Made with sweet raisins and rolled oats, you can leave your guilt behind with these vegan oatmeal raisin cookies! There are just a few key ingredients and less than ten steps needed to make this vegan cookie recipe, making them an easy dessert to whip up anytime. Whether you enjoy them for snack or breakfast, it will not be long before you need a second batch!
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There is something about adding oatmeal to sweet cookie batter that makes an irresistible combination that will make you want to go back for more. For this reason, I have several other oatmeal-based cookies that you will also want to try. Be sure to try my vegan oatmeal chocolate chip cookies and banana peanut butter oatmeal cookies. Or, if you prefer the traditional cookie, try my vegan chocolate chip cookies!
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❤️ Why you’ll love it
Oatmeal raisin cookies are a classic crowd-pleaser, and this vegan version is no exception! I love this recipe because it is easy to make and has soft rolled oats and sweet raisins that take the guilt out of eating cookies. They also have the most wonderful texture, with a crunchy outside and a chewy inside that your teeth will sink into.
This easy vegan oatmeal cookie recipe does not require any special ingredients to make. Much of what you need may already be in your pantry. Likewise, you will not need any special equipment outside the basics you already use for baking.
These vegan cookies are a tried and true crowd-pleaser among my family and friends, and they will surely be for yours as well. It may be the best vegan oatmeal cookie recipe you have ever tried!
🧾 Key ingredients
Oatmeal and raisins – I recommend using rolled oats versus quick oats or steel-cut oats. If you need this recipe to be gluten-free, choose a GF brand.
Sugar – This recipe requires a mixture of dark brown and white brown sugar, which will give sweetness to the cookies. I have tested this recipe using white cane sugar and turbinado sugar as a substitute for brown sugar and found that both work just as well.
I use apple sauce as a vegan egg substitute in this recipe. More specifically, unsweetened apple sauce to avoid increasing the sugar levels in the cookies.
Vanilla extract and cinnamon help add to the delicious flavor of the cookies. While the cinnamon is optional, I highly recommend it!
Flour – I use all-purpose flour to make my cookies. I have also tested it using a gluten-free flour blend and found that it works just as well.
🛒 You can find detailed measurements for all ingredients in the printable version of the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
🥘 Equipment
An electric hand mixer or stand mixer makes combining the ingredients much easier than mixing them by hand! It is also more thorough like that.
Silicone baking sheets are nonstick, easy to clean, and help to distribute the heat more evenly. You can use parchment paper if you do not have one.
Ice cream scoop will help create round, evenly-sized cookies.
Wooden spatula – I recommend using the hand-crafted olive wooden spatula from Forest Decor for folding the ingredients.
👩🍳 Instructions
Making vegan oatmeal raisin cookies
STEP 1
Combine the oil, sugars, apple sauce, and vanilla extract in a large bowl and beat using a hand mixer or electric mixer on low speed. Mix the ingredients for a couple of minutes until they are well-emulsified.
STEP 2
Add the dry ingredients (i.e., flour, rolled oats, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda) and stir until completely incorporated. The mixture should be thick but still soft. If it is too stiff, you can add 1-2 tablespoons of dairy-free milk (i.e., oat milk, almond milk, coconut milk, or soy milk) to loosen it up.
STEP 3
Fold in the raisins with a spatula. Then, cover the dough and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to prevent it from spreading.
STEP 4
Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C. Line a baking tray with a silicon baking sheet or parchment paper. Use an ice cream or cookie scoop to scoop two tablespoons of dough. Roll the dough into balls and place them on the lined baking tray, leaving 2-3 inches between each.
Leave the dough as-is if you want soft, pillowy cookies. If you prefer thin, chewy cookies, use a small glass to flatten them until they are one-inch thick max.
STEP 5
Bake the cookies for 8-12 minutes until the edges turn barely golden brown. Keep in mind that the baking time can vary depending on your oven. I need 12 minutes in my non-fan oven before they reach the perfect color and texture.
STEP 6
Remove the cookies from the oven. Let them cool on the tray for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire cooling rack. The cookies will puff up more in the oven but slightly collapse as they cool down.
💡 Expert tip
If you want perfect oatmeal raisin cookies that are just as delicious as the ones you would buy from a bakery, it is essential to use precise measurements. I recommend using a digital scale to weigh the ingredients accurately. Estimating the ingredients with a scooper can cause incorrect measurements that affect the texture and appearance of the cookies.
🔄 Variations
These vegan oatmeal raisin cookies are versatile, with many ways to customize them to your taste. You can add chocolate chips as I do in my oatmeal choco chip cookies or add extra crunch and protein by adding crushed almonds.
You can add a swirl of homemade peanut butter or chopped walnuts and pecans. Or grab some sunflower or pumpkin seeds instead if you have some. Oatmeal and raisin go great with a lot of add-ins.
You can also decorate your cookies for special occasions by adding food coloring or colorful candies to the batter, as I do in my colorful Funfetti, easy vegan Halloween cookie, and festive Christmas cookie recipes!
❄️ Storing tips
To store: The cookies will last for 1-2 days at room temperature. Afterward, moving them to the refrigerator is best to maintain their freshness. To keep them soft and chewy store them in an airtight container to keep them fresh, soft, and chewy.
To freeze: After the cookies have cooled to room temperature, place them in a freezer or an airtight container and put them in the freezer. You can stack them if necessary– the cookies will not stick together. Thaw at room temperature.
🤔 FAQs
I typically recommend chilling the cookie dough slightly to prevent it from spreading. However, I have tested it at room temperature as well as for an extended time and did not see a difference in the result.
While you can use rolled oats (also known as old-fashioned oats), steel-cut oats, or quick oats for cookies, I prefer rolled oats as they absorb water and look deliciously rustic.
More vegan cookie recipes
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Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup Vegetable oil I used sunflower
- ¾ cup Dark brown sugar
- ½ cup Granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup Apple sauce unsweetened
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- ½ tsp Cinnamon optional, but recommended
- 2 cups All-purpose flour or GF flour blend
- 1+½ cup Rolled oats
- 1 tsp Baking soda
- ½ tsp Salt
- 1 +½ cups Raisins
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine oil, sugars, apple sauce, and vanilla. Use a hand mixer to beat together on low speed for 2 minutes until well emulsified.
- Stir in the flour, oatmeal, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda until completely incorporated. The mixture should be very thick but still soft. If too stiff, add 1-2 Tablespoons of non-dairy milk.
- Fold in the raisins.
- Cover and allow to chill for at least 30 minutes to prevent spreading.
- Preheat oven to 375°F/190C. Line baking sheets with parchment.
- Scoop 2 Tbsp amounts of dough. Roll into balls and place 2-3 inches apart on a lined baking sheet.
- If you want pillowy, soft cookies, don't flatten them. If you want chewy, thinner ones, flatten them with a small glass, at most 1 inch thick.
- Bake for 8-12 minutes until just barely golden brown around the edges. I need 12 minutes in my non-fan oven to get them perfect.
- Remove from the oven and cool them on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes before moving to a cooling rack. Cookies will puff up more in the oven and collapse slightly as they cool.
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