I wish I had the time to make a hot breakfast for my family every morning. The truth is with our busy schedule the everyday breakfast in our house is more like a bowl of cereal with milk and if they are lucky maybe some fruit. I’ll admit there has even been the occasional morning when I’ve tossed them a granola bar as they are running out the door to catch the school bus. I’m afraid these times are not my finest moments as a mother. We all know breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Some days it seems like we just don’t have time for breakfast much less a nutritious one.

In my quest to find healthy and quick options for breakfast I came across a breakfast cookie recipe. There are a few different things I like about this recipe. The ingredients are simple, most of them I had in the pantry. I comes together quick, in just minutes it was ready to go into the oven. It has no sugar, is filling,the taste resembles banana bread and it uses up the last of the bananas on my counter in something other than banana bread.

As far as being kid friendly my boys all gave it a thumbs up and said this is a recipe they would eat again. They are especially yummy right out of the oven, and still good the next day cold out of the refrigerator. You can wrap them individually and freeze them so they are ready when you need them.

Recipe : Breakfast Cookie

1 1/2 cups regular rolled oats
1 cup coconut flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/4 cup of almond meal (ground almonds /almond flour, I just ground my own almonds in the food processor.)
1/2 cup mixed nuts, finely chopped
1 cup dried fruit (I used 1/2 chopped dried dates, and 1/2 craisins but anything will work)

3 ripe bananas, mashed
1/4 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix all the dry ingredients together, oats, coconut flakes, salt, cinnamon, allspice, almond meal, nuts, and dried fruit. In another bowl mash the bananas and then add the canola oil and vanilla and mix well. Combine the wet and dry ingredients. Then shape will a cookie scoop or spoon. Mixture will be loose press the tops down slightly. Bake @350 degrees for 20 minutes.