Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
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 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 (150g) 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, spooned and leveled (note 3)
- 1 ½ cups (150g) rolled oats
- 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.
Prepare the Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Dough:
- 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 beat for a few minutes until most of the oats have broken down. The final dough should be soft and tacky, but not too sticky.
- Add the raisins and walnuts and mix until just combined.
- Use a medium cookie scoop or tablespoon measure 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.
Baking the oatmeal cookies:
- Bake the cookies for around 11-13 minutes. For soft and chewy cookies, bake them for less time, or for crispy cookies, bake them for more time. The cookies are ready when their edges look set but the centers are still soft – they will continue baking on the sheets when you remove them from the oven (note 5). Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 15 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack.
- 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 spreadable vegan butter but your cookies will spread differently. Use the butter chilled and add the milk at the end, only if needed. Softened coconut oil will also work but your cookies may spread more. If using coconut oil, I recommend adding an extra dash of milk for moisture and extra salt for flavor.
- These cookies will still work if you omit the maple syrup or molasses, but they’ll be more crumbly. If you skip it, add more dairy-free milk instead.
- Measuring the flour: Make sure you measure the flour accurately otherwise, your cookies won’t spread as much. If you’re using measuring cups, use the spoon and level method where you fluff up the flour in the bag, use a spoon to add flour to a measuring cup, then level it off with a knife. I don’t recommend using the measuring cup to scoop flour out of your container as this will add too much flour to your dough. For the best results, use the grams measurements.
Gluten-free cookies: These cookies work well with King Arthur’s gluten free measure for measure flour. I’ve also tested these cookies with gluten-free all-purpose flours and some brands are less absorbent 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 juicier raisins, soak them in warm water for 10-20 minutes, drain well and pat dry. Add them to the cookie dough at the same time as the walnuts.This is a very forgiving recipe, though keep inmind that different oat brands absorb liquid at different rates, which can affect how your cookies spread. If your cookies spread more than you’d like, you can gently nudge them back into shape with a larger cookie cutter, glass cup or a knife. For flatter cookies, gently press them down with the back of a spoon while they’re still warm.
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These were a big hit for my picky husband! To keep the glycemic value down I used coconut sugar instead of brown sugar and coconut oil instead of vegan butter. I needed the extra moisture but I just used water and it worked fine. Thank you for a great recipe.
Hi Tricia! We’re so happy these won over your picky husband 🤭 Thank you for sharing your swaps and taking the time to leave a comment x
These turned out really well and are quite versatile with add ins (I used dried cranberries, walnuts, and dark chocolate chips). It reminds me of one I used to love before becoming vegan, so it’s so great to finally have a vegan version!
Hi Ashely! Wow, that add-in combo sounds incredible, definitely trying that next time! We’re so happy this recipe could bring back a favorite from before going vegan. Thanks for sharing!
Made these cookies today. I think there were far too many raisins, so much so that I couldn’t mix them in – I probably had 1/4 cup leftover. Next time I will reduce the raisins and will probably increase flour and reduce oats. Otherwise, quite tasty.
Hi Julia, thanks for the feedback! Feel free to reduce the raisins to your liking next time. We’d suggest keeping the oats and flour as they are though, since that balance is what gives the cookies their texture. Interestingly, not all brands of oats are measured in the same way (some are way more compact than others), so I wonder if that was the difference in your batch. Glad you still enjoyed them overall!
Absolutely delicious! I will return to this recipe many times!
So glad you enjoyed these cookies and that the recipe will be a keeper for you!
Good cookies. I used rolled oats and the dough was too oaty. Next time I’ll swap the flour and oat ratio to 1 1/2 c flour and 3/4 c oats.
These are perfect. Any idea how many carbs in each cookie?
Hi Beth, so glad you enjoyed these! For the carbs, you can tap on ‘nutrition information’ at the bottom of the recipe card – the numbers are just estimates and will depend on what brand of ingredients you use. Hope that helps!
Excellent! The dough seemed a bit dry and crumbly but they stuck together in a ball and baked beautifully. Love this recipe. Will be my “go to” for sure.
Hearing that these will be your go-to has made our day! So glad you loved them and thank you for leaving a comment 🥰
So good! Everyone loved them! I used the vegan butter and they did flatten out but they were just so good. I will make more and put them in a zip lock bag and take them paddling with me for high carb snacks!
Thank you so much for sharing your feedback 💛 We’re so glad you enjoyed these cookies and love the idea of these for a paddling snack too!
Hi! Is this cookie dough able to be frozen in the freezer and baked a day or two later?
Hi Mariah, yes you can! The cookies may just take a few extra minutes to bake.
Hi can i use Ghee (clarified butter) or olive oil instead of butter?
I don’t think olive oil will work as it has a different consistency to butter. You can try decreasing the amount, but you’ll need to do some testing. With ghee, I don’t cook with it, so I can’t advise on that sorry!
Oh by the way, is it possible to freeze the cookie dough (unbaked) and then bake it when I need it?
I really liked this recipe! It had great brown sugar and cinnamon flavour, and was nice and chewy while keeping its structure!
Hi Amber, oh that’s amazing! I’m so glad you enjoyed their flavour and texture. Thanks so so much for letting me know!
I made these cookies and they turned out just so glorious, but I didn’t opt for the vegan ingredient options.
The recipe measurements are perfect and each cookie is a mouthful of flavours and so satisfying. Thank you Anthea!
Hi Jacqueline, I’m soo glad you loved these cookies and all of their flavours! It’s so satisfying when a recipe has just the right balance. Thanks for your lovely feedback!
HUGE YESSSSSSSSS! I made these gluten free with Bob’s Redmill gf baking flour, and I also used date syrup because I didn’t have molasses or maple syrup.
I’m screwed, I’m gonna eat ALL OF THESE and I am supposed to share. 😂 thank you!!!!!!!!
Yaaayyy, that’s amazing!! I’m thrilled that you loved these cookies, and great to know they work with Bob’s flour too! It’s times like these when I keep a cookie container in my bedroom 😂. Enjoooy!
First time baking these, and they are lovely. A lot less sugary than bought, which I like. Will bake again for sure. 😊👍
Hi Jane, I’m so glad you enjoyed these!! Thanks for your feedback 🙂
So yummy and simple. Great texture, crispy on outside and chewy in middle.
Hi Amber, aw that’s wonderful to hear!! Thanks so much for your lovely comment 🙂