Chewy and soft vegan oatmeal raisin cookies are filled with rolled oats, plump raisins and optional coconut flakes for a hearty and wholesome sweet treat.
They can be enjoyed as an afternoon snack or part of an easy breakfast on the go. Don’t sleep on this vegan and gluten-free version of this classic cookie!
It’s hard to believe that after almost 12 years of sharing recipes, there’s no oatmeal raisin cookie on this site.
While I do have a breakfast spin on this classic cookie, it’s not a traditional oatmeal raisin cookie by any means.
You see, we’re a house divided. Usually, I’ll pick a chocolate chip cookie over other choices (even more so if they’ve got bacon in them) and Ulysses is the oatmeal raisin fan.
We’re both peanut butter lovers, however, so we often end up with these easy gluten free peanut butter cookies as a compromise.
Typically, you’re one or the other though.
While he’s firmly planted in the oatmeal raisin camp, I’m a bit more cookie ambivalent. I don’t really discriminate when it comes to a cookie, you know?
Well, that ambivalence went out the window the other day and I had a strong craving for a chewy oatmeal raisin cookie like none other.
In the end, we both wound up happy with about 15 of these vegan oatmeal raisin cookies that lasted all of 2.5 days.
They’ve got that soft chewy cookie vibe with the perfect balance of wholesome hearty ingredients and sweetness. Aka – they’re a little too easy to eat.
HOW TO MAKE VEGAN OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIES
INGREDIENTS
The ingredients are really quite simple. Nothing fancy, and if you regularly do vegan and gluten-free baking, you’ll likely have everything you need on hand in the pantry.
Rolled Oats – Make sure to choose regular rolled oats, not quick cooking oats or steel cut. This type of oat is heartier and gives the cookies that distinctive toothsome texture. Organic is preferable as oats are a highly sprayed crop.
GF Flour – Pick your favorite gluten-free flour blend (I typically use Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 or King Arthur measure for measure) or substitute all-purpose flour here.
Baking Powder & Soda
Salt & Spices – I kept it simple with just a touch of cinnamon but you can use others like nutmeg and cardamom if you like.
Flax Egg – This is the vegan binder and egg replacement for the oatmeal raisin cookies. It’s just ground flax seed with warm water mixed and set aside until gelled.
Coconut Oil – I much prefer baking with coconut oil and other healthier oils than using vegan butter. Make sure to measure the oil after it’s melted.
Coconut Sugar & Maple Syrup – Both are used as sweeteners in the cookies and you can replace the coconut sugar with brown sugar if preferred.
Vanilla Extract – Extracts always liven up the flavor of any baked good. A touch of vanilla brings out the flavor in the oatmeal raisin cookies.
Raisins – Obviously an important ingredient in this cookie recipe! Choose plump raisins (preferably organic) but you can always rehydrate any older ones in some warm water for a minute or two. Not a fan of raisins? Swap them out for another dried fruit like cranberries or cherries.
Coconut Flakes – This is an optional ingredient and while not traditional to oatmeal raisin cookies, I love the added texture and flavor. Make sure to use unsweetened coconut flakes.
BAKING THE COOKIES
To make the cookies, preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Start by making the flax egg and setting it aside so it has time to thicken.
Leaving the raisins and 1/2 cup of the rolled oats aside, combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl and stir to mix.
In a separate small bowl, whisk together all the wet ingredients. Stir in the flax egg once it’s set.
Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir until mostly combined using a spatula. The dough will be pretty thick.
Add in the remaining oats along with the raisins and coconut if using. Fold them into the cookie dough until well dispersed.
Using a small or medium cookie scoop, scoop the cookies out onto the prepared baking sheet. Gently press down on them with a fork to form into the desired shape. These vegan oatmeal raisin cookies don’t spread or change shape much while baking.
Press a few additional raisins into the tops of the cookies before baking if desired.
Bake for 10-12 minutes until the edges start to turn a light golden brown. The cookies will still be soft to the touch.
Remove from the oven and transfer the baked cookies to a cooling rack immediately. They’ll firm up a bit as they cool.
Try to resist one warm out of the oven because they taste even better when given the chance to cool!
OTHER SWAPS OR ADD-INS
If you need to please a crowd, you can definitely make half a batch with raisins and half with chocolate chips instead. If you love a chewy chocolate chip cookie, this recipe is perfect for that.
Try these paleo chocolate chunk cookies or these chewy vegan pumpkin chocolate chip cookies for chocolate chip lovers.
I also have this oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe (GF and vegan) that uses leftover almond pulp from making almond milk.
Nuts are another add-in that would be great. Chopped walnuts or pecans add nice texture to the cookies, especially if you’re not using the coconut flakes.
DO I NEED TO CHILL THE DOUGH?
While chilling can be an important step in some cookie recipes (I find it helpful with these vegan thumbprints), it’s not necessary at all for these oatmeal raisin vegan cookies.
HOW TO STORE THE COOKIES
These store really well for up to a week (if they last that long) at room temperature. Simply keep them in any container of your choice (cookie tin or another air-tight container).
They freeze well too so feel free to make a double batch and keep half in the freezer for easy cookie access!
MORE VEGAN COOKIE RECIPES TO TRY
Nothing says the holidays more than these vegan pignoli cookies. If you like almond paste, you will love these.
Speaking of almond paste, these sweet potato cookies use almond extract for a similar flavor. They’re hearty yet delicately sweet and a really nice wholesome treat that also uses rolled oats as the main ingredient.
Another oat-centric cookie recipe (sensing a theme?) is this healthy carrot cake cookie. Filled with shredded carrots, golden raisins and walnuts, they’re a must if you like carrot cake. The cream cheese drizzle can be made with vegan cream cheese for the ultimate finishing touch.
Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups rolled oats, divided
- 1 cup gluten free flour, or all-purpose
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons ground flax seed + 6 tablespoons warm water
- 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar, or brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup raisins
- 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line a large baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
- Place 1 cup of the oats and all the other dry ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk to combine.
- Make the flax egg by combining the flax seed and warm water in a small bow. Stir and set aside for at least 10 minutes until thickened.
- In another bowl, whisk together the remaining wet ingredients.
- Stir the flax egg into the wet ingredients then pour into the large bowl with the dry ingredients.
- Use a spatula to combine then add the remaining 1/2 cup of oats, raisins and coconut flakes if using to the bowl. Fold in until incorporated with the cookie dough.
- Using a small-medium cookie scoop, place dollops of the dough onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Use a fork to gently press down the tops as the cookies won't spread much or change shape while baking.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes until the edges start to lightly brown.
- Remove from the oven and transfer the cookies to a cooling rack.
- Cool and enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.
These cookies were so good! So soft and chewy.
I know oatmeal raisin cookies are controversial but I must say – I LOVE THEM!!! Those juicy raisins and tender oats are perfection!
These vegan oatmeal raisin cookies were so flavourful and brought me back to my childhood! Thanks for sharing your recipe!
These were so perfect! Nice and chewy and just the right amount of sweetness.
I really enjoyed the flavor and texture of these cookies! Plus I was out of eggs – so this was perfect!
These were perfectly sweet and had just the right amount of raisins. Thank you for another winner!
These made a great easy baking-lesson cookie batch for our homeschool yesterday. And they’re delicious too!