Peanut butter and jelly, milk and cookies, prunes and chocolate. Yup – this combination is so perfectly matched that we’re convinced it’s worthy to be listed among such classics!
Seriously, though -if you haven’t tried it – prunes and chocolate are ah-mazing!
Why We Love These Cookies
Cookies for breakfast- need we say more?? I don’t know about your kids but mine always get excited when they see cookies at the breakfast table, even if they don’t have any added sugar!
Also, we ran some numbers for these cookies because we’re nutrition nerdy like that, and we were happy to discover that each cookie has:
- 1 mg of iron (1/7th of the recommended daily amount for a toddler)
- 4 g fibre (recommended for toddlers aged 1-3 to get 19g, aged 4-8 to get 25g)
- some calcium, magnesium, and a bunch of potassium
What is Puffed Quinoa? Where Can I Find it?
If you’re familiar with puffed wheat (or sugar crisp cereal), the texture of puffed quinoa is much the same but the overall size of the puff is smaller. In Canada we’re able to pick some up at Bulk Barn but you can also find it at many online retailers or in specialty “health” stores.
Prunes - Famous For Helping Constipation - But Why?
Hey moms, let’s talk about a topic that often comes up in parenting circles: constipation. I mean…we’ve all done the poop examination post-diaper change, right?
When it comes to keeping children regular, prunes are our unsung heroes! Not only are they delicious but they’re also packed with the goodness kids need for smooth sailing in the bathroom department.
How do they work their magic? Well, prunes are loaded with fibre, which adds bulk to stool and helps keep things moving along. Plus, they contain sorbitol, a natural sugar alcohol that acts as a gentle laxative, softening stools and making them easier to pass.
Suggested reading: Help! My baby is constipated after starting solids
MAKE THE CONNECTION
Did you know? Prunes are dried plums! If prunes are a new-to-you fruit for your child (or if they already know and love them), try reading some books about plums to increase familiarity.
Here are some suggested reads:
At What Age Can My Child Enjoy This?
You can offer this prune breakfast cookie to your baby starting at around 10 months, just skip the chocolate chips since babies don’t need added sugar. The texture is quite soft and we suggest slicing it into bite size pieces. Of course, every baby is going to be unique so we encourage you to assess your own baby’s skills. You can serve the cookie alongside other iron containing foods, since that’s a priority nutrient for babies.
If your baby isn’t as advanced with chewing more challenging textures, you can opt to serve this once you’ve got a toddler at 12 months. With the addition of chocolate chips, each cookie contains about 2.6 grams of added sugar. Technically, added sugar isn’t recommended until age two but we feel this is a modest amount alongside wholesome ingredients. We like to think about the big picture!
If you want to approach sugar a bit more conservatively, feel free to skip the chocolate chips!
Suggested reading: Babies, Sweets and Sugar: the complete 411!
How Do I Serve These Cookies?
We’d recommend pairing these chocolate prune breakfast cookies with a glass of milk and some fresh fruit for a balanced breakfast!
These cookies also make a great “on-the-go” meal if you need to pack a breakfast or snack to send to childcare.
How Can These Be Stored?
Since these cookies have a high moisture content, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Alternatively, you can freeze them in an airtight container, ideally lined with plastic food wrap, for up to two months. Ensure the cookies are completely cooled before freezing.
When you are ready to serve them again, thaw at room temperature – it should only take about 15 – 20 minutes!
Cookies For Breakfast?!
Cookies for breakfast? With fibre, healthy fats, and wholesome ingredients – why not? We absolutely adore this recipe and we’re so happy to bring it to the world wide web so you can share in this joy with your happy, healthy eaters.
Chocolate Prune Breakfast Cookies
Ingredients
- 4 small to medium sized ripe bananas
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup butter, softened *can substitute coconut oil
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 cups puffed quinoa *can substitute puffed wheat
- 1 cup rolled oats
- ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa
- 1 tsp baking powder
- Dash of salt
- ¾ cup prunes chopped into small bite-sized pieces
- ⅓ cup chocolate chips optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit.
- In a large mixing bowl, mash the ripe bananas, using a fork.
- Mash in the eggs, softened butter, and vanilla.
- Using a wooden spoon, stir in the puffed quinoa, rolled oats, cocoa powder, baking powder, and dash of salt.
- Fold in the chopped prunes and chocolate chips, if using.
- At this point if your batter looks a bit runny, allow it to rest for 10-15 minutes.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a 1/2 cup muffin scoop, scoop the batter onto the parchment paper, leaving an inch of room in between each cookie.
- Bake in the pre-heated oven for 18 minutes.
- Store in the fridge.
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9 thoughts on “Chocolate Prune Breakfast Cookies [baby + toddler friendly]”
Doesn’t cocoa powder have caffeine? Is it safe to give toddlers? Thanks!!
It has a very small amount of caffeine – we wouldn’t be concerned about the amount for toddlers!
Made these today with my 3 year old using the puffed wheat substitution because it’s what we had on hand – huge hit! They turned out great, thanks for the recipe 🙂
They were a nice change from the normal healthy muffin or cookie. They came out a little dense and dry for me though and had a lot of expensive ingredients. I felt 1/4 cup scooped cookies were too big. I can’t imagine 1/2 cup size. I also cut down on the baking time to compensate for making them smaller than suggested.
Hi Sarah,
Thank you for your review. I’m sorry they turned out a bit on the dry side for you! Please feel free to email us if you’d like to troubleshoot why this may have happened 🙂
great recipe – just the right amount of sweetness, it worked great with the puffed wheat
I’ve never made anything like these before and they are a huge hit! Could these hold up in the freezer to freeze the extras for later use?
I’ve never made anything like these before and they are a huge hit!
Yay! It can be fun to experiment with some unique recipes. We’re honoured you trusted us and took the chance on something new!