This is the best vegan oatmeal cookie recipe ever! Perfectly soft and chewy with the classic taste of oatmeal and brown sugar. You can add raisins, chocolate chips, craisins, or nuts to make any type of oatmeal cookies you want. This also makes the most delicious cookie dough ever and, since there are no eggs, feel free to eat it up!
You’ll LOVE this vegan oatmeal cookie recipe because its…
- easy to make with no need for special vegan ingredients.
- bakes up perfectly with regular or gluten-free flour.
- a family favorite good for any holiday, special occasion, or just a Saturday afternoon.
- versatile so you can add in whatever you like and make them different every time.
What you’ll need to make these oatmeal cookies:
- Vegan Butter – for the fat in the cookies. I like to use my homemade vegan butter.
- Brown Sugar – for sweetness and a molasses flavor. You can also use white sugar or coconut sugar.
- Plant-Based Milk – any type of plant-based milk will work.
- Vanilla Extract – for flavor.
- Flour – white, whole wheat, or half and half will work. You can also use any grain-based gluten-free flour mix.
- Baking Soda – to make them rise and stay soft.
- Baking Powder – to make them rise.
- Salt – for flavor.
- Cinnamon – for flavor. (Optional, but give them a nice flavor).
- Oatmeal – I like whole oats, but you can also use quick oats. If you are making these gluten-free make sure to use gluten-free oats.
- Raisins – for oatmeal raisin cookies (Optional) You can also use nuts, craisins, or chocolate chips in your cookies.
How do you make the best vegan oatmeal cookies?
- Set the butter out to allow it to come to room temperature and preheat your oven to 350° F.
- Cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer for 2 minutes. (This whips air into it and gives your cookie more structure).
- Add the plant-milk and vanilla and mix on low for about 30 seconds.
- Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon and mix on low for about 1 minute until all ingredients are combined.
- Pour in the oatmeal 1 cup at a time, mixing between each cup.
- Stir in your choice of raisins, chocolate chips or anything else that you would like in your cookies.
- Spoon 1 tbsp of dough onto an oiled cookie sheet.
- Bake at 350° F for 11 minutes. (They will still look a little doughy in the middle).
- Take out of the oven and allow to cool on the cookie sheet for about 5 minutes before moving to a flat surface to cool the rest of the way.
- Store in an airtight container.
What else is good to add into oatmeal cookies:
- Chocolate Chips
- Dried Cranberries
- Vegan White Chocolate Chips
- Rice Crispy Creal – give it a great added crunch!
- Dried Cherries
- Nuts – any crushed nuts you want, like almonds, pistachios, or walnuts.
- Vegan M&Ms
How do I make vegan gluten-free oatmeal cookies?
To make these gluten-free, I use my homemade gluten-free flour mix or a basic store-bought gluten-free flour mix. I’ve tested them with many types of gluten-free flour and they always come out well. If the mix you are using doesn’t have xanthan gum in it, adding a 1/2 tsp of xanthan gum will help your cookies hold together better. I don’t recommend swapping it out the flour for almond flour, but any grain-based flour will work.
Pro Tips for Perfect Oatmeal Cookies:
- Bake for 11 minutes. They will most likely still look doughy in the center, but take them out anyway. They will firm up and become chewy this way.
- Cooking for more than the recommended 11 minutes will make them more brittle and crispy.
- Spray your cookie sheet will a little oil (or rub a thin layer of oil on it) to avoid sticking.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the cookie sheet for about 5 minutes before taking them off.
- Place the cookies on a flat surface to cook completely.
- Don’t add too much to the cookies. About 1/2 cup of raisins, chocolate chips, or nuts is enough to add flavor. If you add too much, you won’t have enough dough to hold them together.
- Use a heavy cookie sheet or an Airbake cookie sheet to avoid burning on the bottom.
Want some more delicious gluten-free vegan cookies? Try my vegan carob chip cookies, vegan thumbprint cookies, and gluten-free vegan snickerdoodles!
Make sure to follow me on Instagram for daily vegan recipe ideas and tag me @thehiddenveggies so I can see your cookies!
A simple vegan oatmeal cookie that can be made gluten-free. You can add raisins, chocolate chips, nuts, and more to make it your own.
- 3/4 cup Vegan Butter
- 2 cups Brown Sugar or white sugar, coconut sugar, or Sucanat.
- 1/3 cup Soy Milk or any other type of plant-based milk.
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 2 cups Flour white, whole wheat, or half and half will work. You can also use any grain-based gluten-free flour mix.
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
- 3 cups Oats I like to use whole oats but you can also use quick oats. If you are making these gluten-free make sure to use gluten-free oats.
- 1/2 cup Raisins chocolate chips, nuts, dried fruit, or anything you would like to add to the cookies.
-
Set the butter out to allow it to come to room temperature and preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C).
-
Cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer for 2 minutes. (This whips air into it and gives your cookie more structure).
-
Add the plant-milk and vanilla and mix on low for about 30 seconds.
-
Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon and mix on low for about 1 minute until all ingredients are combined.
-
Add the oats 1 cup at a time, mixing between each cup.
-
Stir in your choice of raisins, chocolate chips or anything else that you would like in your cookies.
-
Spoon 1 tbsp of dough onto an oiled cookie sheet.
-
Bake at 350°F (177°C)for 11 minutes. (They will still look a little doughy in the middle).
-
Take out of the oven and allow to cool on the cookie sheet for about 5 minutes before moving to a flat surface to cool completely.
-
Store in an airtight container.
- Bake for 11 minutes. They will most likely still look doughy in the center, but take them out anyway. They will firm up and become chewy.
- Cooking for more than the recommended 11 minutes will make them more brittle and crispy.
- Spray your cookie sheet will a little oil (or rub a thin layer of oil on it) to avoid sticking.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the cookie sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring them.
- Place the cookies on a flat surface to cool completely.
- Don't add too much to the cookies. About 1/2 cup of raisins, chocolate chips, or nuts is enough to add flavor. If you add too much, you won't have enough dough to hold them together.
- Use a heavy cookie sheet or an Airbake cookie sheet to avoid burning on the bottom.
Are we to use oats or oatmeal? The recipe ingredient sounds as if we are to cook the oats into oatmeal and use 3 cups of oatmeal. I’m hoping it’s just a typo and we can use raw oats???
You need 3 cups of oats, raw uncooked.
Just made these with my daughter who is vegan and has celiac. Her response was ‘omg they’re so good!”
I’m so happy that she liked them, Julie! 🙂
This is truly a gem of a recipe. Delicious cookies – all my non-veg friends adore them! Thank you for sharing this recipe! I have been searching for a foolproof vegan cookie recipe for quite some time…. one of the situations where you’re the only veg and must share/prove that anything vegan can still be just as great (aka the best <3). Woot woot
I’m so happy to read this Jessica! Thanks so much! 🙂
Is there a big texture difference if you use quick oats?
There is not a huge difference with quick oats. If that’s what you have, use them. Enjoy! 🙂
Absolutely awesome cookies. The family were asking me to make a second batch before they had finished the first!!!!
Aww, thanks so much, Terry! I’m so happy that they like them! 🙂
Thanks for this recipe! I’d suggest using probably just 3/4 tsp of cinnamon, the flavor came out too strong 🙁 this is the feedback I received from friends.
I made them just as the recipe laid out and they were delicious! The whole family loved them. Thanks Monica 🙂
I’m so happy that you liked them, Lindsay! 🙂
I used regular butter and doubled the milk. They are amazing
Glad you liked them! 🙂
Hi Monica, I don’t have vegan butter so what should I use instead? Coconut oil?
Hi Maggie, yes, you can use coconut oil instead of vegan butter. If you have refined coconut oil, it will be a more neutral flavor. Enjoy! 🙂
I used half casava flour and half almond flour. They were awesome!!
Good to know that almond and cassava flour will work. So happy that you liked the recipe! 🙂
Fantastic recipe. Made them for my friend who has gone vegan for lent. You would never know they were vegan
I not have been asked to bake loads for a charity bake sale.
Have you ever tried freezing the dough? If so how did they turn out?
Many thanks.
I have never tried freezing the dough, but the cookies will freeze well in an airtight container. Glad that you liked them. 🙂
Hi, this looks like a great easy recipe to try! can I substitute organic shortening for the vegan butter which has soy in it? and if so, how much would I use for this recipe? Thanks
Hi Barbara, yes, you can swap out vegan butter for shortening if you would like in equal amounts. Enjoy! 🙂
Is it possible to use almond meal ?
I’m sorry, but I’ve never tried it with almond meal so I’m not sure. Let me know if you give it a try. 🙂
I made these and we loved them! I wanted to add some extra healthy to them and added pecans, hemp seeds, sunflower seeds and flax seeds. Best vegan gf cookie i’ve ever had!
I’m so happy that you liked them, Kate. 🙂
Everyone loved these cookies, even the non vegans(they didn’t know!) i used choc chips and dried cranberries. Also I put in 1/2 c less sugar.
Thank you for the recipe.
You’re welcome! So happy that you all loved them! 🙂
Fantastic cookies. Oatmeal raisin is my favourite cookie and now I’ve found this recipe can’t imagine making any other. It makes a VERY LARGE batch.
So happy that you like it! It does make a very large batch, yet my family of 4 has no trouble finishing them off in a few days. 🙂