Peanut butter & jam breakfast cookies are an easy grab and go meal that you can prep ahead! Soft and cakey, they are perfect for a snack or for breakfast; packed with 6 g protein and the classic PB & J flavors.
One way to ensure that you eat breakfast on busy mornings is to fill your fridge with healthy, portable options. Some reader favorites include fruit on the bottom overnight oats, healthy breakfast sandwiches, and these fun peanut butter & jam breakfast cookies!
Though they are called 'breakfast cookies', these could technically also go into the snack category. With classic peanut butter and jam flavors, they are healthier than traditional cookies, and have 6 g of protein each!
Reasons you'll ♡ this recipe
- the classic PB & J flavors make these a crowd-pleaser
- they are only mildly sweet, lighter than regular cookies, and have 6 g of protein to help fill you up
- they are simple to prepare and would make a great kid-friendly baking project
Recipe video
Watch the video below to see exactly how I prepped my Peanut Butter & Jam Breakfast Cookies. It’s so easy! You can find more of my recipe videos on my YouTube channel, or on Facebook.
Ingredient notes
- peanut butter- use all natural peanut butter- the only ingredient should be peanuts (and possibly salt). Additives like oils, fats, or sugar could throw this recipe off.
- coconut oil- look for refined coconut oil to avoid a strong coconut flavor. Though I haven't tested, I suspect swapping for melted butter would work just fine in this recipe.
- all purpose flour- helps to bind these cookies together; you could swap for white whole wheat, and probably regular whole wheat, however alternative flours have not been tested.
- rolled oats- look for large flake, old fashioned or rolled oats. Avoid quick oats, instant oats, or steel cut oats.
- ground flax- adds protein and a nutty flavor to the cookies, but also plays a role in helping them set up. These cookies have not been tested without the flax and may not hold up as well.
- jam- adds sweetness and flavor to the cookies- use your favorite!
Step by step directions
1. Mix together wet ingredients- In a large glass measuring cup, melt the coconut oil. Allow to cool slightly if the mixture is hot. Stir in the peanut butter, eggs, vanilla and honey, mixing until smooth and no lumps remain.
2. Mix in dry ingredients- to the bowl, add rolled oats, flour, baking powder and ground flax. Mix it in with a spatula, until completely combined and no clumps of flour remain.
3. Shape cookies- Scoop out ¼ cup portions and shape them on a parchment-lined baking sheet into a round cookie with an indent in the middle. Spoon in 1 tablespoon of jam in the center of each cookie.
4. Bake- Bake at 350°F for 13-15 minutes, until edge around the bottoms start to brown.
FAQ
Eating traditional cookies for breakfast on the regular might not be the healthiest of choices as it can cause blood sugar spikes and leave you feeling lethargic. Breakfast cookies, on the other hand, pack a higher nutritional punch that will help stave off blood sugar crashes, and will help fuel your body for longer through the morning.
Breakfast cookies are softer, and more cakey than regular cookies. These PB & J ones are also far less sweet.
While I haven't tested, reader Lena swapped almond butter for peanut butter and they worked well for her. It may be possible to use sun butter in these cookies to make them nut-free; drop us a comment below if you give it a try!
Meal prep and storage
Fridge
- Cool completely, then store in an air tight container; place parchment or wax paper between cookies to prevent them from sticking together.
- Store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Freezer
Thank you, reader Sarah, for sharing how your froze and thawed these!
Hi Denise, after making these I wrapped each one in parchment (thinking they might stick together) and froze them. The other day I took one out, set it on the counter for a couple of hours to defrost and it was fine! The jam stayed intact, the flavor and texture were the same. It seemed to work out!
Sarah
More meal prep breakfasts
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil melted; see note 1
- ⅔ cup peanut butter natural; see note 2
- 2 eggs
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ cup honey see note 3
- ½ cup rolled oats see note 4
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ cup ground flax see note 5
- 6-7 tablespoons jam of choice
Instructions
- Prepare- Heat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Mix together wet ingredients- In a large glass measuring cup, melt the coconut oil. Allow to cool slightly if the mixture is hot. Stir in the peanut butter, eggs, vanilla and honey, mixing until smooth and no lumps remain.
- Mix in dry ingredients- to the bowl, add rolled oats, flour, baking powder and ground flax. Mix it in with a spatula, until completely combined and no clumps of flour remain.
- Shape cookies- Scoop out ¼ cup portions and shape them on a parchment-lined baking sheet into a round cookie with an indent in the middle. Spoon in 1 tablespoon of jam in the center of each cookie.
- Bake- Bake at 350°F for 13-15 minutes, until edge around the bottoms start to brown.
Tips:
Video
Nutrition Information
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Denise Bustard is the creator of Sweet Peas and Saffron, a meal prep-focussed food blog. With a PhD in biochemistry, Denise takes a scientific approach to perfecting her recipes. You can find Denise's work featured on Huffington Post, MSN, Self and more.
Cindy McEver says
Hi, would these work with frozen or fresh raspberries instead of "jam"? They sound delicious. I am looking for a healthy breakfast item for my son to eat on his commute to college in the early mornings. He is both "berry" and "nut" picky. (Also not a fan of eggs.) Prefers raspberries. Likes cashews and p-nuts, pistachios. Does NOT like almonds, walnuts, etc. I make the oatmeal muffins on here in rotation already for my husband. I also make him egg bites that he can eat on the way to work. Anyway, I haven't tried raspberries in place of blueberries in the muffins, so so that may be my next attempt.
Denise says
Hi Cindy! Hmm...I have only tested with jam. You could try pressing a fresh raspberry into the top of the cookie? But be warned that these are not overly sweet and a lot of the sweetness comes from the jam. So I do worry that the berries alone might not be sweet enough.
Jeanette says
You could make raspberry jam following the strawberry jam recipe from the other site. Looking at the recipe you wouldn't even need to really alter it. That is, if you haven't tried that already lol.
Kim says
These are AMAZING! Soft and cakey with that delicious PB&J flavour. Make such a yummy addition to your breakfast or a filling snack.
Denise says
I'm so happy you enjoyed them, Kim! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review 🙂
Sarah says
Hi There, I've been making all your delicious freezer meals before baby comes. Now I am on to breakfast ideas and want to give these a try. Would you say that these can freeze well? I want to make a big batch to have after baby comes and take a half dozen out at a time to defrost to eat for the week. Thanks for all your great recipes and how-to's, its been a real life saver!
Denise says
Hi Sarah! I haven't tried freezing these breakfast cookies, I do worry that the jam might get a bit soggy. If you try them, I'd love to hear how it goes! Here is a round-up with lots of breakfasts: https://sweetpeasandsaffron.com/28-healthy-meal-prep-breakfast-ideas/
sarah says
Hi Denise, after making these I wrapped each one in parchment (thinking they might stick together) and froze them. The other day I took one out, set it on the counter for a couple of hours to defrost and it was fine! The jam stayed in tact, the flavor and texture were the same. It seemed to work out! Can't wait to have these postpartum! Thanks for all the great recipes!
Denise says
That's great! Thank you for sharing!
Sheena says
Is the honey used mostly for sweetness or to help hold the dough together?
Denise says
Hi Sheena! A bit of both, if you leave it out, you would need to add some extra liquids I think, but I can't say for sure as I've only tested as written.
Sheena says
Thank you. I'll probably either try it with Sugar Free Honey or Sugar Free Maple Syrup. I'll let you know how it goes.
Lorie Carter says
These are so yummy! Easy and healthy, will definitely be making these again. I found them plenty sweet so next time I will try slightly less honey and jam to make them even healthier. Thanks!
Denise says
So happy to hear that, Lorie! Thanks so much for your review!
Denise says
Hope they work for you! Enjoy!
Lena says
I have used almond butter instead of peanut! It is really healthy and tasty!
Denise says
So happy you enjoyed them!
Jan Haddock says
Could you use almond flour instead ?
Denise says
I haven't tried, but someone swapped the AP flour with some extra oats and had them work out 🙂
Elissa says
I’ve made these a few times now and they have been great! Once I even substituted the flour for more oats and they still turned out. Makes a great hike snack. Also, if you don’t have any flax, sunny boy cereal makes a great alternative.
Denise says
I'm so happy you enjoyed them, and thanks for the tip with extra oats. I have had some people asking about removing the flour and I will let them know 🙂
Jeannie says
These look easy and yummy. Do they need to be refrigerated or just on the counter in an air tight container? Have you tried to freeze them?
Denise says
Hi Jeannie, I will update the recipe card with storage info. We left them on the counter for 3-4 days with no issues. I haven't tried freezing them yet.
Salome says
These look super good! Do you think it would be possible to make them without eggs? If so, what would I substitute in?
Denise says
Hi Salome, I have not tried these with a flax egg, but you could try it! Here's the recipe I've used in the past: https://minimalistbaker.com/how-to-make-a-flax-egg/ If you give it a try, would you let me know how they turn out?
Salome says
Ooooh thanks for the link! I tried it with apple sauce for egg, but I also didn't have flax so I substituted apple sauce for that too...they were good but didn't hold their shape as well. I've got flax now so I'm going to experiment with apple sauce as well as your link! They were definitely a hit, though. 🙂