Can I leave out the maple syrup without affecting the structure?

I wouldn't recommend it. The maple syrup does two jobs here: it sweetens the cookies and helps bind the dough. Without it, the cookies are likely to be dry, crumbly, and under-sweet. But you could replace it with honey if you want!

Can I replace rolled oats with oat flour?

These specific cookies are built around the texture of old-fashioned rolled oats: the whole oats provide structure and chewiness. Oat flour doesn't work here!

Are these good for toddlers?

These are one of my most toddler-friendly recipes. They're soft enough for little hands and mouths, free of refined sugar, and made with simple whole food ingredients.

Healthy Breakfast Cookies

Name: Magic Breakfast Cookies
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Cuisine: Breakfast
Ingredients: 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce; 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter or creamy almond butter; 1/2 cup pure maple syrup; 3 cups Old Fashioned rolled oats; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 2 teaspoons cinnamon; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/4 cup raisins

Magic Breakfast Cookies

Print Recipe

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4.6 from 11 reviews

These breakfast cookies are flourless, vegan, and naturally sweetened with maple syrup. Perfect for meal prep, busy mornings, and kid-friendly breakfasts!

Author: Sonja Overhiser
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Yield: 11 to 12 cookies 1x
Category: Breakfast
Method: Baked
Cuisine: Breakfast
Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

Scale

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter or creamy almond butter
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
3 cups Old Fashioned rolled oats
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup raisins

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, mix together the applesauce, maple syrup, and peanut butter. Stir in the oats, baking powder, cinnamon and salt and mix very well to combine into a dough. Add the raisins and stir until combined. The dough will be wetter than you expect, but it’s as intended.
Scoop out 1/4-cup portions of dough and use the palm of your hand to gently shape it into a cookie to about 3/4-inch thick. The cookie won’t spread while baking, so make it the shape you’d like the final cookie. Place it on the prepared baking sheet. If it doesn’t pop right out of the cup, you can remove it with your hands, form it into a ball and then flatten it into a cookie shape with your hands. Again, the dough will be wetter than a normal cookie dough. Repeat to make 11 cookies with the 1/4 cup measure, or make 12 slightly smaller cookies. Press a few extra raisins into the tops of any cookies that seem sparse.
Bake until the cookies are golden and firm, about 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool on the pan 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack and cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes.
Leftover breakfast cookies will store in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 5 days, in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, and in the freezer for up to 3 months (you can wrap individually in foil if you like or place in a freezer proof container). The texture becomes softer during storage.

Notes

Add-ins: Try swapping the raisins for an equal quantity dried cranberries, dried cherries, dark chocolate chips, chopped walnuts, or shredded coconut. Resist the urge to add too many mix ins or the cookies may fall apart.
Dough texture: The cookie dough will be wetter than traditional cookie dough: this is expected and correct.

Find it online: https://www.acouplecooks.com/breakfast-cookies/