Why Breakfast Cookies? Well, there are times we need something fast, healthy, nutritious and delicious. One can always fall back on an energy bar, but they can be expensive and less desirable when it comes to nutrition and taste. Then my personal trainer tasked me with coming up with a recipe that was gluten-free. These were all perfect reasons to make this recipe happen.
The truth is these breakfast cookies are so good that can be eaten at any time or for any occasion. They’re especially nice with a cup of coffee.
Breakfast Cookies
Ingredients: Makes approximately 2-dozen cookies.
- ½ cup softened butter
- ¼ cup of clover or a neutral flavored honey
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 2 ½ cups superfine almond flour
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup a bit over coarsely chopped assorted nuts and seeds of choice
- 1 cup a bit over coarsely chopped mixed dried fruits of choice
Optional Glaze: Makes approximately 1 cup of glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon cream
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon clear vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon warm water
Directions:
Using a stand mixer, Beat the softened butter, honey, and salt on medium speed until creamed and fluffy. Add almond flour, vanilla, and baking soda and beat for 1 to 2 minutes or until blended. Remove the bowl from the mixer. Add the chopped nuts/seeds, and dried fruit bits and stir by hand until all are evenly incorporated. Scoop the batter onto a sheet of plastic wrap and shape into a log about 12 inches long and approximately 2 inches in diameter; tightly wrap the log and refrigerate overnight. (You may keep the log of dough in the refrigerator for up to a week, or it can be frozen for a few months.)
When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 325°F. Place the rack in the center of the oven.
Unwrap the log of chilled dough. (If the dough is frozen, allow it to thaw just a bit). Using a sharp knife, slice the log into approximately 24 – ½” rounds. Place the rounds on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes rotating the baking sheet halfway through the cooking time. Move the cookies to a cooling rack and allow them to cool completely. Serve plain or garnish with a drizzle of glaze. Store leftover cookies in an airtight container for up to a week.
Glaze: To prepare the glaze, combine the powdered sugar, salt, cream, vanilla, and water in a small bowl and stir until smooth & creamy. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cookies. Allow the glazed cookies to dry and then serve.
Variations: Below is a few suggestions for variations. The variety of nuts, dried fruit, and desired flavored glazes are all a matter of personal choice. Experiment a bit to find the combination that you like the best.
- Cranberry: Use 1 cup chopped dried cranberries, 1 cup chopped pecans. To make a Cranberry glaze, replace the vanilla & water with cranberry juice.
- Orange: Add a tablespoon of orange zest. Use 1 cup of chopped golden raisins, 1 cup chopped almonds. To make an orange glaze, replace the vanilla & water with orange juice.
- Coconut: Use 1 cup chopped unsweetened coconut, 1 cup of chopped almonds. To make Coconut glaze; replace the vanilla with coconut extract. Add a tablespoon of finely chopped coconut.
- Chocolate: Use 1 cup chopped dark chocolate or chips, 1 cup chopped pecans.
Notes: The glaze on the breakfast cookies is purely optional. They’re delicious plain. To help the log shape round not flatten as much as it’s chilling, I often use a leftover paper towel tube cut on one side and then wrap it around the plastic wrapped dough. When cutting the rounds, if they misshapen a bit, no worries just reshape them by hand and place them on a baking sheet. It’s important to make sure the baking sheet is centered in the oven to allow for even baking. Almond flour can be quite expensive. If you shop around at your local markets you’ll find some that are a lot less expensive.
My Breakfast Cookies didn’t last long. They’re especially handy in the mornings when I’m pushed for time. My personal trainer found them very handy to eat before one of her longer runs. Now, it’s your turn to give them a try and watch them disappear.
Time to eat…
P.S. Take a moment to check out my new recipe booklet’s for sale on this site and purchase some of the tools I used for this “Breakfast Cookies Recipe” below. 🙂