Happy end of summer!

Really? Yes. Unfortunately. We have to return to our regular old selves (see my previous post) and get back to routines, schedules, alarm clocks and tucked in clothes. Saying goodbye to summer doesn’t have to be all bad, though, and I’m going to share with you a fun little breakfast idea. This recipe will save you on busy mornings when you need to get out the door and kids to school.

It’s breakfast cookies! These cookies are filled with goodies you know your kids need - protein to keep them full until lunch, fruit for their overall health and fiber to keep them regular. And they’re filled with the goodies they want - chocolate. These cookies are easy to make, quick, versatile and stay fresh in your fridge until they’re all eaten. So without further ado, here is my recipe for breakfast cookies:

3 ripe bananas smashed

2 tablespoons local honey

1/2 cup peanut or almond butter (crunchy or smooth depending on what you have in your pantry)

1 egg

2.5 cups old fashioned oatmeal

1/4 cup flax seed

1 teaspoon baking powder

1-2 teaspoons cinnamon (depending on how much you like)

1/2 cup Fresh or dried fruit of your choice (I recommend raisins, cranberries or apricots dried and small fruit if you’re using fresh)

1/3 cup milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix bananas, honey, nut butter and egg together in a large bowl. In another bowl, mix oatmeal, flax seed, powder and cinnamon. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix. Then fold in fruit and chocolate chips. Place cookies in a teaspoon or tablespoon size blob on a baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes. Once cooled place in a ziplock bag or Tupperware container and keep refrigerated for up to 10 days (they won’t last that long though). 

This recipe will make 15-18 cookies, depending on the size of cookie you make. And I’ve made them several times for friends with egg allergies and they’ve turned out just as well so if you don’t want the egg, leave it out. I appreciate the small amount of protein it offers.

I hope you love these as much as we do! Let me know what concoctions you come up with. I’ve used apricots and coconut, cranberries and cherries, fresh blueberries and chopped strawberries and raisins. We love all the combos so I change them up to keep the boys happy. And they are so perfect on Monday morning when Marshall wakes up late and we need to get out the door to our co-op school. Because teenagers never want to get out of bed in the mornings. . .