Cookies For Breakfast: Recipe For Disaster?

About author / Christine Gable

Culinary enthusiast; kids cuisine and slow cooking; magazine recipe developer; professional writer. Her simple recipes are great for family dinners.

Have your kids ever asked to have cookies for breakfast and you said NO WAY?!

Hey, I hear ya. I’ve got a dessert lover and sweet tooth, and just the other day that was the scene at our house.

But—get this: I said YES.

Cookies for breakfast?

Oh, yeah.

You know the deal: Some days I’m just glad that there’s something that the kids want to eat, much less haggle over the how, what and where of it.

So we paired those chocolate cookies (yum!) with a tall glass of milk to help offset the damage.

But you know what? Funny thing is that those cookies and milk held her better than some so-called “healthy” breakfasts. Musta been the milk, eh?

Or maybe it was the satisfaction factor. All I know is: every breakfast ought to be as easy as this was. For she was happy. And when our kids are happy, it’s easier for us parents to be happy too.

But to eat double dark chocolate cookies every day for breakfast is a recipe for disaster—at least if you have kids who could be on the up-and-down cycle of simple sugars and carbs. That’s a nasty habit that isn’t good for health—and has actually been traced as a contributor to adolescent obesity and the early onset of Type 2 diabetes. And that’s not something that any of us want for our kids, right?

So in the interest of eating that all-important meal of the day AND getting the day started off right, we began experimenting with something we’ve called breakfast cookies.

They’re delicious. They’re slightly sweet. They help use up leftover breakfasts from days before. But they also help provide a nutritious kick-in-the-pants and don’t just leave our bodies (and blood sugar) levels in a mess. Read: they’ve got fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals to get the day started off right.

What’s not to love about a cookie for breakfast? Like the proverbial doughnut, they’re easy to grab on your way out the door, pair up with coffee, tea or milk just fine, and taste great. But best of all, they leave the bad guys (think saturated fats and refined sugars) on the floor, while helping to get the day started off right with whole grains, fiber and slower-burning complex carbs.

Some ingredients to mix into breakfast cookies:

Oats: they add satisfying chew and moist texture—use ‘em for more than oatmeal

Whole grains: whole wheat and spelt, plus leftovers: oatmeal, grits, even rice

Dark chocolate: adds richness and even some healthful antioxidants

Dried fruit: go with what your kids like: raisins, snipped apricots, currants, dried plums

Natural sweeteners: sugar is on my counter all the time (and I go light with it), but I also like to experiment with rice syrup and agave nectar. Honey is not a family favorite, but can add some all-natural sweetness.

Vegetable oil (instead of butter): go for light olive oil or canola oil for healthful moistness without saturated and trans fats.

So is it possible to have your cookie and your breakfast too?

We say YES. But do go ahead and try these and let me know what you think. And if you’d like to see how they break down nutritionally, check out the official nutrition facts here: http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/recipe/925109/2

And BTW, do any of you have good cookie recipes that could be adapted into breakfast cookies? Send ‘em my way and daughter and I will be happy to adapt and experiment. Then we’ll post our successes here to share with everyone.

Serves/Makes: 12

• 1/2 cup light olive or canola oil
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup oatmeal, cooked (leftover is perfect)
• 3 tablespoons flaxseed
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup protein powder (such as Spiru-tein Vanilla)
• 2 tablespoons milk