These Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies, are chewy and delicious! You just need 1 bowl and a few minutes to make this healthier version of your favorite childhood treat. Not only are they a perfect weeknight dessert, but they make a great after-school or post-workout snack!

If you love cookies but want a healthier version that's oil-free but still full of flavor, then I have you covered. These Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies are a chewy and delicious treat the whole family will love.
Not only are these cookies quick and easy to make, but you only need 1 bowl, so there's less clean-up. Just mix all of the ingredients, fold in the chocolate chips, and scoop the batter onto a baking sheet. These cookies bake up in 15 minutes, making them a perfect weeknight dessert.
And since these vegan oatmeal cookies are made with healthier ingredients, they also make a great after-school or post-workout snack!
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You'll love this Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe because it's:
- Quick & Easy
- Vegan / Vegetarian
- Dairy-Free
- Kid-friendly
- WFPB & Oil-Free
- Perfect for Christmas & Holidays
- Healthy & Delicious!
What kind of chocolate chips should I use?
I used the Enjoy Life Dark Chocolate Chips, and I highly recommend them! But if you can't find those, just be sure to choose a brand of chocolate chips that are vegan.
I tend to prefer semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips in cookies. But be cautious because while dark chocolate is often vegan by default, there are a few well-known brands of dark chocolate chips that aren't.
Can this be gluten-free?
To make this gluten-free, you would need to substitute the whole-wheat flour with gluten-free flour. I have not tested this recipe with gluten-free flour, but if you try it, please let me know in the comments.
Can this be nut-free?
To make this nut-free you would need to substitute the nut butter with sunflower seed butter.
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- whole-wheat flour: You could also use white whole-wheat flour.
- rolled oats: Don't use instant oats.
- milled flax seed: This will help the cookies hold together.
- cinnamon: This just adds a little extra bump of flavor. You could leave it out if you want.
- salt
- baking powder
- baking soda: Although I tested this recipe both with and without the baking soda, overall, I prefer the result with the baking soda. The cookies spread better and had a better cookie texture with the baking soda.
Wet Ingredients
- unsweetened apple sauce
- maple syrup
- unsalted almond butter: If you only have salted almond butter, be sure to skip the extra salt in the dry ingredients.
- vanilla extract
Add-In
- ยพ cup vegan chocolate chips
*See recipe card for quantities.
Variations
- Use raisins to make Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookies.
- Add chopped walnuts or pecans
- Swap Peanut Butter, Cashew Butter, or Sunflower Seed Butter for the almond butter.
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350F or 175C.
- Add all of the dry ingredients to a mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
- Then add all of the wet ingredients to the same bowl. Use a spatula to mix, making sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl, until everything is combined. (Make sure you get all of the flour from the bottom.)
- Next you can add your chocolate chips and fold into the batter. I think ยพ cup is the perfect amount, but you could add more or less as you wish.
- Use an ice-cream scoop or a spoon to transfer the batter to the cookie sheet. Be sure to evenly space the cookies, leaving a little space in between. You'll have about 12 cookies.
- Bake the cookies for 14 to 17 minutes, or until fully cooked.
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven and tansfer the cookies to a cooling rack. When the cookies have cooled a little, you can serve and enjoy right away or store for later.
Troubleshooting
- Why are my cookies rounded on top? Since these healthy cookies don't have butter, they don't spread quite as much. Before you put them in the oven press them with extra baking paper or a spatula to help flatten them.
- Why are my cookies dry? They are probably overcooked. Different ovens run at slightly different temperatures. For me, these cookies took exactly 15 minutes. In other ovens they could take a little more or less.
How to serve
Serve these delicious oatmeal chocolate chip cookies as a snack or dessert. Since they're made with healthier ingredients, they also make a perfect post-workout snack for you or an after-school snack for kids.
How to store
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container. They will last about 3 days at room temperature or 1 week in the refrigerator. Adding a paper towel to the container will help absorb extra moisture.
- If you want to double the recipe and freeze half, these cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months.
More vegan cookie recipes
๐ Recipe
Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1 cup (+1 tablespoons) whole-wheat flour
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1 tablespoon milled flax seed
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ยฝ teaspoon baking soda
Wet Ingredients
- ยฝ cup unsweetened apple sauce
- ยฝ cup maple syrup
- ยผ cup unsalted almond butter
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Add-In
- ยพ cup vegan chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F or 175C.
- Add all of the dry ingredients to a mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
- Add all of the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Stir until everything is fully incorporated.
- Add the chocolate chips and fold into the batter until evenly distributed.
- Use an ice-cream scoop or two spoons to transfer the batter to a lined baking tray or cookie sheet. There should be about 12 cookies. Press the tops lightly to flatten the cookies.
- Bake for 14 to 17 minutes, or until fully cooked. Transfer the cookies to a drying rack to cool. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- These cookies take me exactly 15 minutes, but since all ovens cook at slightly different temperatures, it could take you 14 to 17 minutes.
Nutrition
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Did you try this recipe? Have a question? Just leave a comment below and I'll get back to you ASAP!
Denise says
These are AMAZING!
Julianne Lynch says
Thank you so much!! I'm so glad you liked them!
West says
Can you substitute cocoanut oil instead of almond butter ? Thanks
Julianne Lynch says
I haven't tried it, so I'm not really sure... It's definitely worth a shot!
Lucia Claire says
So good! They were pretty salty, so I added some extra applesauce and flour to balance them out, but they still turned out great.
Julianne Lynch says
I'm glad you liked them and that it turned out!
valery says
in the recipe of Vegan choc chip oatmeal cookies I cannot see quantities for each ingredient....could you please advise how much (grams) applesauce, maple syrup, rolled oats, etc please?thank you.
Julianne Lynch says
All of the ingredient quantities are located in the recipe card.
Amanda says
These were fabulous! I used 1/4 cup maple syrup and 3/4 apple sauce. Also added 1Tbsp miso and some walnuts.
Julianne Lynch says
I'm so glad you liked them!!
Tatiana says
Thank you for this amazing recipe Julianne! They are perfect: wholesome and tasty.
I used peanut butter and raisins (instead of almond butter and chocolate chip cookies). I didn't have enough maple syrop, so added around 2 tablespoons of water to get to the right dough consistency. Definitely will be making them again! I will try to add sunflower seeds next time :).
Julianne Lynch says
Great! I'm so glad you liked it. This is such a versatile recipe.