These flavorful lemon poppy seed quinoa breakfast cookies are the perfect way to start the day. Light, nutritious and packed with protein and healthy fats!

Lemon Poppy Seed Quinoa Breakfast Cookies -- made with healthy ingredients, packed with protein and SO FLAVORFUL!

I'm so glad I asked you last month what flavor of quinoa breakfast cookie you wanted to see in April because these are sensational!

This month we're on the fruity side, with these lemon poppy seed quinoa breakfast cookies. I'm digging these fun flavors a lot, last month we had Peanut Butter + Jelly Quinoa Breakfast Cookies and the month before that it was Blueberry Muffin Quinoa Breakfast Cookies. So fun!

Honestly, this flavor won by a landslide and I can totally see why. These bright, flavorful little cookies are the perfect welcome to the spring season. Bursting with sweetness and sunny lemony goodness, if sunshine actually had a taste…this would be it. They're fun, happy and will certainly bring a smile to your face!

Lemon + poppy seeds are a natural combination that have been made into virtually all baked goods; from muffins, quick breads, cookies and pancakes (next on my list), but for me that's really the only time I will ever reach for poppy seeds.

Which really is a shame, because they are loaded with some pretty amazing vitamins and minerals.

Poppy seeds kind of remind me of chia seeds, but they don't have that gelatinous quality that chia does when it's mixed with liquid. They're small, with a dark blueish/grey hue and they add just a little crunch whenever they're used. But like I said, poppy seeds are actually really nutritious.

They are packed with calcium, copper and manganese, as well as dietary fiber and protein. 2 tablespoons of these little beauties contain 25% of your suggested calcium intake and 4 grams of both protein and fiber. So combine all those properties with the other goodies inside these cookies and we really do have one awesome breakfast treat on our hands!

For these breakfast cookies, I really wanted to the lemon flavor to shine through, so I used cashew butter instead of almond or peanut butter because it has a much softer flavor. If you can't find cashew butter, I also think sunflower seed butter would be lovely. (…and I'm also wondering about tahini but haven't gone down that road yet!)

As you know, 2016 is going to be THE YEAR of the quinoa breakfast cookie and I'm committing to sharing a brand-new flavor with you every single month. (fingers crossed we don't run out of ideas!)

Here's what we've got so far:

January: Chunky Monkey
February: Blueberry Muffin
March: Peanut Butter + Jelly
April: Lemon Poppy Seed

And now the next flavor is up to you!

I always like to run my brainstorming by you to see what you think. So…just like we did last month, I'd love for you to vote below what YOU think the May flavor should be.

Here are the contenders:

Matcha Latte
Salted Caramel
Snickerdoodle

Can't wait to see which one wins this month! I have a favorite, but I won't share until we get a winner 😉

xo Alyssa

More Flavorful Breakfast Cookies to try:

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep: 10

Cook: 16

Total: 26

Ingredients

1 flax egg 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal + 3 tablespoons water
½ cup cashew butter or sunflower seed butter*
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 medium banana mashed (+ slices for topping, optional)
½ cup rolled oats
½ cup quinoa flakes
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
Zest of 2 lemons
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
1 tablespoon chia seeds optional

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Whisk together the flaxseed meal and water, and set aside.
Beat together cashew butter, syrup, lemon juice and banana in a large bowl. Add flax egg and mix to combine.
Pour in oats, quinoa flakes, baking powder and salt and stir together. Fold in the lemon zest, poppy seeds and chia seeds (if using).
Drop 2 tablespoons of dough onto the baking sheet and repeat until no dough remains.
Bake cookies on center rack for 16 - 18 minutes until edges are golden brown. Remove and let cool on the pan for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.
Enjoy at room temp or slightly reheated in a microwave.

Notes

* for the nut/seed butter, I would recommend using something that is mellow in flavor. You can use almond or peanut butter, but I think it might overpower the delicate flavor of the lemon.

Nutrition

cuisine: American

course: Breakfast, Snack

Lemon Poppy Seed Quinoa Breakfast Cookies

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