Classic Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Soft, chewy, and bursting with spices, these vegan oatmeal raisin cookies taste just like the ones you grew up eating, but without any eggs or dairy! They’re super easy to make and perfect for dunking.

Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookies on a white plate.

It’s that time of year! I’m really enjoying the cooler temperatures and being able to fire up the oven (comfortably) once again. Lately it seems like it’s been a parade of sweets coming out of my kitchen, and fall flavors are prominently featured.

Are you guys craving some sweet fall flavors? Because vegan oatmeal raisin cookies are just about the easiest way to satisfy that. (Although I love these cookies any time of year.)

I grew up making the vanishing oatmeal raisin cookie recipe that’s under the lid of Quaker Oats, so I adapted that recipe in order to create this vegan oatmeal raisin cookie recipe. It turned out absolutely delicious!

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Ingredients You’ll Need

Vegan butter. This is normally sold near the regular butter in supermarkets. Earth Balance and Miyoko’s are a couple of popular brands to look for.
Sugar. Use organic sugar to keep the recipe vegan.
Brown sugar. This needs to be organic as well.
Unsweetened applesauce. Did you know that applesauce works as a vegan egg substitute? It does! And as an added bonus, it allows us to use less vegan butter in the recipe, which, believe it or not, results in a better cookie. These cookies have excellent texture and they actually hold together better that versions that use more butter.
Vanilla extract.
Rolled oats. Quick cooking oats should work as a substitute, though the texture of your cookies will be slightly different.
Flour. We’re using regular old all-purpose wheat flour. I can’t promise that the recipe will work with any other varieties.
Baking soda.
Spices. We’re using cinnamon, ginger and cloves.
Salt.
Raisins.
Walnuts. Leave these out if you’re not a fan, or substitute another type of nut, such as pecans.

Tip: Not into raisins? Use vegan chocolate chips instead!

How They’re Made

The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you’d like to skip right to the recipe!

Start with your butter and sugars in a large mixing bowl. Your butter needs to be at room temperature, so it should be slightly soft. Grab an electric mixer and beat them together until thoroughly mixed and cream.
Beat it the applesauce and vanilla.

Note: Use a hand mixer or stand mixer. Whichever you prefer is fine!

Electric mixer beating vegan butter and sugars together in a bowl.

Dry ingredients go in next. Start by stirring in your oats.
Once the oats are incorporated, you can add the rest. I kept this as a one-bowl recipe and here’s the trick: add your flour to the bowl, and then sprinkle everything else on top of your flour before stirring — baking soda, spices and salt. Make sure to sprinkle the baking soda around a bit so it doesn’t all hit the liquid at once when you begin stirring.

Hands stirring flour into a bowl of cookie dough.

Fold in your walnuts and raisins last.

Hand stirring raisins and walnuts into a bowl of cookie dough.

Roll your cookie dough into balls and arrange them on a couple of cookie sheets lined with parchment paper. Because these cookies don’t contain as much butter as others versions, they won’t spread out as much, so be sure to flatten them out just a bit before popping them into the oven.

Tip: A cookie scoop is a great tool for ensuring that your cookies are evenly sized and uniformly shaped.

Cookie dough balls on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.

Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes, keeping the time near the lower end of this range for softer cookies, and towards the higher end for more crisp cookies.

Close up of Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookies on a plate.

Shelf Life & Storage

Vegan oatmeal raisin cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for about 2 weeks or in the freezer for about 3 months.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can these cookies be made gluten-free?

Possibly! An all-purpose gluten-free flour blend like Bob’s Red Mill or King Arthur’s might work, but I haven’t tested the recipe with either, so no promises. You’ll also need to make sure your oats are certified gluten-free.

Why does the sugar need to be organic?

Most sugar in the United States is processed using animal bones. Organic is processed differently, so it’s considered vegan.

Can I make the dough ahead of time, refrigerate it, and bake the cookies later?

Yes, but be sure to use it within two days and bring it up to room temperature before baking.

White wooden surface set with plate of Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, glass of almond milk, and striped straw.

Like this recipe? If so, please stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you try it! Also be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter for more recipes like this one!