Soft, chewy, and full of flavor, these easy Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookies make a delicious dessert--or a healthy breakfast. Since they're oil and refined sugar-free you can feel good about eating them any time of day!
Confession: I am one of those weirdos who--given the choice between chocolate chip and oatmeal raisin cookies--will go for the oatmeal raisin every time! So I'm super excited to share this quick and easy recipe with you. These Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookies pack a ton of flavor, but they're also full of healthy ingredients. Made with a base of whole wheat flour and oats, they're sweetened by applesauce and maple syrup. The depth of flavor comes from cinnamon and almond butter. Put these ingredients together and you get these divine but surprisingly wholesome treats!
You'll love these Vegan Oatmeal Cookies because they're:
- Soft & Chewy
- Full of healthy, plant-based ingredients
- Oil-Free & Refined-Sugar-Free
- Quick & easy to prepare
- Easy to make Gluten-Free
- Versatile
- Bursting with flavor!
What ingredients you'll need for this Easy Vegan Oatmeal Cookie Recipe:
Dry Ingredients
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon milled flaxseed
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt (optional)
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup unsweetened apple sauce
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 2 tbsp almond butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Add-in
- ½ cup raisins (Or add-in of choice)
Can I make these Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookies Gluten-Free?
Yes! Just substitute fine oat flour for the whole wheat flour. This will change the texture somewhat, but they'll still be delicious. Making your own homemade oat flour is easy! Just pop rolled oats in a blender or food processor and blitz until soft and powdery (about 5 minutes).
Can I substitute something else for the raisins?
Sure! I chose raisins because that's the classic flavor combo I love, but these would also work great with walnuts, pecans, chocolate chips, dried cranberries, or dried cherries. Be as creative as you like or just use up the ingredients you already have in your pantry.
How to Make Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
This Oatmeal Cookie recipe couldn't be easier. First, preheat your oven to 350° F or 175°C. Then just add the dry ingredients to a bowl and whisk to combine. Add the wet ingredients and mix to combine. Then fold in your raisins.
Spoon the batter onto a lined cookie sheet and pop in the oven for about 15 minutes. When they're done let cool 5 minutes, and then dig in!
How to Store Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Store these cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days at room temperature or in the refrigerator. Or freeze for up to 3 months. If you make up a big batch to freeze for later, place all of the cookies on a flat tray to freeze. After they are frozen you can pop them into a container or storage bag. Alternatively, you could stack them in a container and add parchment between each cookie. This will keep them from sticking together.
Looking for more healthy vegan dessert recipes? Be sure to check out:
- Vegan Zucchini Muffins
- Vegan Apple Crisp
- Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
- No-Bake Pretzel Brownie Bites
- No-Bake Carrot Cake Bites
- Strawberry Citrus Popsicles
📖 Recipe
Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookies (Oil-Free & Refined-Sugar-Free)
Equipment
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1 cup whole wheat flour (see note in post for Gluten-Free option)
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon milled flaxseed
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt (optional)
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup unsweetened apple sauce
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoon almond butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Add-in
- ½ cup raisins
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F or 175°C.
- Add all of the dry ingredients to a bowl and whisk to combine.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix to combine.
- Fold the raisins into the batter until evenly distributed.
- Using a cookie/ice cream scoop or two spoons, drop 2 to 3 tablespoons of the batter onto a lined baking sheet in rows. You should have about 12 cookies. Be sure to leave a little space between the cookies (they will spread, but not as much as cookies made with butter).
- Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 15 to 17 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly browned.
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven, place the cookies on a cooling rack or plate and let cool for 5 minutes. Serve and enjoy right away or store in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Video
Notes
- These cookies have a soft and chewy texture.
- You can store these cookies in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- For more uniform cookies, press flat with a spatula before baking.
- If using store-bought almond butter, be sure to check the ingredients. Some add salt or sugar, which could affect the flavor of the cookies. If using salted almond butter, reduce or omit the added salt in this recipe.
- Feel free to swap out the raisins with walnuts, pecans, dried cranberries, dried cherries, chocolate chips, or whatever you like!
Nutrition
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Louise
Hi Julianne, delighted to have found your site through a post for your Pumpkin Cookies and as I am looking for new dessert/treat recipes in particular. A query...I notice you use both baking powder and baking soda in some recipes such as this one and the Pumpkin Cookies without an acid to activate the baking soda which I understood was necessary? Is the BS activated at all or even necessary? Cookies in particular rise minimally and often have no raising agent at all included in. Thank you.
Julianne Lynch
Hi Louise! Thank you and what an interesting question. The short version is, I adapted these cookie recipes based on recipes I used to make before I was vegan (and before I had a blog). But to answer your question, I did a little digging and found some interesting things. First, a lot of cookie recipes have both without a traditional acid (like vinegar or lemon juice). But wheat flour is somewhat acidic, so perhaps it helps balance that out. According to Bob's Red Mill website, the baking soda can be activated in high heat without an acid. It's possible that this recipe could work with just baking powder. Now I'm very curious to try it myself!
https://www.bobsredmill.com/blog/baking-101/what-does-baking-soda-do/
Pauline Lacy
I added choc chips coconut and walnuts...yum!!!
Julianne Lynch
That sounds fantastic! I'm so glad you liked them!!
Joyce Yen
Hi! Could we omit the flaxseed? Is it necessary to the recipe?
Julianne Lynch
Hi Joyce, The flaxseed acts as a binder, but the applesauce helps with that as well. If I recall, I tested this recipe once without the flax and it still worked fine, but the cookies were just ever so slightly more crumbly without it.
in2insight
These are too good. Had a hard time saving some for later…
Thanks for sharing
Julianne Lynch
The struggle is real! I'm so glad you liked the recipe.
Jana
These are unreal and are going into our weekly snacks rotation! Now I just have to find muffins we like, one more cookie recipe and tea brack! Thank you for your amazing work,you help the likes of us so much!
Julianne Lynch
Thanks so much! I'm really glad you liked the recipe.
I also have several muffin recipes you might want to check out including
Blackberry Muffins: https://nosweatvegan.com/vegan-blackberry-muffins/
Pumpkin Muffins: https://nosweatvegan.com/vegan-pumpkin-muffins/
Zucchini Muffins: https://nosweatvegan.com/vegan-zucchini-muffins-no-oil-no-sugar/
Chris M
I just made these using White Whole Wheat flour and sunflower butter (to make them nut free) and they were awesome. These might be the best WFPB baking recipe we have found yet.
They won't last long. I'll have to make a double batch next time.
Julianne Lynch
Great!! I'm so glad you liked it, and that the sunflower butter is a good substitute to make these cookies nut-free.
LA
I didn't know sunflower butter was a thing. I will definitely try that! I also just googled how to make it, and I have sunflower seeds, so I'm going to do that.
Julianne Lynch
Perfect!
karen
Hi I'm so glad to find your site.I have struggled with finding simple easy and budget friendly recipes and I struggled with making sure I get all the nutrients needed.
I find your recipes are just right for me to make.
Julianne Lynch
I'm so glad I can help! Thank you for letting me know.
CAROLINA
Hi! Could I substitute the applesauce for mashed bananas?
Julianne Lynch
I think that would work just fine! It might alter the taste slightly, but the cookies will still be delicious!
Jennifer Griffin
Do you think I could sub mashed banana for the nut butter? I can't do any nut or seed butters.
Julianne Lynch
I haven't tried it that way, but I think it would work. It will alter the flavor somewhat, but the cookie should hold together and taste good!
Femmy
Hi Julianne,
Can I skip the apple sauce? also replace maple syrup with honey? btw do you the safe temperature to bake the cookies for cancer patients? thanks
Julianne Lynch
Hi Femmy,
If you don't use applesauce you'd need to replace it with something. Mashed banana would be an option. You can use honey in place of maple syrup, although I can't guarantee the same results. At this amount, honey could alter the flavor and texture, as it is both thicker and sweeter than maple syrup. (Also, honey isn't vegan, but you could use vegan honey or agave syrup.) Unfortunately, I don't know anything about what are safe temperatures for cancer patients. However, most baking recipes are cooked under 400F, which I would assume is safer. I read this article, and it seems that a bigger concern is that food is cooked properly to kill off any bacteria. I hope that helps a little. https://www.cancer.net/survivorship/healthy-living/food-safety-during-and-after-cancer-treatment
Kevin McClafferty
Is the measurement of cinnamon correct? A tablespoon seems like too much. I’ve been using a teaspoon and they are fantastic.
Julianne Lynch
It is correct, but if you want to use less, that's fine.
LeighAnn
These are the best cookies I've tried since going WFPB. Thank you so much!
Julianne Lynch
Wow! Thank you so much!
Sue
I just made these using 1 cup oat flour and 1 cup of oats and reduced the maple syrup to 1/3 cup and they're great!
Suzanne
Turned out really yummy and a good treat when transitioning to a WFPB diet for this family! Thank you for the great recipe! We will definitely make again.
Julianne Lynch
Excellent! I'm so glad you liked them!
Marianne
Greetings Julianne
Want to thank you for this recipe. I tweek it a bit since i didn’t have the ingredients you suggested. So……I Used spelt flour and chopped up dried strawberries and shaved bittersweet chocolate and tahini.
Julianne Lynch
That actually sounds really delicious! so glad it worked out!
Chris
I made these cookies as written with the exception of no baking soda. The texture was good. They were too sweet for my tastes, so I will reduce the maple syrup next time. I did leave out the baking soda as I didn't see a baking reason for it since there was 1 teaspoon of baking powder in the recipe. I used a soft red wheat flour in place of hard white wheat that was linked, and they were very tender. Thank you for the nice recipe. We enjoyed the cookies.
Julianne Lynch
I'm glad you liked them! Reducing the maple syrup shouldn't be a problem.
tom cummings
can you use peanut butter instead of almond butter
Julianne Lynch
Sure! I don't like peanut butter (I know it's strange) so I prefer almond butter. But any kind of nut or seed butter will work here.
Jacque
This recipe sounds and looks delicious—except for the almond butter. Is the nut butter replacing oil/fat? If so, can I omit it and simply add more applesauce?
Thanks.
Julianne Lynch
Yes, the almond butter is adding a little flavor as well. But you could definitely skip it if you prefer. Wait until you've mixed all of the other ingredients to see if you even need more applesauce (you might not).