It's a well known fact that teenagers and early mornings do not mix; something that seems to have escaped The Princess's coaches, as she has a number of early morning training sessions scheduled each week. Try getting breakfast into a grumpy teenager. Now that is a fun experience.
I've worked out portable breakfasts are my best option first thing in the morning. Something she can easily eat in the car on the way to training. So far this year I've had moderate success with breakfast popsicles and chia puddings. Unfortunately, winter is now setting in here, and these options no longer seem as attractive early in the morning. Cue these grab and go breakfast cookies. Breakfast cookies take your bowl of breakfast muesli and wrap it up in portable cookie form. A couple of these will keep The Princess going for most of the morning.
There is no added sugar in this recipe. The sweetness in the cookie comes from the banana, so it is important that the bananas used are very ripe. The riper the banana, the sweeter the cookie will be. Once bananas start to blacken in the fruit bowl, my family decides they are no longer worth eating. However, at this stage they are perfect for baking, so I gather them up and freeze them until required. If you have a really sweet tooth, you may like to add a little additional sweetener to the mix. Maple syrup would be ideal here.
Another important point when making these breakfast cookies: you do need to allow the mixture to sit for five minutes before trying to shape it. This allows the oats to absorb some of the moisture from the banana, and helps the mixture stick together. If you miss this step, you risk forming small piles of soggy granola on your baking tray. Not that I would know anything about that.
Keep your breakfast cookies in an airtight container for up to two days, although I prefer to freeze them to keep them fresh. A quick zap in the microwave before you walk out the door is all that is required for breakfast on the go. And if you really want to be decadent, spread them with a thick layer of Greek yoghurt. The Princess assures me it is delicious.
Grab and Go Breakfast Cookies
Author: Tania @ The Cook's Pyjamas
- 2 medium, very ripe bananas (approximately 180g)
- 90g (1 cup) rolled oats
- 30g (1/4 cup) pumpkin seeds
- 20g (1/4 cup) shredded coconut
- 40g (1/4 cup) currants
- 1 Tablespoon chia seeds
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- Pinch salt
- Preheat the oven to 175C (155C fan forced).
- Line a baking tray with paper and set aside.
- In a small bowl, mash the banana until smooth. Set aside.
- Combine the remainder of the ingredients in a large bowl.
- Add the mashed banana to the dry ingredients.
- Mix well to ensure all of the dry ingredients are coated with the banana.
- Let the mixture stand for five minutes to absorb the moisture from the banana.
- Take a scant ¼ cup of the mixture and press it together to form a solid round cookie. If the mixture does not hold together, wait a few minutes and try again.
- Place the cookie on the lined tray and pat gently until it is about 7cm wide and 1.5cm high. These cookies will not spread in the oven, so the shape on the tray is the shape of the finished cookie.
- Repeat with the remainder of the mixture.
- Bake for 15 - 20 minutes, or until the cookies are golden.
- Remove from the oven, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
- Keep for up to two days in an airtight container, or freeze until required.
