These simple vegan oatmeal cookies are soft and chewy made with almond flour and sweetened with maple syrup. They’re a whole food plant-based gluten-free version of the classic cookie but they aren’t missing any of the sweet goodness of the original.
Taking a bite of these chewy sweet vegan oatmeal cookies is like taking a trip back in time. There was nothing I loved more than spending a weekend baking cookies in the kitchen with my mom.
Oatmeal raison cookies along with snickerdoodles were our favorites. They were simple, chewy, buttery and delicious.
When I take a bite of an oatmeal cookie there is a little part of me that’s thinking, “This has to be healthy!
It’s an oatmeal cookie, after all.” Don’t tell me the thought hasn’t ever crossed your mind.
With these vegan oatmeal cookies, it’s actually kinda true! They’re made with all whole food plant-based ingredients, and they’re gluten-free too!
These cookies remind me of the Betty Crocker ones I made with my mom, only they’ve gotten a vegan, gluten-free, and healthy plant-based dessert make-over. But they aren’t missing any of the sweet chewy goodness of the original.
Why You’ll Love these Vegan Oatmeal Cookies…
- Crispy on the outside
- Chewy on the inside
- Whole Food Plant-Based Ingredients
- All Natural
- No Oil
- Gluten-Free
- Quick and easy recipe
- Sweet and Indulgent
- A healthy take on the original without any loss of taste or texture
- Add nuts, raisins, chocolate chips, pumpkin seeds, or whatever your heart desires! They’re completely customizable!
Ingredients You’ll Need for Vegan Oatmeal Cookies
- 1 ½ cup gluten-free rolled oats
- 1 cup blanched almond flour
- ⅓ cup coconut or date sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ cup raw almond butter
- ⅓ cup organic maple syrup
- ½ cup unsweetened almond milk
- 2 teaspoon organic pure vanilla
Raw almond butter tastes best with these cookies, although if you don’t have raw you can use roasted.
The raw almond butter acts as the oil and binder in these cookies and also gives it a great chewiness.
Different almond butters can have varying consistencies. The type I use is on the runny side. This helps to get a flat crispy cookie.
If you live near a Trader Joe’s you can find raw almond butter at a reasonable price there.
If not, I like this raw almond butter you can get from Amazon or other health food stores.
Tools You’ll Need
Don’t skimp on the parchment paper! These cookies create a sticky dough. The parchment paper helps to easily remove the cookies from the tray to cool.
How to Make Vegan Oatmeal Cookies – Step by Step
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. In a medium bowl mix together the almond flour, rolled oats, coconut sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
Step 2: In a large bowl mix together the almond butter, maple syrup, almond milk, and vanilla. Batter will be wet and sticky. This is normal.
Step 3: Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Dough will be sticky.
Step 4: Using a tablespoon cookie scoop measure 1 tablespoon of dough and place on parchment lined cookie sheets about 2 inches apart.
Step 5: Bake for 10 minutes until golden brown. Allow to sit on cookie sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Tips for Making Vegan Oatmeal Cookies
- Make sure oven is preheated to 350 F.
- Use rolled oats. To ensure they’re gluten-free get oats that are certified gluten-free.
- Use parchment paper to line your cookie sheet. These cookies are sticky and the parchment paper allows you to easily release the cookies from the sheet without them sticking.
- Use raw almond butter that is runny rather than thick so that the cookies bake flat and crispy.
- Eliminate the coconut sugar for a less sweet taste, and reduce the overall sugar.
- Customize with your favorite cookie mix-ins.
- Allow cookies to first cool on the cookie sheet.
- When the cookies first come out of the oven they are delicate. They will firm up as they cool.
Variations
These vegan oatmeal cookies are extremely adaptable. You can stir in any of your favorite cookie fillers. Here are some of my favorites.
- Raisins
- Chopped Pecans
- Chocolate Chips
- Dried Cranberries
- Pumpkin Seeds
You can rifle through your pantry and find something to stir in, or make them plain and simple.
They taste amazing without anything added to them at all. Their soft and chewy texture on the inside, and crunchy outside makes them the perfect cookie for any occasion.
How to Store and Keep
Store at room temperature in an air tight container. Cookies will last for up to 7 days.
Are these vegan oatmeal cookies really healthy?
- All Natural Ingredients-These cookies use all natural whole food plant-based ingredients. You can feel good about creating a delicious cookie with unprocessed ingredients.
- Low Sugar-These cookies are also relatively low in sugar with less than 5 grams of sugar per cookie. You can also reduce the total sugars in this cookie by reducing the coconut sugar or eliminating it all together.
Check-out these other healthy vegan cookies!
- Vegan Cranberry Cookies
- Gluten-Free Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies
- Vegan Shortbread Cookies
- No-Bake Vegan Snowball Cookies
- Dairy Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Vegan Snickerdoodles
- Chickpea Cookies
- Salted Tahini Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies by Beaming Baker
If you’ve tried my Vegan Oatmeal Cookies, please rate the recipe and let me know how they turned out. You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest for more vegan plant-based family recipes your whole family will enjoy!
Recipe
Vegan Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups rolled oats gluten-free
- 1 cup blanched almond flour
- ⅓ cup coconut sugar or date sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ cup raw almond butter
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- ½ cup unsweetened almond milk
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. In a medium bowl mix together the rolled oats, almond flour, coconut sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
- In a large bowl mix together the almond butter, maple syrup, almond milk, and vanilla.
- Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Dough will be very sticky.
- Using a cookie scoop measure out 1 tablespoon of dough and place on parchment lined cookie sheets about 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 10 minutes until golden brown. Allow to sit on cookie sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Video
Notes
- Make sure oven is preheated to 350 F.
- Use rolled oats. To ensure they’re gluten-free get oats that are certified gluten-free.
- Use parchment paper to line your cookie sheet. These cookies are sticky and the parchment paper allows you to easily release the cookies from the sheet without them sticking.
- Dough should be wet and sticky. Almond butter can have a different consistency from one to another. The almond butter I use is on the runny side which helps with a flat crispy cookie. If your almond butter is thick, flatten the cookie with your palm to get avoid having a cookie mound.
Arbella
Great recipe – thank you! I found that my batch took about 30 minutes to bake. I’m not sure if I made them too big but I did use a table spoon to measure. Regardless, the cookies were delish! I’ll definitely be making more.
Luis Farace
Hi, Alison!
Can i freeze them?
xx
Tks!
Alison Corey
Yes, you can freeze them! Wrap in saran wrap, and place in a freezer safe bag. They should keep for a couple of months!
Uzoma
What can I use to substitute the almond butter? I don’t have any on hand 🙁
Alison Corey
You could use a different type of nut butter. I suggest cashew butter.
S
I’m just exploring the world of veganism and happy to see there are still yummy treats to be had 🙂
I too did not get flat crispy cookies. I doubled this batch so I had a few trays of cookies to experiment with.
My second tray I flattened with a fork, third tray I squished flat between my palms (slightly wet!).
This last method got the closest to a flat crispy cookies. All in all a delicious cookie and amazing it’s vegan!
Also, I was ab bit surprised to see the calorie count on these! I think the numbers might be a bit off…
For 24 cookies my numbers worked out to about 100 cals per cookie.. and I didn’t add any coconut sugar.
Just a thought to double check that so that no one eats the whole batch thinking it’s low calorie…. cause I might have 😉
Thanks again for the sweet treat!
Alison Corey
Thank you for your kind words and your observations! You were right! The calorie count was off. I recalculated and made the adjustment in the recipe card. I think one reason why the cookies might not be flattening during baking is that the consistency of the batter must not be coming out wet and sticky. If you use an almond butter that is thick you can end up getting cookies that bake in a mound. If you use a runnier almond butter it acts more as an oil or a butter that allows the cookies to melt in the oven.
Mary
I’m not understanding how your cookies turned out flat, as the recipe does not say to flatten them before baking. Mine baked in a mound due to going into the oven from a cookie scoop. So, of course they are not ‘crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside’. Did you flatten yours before you put them in the oven? I just found your site today and I’m super excited as we have been whole food plant-based for a few years. Our doctor is also a whole food plant-based, and seeing that you work at the mayo clinic is a bonus! Thanks for all you do and for these wonderful recipes.
Alison Corey
I do not flatten my cookies before putting them in the oven. They always melt and become round and crispy. I’m wondering if you’re baking at a different elevation. I know that can often have an affect on the end result.
Jackie
I made these today. My daughter and I loved them! We added vegan chocolate chips. So good! How do you store them? Room temperature or fridge? Thanks!
Alison Corey
I’m so glad that you and your daughter had fun making these cookies! I store them in an air tight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Or you can transfer to the refrigerator if you’d like them to last longer.
Dena
These cookies are delicious. My grandson loves them! Mine didn’t come out flat but I supposed it is due to the walnuts and raisins. Will definitely be a family favorite.
Alison Corey
I’m so glad you like them! Adding the walnuts and raisins sounds delicious! I think I’m going to try that next time I make them!
Michelle
How much coconut sugar? It doesn’t say. Thank yoi
Alison Corey
It’s 1/3 cup of coconut sugar.
Michelle
Yay, Thank you!! Why do I not see that? I swear I looked several times before I sent original message…? Thank you.
Alison Corey
It was in the post, but not in the card. I fixed it! Thank you for brining it to my attention!
Mary
Chewy and comforting and everything you want in a cookie!
Neha
How chewy and inviting these cookies look! Loving how these don’t contain any refined flour and sugars.
Demeter
I need these in my life ASAP!! luckily I have everything to make them right now so off to the kitchen I go.
Dannii
I love oat cookies and this looks like a great vegan option.
Angela Allison
Love oatmeal cookies! These look so chewy and delicious. Can’t wait to try them out. Thanks so much for sharing!