Chewy Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookies (Gluten Free Option)

These perfectly chewy vegan oatmeal raisin cookies are stuffed with all of your favorites – maple syrup and molasses to get that dynamite taste and texture, a hint of cinnamon for warmth, and of course bursting with raisins and oat-y goodness! You’ll never know they are vegan and gluten free!

Oatmeal raisin cookies.  How did these get such a bad rap?  I feel like every “favorite cookie poll” has these poor guys coming in last.  But you and I – we know the magic that is the oatmeal raisin cookie.  When these cookies are warm from the oven (or cooled, or even a few days old..) I don’t know how anyone could not be a fan. 

I think these vegan oatmeal raisin cookies are absolutely perfect as is, but you can have some fun!  Play with the amount of raisins, add some walnuts, or some shredded coconut.  Drizzle some icing on top.  You can eat them as is, or sandwich them around a cream filling, or crumble them in ice cream, or.. sorry I got lost in a dessert fantasy.  Let’s keep going.

How To Make Them

I love that the fat in these cookies is coconut oil, NOT vegan butter.  I think it adds a hint of excellence to the taste and texture, and makes me feel just slightly healthier as I eat the full dozen.

The first thing to do here is to make the flax egg, since it needs a few minutes to set.  If you have not done this before, it’s so simple!  Measure out one tablespoon of ground flaxseed, and mix it with 2.5 tablespoons of water.  Set aside for 5-10 minutes, you will know it’s ready because it will take on more of a gel-like consistency rather than water.  While this is coming together, I use the time to combine all my dry ingredients – gluten free rolled oats, gluten free flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt – into a small bowl.

Next up, cream together your coconut oil and brown sugar, just like you would with vegan butter.  Add in the maple syrup, molasses, vanilla, and flax egg and beat until it’s all combined.  Next mix in your dry ingredients and use a spatula or spoon to fully combine.  Finally, fold in your raisins.  I find ½ cup to be the right amount, but you can definitely get more in there if you want them exploding with raisins.  As I said above, you can also add in some walnuts, shredded coconut, or even chocolate chips, just don’t overload.  I think these cookies can handle about ¾ cup of mix-ins total and still keep together.

The next step is important – let the dough rest for 30 minutes!  Not in the fridge, just on the counter at room temperature.  You can bake them right away and they will still be good, but this rest time let’s them come together for a deeper flavor, and more importantly keeps them from spreading and gives them the great shape you see in the photos.

Once they are ready, scoop out balls of dough around 2 tablespoons each.  You should get 12 cookies total.  Put in the oven at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, then remove and let firm up on the pan for another 10 or so minutes before moving to a cooling rack.

Then it’s time to eat your vegan oatmeal raisin cookies!! Nutritional info can be found in the Notes section below the recipe instructions.

Storage:

After they have cooled, seal in an air-tight container and store at room temperature.  They will last 3-5 days.  

Pro tips and tools:

• Make sure you are measuring your flour either by weight or using the spoon and level method.  Do not scoop directly from the container, as you will wind up with too much! This is so important! If you want to buy a pre-made gluten free flour blend, make sure it’s King Arthur’s Measure for Measure Gluten Free Flour, it is BY FAR the best one for my recipes, NOT Bob’s Red Mills or any others. If you want to make a homemade blend, here is a link to the one I use.
• Make sure you measure your liquid ingredients using liquid measuring cups.  This will ensure accuracy!  I love this set.
• Make sure you are using gluten free oats!  I buy these in bulk to use for overnight oats, these cookies, and more.
• This tip goes for all cookie recipes – if it is your first time trying a new cookie recipe, if you have the time, I always suggest baking one cookie first before putting the full batch in the oven.  That way if something is not working right for your batch, you can adjust before you’ve wasted all the dough.  If it spreads too much, adding a little more flour is usually a safe fix.  If it’s too dry and not spreading at all, it may need some more liquid ingredients, in this case maple syrup or molasses, often a few drops of milk help.
• I always keep a large round cookie cutter or a mason jar lid next to my oven, that way when the cookies come out if they are misshapen I can quickly use the round lid to help reshape the dough before it has firmed up.

Ingredients needed:

• Coconut oil – this should be mushy and room temperature.  If it is completely solid, microwave for a few seconds to make it workable like softened butter.  If it is liquid, you may need to freeze for a few minutes.
• Light brown sugar
• Maple syrup
• Molasses – I use Grandma’s Molasses for these
• Vanilla extract
• Ground flaxseed – for the flax egg
• Gluten Free rolled oats – I love using these, but your favorites will work!
• Flour – Make sure you are measuring your flour either by weight or using the spoon and level method.  Do not scoop directly from the container, as you will wind up with too much! This is so important! If you want to buy a pre-made gluten free flour blend, make sure it’s King Arthur’s Measure for Measure Gluten Free Flour, it is BY FAR the best one for my recipes, NOT Bob’s Red Mills or any others. If you want to make a homemade blend, here is a link to the one I use.
• Baking soda
• Cinnamon
• Salt
• Raisins  

What To Bake Next:

• Want more fun cookie options? Try these Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies, these Vegan Funfetti Cookies, or these Vegan Brown Butter Cookies.
• Are raisins a fruit? Want actual fruit based treats? To stick to “fruit cookies” try these Vegan Banana Bread Cookies, otherwise try these Vegan Blueberry Muffins, or this Vegan Lemon Pound Cake.