Do you sometimes find yourself too busy to eat a proper breakfast? I do! Sometimes you just need to get up and go, but you want something healthy to sustain you. Well how about these breakfast protein cookies?! They are packed with nutrition and are gluten-free (just use gluten free oats), free from refined sugar and vegan too.

One of my New Year’s Resolutions was to eat more fruit and veg, and so I have added some into this recipe. (How are you doing with your Resolutions by the way?!), (The other was to do more weight-training! Unfortunately, I am a cardio junkie!)

These cookies are basically a concoction of what I would love to eat for breakfast given the time. So what is in them? Oats, ground flaxseed, nuts, seeds, dried blueberries, goji berries, ripe banana and some added fruit and veg in the form of grated apple and courgette. There is also some protein powder if you so wish (if not, just substitute for more oats!).

Of course, you don’t have to eat these cookies just for breakfast; they are a healthy snack any other time of day, but they are so healthy, they make a nourishing and convenient breakfast. They are also perfect snacks when out hiking (I just bung a couple in some Tupperware), or as pre or post-work-out snacks or something to nibble on when you have the munchies (hopefully with a nice brew!)

You can add any type of trail mix, but I am currently loving Cashew, Goji and Chocolate Goldenberry Immune System Mix which is a source of iron, zinc, selenium to help contribute to the normal functioning of the immune system. This trail mix also contains Brazil nuts, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds.

These cookies last in the fridge for about 7 days and freeze well too making them ideal for batch food prep.

Makes: 20 cookies

Preparation time: 30 mins

Baking time: 16-18 mins

Ingredients:

Dry ingredients:

• 150g rolled oats (gluten-free if required)
• 50g ground flaxseed
• 100g flour; wholemeal ideally, but plain works too
• 50g protein powder (I use pea or whey). If not using, substitute for rolled oats
• 100g trail mix. I love Cashew, Goji, Chocolate Goldenberry Mix plus 20g extra to decorate
• 40g dried blueberries
• 80g coconut sugar
• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp. maca powder (optional)
• ½ tsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp. baking so
• ¼ tsp. sea salt

Wet ingredients:

• 3 tbsp. (45ml) extra virgin olive oil or melted coconut oil
• 2 medium ripe bananas
• 1 egg (if vegan, mix 1 tbsp. chia or flaxseed to 3 tbsp. water and leave to thicken for 10 mins).
• 150g grated carrot (courgette works too)
• 1 apple, grated (approx. 100g)

Method:

• Grease and line 2 baking sheets.

• In a medium sized bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients, using 100g of the trail mix.

• In a large bowl, peel and mash the bananas until there are no more lumps. Whisk in the egg (vegan egg) and oil.

• Pour the dry ingredients into the wet banana mixture. Mix to combine.

• Fold in the grated carrot and apple until evenly distributed.

• Using a tablespoon, scoop up a heaped tablespoon of the cookie mixture into your hands. Roll into a ball and then place on the baking sheet. Flatted with the palm of your hand or your fingers. Repeat until all the cookie mixture is used up.

• Using the remaining 20g of trail mix, stud the cookies with trail mix for decoration.

• Bake in the middle shelf of the oven for 16-8mins until they turn golden brown.

• Remove from the oven. Allow to cool for 10 mins before transferring to a wire rack to properly cool.  Enjoy!

Don’t forget you can find my favourite recipes in my FREE eBook here.