I love breakfasts that feel like a treat but are still full of wholesome ingredients, and these gluten-free tropical breakfast cookies offer the best of both worlds.
These tropical breakfast cookies are created for mornings when I want something wholesome, filling and easy to grab, without reaching for an overly sweet breakfast snack. Packed with ripe bananas, tropical fruit, oats, seeds and crunchy nuts, they have a naturally sweet flavour and a satisfyingly rustic texture.
They are also amazingly simple to prepare. After a few minutes of weighing, chopping and mixing, the cookie dough is ready for the oven. You can bake them until soft and chewy, leave them in a little longer for more crunch, or shape the mixture into rustic breakfast bars instead.
I like to make a generous batch and keep some in a jar for breakfast or afternoon snacking. The rest can be frozen in small resealable bags, ready to take out whenever a convenient homemade snack is needed. Enjoy them on their own, with fresh fruit, or alongside a cup of tea or coffee.
Ingredients used:
These tropical breakfast cookies bring together a colourful mix of naturally sweet fruit, hearty grains, crunchy nuts and nutrient-rich seeds. Very ripe bananas and mango or pineapple provide moisture and tropical flavour, while prunes, raisins and a touch of honey add sweetness.
Rolled oats and brown rice flour create a wholesome base, with tahini, peanut butter and egg helping to bind everything together. Walnuts, cashews, coconut, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds and chia seeds add texture and satisfying crunch, while cinnamon and mixed spice bring a gentle warmth to every bite.
Fruit
- Very ripe bananas
- Mango or pineapple purée
- Orange juice
- Prunes
- Raisins
Nuts, seeds & coconut
- Chia seeds
- Walnuts and cashews
- Dried coconut flakes
- Pumpkin seeds
- Sunflower seeds
- Sesame seeds
Binding & sweetness
- Tahini
- Peanut butter
- Honey or maple syrup
- Egg
Dry ingredients
- Rolled oats
- Brown rice flour or oat flour
Flavour & raising agents
- Mixed spice or ground cardamom
- Ground cinnamon
- Salt
Variations and Finishing Touches
Customise the cookies with pistachios, peanuts, chocolate chips, or dried tropical fruits such as pineapple, papaya or mango.
For a more decorative finish, drizzle melted dark chocolate over the cookies once they have cooled completely.
Gluten-Free Tropical Breakfast Cookies
Equipment
- Mixing bowls
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp chia seeds mix with orange juice below
- 3 tbsp fresh orange juice
- 60 g prunes, chopped coarsely
- 55 g combo of unsalted walnuts, cashews (or your favourite nuts) and dried coconut flakes, chopped coarsely
- 60 g raisins, left whole
- 2 large very ripe bananas
- 85 g puréed mango & pineapple (fresh or tinned)
- 60 g tahini paste
- 70 g peanut butter, smooth or crunchy
- 4 tbsp honey (or maple syrup)
- 1 medium egg
- 150 g rolled oats
- 120 g brown rice flour (or oat flour)
- 50 g pumpkin seeds (pepitas), unsalted
- 30 g sunflower seeds, unsalted
- 60 g sesame seeds
- 1 tsp mixed spice (or ground cardamom)
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp salt
Instructions
Preparing the dough
- Mix the chia seeds with the orange juice and set aside for 5 minutes to thicken.
- Coarsely chop the prunes, nuts and dried coconut flakes and transfer to a small bowl. Add the raisins, then set aside.
- Mash the peeled ripe bananas in a medium-sized mixing bowl.
- Pour in the thickened chia mixture and the puréed mango or pineapple into the mashed bananas. Stir to combine.
- Add the tahini, peanut butter, honey and egg, and mix well.
- Stir in the remaining ingredients with a wooden spoon until thoroughly combined.
Shaping the cookies
- For round cookies, use an ice cream scoop or large spoon to place approximately 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie onto a lined baking tray.
- Gently flatten each cookie with the back of a lightly floured fork.
- For breakfast bars, place portions of the dough onto the lined tray and use two spoons to shape them into rustic bar shapes.
- Gently flatten each bar with the back of a lightly floured fork.
Baking
- Bake at 160°C fan-forced, or 180°C conventional/350°F: 15–17 minutes for soft cookies Approximately 20 minutes for crisp cookies 23–25 minutes for extra-crunchy cookies
- Leave the cookies on the baking tray for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Keeps for 5 days in an airtight tin
- Suitable to freeze once baked
- Refresh in the oven or air fryer for a crispier texture
