Vegan Oatmeal Cookies

These vegan oatmeal cookies are perfectly soft and chewy, with warm notes of brown sugar and cinnamon. They're easy to make and come together in one bowl with common pantry ingredients!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American, Vegan

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 12

Total Time 32

Servings cookies

Calories 159

Author Anthea

Ingredients

½ cup (115g) vegan butter room temperature (note 1)
¾ cup (150g) packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoons (13g) granulated sugar or more brown sugar
1-2 tablespoons (15-30g) dairy-free milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup (95g) all-purpose plain flour spooned and leveled (note 2)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt if using unsalted butter
1 ½ cups (150g) rolled oats gluten-free, if needed

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line 2 large baking trays with parchment paper.

Making the vegan oatmeal cookies:

Add the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar to a large bowl. Use an electric hand mixer or stand mixer to beat until fluffy and well combined. Add the vanilla extract and just 1 tablespoon of milk. Beat until well combined.
Add the flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt then beat until combined.
Add the oats and beat until very well combined and most of the oats have broken down. The final dough should be soft and tacky, but not sticky. If your dough is not coming together, add a little more milk and mix again. If your dough sticks to your hands, chill it in the fridge for 10-20 minutes.
Use a small cookie scoop or tablespoon measure to divide the cookie dough into 14 balls (around 40g each). Arrange the balls on your lined baking sheets, leaving around 2 inches (5 cm) between each, as they will spread.
Optional: for slightly thinner cookies (like pictured), slightly flatten each ball with your fingers.

Baking the vegan oatmeal cookies:

Bake the cookies for around 11-15 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 trays when you remove them from the oven (note 3). Allow the cookies to cool on the trays on a wire rack.
Enjoy the cookies warm or at room temperature.
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.

Video

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, I recommend adding an extra dash of milk for moisture and extra salt for flavor.
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.
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.

Nutrition