These vegan oatmeal raisin cookies are chewy on the inside with slightly crispy edges and a golden exterior. They're bursting with plump, juicy raisins and nutty rolled oats. There's no dairy or eggs in this recipe, and I promise you won't miss them!
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I say this all the time, but here we go again - I'm not sure where the myth began that you need dairy products to make great baked goods. You absolutely don't. Check out my peanut butter cookies or my popular Biscoff cookie recipes if you don't believe me. And, these vegan oatmeal raisin cookies are yet another great example.
💚Reasons You'll Love This Recipe
💚These vegan oatmeal raisin cookies are free from common allergens like dairy and eggs, so they're suitable for folks with specific dietary restrictions or allergies.
💚You can make these cookies in under 30 minutes with common ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry.
💚This is a great template recipe. Customize it to your heart's content. I've given you some suggestions below.
💚The combination of oats, raisins, and warm spices like cinnamon is so satisfying. And they smell like heaven while they're baking.
🛒Ingredients
- Rolled Oats: Rolled oats are the best option. Rolled oats have a softer, more tender texture compared to steel-cut oats. Rolled oats blend well with the other ingredients and contribute to making your cookies chewy. Steel-cut oats, on the other hand, have a coarser texture and may result in a gritty or less uniform texture.
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda: These are the leavening agents that will allow your cookies to rise.
- Cinnamon: Cinnamon adds a warm depth of flavor that gives you that classic oatmeal raisin flavor.
- Vanilla: Vanilla is used in most baked goods because it adds a real depth of flavor. Use the best quality vanilla you can afford.
- Coconut Oil: Coconut oil adds a rich, buttery flavor. It also acts as a solid fat at room temperature, helping to bind the ingredients together. You could use other solid fats like vegan butter or margarine. Keep in mind that the flavor and texture may be slightly different.
- Brown Sugar: The molasses content in brown sugar adds moisture that helps to keep your cookies soft and chewy.
- Maple Syrup: Maple syrup is a liquid sweetener that serves a two-fold purpose in this recipe. First of all, it's a great replacement for granulated sugar. Secondly, it contributes moisture to the cookies.
- Raisins: Obviously vegan oatmeal raisin cookies require raisins:) You could use sultanas or yellow raisins as well.
- Salt: Salt makes all the other flavors pop.
👩🏻🍳How To Make Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine the rolled oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon, and salt. Mix well to ensure the ingredients are evenly distributed.
- In another bowl, whisk together the melted coconut oil, brown sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla extract until well combined.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until a thick dough forms. Fold in the raisins and mix until they are evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- Take about 1 tablespoon of dough and roll it into a ball. If the dough is too dry and the balls won't hold together, add water 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough holds together. Place the ball onto the prepared baking sheet and gently flatten it with your hand or the back of a spoon. Repeat this process with the remaining dough, leaving about 2 inches of space between each cookie.
- Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown. The cookies will still be slightly soft in the center but will firm up as they cool.
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven and allow the cookies to cool for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
💡Recipe Variations
Feel free to mix and match these variations to create your own unique vegan oatmeal raisin cookie recipe. Remember to adjust the ingredient quantities to maintain a good cookie consistency. Happy baking!
- Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies:
- Replace the raisins with vegan chocolate chips for a classic chocolate chip oatmeal cookie flavor. You can use semi-sweet, dark, or even white chocolate chips. For information on which chocolate chips are vegan, see this post: Are Chocolate Chips Vegan?
- Nutty Oatmeal Cookies:
- Add chopped nuts such as walnuts, pecans, or almonds to the dough. Use about ½ cup of chopped nuts.
- Coconut Oatmeal Cookies:
- Incorporate shredded coconut into the dough to give your cookies a tropical twist. You can add ½ cup of unsweetened shredded coconut to the recipe.
- Spiced Oatmeal Cookies:
- Enhance the cinnamon flavor by adding other warm spices like nutmeg, cloves, or ginger. Start with ½ teaspoon of your chosen spice and adjust to taste.
- Fruit and Nut Oatmeal Cookies:
- Experiment with dried fruits like cranberries, cherries, or chopped dried strawberries along with your favorite nuts. You can use a combination of dried fruits and nuts, approximately ½ cup in total.
❄️Storage Instructions
Room Temperature Storage:
- Once the cookies have completely cooled, store them in an airtight container at room temperature. They can stay fresh for up to 5 days. Ensure the container is tightly sealed to prevent moisture from getting in and making the cookies stale.
Freezing:
- Freezing: If you want to store the cookies for a longer period, you can freeze them. Place the cooled cookies in a freezer-safe container or zip-top bag. You can separate layers of cookies with parchment paper to prevent them from sticking together. Frozen cookies can last for up to 3 months.
Thawing & Reheating:
- When you're ready to enjoy the frozen cookies, simply take them out of the freezer and let them thaw at room temperature. This usually takes around 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the size of the cookies. Once thawed, they should be just as delicious as when they were freshly baked.
- If you prefer warm cookies, you can reheat them after thawing. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C), place the cookies on a baking sheet, and warm them in the oven for about 5 minutes. Alternatively, you can warm them in a microwave for 10-15 seconds per cookie.
🙋♂️Frequently Asked Questions
Oatmeal raisin cookies can turn out hard if they're overbaked, lack sufficient moisture, have too much flour, or lack enough fat or oil. Additionally, insufficient leavening agents or improper cooling can contribute to their hardness. To ensure softer cookies, follow the recommended baking time, use the correct amount of wet ingredients, avoid excessive flour, incorporate enough fat or oil, include appropriate leavening agents, and cool them properly after baking.
Oatmeal raisin cookies can potentially contain gluten depending on the ingredients used. While oats themselves are naturally gluten-free, cross-contamination can occur during processing, so it's important to use certified gluten-free oats to ensure they are safe for those with gluten sensitivities. Additionally, if the recipe includes regular all-purpose flour or other gluten-containing ingredients, then the cookies would contain gluten unless specific gluten-free alternatives are used.
Craving More Easy Vegan Recipes?
Gluten free Chocolate Chip Cookies - Dairy Free
How To Make Box Mix Brownies Vegan
📖 Recipe
Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups rolled oats
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup coconut oil melted
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup raisins
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine the rolled oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon, and salt. Mix well to ensure the ingredients are evenly distributed.
- In another bowl, whisk together the melted coconut oil, brown sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla extract until well combined.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until a thick dough forms. Fold in the raisins and mix until they are evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- Take about 1 tablespoon of dough and roll it into a ball. If the dough is too dry and the balls won't hold together, add water 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough hold together. Place the ball onto the prepared baking sheet and gently flatten it with your hand or the back of a spoon. Repeat this process with the remaining dough, leaving about 2 inches of space between each cookie.
- Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown. The cookies will still be slightly soft in the center but will firm up as they cool.
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven and allow the cookies to cool for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Storage Instructions:
Room Temperature Storage:- Once the cookies have completely cooled, store them in an airtight container at room temperature. They can stay fresh for up to 5 days. Ensure the container is tightly sealed to prevent moisture from getting in and making the cookies stale.
- Freezing: If you want to store the cookies for a longer period, you can freeze them. Place the cooled cookies in a freezer-safe container or zip-top bag. You can separate layers of cookies with parchment paper to prevent them from sticking together. Frozen cookies can last for up to 3 months.
- When you're ready to enjoy the frozen cookies, simply take them out of the freezer and let them thaw at room temperature. This usually takes around 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the size of the cookies. Once thawed, they should be just as delicious as when they were freshly baked.
- If you prefer warm cookies, you can reheat them after thawing. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C), place the cookies on a baking sheet, and warm them in the oven for about 5 minutes. Alternatively, you can warm them in a microwave for 10-15 seconds per cookie.
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