Healthy breakfast cookies made with oats, peanut butter, and applesauce – like granola in a soft and chewy cookie form. Gluten-free, vegan, sugar-free, and so delicious!

Why We Love These Applesauce Breakfast Cookies

Hearty and Wholesome: Rolled oats give these cookies a hearty texture, while the peanut butter makes them extra satisfying and filling. They’re made with wholesome ingredients and taste so good!
No Sugar Added: Applesauce is the only sweetener, making these cookies just lightly sweet and perfect for a healthy breakfast. No mid-morning sugar crash to worry about here.
Simple to Make: Everything comes together with one mixing bowl and spoon. No mixer or blender needed.
On-the-Go Breakfast: These breakfast cookies are perfect to take on-the-go for breakfast or snack. They’re firm and hearty enough to hold their shape in a lunchbox and don’t need to be constantly refrigerated.

Key Ingredients & Substitutions

Below is a brief look into the main ingredients and why they work in this recipe, plus any possible substitutions. See the recipe card at the bottom for the full ingredients list and quantities.

Applesauce ⟶ Adds natural sweetness, moisture, and binds the cookies together.
Peanut Butter ⟶ For flavor, healthy fats, and protein to make the cookies tasty and satiating!
Oats ⟶ For complex carbs, fiber, and hearty texture. Rolled or quick oats are fine. Do not use steel cut oats.
Ground Flaxseed ⟶ To help thicken and bind the cookies while also adding some heart healthy omega-3s.

How to Make

Step-by-step photos and additional tips to help you get the best results!

Combine applesauce, peanut butter, vanilla extract, and ground flaxseed in a large bowl.
Stir in rolled oats, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and any mix-ins. Cover and rest for 20-30 minutes – this softens the oats and makes the cookies thicker.
Divide dough into 45-gram portions. Roll into balls and place on baking sheet. Flatten into a cookie shape – they won’t spread in the oven.
Bake for 18 minutes or until the bottom and edges are browned. Leave on the baking sheet for a minute, then transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool.

Serving Suggestions

Breakfast cookies are delicious on their own, but if you’re extra hungry, add some more protein and fiber to your breakfast. You can serve them with some high protein yogurt and fresh fruit, or dip them in a glass of cold soy milk with fruit on the side. Or crumble on top of a smoothie bowl or chia pudding!

Storage & Meal Prep

These breakfast cookies have a high moisture content with low amounts of salt and sugar, so they should be stored in the fridge or freezer after the first day.

Fridge: In an airtight container for up to a week.
Freezer: In a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months.

I enjoy them cold and firm from the fridge, but you can pop them in the microwave for a few seconds to warm and soften them a little if you’d like.

Applesauce Breakfast Cookies FAQ

Since there’s no added sugar in these breakfast cookies, they are very lightly sweet. The peanut butter flavor is much more prominent. To make them sweeter without adding sugar, mix in dried fruit like raisins or dates.

Applesauce is a key ingredient in these cookies and is what makes them moist and sweet. For a banana version, check out my Oatmeal Banana Breakfast Cookies.

You can omit the flax if necessary, but it helps bind the cookies and make them a bit firmer.

More Healthy Vegan Cookies

If you try out this recipe, don’t forget to leave a comment/rating down below and tag me in your photos on instagram @ellielikes.cooking. I love seeing all of your tasty recreations!

Prep Time:15

Cook Time:18

Rest Time:20

Servings: 12 cookies

Ingredients

240 grams (1 cup) applesauce
120 grams (½ cup) natural peanut butter*
½ tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp ground flaxseed*
160 grams (2 cups) rolled oats
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp cinnamon
⅛ tsp nutmeg optional
⅛ tsp salt
¼ cup mix-ins like pumpkin seeds, raisins, or chocolate chips

Instructions

In a large bowl, mix applesauce, peanut butter, vanilla extract, and ground flaxseed until well combined.
Add rolled oats, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and any mix-ins you'd like. Mix to form a dough.
Cover and rest for 20-30 minutes to soften the oats.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
Divide dough into 12 portions (about 45 grams each). Roll into balls and place on baking sheet. Flatten the balls into a cookie shape (they will rise a little in the oven but won't really spread).
Bake for 18 minutes or until the bottom and edges are browned. Leave on the baking sheet for a minute, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Nutrition Facts

**Nutrition information is a rough estimate and intended for informational purposes only. I am not a registered dietitian or certified nutritionist, and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration.

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