One-bowl vegan oatmeal raisin cookies that are incredibly delicious! They are packed with flavor as they include brown sugar, cinnamon, chewy oats and a hint of maple syrup. They'll make your home smell amazing, just like my vegan oatmeal cookies!
Simple ingredients you'll need
The full list of ingredient quantities and instructions are in the gray recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Notes about the ingredients
Brown sugar makes these cookies soft and chewy! Coconut sugar and granulated sugar will also work, but with slightly different results.
Vegan block butter. If you can only access spreadable vegan butter, you can still make these cookies but they will spread a little more! I've provided some tips in the recipe card at the bottom of this page.
Maple syrup (optional) for depth of flavor and to bind the ingredients like eggs in conventional cookies. Alternatively, you can replace this with molasses, extra brown sugar or replace it with more dairy-free milk. You don't need a flax egg for this recipe!
Raisins. If you prefer plump raisins in your cookies, soak them in hot water before using them in the recipe. Just make sure you dry them well.
Walnuts (optional) add crunch and depth of flavor! Their earthiness also balances out the sweetness of the raisins.
How to make vegan oatmeal raisin cookies
One of the best things about this recipe is that it comes together in one bowl, by mixing the wet ingredients and dry ingredients together.
I used a handheld mixer to prepare the dough, but a stand mixer or a wooden spoon (and some arm power) will also work.
My top tips for making the cookies are:
- Use room-temperature butter. If you press the butter, your finger will make an indent but won't sink through. If your butter is too warm, your oatmeal cookies will still be delicious but will bake with lots of holes.
- Use a kitchen scale and grams to measure the ingredients for the best results. Or use the spoon and level method to measure the flour. Too much flour or oats in these cookies will make them thicker, cakier and denser.
- Make sure your oats are well mixed! Your cookie dough should have mostly broken-down oats.
Tips for baking these cookies
Since these cookies are packed with oats, they don't spread much in the oven. For soft and chewy cookies, I recommend shaping each cookie into flat discs before baking (pictured) and baking them for around 11-13 minutes.
If you want thick cookies reminiscent of rock cakes, keep the cookie dough as balls and bake them for around 10-12 minutes.
For thin crispy cookies, flatten your cookies as much as you can (more than pictured). Bake them for at least 14 minutes and allow them to fully cool on your cookie sheets.
Customizing this recipe
Yes, these cookies work with gluten-free all-purpose flour! Depending on your blend of flour, your cookie dough may be stickier, but they'll still bake well!
Yes! These cookies will also be wonderful with:
- chopped pecans
- vegan white chocolate
- other warm spices like cardamom and nutmeg
You can also swap the raisins with dried cranberries (or see my white chocolate cranberry cookies)!
For oatmeal cookies with coconut, check out my vegan Anzac biscuits.
More easy vegan cookies
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Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Ingredients
- ¾ cup (145g) packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup (115g) vegan butter, room temperature (note 1)
- 1 tablespoon (20g) maple syrup, or molasses (note 2)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup (95g) all-purpose plain flour, or gluten-free all-purpose flour (note 3)
- 1 ½ cups (180g) rolled oats, (quick oats will work if you're in a pinch)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- Pinch of salt, if using unsalted butter
- 1-3 tablespoons (15-45g) dairy-free milk, if needed
- ¾ cup (115g) raisins, (note 4)
- ½ cup (60g) walnuts, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Making the vegan oatmeal raisin cookies:
- Add the butter, brown sugar, maple syrup and vanilla to a large bowl (if using a hand mixer) or the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Beat until fluffy and well combined.
- Add the flour, oats, cinnamon, baking soda and salt then mix until well combined. The oats should be mostly broken down and the dough should be a little tacky but crumbly. If your dough is a little dry, add some dairy-free milk and mix again.
- Add the raisins and walnuts and mix until just combined.
- Use a medium cookie scoop or your hands to divide the cookie dough into 16 balls (2 tablespoons each or 47g each). Flatten the balls into small flat discs and arrange them on your prepared baking sheets. Leave around 2 inches (5 cm) between each cookie as they will spread a little.
Baking the oatmeal cookies:
- Bake the cookies for around 11-13 minutes. The cookies are ready when the edges are golden brown (the centers will still look uncooked). They will continue baking on the trays. For softer cookies, bake the cookies for shorter or for crispier cookies, bake them for longer. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 15 minutes then transfer them to a wire rack.
- Enjoy the cookies warm or at room temperature. They're wonderful with a glass of almond milk, cup of tea or coffee!
- Store leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week, in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Notes
- These cookies will work with chilled spreadable vegan butter but your cookies will spread more. Alternatively, you may also use coconut oil for these cookies, however I recommend adding extra salt for flavor.
- These cookies will still work if you omit the maple syrup or molasses, but they'll just be more crumbly and like granola cookies. If you skip it, add more dairy-free milk.
- Some brands of gluten-free flour absorb less than regular flour so you may need to add an extra tablespoon of gf flour. Your final cookie dough should still be a little tacky.
- For juicy raisins, soak them in warm water for 10-20 minutes beforehand. Drain them well and pat dry before using.
Nutrition
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Sunny Linkfield says
These cookies were PERFECT! I haven't had a good oatmeal raisin cookie in ages. The crunch and slightly sweet flavor made these irresistibly addictive!
Anthea says
That's music to my ears! Reading your comment makes me want to make them again soon! Thanks soo much for your wonderful feedback 🙂
Laura says
Totally gorgeous cookies. I made these with my 3 year old and they were super easy and so delicious. We both enjoyed them very much!
Anthea says
Aw that's amazing to hear, Laura!! So glad that you found the recipe approachable too. Thanks soo much for your review 🙂
Karis Wixted says
LOVE LOVE LOVE!!! I try lots of recipes from TikTok and they’re very hit or miss but this one hit the nail on the head, absolutely delicious!!
Anthea says
Hi Karis, awww, I'm over the moon that you loved these!!! Thanks so much for the feedback and leaving a comment over here 🙂
Sara says
I just made these for a pre-Christmas afternoon with our neighbours, who are not vegan but found them so delicious that they requested the recipe. They were very easy to make, and I followed the recipe exactly apart from substituting cranberries for the raisins. I'll be making them again tomorrow as they have proven to be so popular!
Sara Hackett says
Updated to add: I gave a large box of cookies to two different neighbours, and both reported back the following morning that they had not lasted a night.
Anthea says
Hi Sara! Aw, I'm over the moon that you and your neighbours loved these cookies!! Cranberries instead of raisins sounds *delicious* (I'm going to try that next time). Thanks so much for making my day!
David says
Really like your recipe ... will try it soon. Do you think substituting natural peanut butter for butter would work okay? I realize it would be a different taste ... just wondering if it would bake okay.
Thank you.
Anthea says
Hi! I imagine it would work with peanut butter, but I haven't tested it so I'm not 100% sure. Butter helps the cookies spread, so you'll need to flatten the cookies a bit more if you use peanut butter. I hope that helps!
Kay says
I made these cookies recently and they were amazing! Easy to put together and tastes great. Just the right amount of crunch and chew! Thanks for the recipe!
Anthea says
Hi Kay, ah that's great to hear!! Reading your comment makes me want to make them again haha. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment 🙂