Healthy Peach Oatmeal 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 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 four days, if not closer to a week, if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They freeze really well too!
Ingredients
- 1 cup (100g) instant oats (gluten-free if necessary and measured like this)
- ¾ cup (90g) whole wheat flour 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 (14g) 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
IMPORTANT MEASURING NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: 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!) Too much of either will dry out the cookies and leave them cakey or dry instead of moist and chewy. This is especially true of the oats; they act like sponges and soak up lots of moisture from the dough.
IMPORTANT FLAVOR NOTES – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: These breakfast cookies aren’t overly sweet — and that’s intentional! They have a sweetness level similar to muffins or breakfast scones. For sweeter cookies, substitute additional pure maple syrup, honey, or agave for an equal amount of milk. (For example, add an additional 2 tablespoons of pure maple syrup, and reduce the milk by 2 tablespoons to compensate.) Alternatively, use my true “dessert” peach oatmeal cookie recipe instead.
For a stronger almond flavor, increase the almond extract by ½ teaspoon (for 1 ½ teaspoons total).
These cookies taste better if you let them rest for 24+ hours after they’ve been baked! That gives the spices time to meld and marry, so the cozy spice flavor will be more pronounced on the second day. The spices and almond extract also taste stronger and a little sweeter when chilled!
IMPORTANT BAKING NOTES – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: These cookies do not spread. They’ll look exactly the same before and after baking (just no longer raw!), so it’s important to flatten the cookie dough and use a spatula to make their edges look round before baking.
Do not overbake these cookies! They’re ready to come out of the oven 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.
OATS NOTES + ALTERNATIVE: 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.
FLOUR ALTERNATIVES: White whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the whole wheat flour. Oat flour (gluten-free if needed) may also be substituted, but be very careful when measuring it because it tends to be more absorbent than wheat-based flours!
CINNAMON NOTE: I highly recommend Saigon cinnamon. It has a slightly stronger, richer, and sweeter flavor compared to “regular” cinnamon. This is the one that I use, and it's really affordable. (It's basically the only kind I use in my baking now!)
ALMOND EXTRACT ALTERNATIVE: If you’re not a fan, then substitute vanilla extract instead.
PURE MAPLE SYRUP ALTERNATIVES: Honey or agave may be substituted for the pure maple syrup. Regardless of which you use, make sure it’s at room temperature. If chilled, it will re-solidify the melted butter or coconut oil.
I generally don't recommend substituting sugar-free maple syrup. It's often water-based, which makes your oatmeal cookies turn out more cakey or bready.
MILK ALTERNATIVES: Any milk may be substituted for the unsweetened vanilla almond milk.
PEACH NOTES: Both fresh peaches and peaches that have been canned in 100% juice will work. If using fresh, I typically peel them first. Frozen and thawed peaches should also work; just thoroughly pat them dry after thawing to remove any excess thawing liquid.
For the best results, dice your peaches so they’re the same size as miniature chocolate chips to ensure your cookies bake evenly and every bite contains fruit. (Yes, it takes extra time to cut them this small, but I promise it’s worth it!)
GLUTEN-FREE OPTION: Use certified gluten-free instant oats. For the gluten-free flour, I recommend the following blend: ½ cup (60g) millet flour, 2 tablespoons (15g) tapioca flour, 2 tablespoons (15g) brown rice flour, and ½ teaspoon xanthan gum. Many store-bought gluten-free flour blends (I like this one from Bob's Red Mill) and certified gluten-free oat flour will also work, if measured like this.
NUT-FREE VERSION: Use stick-style vegan butter (I like this one and this one) or unsalted butter. Use your preferred nut-free milk (ie nonfat, rice, soy, etc) in place of the unsweetened vanilla almond milk.
DAIRY-FREE VERSION: Use the coconut oil option or stick-style vegan butter (I like this one and this one).
HOW TO STORE: Store leftover cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They’ll last at least four days (if not a week or longer!). These breakfast cookies also freeze really well!
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, nut-free option}
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 @amys.healthy.baking on Instagram or use the hashtag #amyshealthybaking.