Divas on a Dime: A three-ingredient fast break for your breakfast

Mornings are hard! Especially cold, dark winter mornings. But here’s something to motivate you to get out of your warm bed and face the world – breakfast cookies!

It turns out you can have cookies for breakfast even if you’re a responsible adult! These cookies have all the benefits of a nourishing bowl of oatmeal in convenient hand-held cookie form.

These cookies have enough protein and fiber to keep you feeling full until lunch, and you can customize them to your heart’s delight. There’s a base cookie with three ingredients - nut butter, oats and bananas. Then you get to choose your favorite nuts, dried fruits, seeds or other goodies. For instance, chocolate, because chocolate makes mornings much happier. And if you’re having cookies for breakfast you should be really happy about it.

Let’s talk ingredients. With only three ingredients, each is important.

Regarding oats: I recommend old-fashioned oats for best texture. Oats are naturally gluten-free. However, if you are sensitive to gluten, be sure your oats are certified gluten-free. Most commercial oats are processed in facilities that also process wheat, barley, and rye, so cross-contamination is an issue.

Regarding nut butters: Use whatever nut butter you like best. Peanut butter is popular and inexpensive. Almond butter and cashew butters are divine. If nuts are an issue, try sunflower butter or tahini.

When it comes to bananas: Although rare, banana allergies occur. For example - my son is allergic. You can substitute sugar-free applesauce or pumpkin puree. You’ll need to add between ¼ and ½ cup more oats to balance the added moisture.

THREE INGREDIENT BREAKFAST COOKIES

Yield: 18 cookies

Time: 25 minutes

What You’ll Need:

2 cups old-fashioned oats

2 cups overripe bananas, mashed

¾ cup peanut butter or any nut or seed butter

¼ - ½ cup added goodies of choice – optional

Here’s How:

Preheat oven to 350°F degrees. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, mix all ingredients until fully combined. The batter should hold its shape when squeezed with your hand. Feel free to add more oats if your batter looks “loose”. The moisture content varies depending on whether your bananas have been frozen.

Using a 1/8 cup ice cream scoop or your hands, form 18 cookies. Place each cookie on the lined cookie sheet and press into a cookie shape. They don’t spread or rise so what you see is what you’ll get. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until slightly golden on the edges. Remove from the oven and cool 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve immediately or keep refrigerated up to 5 days. Or freeze for up to two months.

I like to keep mine individually wrapped in the freezer. They defrost quickly on the counter or I warm them in the microwave.

This recipe is endlessly customizable. To add more protein, you can add soy or whey protein powder, hemp hearts, flax meal, any nuts or seeds. To enrich the flavor, add a teaspoon of vanilla, a ¼ teaspoon salt and/or a teaspoon of warm spices like cinnamon, ginger, or cloves. For additional sweetness, add a tablespoon of honey, maple syrup, agave or molasses. Any dried fruit is divine, like raisins, cranberries, dates. Just for fun, add ½ cup chocolate chips. I like adding ¼ cup each; cocoa nibs and chocolate hazelnut spread. No surprise there.

In the photo you’ll see three ingredient cookies, some with chocolate chips and some with dried apricot and pepitas.

I’m a huge fan of anything that makes mornings more enjoyable. The struggle is real, folks!

Lifestyle expert Patti Diamond is the recipe developer and food writer of the website “Divas On A Dime – Where Frugal, Meets Fabulous!” Visit Patti at www.divasonadime.com and join the conversation on Facebook at DivasOnADimeDotCom. Email Patti at divapatti@divasonadime.com