I’ve been making a version of these paleo healthy breakfast cookies with banana and peanut butter from my winter reset meal plan and they are truly my favorite high protein low sugar snack to have lying around the house.
As the cans of pumpkin began to get popped (and not finished) this fall, I found myself with the perfect swap. This version uses pumpkin pie spices and almond butter as the base. Maple syrup is the sweetener but since these are intended for breakfast, it’s a really a scant amount.
One of the things that sets breakfast cookies apart from regular cookies, besides the restraint on the sugar front, is plenty of fiber to get you going at the beginning of the day. Since these are grain-free, almond flour is the main dry ingredient, but I also added a little unsweetened shredded coconut, chopped pecans and cacao nibs for texture.
The breakfast cookies can be vegan as well if you substitute a flax egg for the regular eggs.
I find that most of these ingredients have their own subtle sweetness – even almond flour! – and that allows you to get away with less sugar and still feel satisfied.
When I’m getting into a packaged bar rut, I try to make a batch of these so I can grab something quick in the morning before heading out. They keep best in the fridge for up to a week, but are perfectly portable at room temperature.
The almond butter is the only ingredient you have to watch out for on the low FODMAP front, but two small cookies is a safe serving. If you want to use peanut butter instead, you can have a few more at a time!
Read on for this recipe for healthy breakfast cookies, and I hope you’ll add them to your morning rotation in the New Year!
With health and hedonism,
Phoebe
Paleo Pumpkin Breakfast Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsweetened pumpkin puree
- 1 cup unsweetened almond butter
- ¼ cup melted coconut oil at room temperature
- 2 large eggs or flax eggs
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups almond flour
- ¼ cup unsweetened finely shredded coconut
- 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (see note)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup chopped pecans
- 2 tablespoons cacao nibs optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
- Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the pumpkin with the almond butter, coconut oil, eggs, maple syrup, and vanilla until smooth.
- Fold in the almond flour, coconut, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt. Mix until just combined. Stir in the pecans and cacao nibs, if using.
- With a cookie scoop or rounded tablespoon, portion the cookies onto the tray spaced 1 inch apart. You should have a dozen per sheet.
- Transfer the tray to the oven and bake the cookies for 15 minutes, swapping the trays from top to bottom halfway through, or until firm and golden around the edges. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the pan or a wire rack completely.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
If you make this, tag @phoebelapine and #feedmephoebe - I'd love to see it!
Good day to start trimming back on sugar….thanks for the recipe! Any sub for shredded coconut? Oatmeal maybe?
sure! You can also just omit it and add a little extra almond flour
Hey, Phoebe! The breakfast cookies turned out amazing! I tend to work out very early in the morning and don’t really have the extra time to make breakfast. This would be a great substitute for my store-bought energy bars. I’m also planning to add some bits of dark chocolate to the mix. One question though, what brand of pumpkin puree did you use? Thanks for sharing this.
so glad you enjoyed them! I use Farmer’s Market: https://amzn.to/3InWKbe
Hi Phoebe, excited to try this! I was wondering if the amount of pumpkin pie spice is correct? It says 1/2 teaspoon but I was just wondering if it should be 1/2 tablespoon based on the substitution amounts in the notes. Thanks!
yes…it would be very hard to do measurements to make just 1/2 teaspoon of the blend from scratch 🙂 we don’t own spoons that small!
Hi Phoebe
My mixture was almost liquid even after 2 cups of almond flour, I ended up adding loads more plus flax meal – still turned out quite damp inside. Are these meant to be like that? Wondering if using roasted pumpkin (I live in Australia and can’t buy canned pumpkin) made it too wet?
oh no! definitely not supposed to be like that but i can’t speak to roasted pumpkin just the canned. You can try them with banana instead.
I’ve loved all the recipes I’ve tried on here 🙂
As someone with Hashi it’s so comforting to know that healthy eating doesn’t have to be bland salads and dry chicken every meal.
Can you post the nutritional info. Thx.