These oatmeal banana breakfast cookies are soft, naturally sweet cookies made with mashed banana, rolled oats, cinnamon, and protein powder. They're quick, freezer-friendly, and perfect for meal prep when you need a grab-and-go breakfast that you can eat one-handed on the way out the door.
Sometimes you just need something you can eat while juggling keys, bags, or a coffee. I love my baked oatmeal recipes, but if it's frozen solid it's not exactly convenient when you're already late. These cookies solve that problem - even straight from the freezer they're ready to eat within minutes, which makes them one of my most reliable "Plan B" breakfasts or gym snacks.
TL;DR
- Prep time: 5 minutes Cook time: 12 minutes
- Meal prep: Serve with yogurt and berries for a balanced breakfast meal prep.
- Storage: 4 days (bench) 7 days (in fridge).
- Freezer storage: 3 months (freeze not touching).
- Reheating: Optional for a freshly baked cookie vibe.
- Customise: Add toppings to suit preferences, serve alongside chosen snacks or components for a fuller meal.
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Why you'll love this recipe
Single handed. The texture and size makes them perfect to quickly grab on the run as an alternative to my overnight oatmeal recipes.
Banana. Uses up those very ripe bananas you meant to eat - if you have extras, try them in banana honey waffles.
Versatile. Easy to customise with mix-ins like chocolate chips or fruit, similar to flexible recipes like baked chocolate oatmeal.
4 ingredients. Ridiculously simple pantry recipe with minimal prep and washing up.
Ingredients
Banana. Use very ripe bananas (almost black) because they provide most of the sweetness and moisture. Plus they give a "banana bread" flavour with the combination of cinnamon.
Cinnamon. You can add as much or as little as you like, or even omit. This is optional but highly recommended.
Protein powder. Vegan protein powder is recommended because it behaves more like flour when heated and avoids the chalky taste whey can produce; plain flour can be substituted.
You can mix-and-match the flavour depending on your preferences. With the cinnamon banana flavour, I would recommend a neutral, vanilla or caramel.
Rolled oats. These provide the main structure and chew. Alternatives like steel-cut oats stay too firm and quick oats can become mushy.
Please check the recipe card for full list of ingredients and quantity. See below for substitutions and variations.
Substitutions and variations
Pumpkin puree or apple sauce. Banana can be replaced with pumpkin puree (as in pumpkin breakfast cookies) or apple sauce, though you may need extra oats or protein powder to balance moisture and texture.
Add-ins and toppings.
- Chocolate chips
- Dried fruit (e.g. raisins, sultanas, cranberries, chopped apricots)
- Seeds (chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds)
- Nuts (walnuts, almonds, peanuts, pecans)
- Spices (e.g. pumpkin spice or even an everything but the bagel for a more savoury vibe)
- Nut butter
- Vanilla extract
- Cinnamon sugar
Can I make oatmeal banana breakfast cookies without protein powder?
Yes - substitute plain flour or additional oats. The flour will keep the texture close to what you see with this recipe while the oats will make them a little chunkier.
How to make banana protein cookies
Step 1: Mash ripe banana in a bowl until smooth.
Step 2: Stir in rolled oats, honey, cinnamon (if using), and protein powder (or flour). Mix until fully combined - dough will be soft but shouldn't be overly wet.
You should be able to grasp and move it around in your hands without too much mess.
Step 3: Scoop mixture onto tray and flatten slightly into circular cookie shapes.
They won't spread so you want to make it the thickness and shape you want in the end.
Step 4: Bake for 12-15 minutes until set and lightly golden. Cool slightly before removing.
Lauren's Top Tips
Adjust texture as needed. Add extra oats if mixture is too wet or a splash of milk if too dry.
Don't overbake. Overbaking makes them dry rather than soft and chewy.
Recommended Equipment
A silicone baking mat is ideal because the cookies can be slightly sticky; if unavailable, use good-quality baking paper or foil as I found the cheaper versions can stick a little bit when undercooking the cookies slightly due to the honey.
Meal prepping banana breakfast cookies
These oatmeal banana breakfast cookies are an excellent breakfast meal prep option because they provide carbohydrates from oats and protein from protein powder, keeping you fuller for longer. For a balanced breakfast, pair them with yogurt and fresh fruit - but if all you manage is a couple of cookies, that's still a solid start to the day.
Storing
Store cookies in an airtight container on the counter for up to 4 days or in the fridge for up to a week - they will dry out ever so slightly in the fridge.
If you're serving with yogurt or fresh fruit, keep them separate (as pictured above) and combine just before eating - or eat separately. The cookies actually taste really good as a granola type addition to the yogurt and berries.
Do you need to reheat breakfast cookies?
Nope! You can absolutely enjoy them cold (and even frozen).
But if you do want the freshly cooked taste you could microwave for 10-15 seconds or air fry at 160°C for 2-3 minutes. Avoid overheating as they can dry out.
Freezing
Freeze cookies in a ziplock bag arranged side-by-side but not touching (as pictured above), or individually wrapped. If frozen properly with minimal air exposure, they maintain excellent texture for up to 3 months.
You don't need to thaw them - because they are thin, they're ready to eat after sitting at room temperature for 1-2 minutes. The outside may dry slightly in the freezer (more noticeable if they weren't sealed tightly), but the inside stays soft, chewy, and very similar to freshly baked cookies.
If you want more meal prep information, check out my Meal Prep for Beginners post and my Meal Prep Basics E-Book.
FAQs
The mixture may be too wet or bananas too large; add extra oats or protein powder to thicken.
They were likely overbaked or the mixture didn't contain enough moisture. Remove them as soon as they are set - they continue firming as they cool.
Because this is a very simple base recipe, flavour depends heavily on ripe bananas and cinnamon. Use very ripe bananas and adjust spices or add-ins to taste.
Other breakfast meal prep recipes you'll like
Or, you can have a browse through my breakfast meal prep recipes for more delicious eats.
Recipe
4-Ingredient Banana Protein Breakfast Cookies
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Equipment
- Medium Bowl
- Silicone Baking Mat, optional but recommended
Ingredients
- 1 cup ripe banana, approx. 2 small or 1 banana, see note 1
- 2 tablespoon honey , or maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon, or other add-ins, see note 2
- 1 cup rolled oats
- ¾ cup protein powder, see note 3
Instructions
Preparing
- Preheat oven to 160°C (320°F).
- Mash 1 cup ripe banana in a medium bowl until smooth with minimal lumps
- Add 1 cup rolled oats, 2 tbsp honey , 1 tbsp cinnamon, and ¾ cup protein powder (or flour).
- Mix thoroughly until fully combined. The dough should be soft but not overly wet - you should be able to pick it up and shape it without it sticking excessively to your hands (see note 4)
- Scoop portions onto a lined baking tray and flatten into circular cookie shapes. These cookies do not spread, so shape them to your desired thickness and size before baking.
Cooking
- Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the cookies are set on top and lightly golden around the edges. The centres should feel firm rather than wet when gently pressed.
- Allow to cool for a couple of minutes before transferring off the tray.
Tracy Antonio
They tasted good but were quite crumbly. I wonder if an egg or pint butter would help bind it better?!?
athletelunchbox
Hi Tracy, thank you for your comment! Depending on the type of your protein powder and the size of your banana, they can turn out a little crumbly. If this is the case, a little bit of water, milk (or yes, even an egg) will help 🙂