Healthy Eating

Vegan Gluten Free Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

November 21, 2024

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My vegan gluten free oatmeal raisin cookies are made with wholesome ingredients, delivering a comforting and warm flavor in every bite. Perfect for winning over any cookie lover, they’re ready in under 30 minutes—making them the ideal dessert or sweet snack!

Ch ocolate chip cookies are a favorite of mine, but there is something about the deep rich flavor of a good oatmeal raisin cookie that speaks to me. These cookies are soft on the inside, with a chewy outside.

I think it is always fun to switch up your cookie game, so when I am craving a more comforting dessert I’ve been really enjoying this easy recipe!

If you are as much of a cookie fanatic as I am, you’ll love my vegan gluten-free peanut butter cookies. For a more unique flavor, try out my sesame tahini cookies!

My gf vegan oatmeal cookies are perfectly soft and chewy, with just the right amount of heartiness from the rolled oats. Each bite feels comforting, like a warm hug in cookie form.

The combination of cinnamon and sweet raisins creates an irresistible flavor, bringing out those classic, cozy notes that make these cookies feel like a special treat.

What makes them even better is how easy they are to make, even for beginners. You don’t need any fancy equipment or skills—just mix the ingredients, bake, and enjoy.

I also love that this vegan gluten free oatmeal raisin cookie recipe calls for only simple ingredients like maple syrup, coconut sugar, and almond butter. The cookies feel indulgent, but still healthy enough to enjoy any time!

A stack of gf vegan oatmeal raisin cookies on a grey plate.

🥘 Ingredients

I made these plant based oatmeal raisin pecan cookies with the goal of creating an amazing cookie made of all whole foods. I want them to be the dessert you actually can’t tell is healthy. Here are the ingredients I used to accomplish this:

Rolled Oats: I use certified gluten-free oats. While oats naturally don’t contain gluten, the way they are grown is open to cross contamination so you need to be careful. I don’t like steel cut oats because they don’t give the same end texture nor do they bake well. I also don’t like quick oats because they aren’t hearty enough.

Almond Flour: A fine grain almond flour is my gluten-free flour of choice to keep these vegan gluten free oatmeal cookies soft, with a smooth consistency.

Sweeteners: I use coconut sugar and maple syrup to not only sweeten my cookies, but also add incredible flavor. I added some molasses to give the cookies a deeper rich flavor. Brown sugar will also work in place of coconut sugar, and I sometimes substitute date paste for the maple syrup when I want a less sweet cookie. See my notes in the recipe card for more details.

Cinnamon & Raisins: The ultimate combination for a comforting, classic cookie! Cinnamon adds warmth to the recipe, and the raisins give that bite of sweetness and chewy texture. I use unsweetened raisins.

Baking Powder: I use baking powder to help the gluten free oat and raisin cookies spread and crisp ever so slightly.

Sea Salt: A dash of sea salt enhances all the other flavors and ties everything together.

Apple Sauce & Almond Butter: Both of these ingredients provide moisture to the batter, while helping to bind all the other ingredients together. These are great vegan swaps for eggs and butter.

Pecans (Optional): For an extra touch of crunch and comfort, I toss in some chopped pecans, but any nuts will work!

👩🏽‍🍳 How To Make Vegan Gluten Free Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

These are a fairly easy “mix in a bowl and bake” type of cookie. Here is how to make my vegan gf oatmeal raisin cookies:

Mix The Dry Ingredients: After preheating my oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius), I start making the cookie dough! In a large bowl, I combine the oats, almond flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt.

Add The Wet Ingredients: Next, I stir in the maple syrup, applesauce, almond butter, and molasses, mixing everything until the wet and dry ingredients are combined.

Wet & dry ingredients for oatmeal raisin cookies in a clear glass bowl with wooden spoon.

Add Raisins And Pecans: I fold in the raisins and pecans (if using), making sure everything is evenly mixed.

Vegan oatmeal raisin cookie dough in a clear glass bowl with wooden spoon.

Scoop The Dough: I drop spoonfuls of the dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. For a flatter cookie, I like to gently press them down a bit.

Unbaked vegan gf oatmeal raisin cookies spread out on a baking sheet.

Bake Cookies: I bake the cookies for 20-23 minutes, until they’re golden brown and crisp at the edges. They’ll harden a little more as they cool.

Gluten free oatmeal raisin cookies freshly baked on the cookie sheet.

My #1 Secret Tip for this recipe is to bake the cookies on a parchment-lined cookie sheet for the perfect crispy outsides.

The parchment not only prevents sticking but also helps the cookies bake evenly and spread properly, giving them that ideal balance between soft and chewy on the inside and golden and crisp on the outside.

Other Tips To Keep In Mind:

Use Precise Measurements: For the best texture, I make sure to be accurate with the flours, which is why I include precise weights. If you don’t have a scale, I recommend purchasing one—it’s fairly inexpensive and ensures consistency.
How To Measure Flour: If you prefer to use measuring cups, I suggest scooping the flour directly into the cup rather than spooning it in. This is how I measured when determining the weights for the recipe.

📖 Variations

More Mix-Ins: I love experimenting with other options for mix-ins, like chocolate chips, chopped walnuts, peanuts, ground flax seeds, slivered almonds, dried berries, and shredded coconut.

Lower Sugar Option: If you want a lower sugar option, I recommend making the following changes but keep in mind this yields a softer fluffier cookie: total 1 cup oats, total 1 cup almond flour, no coconut sugar, total 1/2 cup apple sauce.

🍽 Serving Suggestions

I love to eat my gluten free vegan oatmeal raisin cookies fresh out of the oven while they are still warm, but they are equally tasty at room temperature. I pair them with one of these creamy drinks for the most cozy, enjoyable experience:

🫙 Storing And ♨️ Reheating

Room Temperature: I leave these on the counter overnight to fully ensure they are cool, since storing them warm will cause the outsides to soften. Then, I store in an airtight container on the countertop. They will be good for about 3-4 days.

Refrigeration: I keep them out of the fridge since they are vegan and don’t contain any dairy ingredients, but you could keep them in the fridge to extend their shelf life. They’ll keep in the fridge for a week.

Freezing: I have frozen these before, but they do dry out a bit in the freezer so keep that in mind.

Reheating: When I store these in the fridge, I pop them in the toaster oven or a few second in the microwave to warm them just a tad before eating. If frozen, I bring them back to room temperature and then pop them in the toaster oven on light to warm and crisp them a bit.

❓Recipe FAQs

WHY ARE MY OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIES HARD?

Usually the texture of a cookie is a direct result of the dry versus wet ingredients combination. If you use too much flour, or too little of the wet ingredients, it will end in a dry hard cookie. Or, if you overmixed or overbaked the cookies you could end up with a hard or tough cookie.

Note: If you are in altitude, this can also cause your cookies to end up hard because liquids and moisture evaporate faster the higher up you are.

CAN I MAKE THESE COOKIES AHEAD OF TIME?

Yes! I recommend making only the cookie dough and waiting to bake them. When I make the cookie dough ahead of time, I store it in the fridge for about 3-5 days. If I know I won’t be baking them soon, I store the dough in the freezer instead!

WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO FREEZE THE COOKIE DOUGH?

To freeze the dough, I like freezing in balls or scoops and storing them in a freezer bag or air tight container. That way I can grab as many as I want. Make sure to bring to room temp before baking if you want them to spread out and have the same crisp but chewy texture.

Hand grabbing the top oatmeal raisin cookie from a stack on a plate.

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