No need to feel guilty feeding your family cookies for breakfast with our Pumpkin Applesauce Breakfast Cookie recipe! This easy, fall harvest-inspired recipe is kid-approved and perfect for the whole family.
I was recently tasked with creating a breakfast cookie recipe that is also THM-friendly… Such a hardship, right?
The recipe below is easily tweaked to suit THM for a low fat, healthy carb breakfast cookie that pairs wonderfully with coffee and tea alike.
Table Of Contents
Why I Love This Recipe
Since it’s fall, pumpkin is a natural choice. Pumpkin has fiber and antioxidants, a great way to start your day!
The combination of pumpkin and applesauce, along with the pumpkin pie spices, results in a fragrant and flavorful cookie. Even made non-THM style, they’re fairly low in fat so not a too-rich indulgence first thing in the morning!
And, if you can’t have oats, or don’t like them, then this cookie is just what you need. I wanted to create something a little different. Nearly all the breakfast cookie recipes I found are made with oats.
Finally, this recipe uses sprouted flour so no need to remember to soak the night before. If you’re inclined to forget, like I so often am, this makes quickly preparing a healthy, traditional foods breakfast cookie still possible.
How To Make Breakfast Cookies
I experimented with the traditional way of making cookie dough (beating fat and sugar together first then adding dry ingredients) as well as just mixing dry and wet ingredients separately, then mixing together.
While both turned out well, we preferred the second method better as far as texture goes. It’s also quick and easy, without extra equipment to clean. Definitely a bonus, right?
Then, just bake like you would regular cookies.
Breakfast Cookie Ingredients
You’ll need simple, wholesome, real food ingredients you probably already have on hand.
You’ll find no refined sugars in this breakfast cookie recipe! And, if you want a breakfast cookie with no sugar added, I’ve got tweaks for that too.
In just a few minutes you’ll have a batch of these delicious cookies baking and filling your home with the lovely, spiced aroma of fall!
A healthy breakfast, warm and fragrant, on the table in about half an hour, too. They also make a great mid-morning snack!
Substitutions
- Sprouted wheat flour. Learn how to sprout your own grains for sprouted flour here! It’s a great solution for easily digestible baked goods if you don’t have time, or forget, to soak!
- Pumpkin puree. I haven’t tried it but you can probably substitute with pureed butternut squash instead.
- Coconut oil. Feel free to use any other traditional fat instead. Here’s how to make your own cultured butter!
- Egg. Use egg whites instead for THM.
- Coconut sugar. Or use any unrefined dry sweetener. For sugar-free, try a stevia/erythritol or xylitol blend. You can also try using honey, however it yields a more dense texture. If you want to use honey, add more flour so the cookie dough is not as wet and sticky.
- Collagen. This is optional, but adds extra protein!
Why No Nuts Or Raisins?
While nuts and raisins are often found in pumpkin-based baked goods, I didn’t include them.
The addition of nuts would make this recipe a Crossover. And, while Crossovers are on plan, they’re just not as conducive to weight loss.
Crossovers are great, however, for pregnant and nursing moms, active, growing children, and hard-working men and teens who do not need to lose weight.
Since I wanted to create a recipe easily tweaked for a true THM:E breakfast cookie recipe, I chose to omit the nuts.
If you’d like to add nuts to this recipe, feel free! Walnuts or pecans are perfect with pumpkin. I’d even give pistachios a try.
Half a cup of your favorite nuts should be sufficient but add as desired.
As far as raisins and other dried fruits go, they’re really not encouraged on THM. The sugar is very concentrated, which can be hard on your blood sugar.
Yet, a few now and then are okay. (Pearl puts exactly 12 in her oatmeal on occasion, for example.)
So, if you’d like to add raisins or dried cranberries, feel free! My family are not fans of raisins in baked goods so I didn’t try it.
I suggest no more than 1/3 cup, but of course do what you prefer!
Trim Healthy Mama Tweaks
This easy breakfast cookie recipe is great because you don’t have to change much to make it THM friendly!
Simply use egg whites in place of whole egg, an on-plan sweetener instead of coconut sugar, and cut back on the fat. See detailed notes in the recipe below.
If your weight loss is not effected by the occasional treat made with coconut sugar, you could still use it (or reduce the amount) if you really don’t like using a sugar alcohol like erythritol. Read more about sugar alcohols and traditional foods here.
Additionally, if you’re in maintenance mode this would be a good occasional choice for you.
While there is some protein in each cookie, include more protein in your meal most of the time. Collagen in your coffee, a low-fat smoothie, an egg white scramble, or low or fat-free yogurt are excellent choices.
Each cookie, when prepared THM:E style, has 1 gram of fat. Keep that in mind when deciding how many to eat and what else to pair with your meal.
In addition, you can omit the fat entirely. However, we liked them best with just a bit of coconut oil added.
Storing Suggestions
These breakfast cookies should keep well for a few days in a tightly covered container on the counter. However, refrigerate for longer storage.
If you make a big batch, freeze for longer storage. They should keep well frozen for a month.
Other Breakfast Cookie Recipes
If you do like oats, we have a delicious soaked recipe for Healthy Chocolate Chip Breakfast Cookies!
More Breakfast Recipes
We’ve got many healthy and delicious breakfast recipes here on TCS, even THM-friendly ones! Give these a try:
- Cultured Pumpkin Pie Overnight Oats (THM option included)
- Overnight Chocolate Baked Oatmeal
- Soaked & Baked Mocha Oatmeal (THM option included)
- Keto Breakfast Casserole With Asparagus (THM:S)
- Gluten-Free 4-Grain Breakfast Porridge (THM:E)
- Chocolate Paleo Granola
- Homemade Sprouted Spelt Biscuits (flaky & buttery!)
- Cherry, Flax, and Maca Hormone Balancing Smoothie (THM:XO)
- Best Allergy-Free Breakfast Sausage (AIP, Paleo, Keto, Egg-Free) (THM:S)
- 30-Minute Sausage And Sweet Potato Breakfast Hash (Egg-Free, THM:XO)
Looking for more recipes featuring pumpkin? Try these!
- Soaked Pumpkin Bread
- Soaked Pumpkin Muffins with Cream Cheese Filling
- Overnight Pumpkin Chia Seed Pudding
- Cultured Pumpkin Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Paleo Sugar Cookies with Pumpkin Glaze
- Sprouted Spelt Pumpkin Roll with Cream Cheese Filling
- Sprouted Pumpkin Spice Coffee Cake
- Instant Pot Grain-Free Pumpkin Cheesecake
- 32 Delicious Pumpkin Recipes (from Breakfast to Dessert)
I’m sure your family will be excited about having cookies for breakfast! And, you’ll feel good knowing they’re eating something healthy.
Have you ever made breakfast cookies? Will you try this recipe? If so, please rate it in the recipe card below. We’d also love to see your breakfast cookies! Tag us on Facebook or Instagram!
Sprouted Apple-Pumpkin Breakfast Cookie Recipe (THM:E)
Cookies for breakfast are healthy, kid-approved, and 100% on plan for Trim Healthy Mamas! This breakfast cookie recipe pairs pumpkin and apple with other fall spices for a warm treat on the table in less than 30 minutes!
Ingredients
- 2-3/4 cups sprouted wheat flour
- 1 cup coconut sugar or other dry, unrefined sugar
- 1/4 cup sustainably sourced collagen (certified glyphosate free) optional
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1-1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/4 cup coconut oil melted (or other traditional fat)
- 1 tablespoon molasses
- 2 eggs large
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
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In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, coconut sugar, baking powder, spices, and salt until well combined.
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In a separate bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, applesauce, coconut oil, molasses, and eggs until well incorporated.
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Pour wet ingredients into the dry mixture and stir until no dry flour remains.
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Using a cookie scoop or spoon, drop onto a cookie sheet, flattening a little if desired.
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Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack to cool.
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Cool completely before storing.
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Store in an airtight container on the counter for 3 to 5 days, or in the refrigerator for longer.
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Pack in layers, with wax paper between, in a freezer safe container or zipper bag, to freeze for up to 1 month.
Recipe Notes
If you'd rather use honey or maple syrup, you'll need to add more flour until it's a soft cookie dough consistency instead of a quick bread consistency. The texture will be more dense.
THM:E Recipe Substitutions
- Replace coconut sugar with up to 1/2 cup of a granulated stevia/erythritol (or xylitol) blend. Start by adding 2 to 3 tablespoons and taste, adding more gradually until desired sweetness is achieved.
- Replace whole egg with egg whites.
- Reduce coconut oil to 2 tablespoons.
- Proceed as otherwise directed.
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Can you replace the sprouted wheat flour with THM Baking Blend? My daughter has celiac so I can’t use wheat flour. Or could I use a GF oatmeal flour?
Hi, Jennifer,
I think it would be worth a try using GF flour, I am thinking the oat flour would give it a nice soft texture. Let us know how it turns out!
~Peggy, TCS Customer Success Team
Nice to see this recipe, Dawn!! I hope to try it!! I appreciate all of the work you put into this! Sounds like you and your family had fun! ~Kim
I am unable to get hold of sprouted flour at this time. Would regular flour work?
Delicious recipe ? ? ? ?