Naturally sweetened with maple syrup, cinnamon spiked Vegan Oatmeal Cookies are soft and chewy, ready in under 30 minutes! Made with applesauce for an eggless cookie, toss in raisins or chocolate chips for the ultimate customization, This cookie recipe is easily made gluten free with gluten free oats and almond flour. [ watch VIDEO on recipe card below ] | Disclosure: This post is brought to you by Bob’s Red Mill.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Recipe Review: “…It is my new favourite recipe. It’s hard to find vegan cookies that are both healthy and delicious at the same in stores. Definitely recommend and giving is 10 stars out of 5.” ~ Elle
Soft and Earthy Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
They’re a reader favorite! The V&B commuity is loving these oatmeal cookies. We gotta have naturally sweetened options anyway for that pesky sweet tooth. We love em’ for a grab and go breakfast cookie or snack.
This Recipe Is
- easy to make with bowl and spoon
- freezer friendly
- gluten free or not
If you love to make homemade cookies, you’ll enjoy these super easy and delicious cookies!
Start with Quality Ingredients
Made in partnership with Bob’s Red Mill, I’m excited to share ingredients with the Vanilla And Bean community from a brand I trust for high quality pantry staples. Bob’s Red Mill offers a wide array of baking flours, whole grain and gluten free options nationwide.
Bob’s Organic Old Fashioned Rolled Oats and Almond Flour offer earthy flavor, and soft texture in these chewy cookies. Oats and almond flour are naturally gluten free, but to ensure they maintain their gluten free integrity, Bob’s Red Mill handles them with care in their dedicated gluten free facility and batch tests to ensure gluten free status.
About the Key Ingredients
- Raisins: look for Thompson raisins in the bulk bins for best value. If you have raisins on hand, and if they’re been in the pantry forever like mine, they’ll be dry. Soak them in hot water before mixing into the batter to plump them up!
- You can opt to omit the raisins in favor or chocolate! Use your favorite chocolate chips. The darker the chocolate, the less sweet the cookie will be. I like to use 60-72%.
- Almond Flour: I use Bob’s Red Mill Super Fine Almond Flour. It adds nutty flavor and a tender texture to these cookies. And, by the way, it’s gluten free!
- Oat Flour: You can DIY oat flour easily. I have a How to Make Oat Flour tutorial if needed.
- Old Fashioned Rolled Oats (gluten free if needed): Bob’s Red Mill Organic Old Fashioned Rolled Oats – my choice an earthy flavor, pure and delicious. For gluten free oatmeal cookies, choose Bob’s gluten free rolled oats and almond flour.
At a Glance: How to Make Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Just one bowl, a whisk, spoon, a few baking sheets, parchment paper and a cookie scoop are the only tools you need. There’s no resting or refrigerating the cookies, so they can be whipped up when cravings strike!
- First, let the raisins soak in hot water to plump em’ up!
- Second, whisk the maple syrup, almond butter, apple sauce, and vanilla.
- Next, add the oat flour, rolled oats, almond flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.
- Last, mix throughly, add the raisins (or chocolate), mix again, scoop and bake.
Cool then enjoy! These cookies will last up to a week stored at room temperature or they an be frozen so you don’t devour them all in one setting! They become even softer as they set.
*Makers Notes*
I love reading all your tips and adaptations for these tasty cookies. I’m amazed at how versatile they are! Thank you for sharing.
Many thanks to Hope and others who shared their tip about using gloppy/runny almond butter and how to thicken the cookie dough (see recipe notes). Here are a few highlights from the comment section:
- Alexandra said: “I opted for cranberries instead of raisins.”
- Cassandra said: “…did not have almond flour and… so I used Bob’s whole wheat pastry flour. I couldn’t believe how easy and how delicious they are.”
- Laura said: “I used half the batter to make the raisin variation and the other half to make the chocolate chip. Both were equally delicious! One substitution: I switched 1/3 cup applesauce for 1/3 cup of mashed banana, since that is what I had on hand. It was delightful”
Traci’s Tips
- Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies: Chocolate Fans, I gotchu! Omit the raisins and, for the best texture and flavor, use two different types of chocolate; chunk and chip. You’ll need a dark chocolate bar – go for 70%-80% dark and semi sweet chocolate chips (look for dairy free chips).
- Refrigerator Rest: No need to. Scoop and bake!
For more recipes using Bob’s Red Mill Organic Rolled Oats and so many other fabulous ingredients, head to their website!
Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookies (Easily Gluten Free)
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (105 grams) Raisins *see notes for chocolate chunk/chips
- 3/4 cup (230 grams) Pure Maple Syrup room temperature
- 1/2 cup (130 grams) Smooth Almond Butter no stir or fresh ground almond butter with no additives at room temperature (**see note if using gloppy/runny almond butter)
- 1/3 cup (70 grams) Unsweetened Apple Sauce room temperature
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1/2 cup (65 grams) Super Fine Almond Flour I use Bob’s Red Mill
- 1/2 cup (55 grams) Oat Flour I use homemade, linked here
- 1 3/4 cups (165 grams) Old Fashioned Rolled Oats I use Bob's Red Mill
- 1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon ground
- 1/2 teaspoon Fine Sea Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
Instructions
- Set oven rack to center of the oven and preheat oven to 350F (180C). Line two sheet pans with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a small mixing bowl, add the raisins. If the raisins are dry, pour boiling water over them until they're just covered. Allow to set, to plump up, while you prepare the remaining ingredients. Drain and press out the any remaining water before mixing the raisins into the dough.
- In a large mixing bowl whisk the maple syrup, almond butter, apple sauce, and vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth and emulsified. To the wet ingredients, add the almond flour, oat flour, rolled oats, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda. Stir for one minute, vigorously, to incorporate the ingredients. Fold in the raisins. The batter should be thick.
- Using a #50 ice cream scoop (or heaped Tablespoon), scoop the cookies and place them on the prepared sheet pans in 4×5 rows, about 1 1/2 inches apart. The cookies should hold in scoop form when placed on the sheet pan. If not, see notes**. Bake in a preheated oven for 13-15 minutes, or until golden on the bottom and top.
- Remove from oven and allow cookies to rest on the sheet pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- To Store: Store cookies at room temperature in a lidded container, stacked between sheets of parchment for up to a week (otherwise they stick together). The cookies will soften further as they set.
Made these today and they were delicious! Chewy and a great texture and not too sweet! I had the gloopy almond buttet so I just added a bit less than the recipe suggested and that worked well. I made these cookies bigger and made 22 cookies and baked them for an extra 5 minutes. Ive made many vegan gf cookies that dont turn out so im very happy with this recipe. Thanks!
Hiii Sarah! Oh my gosh… best review ever! SO happy you’re enjoying the cookies. Thank you for your five star review and giving the cookies a go! Hooray!
I have made these three times now and they came out incredibly delicious! I forgot to add in the oat flour one of the times I baked it and they still turned out great!!! I can’t believe these delicious cookies are healthy- ish. I just love live them I could eat countless cookies in one sitting 😋. Thank you so much for sharing this. It is my new favourite recipe. It’s hard to find vegan cookies that are both healthy and delicious at the same in stores. Definitely recommend and giving is 10 stars out of 5.
Hooray for 10 stars, Elle! Thank you for your note and giving these little tasty morsels a go. SO happy they’re turned out, even without the oat flour :o !!
I just made these. I even learnt how to make my own hazelnut butter aswell from the millions of nut bag I have in my pantry. Thank you so much for sharing the recipe. As a vegan it is so hard to find something healthy in stores (well here in the North of Sweden that is). The fact that these were healthy just made it so much more satisfying. I can’t thank you enough. I followed the recipe to a T and it was just so tasty.
Hiii Elle! Thank you SO much for your note and for giving the cookies a go. Amazing with homemade hazelnut butter! SO happy you’re enjoying the cookies!
TY Traci! Tried and as I have found with all V&B recipes, this was a great success. Making these for a friend whose diet is egg/gluten/dairy/peanut-free. I did add some ginger and nutmeg and a light sprinkle of cloves to the cinnamon and found that to be a subtle but nice addition.
Hooray! Super happy to read your note Bern! Thank you for sharing your tips with us. Ginger and nutmeg and cloves sound amazing! Lucky friend :D
Is there a way to store these cookies so they stay dry? When we put them in a Tupperware container they tend to build moisture.
Hi Tracey! These cookies do soften as they set. You can try storing them with a small bowl pinch bowl of rice or you can freeze them after they’ve completely cooled then set at room temperature to defrost as needed. I hope this helps and you enjoyed the cookies!
Oooo love this recipe! The flavor of these are so good and they really do feel like they could be a great snack or breakfast, not just dessert. I swapped half of the rolled oats for quick oats, and half of the almond butter for peanut butter. I also reduced the maple syrup just slightly and increased the cinnamon to 1 tsp. I will definitely be making these again!!
Hi Madeline! Thank you for your note, sharing your tips and five star rating. Super happy to hear! Love that PB addition :D ! Yes to breakfast or snack – I love how versatile these cookies are.
We LOVE these cookies and make them at least 2-3 times per month. Each time, we change it up with the mix-ins: raisins, dark chocolate, dried cranberries, dried cherries, pumpkin seeds… They always turn out wonderfully! We have had the same issue with runny batter because our almond butter is not dry enough but have found just amping up the dry ingredients (a couple more spoonfuls of each – oat flour, oats, almond flour) creates the perfect texture cookie. Our gluten free, egg free, dairy free allergy household thanks you! These are incredible
Hiii Hope! Hooray! Thank you for your note, giving the recipe a go and sharing your tips! SO happy to hear (!!).
I originally made this recipe for a friend who is vegan and gluten intolerant. For a meat eating, gluten lover, I did not have high hopes but figured he would like them. Imagine my surprise when I discovered they are so incredibly delicious. I adjusted the recipe a bit because after a few days, the cookies were falling apart (still delicious but crumbling). I increased the oat flour to 3/4 cup and decreased the oatmeal to 1-1/2 cups. That did the trick. These are absolutely my favorite cookies and they are so easy and quick to make.
Hii Cathie! Thank you for your note, sharing your tips and giving the recipe a go! I’m thrilled to hear you’re enjoying the cookies :D
These cookies are delicious! For those of us who are GF but not vegan, I tried the recipe with an egg instead of the applesauce. It came out wonderfully. I also omitted both raisins and chocolate chips and the cookies were still delicious.
Hiii Molly! SO happy the cookies were fabulous for you! Thank you for your note and sharing your egg tip. I know this will be helpful to others :D
Hi Traci! Thank you for this delicious recipe! I just made them and they are amazing! I used half the batter to make the raisin variation and the other half to make the chocolate chip. Both were equally delicious! One substitution: I switched 1/3 cup applesauce for 1/3 cup of mashed banana, since that is what I had on hand. It was delightful!
Hi Laura! I”m SO happy to hear you’re enjoying the coookies! Thank you for your note and sharing that banana sub!
Thanks so much for this recipe. We did the raisin with dried Tart Cherries. It was a fun twist and it went so well. I threw the littlest bit of chia in at the end as I had binding concerns. One or two fell apart a little, but I think it has to do I was using a tablespoon to measure out and trying to add dough together might have compromised it. I loved your suggestions on baking and learning the degree of the oven. I’m looking forward to investigating that further. I cut just a smidge of the maple syrup and they were still plenty sweet. I made my own Almond flour in the Vitamix. I would love to know how long you do it to make flour. Mine turned out mostly, but I got a smidge of almond butter doing it. I also made the oat flour using Bob’s Red Mill oats in an old coffee grinder. I am completely happy making flour with his oats in the old coffee grinder. My spouse just had some upon waking and felt spoiled. And during a pandemic, cooking matters. Peace to all who read this. We will get through.
Hi Elaine! Thank you for your note and giving the recipe a go! So happy to hear you enjoyed it – I love the tart cherries! I’ve not made almond flour, but my friend at FoolProof Living has a How to Make Almond Flour tutorial – very through post! Yes to cooking and thank you for your encouraging words. Peace to you as well.
hi! would it be okay if i substituted peanut butter for almond butter?
Hi there… I’ve not tried that substitution. Please let us know if you give it a go!
Hi RG! I’m sorry you’re having trouble. Have you tried clearing the cookies on your browser? I attempted to email you with the email you left, but it bounced. I’m attempting to email a PDF to you of the recipe.
I split the batch and made half chocolate chip and half raisin. The almond butter I used was firm and not oily. The dough was totally scoopable, but these cookies are NOT baking or firming up at all. They’ve been in the oven for going on 25 minutes and they’re just hot scoops of dough : (
Hi Candice. I’m so sorry to hear the recipe didn’t work for you. It sounds like your oven isn’t getting hot enough. Do you have an oven thermometer to check the temperature of the oven?
Love these cookies, one of my favorite healthy vegan cookies and easy to make
So happy to hear Terese! Thank you so much for your note and rating! :D
I substituted apple butter for applesauce
Do you think using one all-purpose gluten free flour would work in place of Almond flour and oat flour? I’m trying to make nut-free and gluten free.
Hi Lacey! Although I’ve not tried it, you can certainly give it a go. I’m sorry I can’t be of more help.
Can I use steel cut oats to make the oat flour?
Hi Traci! Good question… I’m not sure since I’ve not tried it. If you give it a go, please let us know how it goes!
When i made them first time, they were gone in a day. I have made them several times since then and always loved by every one. I did replace raisins with cranberry that I wash before using them to remove the sugar. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe.
Look forward to trying other recipes.
So happy to hear Neenu! The cranberries sound lovely! Thank you for coming back and leaving a note!
could i use double the oat flour? i don’t have almond flour on hand. wanting to make these today!! thank you
Hi Arie! Although I’ve not tried it, you could certainly give it a go. Please let us know how it goes if you do!
Can I use a granulated sweetener in lieu of the maple syrup? Trying for lower carb for diabetics.
Hi Lorka… I’m not sure. If you give it a go, please let us know how it turns out!
Yummy! I used sunflower kernel oil because that’s what I already had in the Pantry. They turned out awesome the while family likes them!
Oops too early in the morning I meant sunflower butter 😉
Hi Amber! Thank you for coming back, leaving a note and sharing your adaptation. So happy to hear you and your family are enjoying the cookies! Hooray!
HI!
I really want to make these but I am waiting for the GF oat flour and I am allergic to almonds. Can I cub out both flours for coconut flour? Can you advise as to what else I would need to add/change. I am also planning to use tahini instead of almond butter. Or, should I just wait until the oat flour comes… and then how do I sub the coconut instead of almond flour?
Thanks! Excited to try this!!!
Hi Becky! Thank you for your note. I think tahini would be delicious! If your cookies seem too soft or are not holding their shape when you scoop them, add a bit more oat flour, 2 Tbs at a time to firm the cookies up. As far as coconut flour, I’ve never worked with it, but I’ve read unless you’re willing to experiment, coconut flour is not a 1:1 sub for other gluten free flours (and that goes for gluten free flours in general). So, I would wait for that oat flour unless you want to play with the ingredients! I hope this helps, and you enjoy the cookies! Please let us know how it goes!
I read that you can replace other flours with 20% coconut flour, so 1/4 cup coconut flour per one cup of other flours. I also read that you need to increase the amount of eggs so per 1/4 cup you need to use 6 eggs. Because I am also allergic to eggs I’m hoping that I can increase the amount of applesauce or tahini. I will decide later if I’m going to experiment with all coconut flour or wait till the oat flour comes… I hate to waste but this is also how you learn. I’ll let you know how they turn out.
Alright! So I just made the cookies but subbed out both flours for 1/4 coconut flour, tahini instead of almond butter, 1 cup applesauce (it says when using coconut flour to add more wet liquids), 3/4 soaked figs (I need the calcium), no maple syrup, and 2 tbsp rosemary infused coconut oil (did this by melting the oil with a few sprigs). Lastly, I diced the rosemary up super fine, mixed with sea salt and cin and sprinkled on top during the last 2 minutes of baking. The cookies turned out a tad big crumbly… so I think either adding more wet ingredients (maybe more tahini instead of applesauce) next time. I am still waiting for the oat flour to arrive, but when it does I will let you know how it goes with just using the 1/2 cup oat flour and coconut flour instead! The flavor is REALLY good…. I am looking to make this more of a healthy post gym snack or dessert, so that’s why I left out the syrup. Not super sweet but perfect for what I was going for! This is a great recipe!- thanks for sharing!
It seemed you created a completely different recipe, so it seems odd that you’d rate this one based on your changed ingredients haha…
Hi Ally! I think recipes that inspire helps us adapt them to our own needs. I appreciate that Becky returned to share her inspired adaptations because there’s probably someone else who her note will help.
i love gluten free stuff as every time i try to consume anything that isn’t gluten free my stomach gets upset. i have baked these cookies and not only i could process them easily but they taste so good and of course the use of raisins could make anything taste delicious :) Thanks for such a lovely recipe you have a wonderful weekend.! Cheers
Hi Racheal! Thank you so much for coming back and leaving a note. I’m so sorry to hear of stomach trouble, but am thrilled you enjoyed these cookies!
I loved these cookies! I ate one when they came out of the oven, then I ate two more shortly after. So good and hearty. Thank you for this great recipe.
Hi Corie! Thank you so much for coming back and leaving a note! So happy to hear you’re enjoying the recipe! :D
Hello there, so just made these yummy cookies. I opted for cranberries instead of raisins. I also found the mixture was a little more runny than the look of yours in the pictures so I added another 100g of rolled oats.
They spread a little more than yours but they are delicious!
Thank you for the recipe!!
Also, there is a typo, its 180C not 280C – baking in Greece!
Hi Alexandra! Thank you for coming back and leaving a note (and for the typo correction!!). SO happy you enjoyed the recipe. Good call on the rolled oats. I’m thinking if the almond butter is more oily than the one I used, there’ll be more spread in the cookies. I love your addition of cranberries! I’m going to do that next time I make these. :D
Made these last weekend using both raisins and chips. Got the “these are dangerous” from my husband. Needless to say, along with some friends we made a pretty big dent in the batch before freezing the leftovers. They are really yummy! And, I love healthier cookie recipes. Thank you for a great one!
Hi Shelly! Thank you so much for coming back and leaving a note. Hooray for a healthier cookie and that you’ve a stash in the freezer for future indulgence!
A friend and I recently made these cookies with chocolate chips and they were AMAZING! We ate them all in 2 days. D’oh. Neither of us are bakers, but the simplicity of this recipe made it easy for even novices! Of course, ours weren’t as pretty as Traci’s but they were delicious nonetheless. I’m always looking for vegan and gluten free recipes, so this is just what the dr. ordered.
Hiii Carol! Thank you for coming back and leaving a note! So happy you two enjoyed making and baking the cookies together! What fun! Okay… next time you’ll have to freeze half or make a double batch! LOL!
The oatmeal raisin cookies are exquisite. I did not have almond flour and was too lazy to make oat so I used Bob’s whole wheat pastry flour. I couldn’t believe how easy and how delicious they are. Thank you so much.
Hi Cassandra! Thank you for coming back and leaving a note and sharing your subs! Hooray for fabulous cookies! And Bob’s whole wheat pastry flour is just delicious – well don! :D
Traci,
What a stellar recipe!! My mom and I are enjoying a batch fresh from the oven right now. I always love the added texture of oats in a chocolate chip cookie, and Bob’s flours and oats are just the best. And I love that the dough is just sweet enough. I added two tablespoons of chopped fresh rosemary because it really complements the melty chocolate without being super overpowering. I admit that after trying it the first time, I never make a batch without rosemary these days. And now there’s some dough in the freezer for the next snow day ;)
Bravo on an absolutely awesome recipe!
Hi Caroline! Thank you os much for your note, kind words and coming back and leaving a note! It totally made my day :D I’ve never tried fresh rosemary in chocolate chunk cookies – and I love rosemary! Thanks for the tip. A fun snow day indeed!
Fortunately or unfortunately my cookie cravings haven’t subsided since the holidays. Both versions of these cookies appeal to me. My son will appreciate some of these in the freezer to pop in the oven for a quick late night milk and cookies snack.
Hahhaaa… mine either, Jean… What is that?! Late night milk and cookies sound fabulous. I know he’ll appreciate it!
Looks real good. Can I replace the almond butter with something else?
Thanks
Hi Ronit! I’ve not tried other nut butters, but as long as you drain off any excess oil it should be fine. I’m thinking natural peanut butter would be a nice alternative. I hope this helps.