Crispy around the edges and chewy in the center, these vegan oatmeal raisin cookies are easy to make and hard to resist. No eggs, no dairy—just simple pantry ingredients and lots of flavor.
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This is a reliable vegan version of the classic oatmeal raisin cookie—crisp around the edges with a slightly chewy center. I’ve been making these for years, and they’re still a favorite. I recently baked a big batch for my son’s school potluck, doubling the recipe and adding cranberries, and vegan chocolate chips and they turned out great. I first shared this recipe on the blog years ago, and it’s still one of the most solid bakes in my vegan cookie recipes collection.
The recipe uses a flax egg instead of a regular egg, so it’s fully plant-based without losing the texture you want in a good cookie. I’ve also made it with aquafaba (the liquid from canned chickpeas), and it gave the cookies an extra crisp edge that I really liked. Stick with raisins or play around with the mix-ins—these always hit the spot, and no one ever guesses they’re vegan.
If you liked my best eggless chocolate chip cookie recipe, this one’s definitely worth adding to your list.
Why You'll Love This Recipe?
Totally Vegan (and No One Will Know)
These cookies are made without eggs or dairy, but you'd never guess. A flax egg stands in for the egg and keeps the texture just right—just as good as the classic version.
Great for Sharing
This recipe doubles easily and bakes up a big batch, making it perfect for school events, parties, or gifting. They hold up well and are always a hit, even with non-vegans.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Check the photo for everything you'll need to bake these vegan oatmeal raisin cookies. I’ve highlighted a few ingredients below with tips and options based on what I’ve tried over the years.
Vegan Butter: I used to bake with Earth Balance when it was one of the few options around—usually a special trip to Whole Foods. These days, even my local grocery store carries a few vegan butter alternatives that are more budget-friendly, and I’ve been using those more often with great results. If you're using salted vegan butter, you may want to reduce the added salt in the recipe slightly—I usually use just ¼ teaspoon in that case.
Flax Egg: This acts as the egg replacer in the recipe. It helps bind the dough and gives the cookies structure without changing the flavor. Recently, I’ve started using aquafaba as egg substitute (the liquid from canned chickpeas) in cookies, and it works really well. I tried it in this recipe and loved the result—the cookies were noticeably crispier than with flax egg. You can use 3 tablespoons of aquafaba in place of one flax egg. If you’re doubling the recipe, just double the aquafaba too.
Flour
The original recipe uses all-purpose flour, but whole wheat pastry flour works really well too. I used it in my latest batch, and the cookies came out just as good—maybe even a little more flavorful, with no heaviness. I wouldn’t recommend regular whole wheat flour here, as it can make the cookies dense.
Oats: I’ve used both quick cooking oats and old-fashioned rolled oats in this recipe. Both work, but the rolled oats give a chewier texture. Use whatever you prefer, just avoid instant oats. I’ve also tried a mix of the two and liked the balance—it gives the cookies a little chew without being too dense.
Raisins & Add-ins: Classic oatmeal raisin cookies use raisins, but dried cranberries, chopped dates, or vegan chocolate chips are all great here. You can also skip the fruit and just go with nuts or chocolate.
Nuts: Walnuts or pecans add a nice crunch. Toasting them lightly before mixing in makes a big difference in flavor.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Vegan butter and brown sugar are beaten together until smooth, light, and fluffy.
Step 2: Flax egg and vanilla extract are mixed into the creamed butter mixture until fully combined.
Step 3: The wet mixture appears smooth, creamy, and evenly blended.
Step 4: Flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon are sifted together to remove lumps and ensure even mixing.
Step 5: The sifted dry ingredients are added to the wet mixture in the bowl.
Step 6: Wet and dry ingredients are mixed just until a thick, cohesive dough forms.
Step 7: Rolled oats are stirred into the dough until evenly distributed.
Step 8: Raisins and other optional add-ins are folded gently into the oat cookie dough.
Step 9: The finished oatmeal raisin cookie dough looks thick, chunky, and well mixed.
Step 10: Dough is scooped onto a baking sheet and lightly flattened before baking.
Step 11: Scoop and place the oatmeal raisin cookie dough on a baking sheet and bake (12-15 mins) in a preheated oven until the cookies are set around the edges and lightly golden.
Step 12: Freshly baked oatmeal raisin cookies are out of the oven, golden and ready to eat.
Recipe Tips
These cookies don’t spread much on their own – If you just drop the dough onto the baking sheet, they’ll mostly hold their shape. Lightly flatten them before baking for a more even shape and better texture.
Test bake a few cookies first – It’s always a good idea to bake just 3–4 cookies to start. This gives you a chance to see how the dough behaves in your oven, and make small adjustments if needed—like flattening more or adjusting the bake time—before committing to the full batch.
Don’t overbake – The cookies may still look slightly soft in the center when you take them out, but they’ll continue to firm up as they cool. Overbaking can make them dry.
Toast the nuts – Toasting walnuts or pecans brings out more flavor and adds a nice crunch. Just a few minutes in a dry pan or oven is enough.
Recipe FAQs
I wouldn’t recommend it for this recipe. Butter gives these cookies structure and flavor. Using oil might make them spread too much or turn out greasy.
Aquafaba (the liquid from canned chickpeas) works really well in cookies. Use 3 tablespoons in place of one flax egg. I recently tested it in this recipe and found that it gave the cookies a slightly crisper texture, which I actually preferred. Commercially available egg replacers like Ener-G will also work in this recipe—just follow the instructions on the package to replace one egg. If you're doubling the recipe, double the egg replacer as well.
Yes, you can. Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend and certified gluten-free oats. I haven’t tested it with this recipe, but it should be close.
Yes, you can! Scoop and flatten the dough slightly, then freeze in a single layer before transferring to a freezer-safe bag. Bake from frozen—just add a minute or two to the bake time.
They keep well for 3–4 days in an airtight container at room temperature. You can also freeze baked cookies for longer storage.
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Recipe
Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Ingredients
- ¾ Cup Vegan Butter
- 1 Cup Light Brown Sugar
- 1 Count flax egg (or 3 tbspns aquafaba)
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ¾ Cup All Purpose Flour (or whole wheat pastry flour)
- ½ Teaspoon Baking Soda
- ½ Teaspoon Salt I Used Only ¼ Teaspoon
- ½ Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- 3 Cups Old Fashioned Rolled Oats (or quick cooking oats)
- 1 Cup Raisins or dried cherries, dried cranberries, white/dark chocolate chips
- 1 Cup Walnuts or pecans, toasted and chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or lightly grease them.
- In a small cup or bowl, whisk together the flax seed meal and water. Set it aside for a few minutes to thicken into a gooey, gel-like mixture.
- In a mixing bowl, cream the vegan butter and brown sugar until smooth and fluffy. I used a hand mixer for this step.
- Add the thickened flax mixture and vanilla extract to the creamed butter. Stir well using a wooden spoon or spatula.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir until just combined.
- Fold in the oats and any optional mix-ins like raisins, cranberries, chocolate chips, or nuts.
- Scoop the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. I used an ice cream scoop for even portions.
- Lightly wet your hands and gently flatten each cookie to about ½ inch thick—these cookies don’t spread much on their own.
- Bake for 12–15 minutes, or until the edges are golden and the centers still look slightly soft.
- Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Sholeen Clarke says
Hello Madhuram
Thank you for this exceptional recipe. These biscuits are super yummy!!
I used all your ingredients as advised, the only exception being CHIA seeds instead of flax and the biscuits came out just right, there were no problems with crumbling at all. They held their shape very well.
I was wondering if I can store this in the fridge or freezer and if so for how long as it yields a lovely large batch which I’d love to split and bake through the week so we have fresh cookies as needed.
Madhuram says
Thank you very much for the feedback, Sholeen. Glad to know that it works with chia seeds too. Drop the dough on a cookie sheet for individual cookies and place it in the freezer lightly wrapped with plastic wrap. After about 30 minutes remove the baking sheet from the freezer and transfer the individually frozen cookie dough to a ziploc bag and store it in the freezer and bake it whenever needed.
Chrissy says
I’ve made these several times now, exactly as written. Very good! This is a staple recipe in our house, now.
Madhuram says
Thank you for the feedback, Chrissy.
Vish says
The cookies came out perfectly chewy and yet crumbly around the edges. I made a few minor tweaks - substituted 1 cup of oats with 3/4 cup of whole wheat flour as 3 cups of oats might have been a bit too much to my liking. I also used brown sugar and instead of adding 1/2 tsp of salt, added 1/4 tsp of salt and added broken nuts from roasted salted planters nut mix. This is one of the best oatmeal cookies to come out of the oven. Thanks for the recipe.
Madhuram says
You're very welcome, Vish. Nice to know the variations worked fine for you.