! I’m glad you love them, and chocolate chips sounds delicious in these!
Millie says
Just found this recipe and I’m excited to try it but only have steel cut oats. The recipe says not to use them, but can you expand on why/ how they would affect the recipe?
Megan Byrd, RD says
Steel cut oats do not get soft enough in this recipe to be very good. Rolled oats soak up moisture faster than steel cut, so they’re the best for these cookies!
Sigried says
I can’t wait to try these. I had bariatric surgery a few years back and am always looking for healthy, protein packed grab and go breakfast options. Bonus…these will totally be something my 20 yr. old picky daughter will eat! Thanks so much for sharing this.
Doreen says
We love them. Thank you for a great recipe. I made them exactly as the recipe says and added coconut flakes and walnuts, 1/4 cup each.
Megan Byrd, RD says
oh yay! So glad you loved them 🙂
Nancy McDonnell says
My batter was very sticky / moist. My hands were sticky and I had a hard time rolling each cookie into a ball. In your video, yours did not look that sticky. I used frozen/ thawed bananas….when they thaw they are runny…..could that be why my batter was so sticky?
Megan Byrd, RD says
I’m guessing that’s exactly what happened! Maybe try less bananas next time, or use fresh instead of frozen. I’m sorry they didn’t turn out :/
nancy says
Actually the cookies baked fine and taste good. Next time I will use applesauce to make the batter more manageable. Thanks for your input.
Megan Byrd, RD says
I’m glad to hear they turned out! 🙂
susan says
I haven’t made the recipe as of yet but gave it five stars anyway because I can tell by reading it that these cookies will taste great and be very nutritious. I have a question about the amount of rolled oats. It recently came to my attention, and very much to my chagrin, that a half cup of oats measured with a standard measuring cup weighs significantly more than the 40 grams that is in parenthesis alongside the measurement. In terms of grams, a serving is 40 gms of oats which barely fills a third cup measure! For the purposes of this recipe, what do you suggest doing when prepping? Measuring out the oats with standard measuring cup or weighing them and going with 120 grams of oats to make the three cups? I hope this makes sense to you. It changes the calorie count significantly!
Megan Byrd, RD says
I would suggest measuring using a standard measuring cup. I haven’t weighed out the ingredients myself, but using a standard measuring cup always turns out for me! 🙂
Karen Caron says
Hi! These sound delicious! Can you use natural peanut butter?
Megan Byrd, RD says
Yes you can! I use natural peanut butter, either crunchy or creamy all the time! 🙂
Amanda says
Cookies are amazing!! Can I use egg instead of applesauce? I’m looking to increase protein without using protein power. Thanks!!
Megan Byrd, RD says
I’m honestly not sure, it might work though! Let me know how it turns out! 🙂
Amanda says
Substituting cottage cheese for applesauce worked great! Very moist
Megan Byrd, RD says
I’m glad to hear that! Thanks for letting me know! 🙂
Gwyneth says
Hi there,
Can I use regular butter in place of the peanut butter?
Megan Byrd, RD says
Hi there! I would not use regular butter in place of peanut butter, your cookies will come out greasy and not good. Good substitutes for peanut butter would be almond butter, sunflower seed butter, or cashew butter.
Helen says
I love an oatie cookie! I think I would swap peanut butter for almond though – yum!
Megan Byrd, RD says
That totally works!
Wajeeha says
I made these and they turned out fabulous! I added almonds 🙂
Megan Byrd, RD says
Oooo yum that sounds tasty! 🙂
Cyndy says
Like you, I must have protein in the morning! These were so good and a nice change of pace from my usual scramble. I love every single ingredient in these little protein packed cookies!
Megan Byrd, RD says
So glad you loved them! 🙂
Cara says
How can i add protein powder to them?
Megan Byrd, RD says
Try adding about 1/4 cup of protein powder to the batter before you shape them into cookies. 🙂
Tayla says
Would these be suitable to give to my 10 month old. She does really well with finger foods. If so, what can I substitute for the maple syrup since she doesn’t need sugar at this age?
Thank you in advance!
Megan Byrd, RD says
I can’t speak to age-appropriate feeding for your child but you may ask your doctor what they think. I wouldn’t worry too much about the sugar in these, they’re only about 10 grams of sugar per cookie.
Meredith says
Can honey be substituted for the maple syrup?
Megan Byrd, RD says
Absolutely yes! 🙂
Danielle says
These cookies sound so good! I love the fact that they have a lot of protein, I’m always looking for protein rich foods.
Cindie says
Could sugar free maple syrup be used?
Megan Byrd, RD says
Absolutely!
Annise Thompson says
What other natural sweetener can be used other than maple syrup? I’m a bariatric patient and 51 grams of sugar is way too much for me. Thank you
Megan Byrd, RD says
Hi Annise! You can use a small amount (maybe 1 tbsp or even less) of stevia or monkfruit instead of the maple syrup, but you may need to add a little bit more applesauce if you do so.
Cara says
If I want to add protein powder how much & should anything else in the recipe change?
Megan Byrd, RD says
Hi Cara! Thanks for asking, I would add 2 scoops of protein powder or roughly 1/4 cup to your cookie batter. Nope, you shouldn’t have to change anything else!
Julie Voakes says
I shared these at work and many asked me for the recipe. I freeze them individually and eat one at a time. My 25 yr old daughter enjoys them too. I didn’t use bananas; I prefer applesauce in their place. Taste good and are good for you!! Thank you.
Megan Byrd, RD says
I’m so glad you love them! I do too! I also prefer applesauce, and just made them with crunchy peanut butter instead of smooth and they were AMAZING. 🙂
Jen says
I am allergic to Flaxseed do you have a recommendation for a substitute here?
Megan Byrd, RD says
Hi Jen, you can add an extra 1/4 cup of oats or just leave it out. They turn out good either way!
Katherine says
I’ve been trying to get more flaxseed into my diet, and this is by far the tastiest way! Yum!
Arya Melia says
the recipe sounds good but the little blog post before it could use some work, I don’t usually see a dietitian talking in that way so I’m giving a little side eye.
How can you say oatmeal doesn’t have enough protein because it has 13-14g but then give a recipe with 15g? The 2 whole grams is what makes your recipe so much better than regular oatmeal protein wise? give me a break. If you’re going to say this your recipe better be giving us the protein, not 2 whole grams, this adding fat more than anything. I know you gave the option for protein powder but that’s not part of your original recipe.
Of course there’s healthy fats and so on, but that portion of the post can be very misleading to those who don’t have a background in nutrition.
Do better, because you can.
Megan Byrd, RD says
Hi Arya,
Thank you for your comment. You’re absolutely right, that part can be misleading so I’ll go ahead and edit that now.
I think it’d be worth mentioning that 1 serving of this recipe (2 cookies) contains only 1/2 cup of oatmeal. My reference above states that 1 cup of oatmeal contains 13-14 grams protein or roughly 6-7 grams per 1/2 cup. So, one serving of this recipe provides 15 grams of protein, more than double what you’d get from eating the same amount of just plain oatmeal. Would love for you to check your math next time before picking apart another nutrition professional.
Thanks, Megan
Elizabeth says
Can you make these without the nut butter?
Megan Byrd, RD says
Hi Elizabeth, I wouldn’t recommend it! The peanut butter holds all the other ingredients together. However, you could use almond butter or even sunflower butter in its place if you’re trying to avoid peanuts. Hope that helps 🙂
Farzana says
Can you blend oatmeal? My toddler doesn’t like texture of oats. But blended he does
Megan Byrd, RD says
Yes, you can! It might end up a little bit gummy though, so you may need to add more almond milk after you blend it up!
Chris says
Hi, how much in the way of raisins would you add to this recipe? Also, how much protein powder?
I’ve been loving having Larry’s cookies for breakfast but not loving the price so much so I’ve been looking for an easy recipe to replace them…
Thanks.
Megan Byrd, RD says
Hi Chris! I would add about 1/2 cup of raisins and 2 scoops of protein powder to the batter before you bake it. This recipe is definitely easy and fairly inexpensive so I hope it makes a good replacement! Let me know what you think of them after you make them, would love the feedback! 🙂
Katie says
Do these freeze well??
Megan Byrd, RD says
Hi Katie!
Yes, they do! I wrap them in plastic wrap individually before I stick them in the freezer. I think they taste just as good thawed out as they do fresh!
Erica says
Yummy and super easy to make! I went off recipe and added about a tablespoon of honey but it still turned out A+. Would recommend!
Megan Byrd, RD says
What a great idea! I’m glad you loved them! 🙂
Elise says
Can you leave out chia seeds and double ground flaxseed?
Thank you.
Megan Byrd, RD says
Yes, you can absolutely do that! Great question 🙂
Helen says
Hi! How many oz or g should each cookie be? I want to make sure I get the right amount of protein!
Megan Byrd, RD says
Hi Helen! That’s a really good question. I never did weigh each cookie, but I did figure out that about 1/4 cup of the batter = 1 cookie. Next time I make these, I’ll make sure to weigh them for a more precise measurement! Let me know what you think of them 🙂
Megan Byrd, RD says
Hi Helen! I just put a fresh batch of these cookies in the oven, and each one weighed about 2.5 oz! Hope that helps 🙂
Abby M. says
I make these for my daughter as a snack. She loves them and so do I! I am also a RD and 100% approve.
Megan Byrd, RD says
Oh my gosh Abby I love this! It makes me so happy to hear you both enjoy them together! 🙂
Teri Apodaca says
Easy and fast to make. Yummy and crunchy to satisfy my sweet tooth in a healthy way!
Bonus: Vegan and a great source of protein.
Megan Byrd, RD says
Love this, thank you Teri! 🙂