Classic Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

October 04, 2019

#Recipe #Foody

Soft, chewy, and bursting with spices, these vegan oatmeal raisin cookies taste just like the ones you grew up eating, but without any eggs or dairy! They’re super easy to make and perfect for dunking.

It’s that time of year! I’m really enjoying the cooler temperatures and being able to fire up the oven (comfortably) once again. Lately it seems like it’s been a parade of sweets coming out of my kitchen, and fall flavors are prominently featured.

Are you guys craving some sweet fall flavors? Because oatmeal raisin cookies are just about the easiest way to satisfy that. I love my vegan oatmeal cookies any time of year, and I’ve got a lot of different recipes for them (check out my chocolate chip peanut butter oatmeal cookies or my blackstrap molasses peanut butter oatmeal cookies).

But oatmeal raisin cookies in particular are perfect for this time of year. They’re packed with spices, make your house smell wonderful, and, bonus: this is one of those recipes where you just might already have all the ingredients on hand.

Let’s talk about how it comes together!

Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Ingredients

I grew up making the vanishing oatmeal raisin cookie recipe that’s under the lid of Quaker Oats, so I adapted that recipe in order to create this vegan oatmeal raisin cookie recipe. Here’s what I used:

Flour. Just regular old all-purpose flour.

Oatmeal. Obviously!

Sugar. A little bit of brown sugar, for the hint of molasses that it adds, and a little bit of white. Use organic for both to keep the recipe vegan.

Baking soda. To make those cookies rise.

Spices. Most oatmeal raisin cookies just include cinnamon, but I’m all about the spices, so I added ginger and cloves!

Salt. It’s a flavor enhancer, so make sure you include it.

Vegan butter. I used Miyoko’s cultured vegan butter for these, which is my favorite vegan butter brand for pretty much everything lately.

Applesauce. Did you know that applesauce works as a vegan egg substitute? It does! And as an added bonus, it adds some sweetness and goes very well with the spice you’ll find in oatmeal cookies!

Vanilla extract. This will help bring out the flavor in those spices.

Raisins. As indicated by the recipe title!

Walnuts. These aren’t required, but I love the crunch they add.

How to Make Vegan Oatmeal Cookies

Start with your butter and sugars in a large mixing bowl. Your butter should be at room temperature, so slightly soft. Grab an electric mixer and beat them together until thoroughly mixed. Ideally, we want the mixture to get creamy, but some vegan butters have a tendency to separate. Don’t worry if this happens!

Next, beat it the applesauce and vanilla.

Dry ingredients go in next. Start by stirring in your oats. Once they’re incorporated, you can add the rest.

I kept this as a one-bowl recipe and here’s the trick: add your flour to the bowl, and then sprinkle everything else on top of your flour before stirring — baking soda, spices and salt. Make sure to sprinkle the baking soda around a bit so it doesn’t all hit the liquid at once when you begin stirring.

Stir it all up!

Fold in your walnuts and raisins last.

Roll your dough into balls and arrange them on a couple of cookie sheets lined with parchment paper. Flatten them out just a bit before popping them into the oven.

Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes, keeping the time near the lower end of this range for softer cookies, and towards the higher end for more crisp cookies.

FAQ & Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Tips

Make sure to take your butter out of the fridge an hour or so before you begin baking. You want it to be soft enough to whip with the mixer, but not melted.
My cookies didn’t rise. Why not? Usually this means your baking soda is old. Test it by sprinkling a bit in a glass of vinegar. If it doesn’t fizz, it’s time to toss your box of baking soda and get a new one.
Where can I buy vegan butter? Most regular supermarkets carry vegan butter in the refrigerated or natural foods section. Look for brands like Miyoko’s and Earth Balance
Why does the sugar need to be organic? Most sugar in the United States is processed using animal bones. Organic is processed differently, so it’s considered vegan.
Can these cookies be made gluten-free? Possibly! An all-purpose gluten-free flour blend like Bob’s Red Mill or King Arthur’s might work, but I haven’t tested the recipe with either, so no promises. You’ll also need to make sure your oats are certified gluten-free.
Can I make the dough ahead of time, refrigerate it, and bake the cookies later? I don’t recommend this. Baking soda begins acting once it’s mixed with the liquid ingredients in this recipe, and by the time you bake your cookies it may have fizzled out, resulting in flat cookies.

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