Vegan Oatmeal Cookies

These simple Vegan Oatmeal Cookies are delightfully chewy, and filled with rolled oats and raisins. Plus, they're made in one bowl without dairy and can easily be made gluten free, making them suitable for everyone!

Apparently vegan oatmeal cookies are my favorite cookie. Who knew?!

These oatmeal cookies are soft and chewy, with rolled oats and raisins mixed in for added texture and flavor. Plus, they taste like a warm bowl of oatmeal, but in cookie form.

Truthfully, they're made just the same as any other cookie recipe: combining the dry ingredients, combining the wet ingredients them mixing everything together and forming the cookie dough into balls. Easy peasy!

Oh, and if you love oatmeal cookies, you'll absolutely want to check out my almond butter oatmeal cookies, cinnamon raisin granola and my vegan oatmeal pancakes.

Why you'll love these cookies

• The texture is customizable! If you want a soft and chewy cookie you'll bake for less time, and if you want a crispy oatmeal cookie, you'll bake for a few minutes longer.
• Filled with raisins and oats, though again, easy to add any other add-ins you'd like. 

Ingredients

Here, I want to provide further clarification on a handful of the ingredients. The full ingredient list is below in the recipe card.

All purpose flour - Or, substitute gluten free 1:1 baking flout to keep these gluten-free. If you're looking for a cookie made with oat flour, check out these easy oat flour cookies instead.

Cinnamon - Cinnamon is what gives these vegan oatmeal cookies their oatmeal flavor, so definitely don't skimp on it! 

Vegan butter - Simply put, these cookies taste best with butter. I didn't test them without it, so if you're looking for a cookie recipe without butter, these aren't it.

Sugar - A combination of brown sugar and cane (granulated) sugar works really well in this recipe.

Milk - Any kind! I used oat milk, but almond milk or soy milk would work well too.

Vanilla extract - No substitutions.

Oats - You'll want to use rolled oats/old fashioned oats in order to achieve the proper texture.

Instructions

Step 1: Mix the ingredients. In a medium bowl, stir the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugars together with a hand mixer or stand mixer, then add the milk and vanilla and whisk to combine. 

Pour the dry ingredients into the wet, then gently stir to combine just until the flour disappears, being careful not to over-mix. Last, stir in the oats and raisins by hand. The mixture will be quite thick, so this step may take a minute or two.

Step 2: Roll into balls. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, or spray with nonstick spray. Use your hands to roll the cookie dough into balls, about golf ball size, and place them on the baking sheet two inches apart.

Step 3: Bake. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake the cookies at 350° for 11-13 minutes. Or, if you prefer a crispier cookie, flatten the cookie dough balls out with a spoon beforehand, then bake the cookies for 15 minutes. 

Tips and tricks

• Be sure to space the balls of dough out on the cookie sheet; The cookies will spread in the oven, and you want to ensure they don't stick to one another.
• Make sure to leave the cookies on the baking sheet for at least 5 minutes after they're done baking before removing them with a spatula. This will allow them to firm up a bit and ensure they don't fall apart when you transfer them.
• Add-ins: dark chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, shredded coconut, dried cranberries, chopped walnuts

Can these be made gluten-free? 

Yes! To do so, you'll want to ensure you're using certified gluten free oats. I typically buy the One Degree Organics oats, which you can find at both Whole Foods and Costco. Then, you'll also want to use gluten free 1:1 baking flour/gluten free all purpose flour.

Can vegan oatmeal cookies be made without sugar?

Not if you want them to taste good! If you're looking to make these cookies lower in sugar, you can substitute coconut sugar in place of the brown sugar, and monk fruit sweetener in place of the cane sugar. I wouldn't use any liquid sweeteners in this recipe, as that will alter the final texture.

What's the difference between rolled oats, quick oats and steel cut oats? 

• Rolled oats: Rolled oats are oats that have been steamed and then rolled flat, which allows them to cook more quickly.
• Quick oats: Quick oats are quite similar to rolled oats, except they're thinner in texture which allows them to cook even more quickly.
• Steel cut: Steel cut oats are the least processed, but also the chewiest oat and they tend to have a mild nutty flavor. 

Simply Oatmeal has a detailed post explaining the difference between the types of oats. For vegan oatmeal cookies, you'll want to reach for the rolled oats/old fashioned oats. 

Storage

• Room temperature: Store cookies in a sealed container on the counter for up to 3 days.
• Freezing: Once the cookies have cooled, place them in a freezer-safe bag and freeze them for up to 2 months.

More delicious cookie recipes

• Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies
• Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Soft and Chewy Coconut Cookies

If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!