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 cookie recipe because it's...
- 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.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- 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 to make 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.
Vegan oatmeal cookies add-ins
- 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 out the flour for almond flour, but any grain-based flour will work.
Pro Tips
- 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.
More delicious vegan cookies
- Vegan Chocolate Cookies
- Vegan Sugar Cookies - Cut-Out Cookies
- Thumbprint Cookies
- Vegan Snickerdoodles
- Vegan Shortbread Cookies
Subscribe to my email list to get my free eBook “The Beginner’s Guide to Homemade Vegan Staples” or if you are ready to fully dive into making your own vegan cheese and other vegan staples, check out my cookbooks.
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 teaspoons 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 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons 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.
