These simple vegan oatmeal cookies are soft and chewy, made with almond flour and sweetened with maple syrup.
Taking a bite of these chewy, sweet vegan oatmeal cookies is like taking a trip back in time. They are simple, chewy, buttery, and delicious! This is a classic cookie recipe like my vegan oatmeal raisin cookies, vegan snickerdoodles, and vegan chocolate chip cookies.
These cookies are made with all whole food plant-based ingredients and are gluten-free too!
They are a healthy-ish plant-based dessert without missing any of the sweet, chewy goodness of the original.
💗 Why You’ll Love These Vegan Oatmeal Cookies
Soft and Chewy: If you love soft and chewy cookies, these are for you! The almond flour and almond butter create a buttery texture without the need for butter.
Whole Food Plant-Based Ingredients: These cookies are made with all natural whole food ingredients allowing you to indulge in a sweet treat without compromising your diet.
Quick and Easy: This recipe is quite simple to make. All you need to do is mix the dry ingredients in one bowl, mix the wet ingredients in another, and then fold them together, chill, and bake!
Customizable: Add nuts, raisins, chocolate chips, pumpkin seeds, or whatever your heart desires! They’re completely customizable!
🥣 Ingredients and Notes
Gluten-Free Rolled Oats: Be sure to use rolled oats, not quick oats or steel cut oats.
Blanched Almond Flour: Using almond flour keeps these cookies gluten-free. If you don’t have almond flour, you can substitute all-purpose flour, but they will no longer be gluten-free.
Coconut Sugar: This unrefined sugar option makes these cookies healthier. If you don’t have coconut sugar, you can use brown sugar.
Baking Soda: Used as the leavening agent in these cookies.
Ground Cinnamon: Adds a hint of warm flavor to the cookies.
Raw Almond Butter: Raw almond butter tastes best with these cookies, although you can use roasted if you don’t have raw. This is used as a substitute for vegan butter.
Maple Syrup: A natural sweetener.
Plant-Based Milk: Use your preferred dairy-free milk. I like to use almond milk.
Pure Vanilla Extract: This helps enhance the cookies’ overall flavor.
📖 Variations and Substitutions
These vegan oatmeal cookies are extremely adaptable. You can stir in any of your favorite cookie fillers. Here are some of my favorites. These cookies taste amazing without anything added. Their soft and chewy texture on the inside and crunchy outside makes them the perfect cookie for any occasion. But if you’re feeling creative, consider adding these mix-ins.
- Raisins
- Coconut Flakes
- Chopped Pecans
- Walnuts
- Almond Slivers
- Dark Chocolate Chips
- Dried Cranberries
- Pumpkin Seeds
👩🏻🍳 How to Make Vegan Oatmeal Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line the cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Mix the almond flour, rolled oats, coconut sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl.
- Mix the almond butter, maple syrup, almond milk, and vanilla in a large bowl. The batter will be wet and sticky. This is normal.
- Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. The dough will be sticky.
- Refrigerate the dough mixture for a minimum of 30 minutes.
- Use a cookie scoop to spoon the batter onto the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Allow them to sit on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
📝 Expert Tips
- 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 lets you easily release them from the sheet without 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, or reduce the overall sugar.
- Customize with your favorite cookie mix-ins.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
- When the cookies first come out of the oven, they are delicate. They will firm up as they cool.
❓ FAQS
As a rule, oatmeal cookies are not necessarily healthier than regular cookies. They have oats, which have more fiber, but typical recipes have lots of sugar and butter. However, these vegan oatmeal cookies use all-natural, plant-based ingredients and are low in sugar and fat, making them a healthier option than typical recipes.
Using vegan substitutes such as vegan butter and a flax egg is one way to turn a typical cookie recipe into a vegan one. Most of the other ingredients in cookies, such as sugar, oats, flour, and spices, are already vegan.
A form of flour is necessary, but gluten-free flour can be used instead of all-purpose flour. There are many gluten-free flour varieties, each with a different use in baking. The best cookies that are similar to regular cookies use a combination of gluten-free flour to achieve the best texture.
🍽 Serving Suggestions
- Serve these cookies with a glass of almond milk.
- Enjoy with a warm almond milk latte or oat milk hot chocolate.
- Crumble a cookie on top of a scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream.
- Make an ice cream sandwich with two cookies and a scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream.
- Prepare these cookies as a snack or a healthy treat.
⚖️ Serving Size
One cookie is considered one serving.
🫙 Storage
Room Temperature: Store at room temperature in an airtight container. Cookies will last for up to 7 days.
Refrigerate: After seven days, transfer any leftover cookies to the refrigerator. They will keep for another 7-14 days.
Freezer: Allow the cookies to cool completely. Transfer to a freezer-safe container. They will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Defrost: Transfer cookies to the countertop and allow them to thaw for an hour before serving.
😋 More Vegan Cookie Recipes!
🎥 Video
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 the 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. The dough will be very sticky.
- Refrigerate the cookie dough for a minimum of 30 minutes
- Scoop about 2 tablespoons of cookie dough onto the baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between each round of cookie dough.
- Bake for 10 minutes until golden brown.
- Allow the baked cookies to rest on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Make sure the 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 lets you easily release them from the sheet without sticking them.
- The dough should be wet and sticky. Almond butter can have a different consistency from one to another. I use almond butter on the runny side, which helps with a flat, crispy cookie. Flatten the cookie with your palm if your almond butter is thick to avoid having a cookie mound.
- The cookies will keep at room temperature for one week, in the fridge for two weeks, or in the freezer for three months. Defrost the frozen cookies on the countertop for one hour before serving.
Melody
I don’t see anywhere in this recipe almond butter just almond flour !
Can I use oat flour allergic to nuts and seeds
Alison Corey
Raw almond butter is listed in the ingredients. It is added with the wet ingredients. If you are allergic to nuts I suggest using sunflower seed butter as a substitute, and oat flour. Although, I have never made these cookies with those ingredients so I can’t confirm that it will work.
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!