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Wow is all we can say about these vegan oatmeal cookies! These delightfully chewy, cinnamon-spiced chocolate chip cookies please eaters of any diet: no one will believe they’re vegan. We dare you to eat just one!
Why we love this recipe
Wow is all we can say about these vegan oatmeal cookies: outrageously chewy, full-flavored, and so delicious no one would guess they are plant-based. This spin on our popular vegan chocolate chip cookies might be even tastier (if that’s possible!).
They’re loaded with hearty Old Fashioned oats, seasoned with cinnamon, and have got just the right chewy texture. We stumbled upon this formula for delicious vegan cookies and have been riffing on it ever since: and these are stupendous if we might say so ourselves!
Ingredient notes for vegan oatmeal cookies
Making a vegan cookie is quite the challenge, because vegan baking requires omitting the butter and eggs that make a typical cookie texture. Here at A Couple Cooks we developed a formula for making a great vegan chocolate chip cookie using a combination of neutral oil, coconut oil, and applesauce to stand in for the typical butter and eggs. It works like a charm, making a deliciously chewy cookie with crispy edges, not cakey or dry. The texture really is quite magical!
This basic formula makes a really great vegan oatmeal chocolate chip cookie, with a good amount of Old Fashioned oats mixed in and a handful of chocolate chips (or you can substitute raisins). Here are a few ingredient notes on the key ingredients for these cookies:
- Refined coconut oil: Refined is important because it has a neutral flavor; unrefined coconut oil has more of a coconut flavor. Using coconut oil is important for the dough texture because it is a fat that is solid at room temperature, similar to butter.
- Neutral oil: You can use grapeseed, canola or vegetable oil; we typically use grapeseed.
- Granulated and light brown sugar: The mix of sugars is key for the flavor here, especially the brown sugar since it has hints of molasses in the flavor.
- Unsweetened applesauce: Applesauce works surprisingly well in place of the egg to hold the dough together and add moisture. You can substitute sweetened applesauce if desired.
- Vanilla extract and almond extract: Vanilla extract is key to cookie dough. But we’ve added one more element: a hint of almond extract! It brings a toasty, complex nuance to the flavor without overpowering it.
Notes on almond extract
We highly recommend using the almond extract for the best flavor! This is helpful for a vegan cookie since it doesn’t have the richness of egg or butter. The recipe calls for 1/16 teaspoon extract, which equates to 1 to 2 drops, just enough to give it a nuance in flavor but not enough that it is strongly perceptible.
It might sound like a random measurement, but don’t be tempted to skip it! We use a ⅛ teaspoon measure and fill it halfway; if you don’t have one, you can approximate using a ¼ teaspoon.
Tips for baking vegan oatmeal chocolate chip cookies
These vegan oatmeal cookies are so simple to put together. Many cookie recipes require the dough to chill before baking, but this recipe requires no wait time at all! Mix up the batter and get to it. Here are a few things to note about equipment that helps to pull these cookies together:
- Use a cookie scoop or weigh the batter. If you have a 3 tablespoon cookie scoop, it’s helpful for portioning the dough: just overfill it slightly. You can also weigh out the batter at approximately 50 grams per cookie (or weigh your entire dough and divide by 18).
- Non-stick cookie sheets are helpful. This has become our preferred method for cookies. We recommend using two of these non-stick cookie sheets for the most even bake.
- Bake each tray separately for the most even bake. Do not refrigerate the cookie dough while the first tray bakes. We found that the dough texture is even better if it’s room temperature. If you have a very even oven, you can try baking both sheets at once and rotate the sheets halfway through.
- Allow the cookies to sit on the baking sheet for 5 to 10 minutes before transferring to a baking rack to cool.
Storage info
Vegan oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are tasty warm, after sitting on the baking sheet for 10 minutes and cooling on a baking rack for 10 minutes. The cookies also hold up well over time, keeping their chewy texture. Here’s what to note about storing these vegan oatmeal cookies cookies:
- Store in a sealed container at room temperature for 1 week. The texture holds up well: no need to add anything to the container.
- Store refrigerated for 2 weeks. Allow to come to room temperature before serving.
- Store frozen for up to 3 months.
More vegan cookie recipes
We love making vegan recipes that don’t taste like there are any compromises. Here are a few more vegan desserts and cookies you’ll love:
- Try our famous Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies or Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- Go for Vegan Cookie Dough instead
- Mix up tasty Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies
- Make Vegan No Bake Cookies
- Opt for Vegan Zucchini Brownies
Dietary notes
This vegan oatmeal cookies recipe is vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, and dairy-free. For gluten-free and vegan, go to Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies.
*Amazing* Vegan Oatmeal Cookies
Wow is all we can say about these vegan oatmeal cookies! These delightfully chewy, cinnamon-spiced chocolate chip cookies please eaters of any diet: no one will believe they’re vegan. We dare you to eat just one!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 18 to 19 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Dessert
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup neutral oil (grapeseed, canola or vegetable)
- ¼ cup refined coconut oil (at room temperature)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- ½ tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/16 teaspoon almond extract*
- 2 cups [280 g] all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ¼ cups Old Fashioned oats
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips (we used 63% Guittard) or raisins
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper, or omit if using non-stick cookie sheets (we swear by these).
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl), add the neutral oil, coconut oil, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Mix with the paddle attachment (or an electric mixer) on Medium speed until fully combined, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the applesauce, vanilla extract, and almond extract and mix until combined, a few seconds.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, kosher salt, and Old Fashioned Oats. Turn on the mixer and gradually add the flour and oats mixture, mixing until just incorporated. Add the chocolate chips and mix on low for a few seconds until mixed in. The dough will feel slightly oily, but this is as expected.
- Scoop nine 3-tablespoon-sized balls of dough onto the prepared cookie sheet, leaving a few inches between each cookie for spreading (using a cookie scoop is helpful; we overfilled our 2 tablespoon scoop or weigh out 50 grams each). Bake one batch for 12 to 13 minutes, or until just golden (baking one batch at a time makes the most even bake). Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 to 10 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool fully. They taste great warm after cooling on the rack for about 10 minutes, or fully cooled.
- While the cookies cool, portion out and bake the second batch of dough; don’t refrigerate the dough in between. Store in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 5 days or refrigerated for 3 weeks (bring to room temperature before serving).
Notes
*We highly recommend using the almond extract for the best flavor! 1/16 teaspoon equates to 1 to 2 drops, just enough to give it a nuance in flavor but not enough that it is strongly perceptible. We use a ⅛ teaspoon measure and fill it halfway; if you don’t have one, you can approximate using a ¼ teaspoon.
You forgot to require organic oats.
In our household, we would never offer any foods which include non-organic oats. It is so upsetting that Americans blithely buy & prepare recipes with non-organic oats.
So many buy & eat Cheerios. The horrific pesticides‼️🤦🏼♀️🤦🏼♂️
These cookies are perfection! So simple to whip up! And vegan too! Can’t wait to make these for the next visit with the grandkids. Delicious!!
OMG, these are amazing!!! As the recipe mentioned the dough was a little oily before baking, but they turned out perfect – so thick and chewy! I didn’t have coconut oil on hand and I subbed an equal amount of melted butter (I am not fully vegan) and they turned out delicious. 10 stars!!
Thank you for making them!