Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Recipe

Name: Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 27 min
Ingredients: ½ cup vegan butter, room temperature; 1 cup light brown sugar (210 grams); ½ teaspoon salt (omit if using salted vegan butter); 1 flax egg (1 tablespoon flaxseed meal + 3 tablespoons room temperature water); 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 tablespoon plant based milk or water; 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (188 grams); 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 1 ½ cups old-fashioned oats (150 grams); ¾ cup raisins; ½ cup walnuts pieces (optional)

Jump to Recipe

If you're looking for a solid vegan oatmeal raisin cookie recipe with lots of juicy raisins and the perfect chewy soft texture then my recipe is a must-try! It's easy to make traditional oatmeal raisin cookies vegan with basic pantry staples.

Why You'll Love My Recipe

I've always loved homemade oatmeal raisin cookies, I know many of us do! But just because you're vegan, dairy-free, or egg-free doesn't mean you have to give up your favorites.

My recipe for vegan oatmeal raisin cookies takes everything that's delicious about them and turns them plant based. They have that same chewy texture, crispy edges, and yummy comforting flavor. This is all achieved with just a few simple ingredient swaps.

Trust me, while I make my oatmeal raisin cookies vegan it's the exact same process as any oatmeal cookie recipe. No complicated steps. You can whip them together in about 30 minutes.

In fact, after I made them a few times, I loved them so much that I took the base of this recipe and created my vegan cranberry oatmeal cookies. So if you love dried cranberries give those a try too! Both recipes make fantastic vegan Christmas cookies.

Kim's Expert Tips

Making the best vegan oatmeal raisin cookies isn't hard but these few simple steps can make a big difference. Here’s what I’ve learned:

Soak Your Raisins: If you want super juicy raisins, soak them in warm water for about 10 minutes. Then drain and pat them dry before folding them into the dough.
Chill The Dough: I know it’s tempting to skip this step, but if you have time chill the dough for about 30 minutes. This prevents the cookies from spreading too much.
Use Room Temperature Butter: Make sure your vegan butter is at room temperature so it creams properly with the sugar. Too cold or melted, and the mixture won’t blend together right.
Use a Cookie Scoop: For uniform vegan raisin oatmeal cookies and even baking, I use a small cookie scoop. It also makes portioning the dough super easy.
Bake One Sheet at a Time: If I have time, I bake one tray of cookies in the center of the oven at a time for even baking. If you’re baking two, rotate the pans halfway through for the best results.

Ingredients

You only need pantry staples to make my oatmeal raisin vegan cookies. I wouldn't be surprised if you don't already have them on hand.

Vegan Butter: Using vegan butter is what makes these dairy free oatmeal raisin cookies. However, you can substitute it with unmelted solid coconut oil if you prefer.
Light Brown Sugar: Brown sugar has molasses in it which adds a yummy hint of caramel flavor. It also adds moisture. You can use granulated sugar but keep in mind it will impact the taste and texture.
Salt: A pinch of salt balances the sweetness and enhances all the flavors. If your vegan butter is salted omit this ingredient.
Flax Egg: Made by mixing together ground flaxseed meal and water, flax eggs are a great binder. The flax egg keeps my eggless oatmeal raisin cookies chewy.
Vanilla Extract: I love to use a touch of vanilla to complement the raisins and oats.
Plant Based Milk: I use a tiny bit of almond, oat, or soy milk. Water works too.
All Purpose Flour: Gives the dough its shape and texture. If you want to make oatmeal raisins cookies vegan gluten free, feel free to use a 1:1 gluten free flour with xanthan gum in the blend.
Ground Cinnamon: Warm ground cinnamon rounds out the cookies with a comforting flavor. You can also add a pinch of nutmeg. I sometimes even add some of my homemade pumpkin pie spice or masala chai spice.
Baking Powder and Baking Soda: These two powerful leavening agents give the cookies their soft and chewy texture.
Old-Fashioned Oats: For the best results, I recommend using old fashioned rolled oats. They have a chewy hearty texture. Quick oats don't work as well.
Raisins: The key ingredient of my vegan oatmeal raisin cookie recipe! You could also use golden raisins or a mixture of different types of raisins.
Walnuts: Adding nuts is optional. On the days I want a little extra crunch my top pick is walnuts for these cookies. However, you can use any type of nuts you like such as pecans or almonds.

How To Make

Learning how to make oatmeal raisin cookies vegan is so simple that you'll wonder why they are so expensive in the store. If you follow my recipe you can have a batch ready to go in no time!

Prep For Baking: To start I preheat my oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. You can also use silicone mats to prevent the cookies from sticking to the sheet pan.

Mix the Flax Egg: While the oven is warming, I mix 1 tablespoon of flaxseed meal with 3 tablespoons of water, and then set it aside for about 10 minutes to thicken up like an egg.

Sift the Dry Ingredients: I like to prep all my dry ingredients before I begin. I sift together the all purpose flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt (if using it) into a medium bowl. Then I whisk the dry ingredients to make sure the leavening agents are evenly distributed.

Cream the Butter and Sugar: I grab a large mixing bowl and add the room temperature butter and brown sugar. Then I use an electric mixer to cream them together on medium speed for about 2 minutes until light and fluffy. You can also use a stand mixer to cream them.

Add the Wet Ingredients: After creaming the butter and sugar, I add the vanilla extract, plant-based milk, and thickened flax egg and I mix on low speed until everything’s just blended.

Combine Wet and Dry: Once my wet ingredients are combined, I gradually add the flour mixture to the wet mixture, and mix at low speed. Once they’re almost fully combined, I add in the rolled oats, raisins, and walnuts (if using), and again mix just until combined.

Chill the Dough: When my cookie dough is ready, I pop it in the fridge for about 30 minutes. If you don't have time you can skip chilling the dough, but I find that it keeps the cookies from spreading too much in the oven.

Shape the Cookies: To form the cookies, I use a small cookie scoop to scoop heaping tablespoon portions of dough, roll them into balls, and put them on the prepared baking sheets. I always place them about 2 inches apart from each other. Then I use my hand to slightly flatten the cookies a little.

Bake: I put the cookies in the oven to bake for about 12-14 minutes until the edges are lightly browned. I start checking at the 12 minute mark.

Cool and Enjoy: Once baked, I remove my vegan oat and raisin cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes to firm up. Then I transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely and firm up more.

✏️ Recipe Card! Scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for all the details with the exact amounts of my vegan oatmeal raisin cookie recipe.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I store the cookies?

You can store vegan oatmeal cookies in an airtight container or ziptop bag at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Can I freeze the cookies?

Yes! Once they’ve cooled completely, just put them in a ziplock bag or airtight container and pop them in the freezer. Cookies will keep for about 3 months in the freezer. I just let them thaw at room temperature for a few minutes.

Can I make the cookie dough ahead of time?

Yes! You can make the dough up to 2 days in advance and bake it when ready. Just make sure to cover it tightly and store it in the fridge.

It's also possible to freeze balls of dough for up to 3 months for easy cookie making. All you have to do is shape the dough into balls, place them on a baking sheet to freeze until solid, then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag. When you're ready, just bake the frozen dough balls directly for a few extra minutes.

Why are my cookies flat?

Your cookies may be flat from having spread too much because the vegan butter was too soft or melted, the dough wasn’t chilled, or there was too much liquid in the mix. To prevent this, make sure your butter is at room temperature (soft but not melted), chill the dough for at least 30 minutes, and measure liquids accurately.

Why are my cookies tough?

Tough cookies typically happen because the dough was overmixed or too much flour was added. The key to a perfect vegan oatmeal raisin cookie is to mix just until the ingredients come together and measure your flour carefully using a digital scale or the spoon-and-level method if doing it by hand.

What can I add to the cookies?

You can pretty much add anything you want to your cookie dough as long as you keep the ratios about the same. Vegan oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are one of my favorites. So if you add some vegan chocolate chips, seeds, or different nuts you'll need to use fewer raisins or walnuts.

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More Vegan Cookie Recipes

⭐️ One Last Thing! If you make my easy vegan oatmeal raisin cookies recipe please leave a review and rating to let me know how you liked it! Doing so helps other readers and me too! Your feedback makes a difference.