Vegan Oatmeal Cookies

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Indulge in these vegan oatmeal cookies for an ultra-chewy, spiced, and satisfying treat. Made with ingredients like rolled oats, aromatic spices, and brown sugar, they’re a breeze to make and turn out flawlessly, even if you’re a cookie rookie! Enjoy one with a glass of plant milk for the ultimate afternoon snack.

❤️ Why you’ll love this recipe

• Effortless to make: Not stand mixers necessary! Just whisk everything by hand for the best results. Plus, this recipe only takes 20 minutes from start to finish!
• Tender and chewy: Dig into soft, chewy, richly-flavored cookies. Who said you need dairy products or eggs to make an incredible cookie recipe?
• Filled with warming spices: These vegan oatmeal cookies have a touch of warmth, thanks to the cinnamon and allspice infusion, making them great for the holidays!
• Versatile: It’s a snap to make this recipe gluten-free, incorporate different spices, or add mix-ins like chopped nuts, raisins, and chocolate chips.

If you love vegan oatmeal cookies, you should check out our vegan oatmeal raisin cookies, banana oatmeal cookies, vegan peanut butter cookies, and vegan ginger molasses cookies.

🍪 Chewy vegan oatmeal cookies

These easy vegan oatmeal cookies are one of our favorite recipes to demonstrate how effortless it is to bake with plant-based ingredients! Seriously, you can achieve the perfect texture and flavor that beats out dairy and egg-containing cookies any day of the week.

With just 10 simple ingredients, these oat-based cookies are ready to enjoy in 20 minutes or less. The end result is a stunning golden-brown cookie with a satisfyingly chewy, tender texture and subtly spiced flavor.

We love the addition of warming spices like cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and allspice, but you can just as easily omit them if they’re overpowering to you. While the cookies are still warm, we suggest pairing them with a tall glass of ice-cold soy or almond milk for the quintessential cookie-eating experience.

🌱 Are oatmeal cookies vegan?

Classic oatmeal cookies are made with butter, eggs, and sometimes milk, but we’ve made a few clever tweaks to recreate the texture and taste. Here are the ingredients we used:

• Flaxseed: Instead of eggs, substitute a “flax egg” to bind the cookies together. The fiber in ground flaxseed forms a gelatinous texture that emulates eggs.
• Vegan butter: With an abundance of vegan butter options available nowadays, it’s a cinch to swap vegan butter in recipes at a 1:1 ratio.

With these quick and easy changes, we guarantee you won’t taste the difference in vegan oatmeal cookies compared to traditional recipes.

🛒 Ingredients & substitutions

• Flaxseed: To achieve the proper gel-like consistency, your flaxseeds need to be ground. You can purchase pre-ground flaxseed meal or whole flaxseeds and grind them yourself. Look for either at bulk food stores for the best price. You can also use chia seeds as an alternative.
• All-purpose flour: Provides structure to the cookies, giving them a tender-yet-chewy texture. Try a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend for a gluten-free option.
• Old-fashioned rolled oats: Gives the cookies their characteristic texture and adds fiber. Quick oats will work in a pinch but may result in a softer cookie.
• Baking soda: Reacts with the acidity of the brown sugar, helping the cookies rise. If you only have baking powder, increase the amount by 3 times.
• Spices: Both cinnamon and allspice add warmth and depth of flavor. Feel free to play around with the spices. Some other classic options include nutmeg, cloves, or pumpkin pie spice instead.
• Salt: Don’t skip the salt for the best vegan oatmeal cookies! It brings out their sweetness and adds so much depth.
• Vegan butter: Adds richness and moisture. Our go-to is typically Earth Balance, but you can try Miyoko’s Creamery, Forager Project, Melt, etc. You can also try coconut oil or applesauce, though we haven’t tested the recipe this way.
• Brown sugar: Provides a caramel-like sweetness and contributes to the chewiness. Coconut sugar can also be used as a more natural option.
• Vanilla extract: Enhances the other flavors and adds depth. Make sure to use pure vanilla for the best results!

For a complete ingredient list and step-by-step guide, scroll down to our recipe card.

📝 How to make vegan oatmeal cookies

Step 1: Make the flax egg

Combine the ground flaxseed and water together in a bowl. Mix it until there are no clumps of flaxseed meal left, then set it aside to thicken while you prepare the other ingredients.

Step 2: Whisk the dry ingredients

Combine the flour, rolled oats, baking soda, spices, and salt in a mixing bowl. Give everything a good whisk to evenly distribute the spice and baking soda.

Step 3: Mix the wet ingredients

In a separate bowl, whisk the almost-melted vegan butter, brown sugar, and vanilla extract. Whisk it thoroughly to introduce a slight amount of air into the mixture, then add the flaxseed mixture and stir until it’s combined.

Step 4: Combine the ingredients

Working slowly, add the dry mixture to the wet mixture. Combine the wet and dry ingredients together with a spatula, being careful not to overmix.

Step 5: Scoop the cookies

Using a cookie scoop or spoon, drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets. The cookies will spread a little as they bake, so remember to leave some space between each one.

Step 6: Bake and cool

Bake the cookies in an oven set to 350 degrees F until the edges are lightly golden and the center is just set. Remove the pan from the oven and gently bang it on the countertop a couple of times.

Allow your vegan oatmeal cookies to cool for a few minutes on the pan before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Happy eating!

If you have questions about this easy vegan oatmeal cookie recipe, check out our FAQs or leave a comment down below!

🍫 What to serve with vegan oatmeal cookies

One of our favorite combinations is some warm vegan oatmeal cookies and a glass of plant milk. To branch out from this classic duo, test out some of these other ideas:

• Tea: Pair your cookies with a hot cup of Hokkaido milk tea, dirty chai latte, jasmine milk tea, or taro milk tea.
• Cream: Serve a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream on top, or make a vegan oatmeal cookie ice cream sandwich!
• Chocolate: Add a drizzle of melted dark chocolate on top for a bitter, sweet, and spicy combination.
• Fruit: For a healthy addition, serve your vegan oatmeal cookies with a side of fresh banana slices, strawberries, or raspberries.

🌡️ Storage & reheating

If you decide to whip up a double batch of vegan oatmeal cookies or want to store leftovers efficiently, follow these tips:

• Room temperature: Store vegan oatmeal cookies in an airtight container or jar at room temperature for up to 3 days.
• Fridge: For extended storage, transfer the cookies to the fridge for up to 1 week.
• Freezer: To freeze, simply add the cookies to a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 3 months. Just make sure they are fully cooled before storing.
• Reheating: If you prefer warm cookies (who doesn’t?), heat them in an oven at 300 degrees F for about 3-4 minutes or until warmed through.
• Prep ahead: You can prepare the dough in advance and store it in the fridge or freezer for the same amount of time as above. Roll and bake when you’re ready.

♻️ Variations

• Chocolate chips: Add dark or white chocolate chips for a sweeter version.
• Nuts and seeds: Mix in your favorite chopped nuts and seeds, like walnuts, almonds, pecans, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, or sesame seeds.
• Fruit: Stir in dried fruit, like raisins or cranberries. For a dedicated recipe, check out our vegan oatmeal raisin cookies.
• Coconut: Incorporate unsweetened coconut flakes for added texture and flavor.
• Nut butter: Try using almond or peanut butter in place of some vegan butter.
• More spice: Add a pinch of nutmeg, cloves, or pumpkin pie spice for more complex layers of flavors.
• Sweetener: Experiment with coconut sugar, date syrup, agave, or maple syrup instead of brown sugar for a different taste and texture.
• Chocolatey: Substitute some of the flour with cocoa powder to make chocolate vegan oatmeal cookies.

🧑‍🍳 Top tips

• Measure ingredients accurately: With baking, it’s essential to measure ingredients accurately. This ensures consistent results every time you make this recipe.
• Don’t overmix: Mix the dough just enough for the ingredients to come together. Otherwise, you’ll end up with a tough cookie texture.
• Leave some space: Space the cookies apart on the baking sheet so they have room to spread and bake evenly.
• Rotate the baking sheet: To ensure your cookies are evenly brown, you can rotate the cookie sheet at the halfway point of baking.
• Cool before transferring: Allow the cookies to cool for about 5 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring them to a wire rack. This gives them time to finish baking and setting.
• Use a cookie scoop: Use a cookie scoop for consistent sizing and even baking.

💬 FAQ

🍴 More vegan cookie recipes

If you enjoyed these easy vegan oatmeal cookies, take a peek at some more vegan cookie recipes like these:

• Tahini Cookies: The more grown-up cousin of classic peanut butter cookies.
• 2-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies: A quick and easy-to-make recipe when a sweet craving hits!
• Mexican Sprinkle Cookies: Sugar cookies topped with rainbow sprinkles.
• Cookie Monster Cookies: A fun recipe to get your kids involved in.