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WW Recipe of the Day: Oprah’s Healthy Sugar-Free Apple Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
Did you ever think it would be healthy to eat cookies for breakfast? Well, with Oprah’s cookie recipe it’s possible to eat a nutritious and delicious breakfast even if it’s in the form of dessert. The secret to these sugar-free cookies is natural sugar from apples, bananas and raisins.
In addition to being free of refined sugar these wholesome breakfast cookies are low calorie, low fat, gluten-free, egg-free, dairy-free, vegan and most importantly they taste great. They make a great grab-n-go breakfast, lunchbox, after school or anytime snack.
How Many Calories and WW Points in these Sugar-Free Breakfast Cookies?
Each breakfast cookie, brimming with nourishing ingredients like apples and oatmeal, no added sugar and no butter or oil has 198 calories and:
5 *SmartPoints (Green plan)
5 *SmartPoints (Blue plan)
4 *SmartPoints (Purple plan)
5 *PointsPlus (Old plan)
To see your WW PersonalPoints for this recipe and track it in the WW app or site, Click here!
All the sweetness in these cookies comes from apples (fresh and dried), bananas and raisins. They’re generously spiced too with – cinnamon, ginger, cloves, mace, and nutmeg.
Recipe Notes
I made a few adjustments to this recipe based on what I had on hand.
- I substituted unsweetened applesauce for the apple juice
- Used 3 bananas instead of 4 because that is what I had on hand
- Omitted the dried apple because I didn’t have any
- Added 1/4 cup dried cranberries
- I cooked the apples in the microwave (affiliate link) for about 4 minutes instead of on the stovetop.
The cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to one week.
What is Oat Flour?
Oat flour is a nutritious, unrefined flour made from just one whole ingredient: rolled oats. Simple right?
It’s a great baking flour for gluten-free recipes. You can find oat flour (affiliate link) these days in most well stocked grocery stores. It’s also easy to make yourself.
How to Make Oat Flour?
This recipe calls for 1/2 cup of oat flour. If you don’t have any on hand you can make it yourself. You just need oats—either old-fashioned oats or quick oats will work—and a blender or food processor, that’s it!
Just pour the oats into your blender (affiliate link) or food processor (affiliate link), turn it on, and let it do its thing. After a few minutes, the oats will have been transformed into powdery flour!
Turning Oats into Oat Flour
In this video, Taylor from Food Faith and Fitness demonstrates how easy it is to make oat flour yourself:
Video from WW Cook with Me showing her version of Oprah’s Breakfast Cookies…
How To Make Healthy Sugar Free Breakfast Cookies Step-by-Step
Step 1: Gather and prep your ingredients:
- 1-1/2 cups rolled oats
- 2 small Gala apples, peeled, cored, and roughly chopped
- 4 medium very ripe bananas, mashed (I used 3 bananas which was what I had on hand)
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
- 3/4 cup dried apples, minced (omitted)
- 1/2 cup raisins (I used golden raisins)
- 1/2 cup oat flour (affiliate link)
- 1-1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp ground mace
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
Step 2: Toast Oats Until Golden
Preheat the oven to 350F degrees and line a baking sheet (affiliate link) with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Spread the rolled oats evenly on another baking sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until they are lightly colored and fragrant. Remove from the oven, transfer to a plate, and let cool to room temperature.
Step 3: Cook Peeled, Chopped Apples Until Tender
While the oats are cooling, coat a nonstick sauté pan with cooking spray. Heat the pan over medium-high heat, add the chopped apples, and cook for three minutes, or until they are tender. Scrape the apples into a large bowl and set aside for about 10 minutes to cool.
Or, cook them in the microwave (affiliate link) for a few minutes until tender, which is what I did.
Add the mashed bananas and applesauce or juice to the cooked apples and stir with a wooden spoon (affiliate link) to incorporate and set aside.
Step 4: Combine the Dry Ingredients
In a separate bowl, combine the toasted oats, walnuts, dried apples, raisins, oat flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, mace, nutmeg, baking powder, and salt.
Step 5: Combine the Wet and Dry Ingredients to Make Your Cookie Dough
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and, using your hands or a large spoon, mix the dough together. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the cookie dough rest at room temperature for 10 minutes.
Step 6: Form Cookies on the Cookie Sheet
Using a 3/4-ounce ice cream scoop (affiliate link), portion 12 scoops of cookie dough onto the silicone mat or parchment lined cookie sheet.
Cover the scooped portions of dough with plastic wrap and, using the flat bottom of a glass, press down on the scoops until they are 1/2-inch thick. (I just used my hands)
Step 7: Bake the Cookies
Place the cookies in the oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until golden brown. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and set on a cooling rack (affiliate link) to cool completely. The cookies can be stored in a plastic container or plastic bag for up to one week.
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Oprah's Healthy Sugar-Free Apple Oat Breakfast Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 cups rolled oats
- 2 small apples (such as gala, braeburn or honey crisp)
- 5 medium very ripe bananas, mashed (I used three bananas)
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce (or 1/3 cup apple juice)
- 1 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
- 3/4 cup dried apples, minced (omitted)
- 1/2 cup raisins (I used golden raisins)
- 1/2 cup oat flour
- 1-1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon ground mace
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet (affiliate link) with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Spread the rolled oats evenly on a baking sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until they are lightly colored and fragrant. Remove from the oven, scrape the toasted oats onto a plate, and let them cool to room temperature.
- While the oats are cooling, coat a nonstick sauté pan with cooking spray. Heat the pan over medium-high heat, add the chopped apples, and cook for three minutes, or until they are tender. Alternatively you could microwave the apples for 2 to 3 minutes until tender. Scrape the apples into a large bowl and set aside for about 10 minutes to cool.
- Add the mashed bananas and applesauce or apple juice to the cooked apples and stir with a wooden spoon (affiliate link) to until well blended.
- In a separate bowl, combine the toasted oats, walnuts, dried apples, raisins, oat flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, mace, nutmeg, baking powder, and salt.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and, using your hands or a large spoon, mix the dough until well combined. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the mixture rest at room temperature for 10 minutes.
- Using a 3/4-ounce ice cream scoop (affiliate link), portion 12 scoops of cookie dough onto the prepared cookie sheet. Cover the scooped portions of dough with plastic wrap and, using the flat bottom of a glass, press down on the scoops until they are 1/2-inch thick.
- Place the cookies in the oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until golden brown. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and set on a cooling rack (affiliate link) to cool completely.
- The cookies can be stored in a plastic container or plastic bag for up to one week.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Source: adapted from Oprah’s Food, Health and Happiness (affiliate link) Cookbook
A note about WW Points
If you're following Weight Watchers, all the recipes here on Simple Nourished Living have been updated for the new WW program, with points displayed in the recipe card. The Check the WW Points link in the recipe card takes you to the Weight Watchers App where you can edit it using the WW recipe builder or add it to your day.
(Must be logged into WW account on a mobile device, such as smartphone or tablet).
Would you suggest a substitute for the banana, please? I cannot eat banana but would love to make these breakfast cookies.
Thanks
Hi Beth, I’ve only made them as written with mashed bananas so I’m hesitant to suggest a replacement. Applesauce might work. I’d say about 3/4 cup. If your diet allows I might also add a raw egg or two to add structure. Hope this helps. ~Martha