Chewy Vegan Oatmeal Cookies with the perfect crispy outside and melt-in-your-mouth caramel-y center. Ready in just 20 minutes for a quick and delicious sweet treat.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.
I haven’t told you yet but this week I’m taking a trip.
In fact, it’s my first international trip in a decade! On Wednesday, I’m packing up and leaving for England where I will spend 9 glorious days hiking around the English countryside, sipping drinks in nearby pubs, and learning what it’s like to drive (ride) on the left side of the road. I’m also, for the first time ever, going to be without my kids for longer than a week. So it’s with a mixture of excitement and apprehension that I take off. But don’t worry, the excitement is strong.
My trip means the next time you’re going to hear from me (Wednesday) I’ll be flying over the Atlantic Ocean. But again, don’t worry. While I’m gone I’ll still be popping up to share new recipes with you, like always. And before even all that, I have a new recipe for you today.
BEST EVER vegan oatmeal cookies! Chewy, sweet, and filled with cinnamon flavor and oat crunch in every bite, I feel certain that you are going to love these vegan cookies.
How to Make Vegan Oatmeal Cookies {Video}
Recommended Ingredients and Equipment
These cookies are sweet and chewy with the perfect caramel oatmeal flavor. And you’re going to love how simple they are. They can be made in just 20 minutes with 9 ingredients that you probably already have on hand.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- All-Purpose Flour – I have also made these cookies with 1:1 Gluten-Free Flour Baking Blend with great success. (<<affiliate link)
- Old-Fashioned Oats – These cookies are best made with Thick Cut Old Fashioned Oats. For gluten-free cookies, make sure to find oats that are labeled as gluten-free.
- Baking Soda
- Vegan Butter – Look for a high-quality non-hydrogenated vegan butter. I recommend either Earth Balance or Miyoko’s.
- White & Brown Sugar–
Check out my guide to vegan sugars and alternative sugar replacements.
- Applesauce – This is the binder of the recipe. You could replace it with equal amounts of mashed bananas or a variety of other egg replacers.
- Vanilla Extract
- Cinnamon
- Salt
Recommended Equipment
For all my cookie recipes, I recommend a stand-up mixer. These make whipping, beating, and blending so much easier. However, they are pricy and if they are not in your budget, you can make cookies with by hand or with a handheld mixer.
In addition, you will need basic cooking equipment including baking sheets, silicone baking mats, and a wire cooling rack. (<<affiliate links)
Check out the full list of my recommended kitchen tools and gadgets.
How to Make Vegan Oatmeal Cookies
Step One – Make the Dough
First combine the dry ingredients, whisking together until they are evenly mixed. Set aside.
In a stand-up mixer, whip both the sugars and butter until they are thick and creamy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
Next, add the applesauce and vanilla extract. Once these are added, the dough will start to look curdled. Don’t worry about this. When the dry ingredients are added, the dough will sort itself out.
Add the dry ingredients, mix until just combined, and remove the dough from the mixer.
Step Two – Chill and Bake
Before baking the cookies, place the dough in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes. This prevents them from spreading too much in the oven. Once the dough is chilled, roll it into balls about 2 tablespoons in size. Place them on a baking sheet and press them down ever so slightly with the palm of your hand.
Bake the cookies for 9-10 minutes, pulling them out when they are slightly underdone. They continue to harden as they cool. This is the secret to getting chewy, melt-in-your-mouth cookies.
Serving and Storing
Serve these cookies once they are cool.
Store leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Freeze leftover cookie dough for up to two months. To do this, roll all the dough into balls. Place them on a baking sheet in the freezer to freeze all the way through. Once frozen, transfer your cookie dough into a large Ziplock bag and return to the freezer. When you’re ready to bake, remove from freezer, let thaw slightly, and bake!
Tips and Tricks
- The most accurate way to measure flour is to spoon it into your measuring cup, leveling it off with the back of a knife.
- Do not overmix your batter. Overmixing allows the gluten to develop and too much gluten will give you a gummy and dense cookie.
- For cakier cookies, add an extra 1/4 cup of flour and bake for 2 minutes longer. For chewier cookies, use all brown sugar and remove from the oven when slightly underdone.
- Let cookies cool on baking sheets 10 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack. This prevents cookies from falling apart as they cool.
- Try some variations. Add about 1 cup raisins, peanuts, chocolate chips, or pumpkin seeds to this recipe for a new flavor.
More Vegan Cookie Recipes
- Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Vegan Snickerdoodles
- Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- Peanut Butter Cookies
- Double Chocolate Cookies
- Lemon Crinkle Cookies
Vegan Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup vegan butter
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup unsweetened apple sauce
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cup old fashioned oats
- 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 tsp. salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and set aside.
- In a stand-up mixer, with the paddle attachment, cream together the vegan butter with brown and granulated sugars until thick and creamy, scraping down the sides as necessary.
- Add applesauce and vanilla extract and beat to combine. The dough may look curdled at this point.
- In a large bowl combine oats, flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients to the butter/sugar mixer in 3 batches, scraping down the sides of the bowl between each batch. Mix until a uniform dough has formed.
- Wrap bowl in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes before baking.
- Once chilled, scoop out 2 tablespoons of dough at a time and round them between your hands. Place rounded cookies on the prepared baking sheet, about 3 inches apart from one another. Repeat until both cookie sheets are filled up. You will likely have extra dough for a 3rd sheet.
- Press each cookie down slightly with the palm of your hand and bake for 9-10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring cookies to a wire cooling rack to cool completely. They will appear slightly underdone when you pull them out of the oven but will continue cooking on the baking sheet.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. The uncooked dough can be stored in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Video
Notes
- The most accurate way to measure flour is to spoon it into your measuring cup, leveling it off with the back of a knife.
- For cakier cookies, add an extra 1/4 cup of flour and bake for 2 minutes longer. For chewier cookies, use all brown sugar and remove from the oven when slightly underdone.
- Let cookies cool on baking sheets 10 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack. This prevents cookies from falling apart as they cool.
Hi, I’m Sarah. I’m a 14-year (and counting) vegan, professionally trained photographer, former pastry chef, founder of My Darling Vegan, and author of the
Sherri N. says
These are amazing!!! Even though I had to throw out the first batch–something went wrong when I used the metric measurements and weighed everything. I did a second batch and used the US cup measurements. I reduced the white sugar by 1/4 cup and threw in some raisins. Just be careful with the butter and do not overload the 3/4 cup and you should be fine. I normally stay away from anything that has oil or butter (except nut butters), but I made an exception for these cookies because I could not find any good vegan oatmeal raisin cookie recipes out there. Thank you for the recipe.
Sune Grundy says
Delivered exactly what was promised. Delicious and def a new family treat staple.
Christine says
During quarantine I am mixing up dough for 48 cookies and baking off a dozen at a time. Voila! We have fresh cookies as a sweet treat for the week. The dough is keeping in the frig, no problems. Thank you!
Marisa says
I make this recipe and add a heaping cup of dark chocolate chips! I bake them on 350 for 9 minutes because I love chewy cookies. It’s my favorite recipe and I make it about once a month! Tried it with dark brown sugar for the first time this week and it was AWESOME.
Brian says
Im a guy who been vegan for a week. And this omg. Is so delicious. I followed everystep, except added half the sugar. Sooo delicious i cant believe its vegan and guiltless. Its important to let follow the last directions, they will seem undercooked,but once cooling they will be perfect!!
Brianna says
Outstanding vegan cookie. I’m not vegan but my husband is. He requested vegan white chocolate macadamia oatmeal cookies. I added white chocolate and nuts to this recipe and they were moist and perfect.
LouAnn says
I cannot have any oil or vegan butters.
What could I substitute?
I usually sub with applesauce in place of oil. Will that work here since there is already some applesauce in the recipe??
Sarah says
It will alter the taste and texture but I think that should be fine.
ally says
how were the oil free version?
Gloria says
Thank you for this wonderful and simple recipe! My husband already requested I make another batch. I added 1 cup of rasins and used a handmixer.
Janet says
Just made these with my 3 year old grandson and they are a hit – we didn’t chill them first as he was needing cookies and they were delicious – they just didn’t flatten out and still yummy!
Heather says
Delicious cookies! Simple, but satisfying. I followed the recipe as written and I would not change a thing. Thank you! These cookies can be stored in the freezer and weeks later when brought out to room temperature, taste just as delicious as freshly made! 🙂
Jan Danyellis says
Best cookies I’ve ever tried! They did explode in the oven but totally worth it! I also am flying over the Atlanta Ocean- I love running away from my children and palm trees.
Anika says
I added a gingerbread spice mix to the batter as someone suggested in the comments and oh.my.god. they are so good!! I haven’t even baked the cookies yet and I’m eating the dough by the spoonful! Not sure if any will make it to the oven
Julia says
Okay wow these really are the best oatmeal cookies ever. I added a pinch of gingerbread spice, baked them for 9 minutes in 190Celcius just like you suggested . They looked not-so-done but after leaving them out on the tray for 30 mins the edges and bottom went super crispy and the middle stayed gooey af. I always wanted to make vegan caramel-filled cookies but that’s too much work… these more than satisfy that craving while being so incredibly easy,just wow – I was so impressed after the first bite. Thank you!
Julia says
Btw I forgot to add I used regular all purpose wheat flour and only white sugar (vegan , not the bone-bleached type of course ) and they turned out perfect anyway !
Annalise says
Made these cookies, I wish the cinnamon was stronger or there was something to give it more flavor. They are more like comfort cookies or a cookie to have with tea than I was expecting.
Irene Roberts says
These truly are the best vegan oatmeal cookies!!!
Paris says
I made this recipe, and I loved it! I read the comments before I made it, and so I reduced the sugar. I used 130 g Granulated Sugar and 150 g Brown Sugar. I used bread flour, as the hint suggested, and I put the dough in the freezer uncovered for 15 minutes. I also used sweetened apple sauce, because that is what I had. I cooked them @ 190 C which is about 375 F for 11 minutes. They are chewy and wonderful, but I may even reduce the sugar further next time.