These scrumptious crunchy cookies are a great grab-and-go breakfast, with high-protein, low-carbs, and whole-food nutrition. Breakfast cookies are a dime a dozen. But they’re often loaded with sugars and carbs – the kind that add to your waistline and are guaranteed to spike blood sugar. This recipe makes 20 giant cookies, enough to freeze for a rainy day. To satisfy my curiosity, I compared the nutrition facts of a Conventional Breakfast Cookie #1 with my own healthy Breakfast Cookie #2.
Both cookies weigh the same. Conventional Cookie #1 claims to be super-healthy, made with wheat flour, butter, honey, eggs, rolled oats, coconut, and dried fruits. My Paleo Cookie # 2 is GRAIN-FREE, made of Granny Smith apple, green banana, eggs, nuts, chia seeds, coconut, cacao nibs, and chicory root sweetener. YUM! Can you guess which one will be the most nutritious and powerful fuel for your day? A food processor or blender is helpful but not required.
| Cookie #1 – Conventional Cookie | Cookie #2 – Paleo Cookie | |
| Carbs in g | 33.6 | 11.1 |
| Fiber in g | 2.1 | 5.4 |
| Sugars in g | 15.1 | 3.7 |
| Proteins in g | 4.7 | 7.6 |
Here are the surprising results. The conventional Breakfast Cookie #1 is extremely low in protein and fiber, high in carbs and sugars. That’s a recipe for a sugar rush and a crash following! It’s also an invitation for obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol, and many of our modern diseases. In contrast, Paleo Cookie #2 is very low in carbs and sugars. It has more than twice the fiber and almost twice the protein of the conventional cookie. My Paleo cookie #2 will build strong body tissues. It is high in healthy fats and will hold you for many hours. Even better, it’s free of refined ingredients. This is great news for all cookie monsters!
You can analyze any recipe free online. While these cookies may look and taste like a decadent sweet, they are a healthy meal made from the highest order of foods known to Nature. One of the surprise ingredients is green banana, known to be LOW in sugars and carbs and HIGH in resistant starch, which helps to cultivate healthy intestinal flora.
Ingredients
- 1 Granny Smith apple, in coarse chunks with peel (if mixing by hand, grated)
- 1 green banana (if mixing by hand, mashed)
- 1 cup roasted almond butter
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds, white or black
- 1/3 cup coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 1/4 teaspoon maple flavor
- 11/2 cups shredded unsweetened coconut flakes
- 2/3 cup almond meal
- 3/4 teaspoon unprocessed salt
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- About 2/3 cup sweetener to taste. (I suggest 2/3 cup Lakanto sweetener, or about 2 tablespoons PureLo Lo Han Sweetener by Swanson, or 2/3 cup Swerve sweetener, or about 1/3 cup honey, or your favorite sweetener.
- 3 cups whole toasted nuts such as pecans, almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, soaked and toasted if possible See All About Nuts
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cacao nibs (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Cover baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a food processor or blender, add the apple, green banana, almond butter, eggs, chia seeds, oil, vanilla, and maple flavor. Process well until liquefied. Add the coconut flakes and process again to grind them as much as possible.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the almond meal, salt, cinnamon, and sweetener. Add in the nuts and cacao nibs, if using.
- Pour the processor liquid contents into the mixing bowl and mix with a spatula into a thick batter. Use a 1/4-cup measure or an ice-cream scoop to drop mounds of dough on each of two baking sheets. Flatten and shape the cookies with greased hands or a spatula into flat rounds about 1/2 inch thick.
- Bake 20 to 25 minutes until underside is golden brown.
“He who loves the world as his body may be entrusted with the empire.” Tao Te Ching, Lao Tzu, 600 BCE
10 Replies to "Hi-Protein, Low Carb Breakfast Cookies! Compare the Nutrition"
Natali January 3, 2024 (11:52 am)
Hello and thanks for this! Do you reckon using coconut flour instead of coconut flakes would spoil the recipe?
Jane Barthelemy January 3, 2024 (4:44 pm)
Hi Natali, Yes, you can substitute coconut flour. It will probably work, but it will change the cookie to give you LESS flavor, MORE fiber, LESS fat, LESS crispy, and a different texture. That’s because “coconut flour” contains mostly ground hull. Pure coconut meat has more flavor and fat content. Try the substitution and let us know how you like them! Best wishes for your delicious health. Jane
Fay November 18, 2022 (1:25 pm)
Hi Jane, I am allergic to banana, could I replace with another apple?
Jane Barthelemy November 18, 2022 (6:19 pm)
Hi Fay, Thanks for your comment. Yes, probably you CAN make that substitution. ItT might change the consistency of the cookies a bit, however they’ll still be great! Jane
stacy garrison February 11, 2022 (4:15 pm)
This is one of the best recipes ever. I’ve made it twice already and can’t keep the cookies around. thank you!
Jane Barthelemy February 25, 2022 (9:11 pm)
Hi Stacy! Ditto! I can’t keep these babies around either. So delicious, they’re almost addictive – in a good way. Thanks again! Carry on with the healthy food! Jane
Vicki October 3, 2021 (9:37 am)
Good morning Jane! I have everything for this recipe except the almond butter. But I do have tahini. Would that flavor meld with the others? Or should I just bite the bullet, go to the store and purchase the almond butter?
Thank you for your weekly emails. You always have something intereseting and unique to say and your research is impeccable.
Jane Barthelemy November 17, 2021 (3:48 am)
Hello Vicki, Sorry for the delay. Yes, tahini would be wonderful, ir you like sesame-flavored cookies. I do, so I would do it in a flash. Some do not like sesame cookies, and almond butter has a mild flavor. Your choice. Oh well. You probably finished these cookies long ago. Apologies! What did you decide to do?? Best wishes for your delicious health! Jane
Lynn September 18, 2021 (8:58 am)
How many Calories per Cookie?
Jane Barthelemy September 24, 2021 (7:07 pm)
Hi Lynn, thanks for your comment. I don’t measure irrelevant statistics in food. I just eat real food. Ha Ha! Here’s my article explaining why I don’t count calories. “Still Counting Calories & Carbs?” https://janeshealthykitchen.com/still-counting-calories-carbs/
I feel I have better things to do with my time. However I agree with you and I do understand your concern. To control weight, I just step on a scale once a day in the morning after elimination. Then I simply eat accordingly and I’m never overweight. Let me know your thoughts. Best wishes for your delicious health. Jane