Looking for something sweet and wholesome to add to your breakfast spread? Made with banana, pineapple, pecans, coconut, warm spices, and whole grains, these island-inspired Hummingbird Breakfast Cookies are just what you need to start the day off right!

I love the whole idea of breakfast cookies, don’t you? They’re easy to grab on a busy morning and just begging to be packed in a lunch box. But cookies for breakfast? It all comes down to the recipe and I’ll tell you, finding the right balance between ‘healthy’ and ‘tasty’ can be tricky. Too much fat and sugar and you’ll just feel like you’re eating…well…cookies. Too little and you’re left with a flavorless hockey puck.

So what makes this recipe that’s inspired by the beloved Hummingbird Cake worthy of the most important meal of the day? Keep reading to find out!

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All the Good Stuff

Whole grains, banana, pineapple, pecans, coconut, spices–what’s not to love about this ingredient list! It’s like a dietitian’s dream come true! Not only does each ingredient bring some nutritional heft to the table, but the natural sweetness, healthy fats, and extra moisture mean you can use less added sugar and butter. It’s a breakfast cookie that’s both delicious and good for you!

The end result? You get a wonderfully moist cookie with the perfect amount sweetness, making it an ideal choice any time of day. Whether you’re looking for a quick breakfast option, healthy snack, or island-inspired dessert, you can’t go wrong with these Hummingbird Breakfast Cookies!

The Recipe

Whipping up a batch of these fruity cookies is straightforward and uncomplicated. You’ll begin by creaming your butter and sugars together, beating in the egg, and gradually mixing in the remaining ingredients. Easy peasy!

When it comes time to make your cookie dough balls, you might find the dough is a bit sticky to work with. I didn’t have too much trouble, but you can definitely pop your dough in the fridge for half an hour to firm things up. Either way, you’ll finish things off by scooping the dough into balls, rolling in extra coconut (if desired), and baking in a preheated oven.

Before you know it, your whole house will be filled with the most amazing aroma–think tropical fruits, toasted nuts, and warm spices. Serve with your favorite coconut Greek yogurt and fresh fruit for a balanced breakfast inspired by the islands!

Like a bigger cookie?

I personally love smaller cookies. It means you get more cookies! But all joking aside, if you prefer a larger cookie, go for it! I experimented with two sizes and they both baked up beautifully.

To make a smaller cookie, use a small cookie dough scoop or two spoons to make balls the size of a walnut. For the larger size, I used my 1/4 cup and formed discs about 1/2″ to 3/4″ thick. Just give the larger cookies about a minute longer in the oven and you’re good to go!

To roll or not to roll?

The last step of making these delicious Hummingbird Breakfast Cookies is to roll each ball of cookie dough in a bit of additional flaked coconut. So good! I adore not only the extra coconutty flavor, but also the wonderful crunch from the toasted coconut coating. It looks amazing, too!

If, however, you’re not super big on coconut or would like to shave off a few extra calories, feel free to skip the coconut coating! It’s up to you!

Hot Tip: Make & Freeze!

Love cookies warm out of the oven? Me, too. One of the best baking tricks I ever learned was to freeze balls of cookie dough for future baking! Just think–freshly baked, homemade cookies that are ready in 15 minutes and require virtually ZERO clean up. Are you sold yet?

Freezing cookie dough couldn’t be easier. Simply make your cookie balls in whatever size you like best, arrange them on a small baking sheet (no need to space them out), cover with plastic wrap, and pop in the freezer. Once your cookie dough is frozen, transfer the balls to a zip-top freezer bag and that’s it! Just be sure to label your bag with what sort of cookie you’ve got stashed in there as well as the baking temperature and time. Take it from me–you don’t want to mistake your cookies for meatballs!

Hummingbird Breakfast Cookies

I hope you love these Hummingbird Breakfast Cookies! With the perfect amount of natural sweetness, good-for-you fats, and wholesome grains, these cookies are sure to give you the energy you need to face the day.

Print

Hummingbird Breakfast Cookies

Made with banana, pineapple, coconut, pecans, and whole grains, these Hummingbird Breakfast Cookies are a naturally sweet and satisfying way to start your day!

Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American, Jamaican

Keyword Banana, Breakfast Cookie, Coconut, Healthy, Hummingbird, Oats, Pecans, Pineapple

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 30 small cookies

Ingredients

• ¼ cup butter, softened
• ⅓ cup light brown sugar
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ⅛ tsp ground ginger
• ⅛ tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 pinch ground allspice
• 1 medium ripe banana, mashed
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup whole wheat flour
• 1½ cup oats (I used quick oats)
• ½ cup pecans, chopped to small chips
• ½ + ⅔ cup unsweetened, flaked coconut
• ⅓ cup crushed pineapple, drained

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 350° and line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone liner.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar at medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and then add the egg and beat an additional 2 minutes.
• Now add the vanilla, spices, and banana and mix on low speed until well incorporated. Sprinkle in the baking soda, salt, and flours and mix until just combined.
• Add in the oats, pecans, ½ cup coconut, and crushed pineapple and mix well. At this point, assess the stickiness of your dough. If it seems too sticky to handle, pop the dough in the fridge for a half hour to firm things up a bit. Otherwise, it's time to roll those cookies!
• With two small spoons or a small cookie dough scoop, begin to make balls of cookie dough about the size of a walnut. Gently roll them in the remaining flaked coconut, if desired. Place on a lined cookie sheet a couple inches apart and bake in your preheated oven for 9-11 minutes. The dough will look set and both the coconut and bottoms will be starting to turn a beautiful golden brown when done.

  Note: If you like a larger cookie, use a ¼ cup to scoop the cookie dough. Shape into flattened discs about ½" to ¾" thick, press into the coconut, and bake an additional minute–approximately 10-12 minutes total.
• Once your cookies are done, transfer them to a cooling rack and allow to cool for at least 10-15 minutes before eating (if you can wait that long!). These store very well for several days if kept in an airtight container.
• Hot tip: This cookie dough freezes beautifully! Simply shape your cookie dough balls, place on a small baking sheet, and freeze. Transfer your dough balls into a labelled zip-lock bag and store in the freezer until you're ready for an easy breakfast! Just grab the number you need, press in flaked coconut (if desired), and add 1 additional minute to your baking time, for a total of 10-12 minutes for the smaller sized cookie.

Notes

Nutrition information per serving (2 small cookies or 1 larger cookie): 192 calories, 12 g total fat, 6 g saturated fat, 22 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 4 g protein

Did you try this recipe for Hummingbird Breakfast Cookies? Let me know how it went down in the comments!

P.S. Hungry for more? Check out these other delicious recipes!

The post Hummingbird Breakfast Cookies appeared first on The Diet Oracle.

So let’s get something going for our friend, Jane. She’s finally ready and committed to making some changes and just needs a solid action plan that will deliver results.

As you may recall from the last post, Jane has some leftover baby weight that she’d like to lose before an upcoming family vacation. She’d also like to get back in shape. Taking a closer look at the numbers, Jane is hoping to drop about 25 pounds in the next 3 months. Breaking this down further, she would need to lose approximately 2 pounds per week to reach her goal. Though this may not seem like much, creating a calorie deficit of 1000 calories per day will require consistency and commitment. She needs a battle plan.

Knowing that Jane is super busy and doesn’t want to be eating a different menu than the rest of the family, here are a few strategies that will ensure she’s creating that calorie deficit without demanding too much of her time and energy.

• Take time on the weekends to do a little meal planning for the week. It doesn’t have to be fancy, but figuring out your meals ahead of time and shopping accordingly can make all the difference between success and failure.
• Do some advance meal prep and cooking, if possible. Baking chicken for Monday night dinner? Do a double batch and save the extra for another meal. Sandwiches on the lunch menu? Make enough for a couple days to save time later in the week. And of course, washing and prepping veggies all at once gives you a fridge full of ready-to-eat snacks and ingredients. Most kids love helping in the kitchen and this is a great way to get them involved!

• Eat breakfast everyday! Though eating more may seem counterintuitive, eating breakfast can really help keep hunger at bay and prevent overeating later in the day.
• Cut back on (or cut out!) any sugary drinks, like juices, sports drinks, regular soda, sweet tea, coffee drinks, and the like. Assuming Jane was downing a glass of juice each morning and grabbing a grande Frappuccino or latte most afternoons, cutting these out would save her at least 400 calories per day!
• Avoid afternoon grazing. While I heartily encourage a balanced, nutritious snack in the afternoon, mindless noshing can really blow the calorie budget. Just think, a handful of chips, baby’s leftover animal crackers, and half a Costco muffin can quickly add up to over 500 calories!
• Regardless of what’s on the dinner menu, reducing your portion size is an easy way to cut back without any extra effort in the kitchen. Begin with a big serving of veggies and good source of protein, then focus on reducing starches and added fats bit by bit. This can be done with measuring cups or by simply taking fewer scoops with the serving utensil. Using smaller plates is another helpful tactic. Either way, be purposeful. By skipping the bread and butter and taking one less scoop of the mac and cheese at dinner, Jane could easily save 350 calories!
• The benefits of exercise extend far beyond burning calories. Improving strength and cardiovascular fitness will not only give Jane the muscle power and stamina life demands, but also enhance her health and longevity. Scheduling exercise and training as one would an appointment is a great way to make sure it doesn’t slip through the cracks. As a busy wife and mom, Jane will need look at her week and identify the best time to squeeze in a class, hit the gym, pop in a workout DVD, or get outside.

Notice that all of the above action steps, when taken together, would enable Jane to reduce her intake by over 1200 calories without any extra cooking or special menus! She still gets to eat what the rest of the family is eating and enjoy her favorite foods. By cutting back on empty calories, mindless munching, and large portions, she can lose the weight and reach her goals her way. And, if she gets in at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise most days, she’ll also increase her calorie burn and regain her fitness. This is truly a winning plan that’s just right for Jane!

Though having a set of guiding principles is incredibly helpful when you’re trying to lose weight, sometimes you just need a clear “to do” list. Something that’s easy to follow and takes out all the guesswork. In the next post, I’ll be sharing just that! We’ll take a look at a sample meal plan designed just for Jane that will fit with her lifestyle and deliver the results she’s looking for. As always, thanks for reading and don’t give up on your goals!

The post A Plan For Success: Jane’s Battle Plan appeared first on The Diet Oracle.