Healthy Peach Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies

 
The summer after I graduated from college, I drove down to Southern California to celebrate with a weekend at Disneyland. I bought a special “hopper pass” ticket, which let me switch between both the Disneyland and California Adventure theme parks, to spend as much time on all of my favorite rides as possible.  

Although I preferred the milder rides of Dumbo, Peter Pan, and It’s a Small World as a little girl, my adult self gravitated towards the roller coasters, like the Matterhorn, Space Mountain, California Screamin’ (as it was called back then!), and Thunder Mountain Railroad (“This here’s the wildest ride in the wilderness!”)… Along with plenty of other thrilling and fun rides too!

Because I went to Disneyland to perform with my band classes at least once a year from 7^th through 12^th grade, I actually knew the entire layout of that theme park better than my hometown. I had all of the pathways (and shortcuts!) memorized, which really helped me navigate through the crowds, avoid the most jam-packed walkways, and minimize down time between rides.
 

 
To avoid wasting time by standing in long lines for food, and therefore to squeeze in even more rides, I also carried lots of snacks in my purse. On the drive down from Northern California, I realized that my hotel was just a few blocks away from a big grocery store, so although I had packed a few options in my car before leaving home, I still headed there shortly after checking in to grab a few more things.

I filled my shopping basket with nonperishables like dark chocolate and soft-baked granola bars, and I also headed to the produce section to pick out some fresh fruit for breakfasts. As I reached for a bag of green grapes (one of my favorites!), I noticed a little sign promoting a sale on peaches…

Just $0.99 per pound!
 

 
I nearly squealed in excitement. My family and I still hadn’t baked my grandma’s famous peach pie that summer, even though it was already mid-July, because we hadn’t seen any good peaches at our local grocery stores… So I quickly grabbed as many as I could, figuring that they’d be almost perfectly ripe by the time I drove back home a few days later.

However… I failed to realize just how tempting those peaches would be on my 8-hour drive. It took so much willpower to leave them in the bag and save all of them for the pie! I ended up eating a few chewy oat-filled granola bars for my breakfast and road trip snacks instead that day, and although I loved their sweet flavors and soft texture, I still craved a big juicy peach to go with them.
 

 
Finally, far too many years later, I finally figured out a great compromise… These Healthy Peach Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies! They have a soft and chewy texture like the granola bars I loved back then (and the same texture as regular “dessert” cookies too!), and they also have the same irresistible flavors as my grandma’s peach pie: juicy fruit, cozy spices, and her special secret ingredient!

Yet unlike those store-bought granola bars, these healthy breakfast cookies contain no dairy, refined flour or sugar. They’re just 69 calories too!
 

HOW TO MAKE HEALTHY PEACH OATMEAL BREAKFAST COOKIES

Let go over how to make these healthy peach oatmeal breakfast cookies! As a quick reminder, these are breakfast cookies… Rather than dessert cookies. So they have the sweetness level of muffins, rather than “regular” cookies. (If you want the “dessert” version of these oatmeal cookies, you can find that recipe of mine here!)

As much as I love traditional, deliciously sweet cookies, I’ve found that the resulting sugar crash after eating one first thing in the morning usually isn’t quite worth it. Hence why these are breakfast cookies and only half as sweet! 😉
 

 
To start, you’ll need instant oats and whole wheat flour. Instant oats are also called quick-cooking or one-minute oats. They’re not the ones sold in those individual brown paper packets with flavors like apple cinnamon and maple brown sugar!

Just like traditional old-fashioned rolled oats, instant oats only contain one ingredient: oats. They’re just smaller and thinner than old-fashioned rolled oats, which means they soften faster… Which gives your healthy peach oatmeal breakfast cookies the best soft and chewy texture!

Just remember, it’s extremely important to measure the oats and flour correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own and love!) Too much of either ingredient will dry out your cookie dough and make your cookies cakey or dry, rather than soft and chewy. This is especially true of the oats because they act like little sponges and soak up lots of moisture from the dough. So pretty, pretty please… Take the few extra moments to measure your ingredients the right way!

Tip: I’ve actually included my favorite gluten-free alternatives in the Notes section of this recipe, if you’d prefer to make these healthy peach oatmeal breakfast cookies gluten-free and dairy-free!
 

 
You’ll also whisk cinnamon and nutmeg into the flour and oats. My grandma always tossed in a little pinch of nutmeg to her pies, and it made such a big difference in the flavor. It added a deeper, richer, and fuller spice flavor, which we all found positively irresistible!

For the cinnamon, I highly recommend using Saigon cinnamon! It has a stronger, richer, and sweeter flavor than regular cinnamon, which really boosts the spice flavor in your healthy peach oatmeal breakfast cookies. I buy mine online here because it’s so inexpensive and affordable, and it’s the only cinnamon I use in my baking now!
 

 
In a second bowl, you’ll whisk together a small amount of melted coconut oil (or butter!) and an egg. Unlike traditional cookies that call for ½ cup (or more!) of butter, you just need 1 tablespoon for this recipe. That really helps keep your healthy peach oatmeal breakfast cookies low calorie and low fat!

Tip: Make sure your egg is at room temperature! If it’s cold, it’ll immediately resolidify the melted coconut oil or butter.

Time for my grandma’s secret ingredient! She added this to every peach pie she ever baked, so I’ve incorporated it into almost every peach recipe I’ve ever created too. Can you guess what it is?
 

 
If you’ve made any of my peach recipes before, then you probably know already… Almond extract! It’s actually my favorite baking extract — and not just because of my grandma’s pies! I love the sweet and sophisticated flavor that it adds to baked goods. I think it makes all of your homemade treats taste like they came from a fancy gourmet bakery!

Remember how I pointed out that these were breakfast cookies, not dessert cookies? That’s because you only use half the amount of sweetener compared to my regular oatmeal cookie recipes! It means your healthy peach oatmeal breakfast cookies have the same sweetness level as muffins or scones.

For this recipe, you’ll use pure maple syrup. That’s the kind that comes directly from maple trees! It’s not the same thing as pancake syrup or sugar-free maple-flavored syrup. The only ingredient on the bottle should be “maple syrup,” and it generally comes in thin glass bottles or squat plastic jugs (like this!).
 

 
Then to compensate for the “missing” sweetener, you’ll stir in unsweetened vanilla almond milk! Any type of milk will work. This is just the one my family always keeps in their fridge. (My other favorite is unsweetened cashew milk!) So by using non-dairy milk and coconut oil, your healthy peach oatmeal breakfast cookies are naturally dairy-free!

Of course, you can’t make these healthy breakfast cookies without one key ingredient… The peaches! Both fresh peaches and peaches that have been canned in 100% juice will work. (That means you can make these healthy peach oatmeal breakfast cookies all year round — not just during the summer!) Just remember to dice them to be fairly small, about the same size as miniature chocolate chips, to ensure that your cookies bake evenly and you get a bit of fruit in every bite.
 

 
Before you bake your cookies, you must chill the cookie dough. Chilling is mandatory! The cookie dough is fairly wet and runny, but chilling helps stiffen it so it’s easier to work with. Just 30 minutes in the fridge is all it needs!

With so little coconut oil or butter and only half the amount of sweetener, these cookies don’t spread at all while baking… So they’ll look exactly the same when you remove them from the oven as they did before — just no longer raw! Therefore, you must flatten the cookie dough to about ½” thick once you’ve dropped it onto your baking sheet. Otherwise, you’ll end up with ball-like cookie spheres!

And because someone always asks… I don’t use a cookie scoop or any special tools! I use a spoon and this mini spatula (← isn’t it cute??) to drop the cookie dough onto my baking sheet, and I use the same mini spatula to flatten it and smooth out the sides to make my cookies look nice and round.

Then after a quick trip to the oven…
 

 
It’s time to enjoy your healthy breakfast cookies! And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! 🙂 ) I’d love to see your healthy peach oatmeal breakfast cookies!

Healthy Peach Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies

© Amy's Healthy Baking

Yields: 15 breakfast cookies

These breakfast cookies are supremely soft and chewy, just like “regular” cookies! They have the sweetness level of muffins (aka about half as sweet as “regular” cookies!), along with plenty of irresistible flavors from the juicy peaches, cozy spices, and sweet almond extract. I actually think they taste SO much better the second day, after they’ve been refrigerated for 24+ hours. The spices and almond extract taste much stronger and a little sweeter, especially when chilled! Leftover cookies will keep for at least 1 week if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They freeze really well too!

4.86 from 14 votes

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Ingredients 

• 1 cup (100g) instant oats (gluten-free if necessary and measured like this)
• ¾ cup (90g) whole wheat or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
• 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 tbsp (28g) coconut oil or unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1 tsp almond extract (see Notes!)
• ¼ cup (60mL) pure maple syrup, room temperature
• 6 tbsp (90mL) unsweetened vanilla almond milk, room temperature
• ½ cup (100g) diced peaches (see Notes!)

Instructions

• In a medium bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, stir together the coconut oil or butter, egg, and almond extract. Stir in the maple syrup and milk. Add in the oat mixture, stirring just until incorporated. Gently stir in the peaches. Chill the cookie dough for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 325°F, and line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
• Using a spoon and spatula, drop the cookie dough into 15 rounded scoops onto the prepared sheet. Flatten to ½” thick using a spatula, and smooth out the sides, if desired. (These cookies don’t spread at all while baking!) Bake at 325°F for 9-12 minutes. Cool on the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

Notes

It’s extremely important to measure both the oats and flour correctly using this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own and love!) Too much of either will dry out the cookies and leave them cakey or dry instead of moist and chewy.

 

For the gluten-free flour, I recommend the following: ½ cup (60g) millet flour, 2 tablespoons (15g) tapioca flour, 2 tablespoons (15g) brown rice flour, and ½ teaspoon xanthan gum. Most store-bought gluten-free flour blends (like this one!) will also work, if measured like this.

 

Instant oats are also known as quick-cooking or minute oats. They come in large canisters, just like old-fashioned oats. They are not the ones in the small flavored packets of oatmeal. In a pinch, you can make your own. Add the same amount of old-fashioned rolled oats to a food processor, and pulse 10-12 times or until the oats are about ¼ to ⅛ of their original size.

 

Honey or agave may be substituted for the pure maple syrup.

 

Any milk may be substituted for the unsweetened vanilla almond milk.

 

For a stronger almond flavor, increase the almond extract by ½ teaspoon (for 1 ½ teaspoons total). If you’re not a fan, then substitute vanilla extract instead.

 

Both fresh peaches and peaches that have been canned in 100% juice will work. Frozen and thawed peaches should also work. For the best results, dice your peaches so they’re the same size as the miniature chocolate chips. (Yes, it takes extra time to cut them this small, but I promise it’s worth it!)

 

These cookies do not spread, so make sure to flatten them and use a spatula to make their edges look round before baking!

 

Do not overbake these cookies! They’re done baking when the centers still feel a little soft and underdone. By leaving them on the warm baking sheet for at least 10 minutes after removing them from the oven, the centers will cook through without drying out your cookies or making them taste cakey instead of moist and chewy.

 

For answers to all other questions regarding substitutions and tips, see my Oatmeal Cookie FAQ Page.

 

{gluten-free, dairy-free, clean eating, low fat, lower sugar}

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?I'd love to hear what you think of it in a comment below! If you take a picture, tag @amyshealthybaking on Instagram or use the hashtag #amyshealthybaking.

View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
 
 
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡  Healthy Peach Oatmeal Muffins
♡  Healthy Peach Scones
♡  Healthy Peach Mini Muffins
♡  Healthy Peach Pie Pancakes
♡  Healthy Peach Pie Bran Muffins
♡  Healthy Peach Pound Cake
♡  …and the rest of Amy’s healthy oatmeal cookie recipes and healthy peach recipes!