This week I had a request from a local customer who wanted to purchase vegan oatmeal cookies. He said that he has been looking for a vegan oatmeal cookie that would obtain the approval of his children.
The only specification was that they could not have chocolate chips which is normally how his kids prefer oatmeal raisin cookies.
Not wanting to crush his dreams and tell him I actually didn’t have a vegan oatmeal cookie recipe in my ‘baking holster’, I smiled and said, ‘Of course I can make you some oatmeal raisins cookies. No problem!’
I knew I had some work to do. *gulp.
Batch #1 was an excellent attempt, but not quite there yet.
Batch #2 had me hook, line, and sinker.
That wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.
The Ultimate Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookie
Inspired by Salt Kissed Chunky PB Chocolate Chip Cookies & Vegetarian Times.
Ingredients:
- 1 & 3/4 cups walnuts, toasted
- 2 cups regular oats, divided
- 3/4 cup white Kamut flour (other flours probably work!)
- 1/2 cup Sucanat (or brown sugar)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 2 tbsp almond milk
- 3.5 tbsp coconut oil
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup raisins
Directions: Preheat oven to 350F and grease a baking sheet. Place 1.75 cups of walnuts on the baking sheet. Toast walnuts in oven for about 10-12 minutes, until golden in colour. Watch carefully so as not to burn. When walnuts are toasted remove from oven and cool for a few minutes. Dump walnuts into food processor and process until just finely ground, no more. In a medium sized bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, 1 cup oats, cinnamon, and Sucanat (or brown sugar). Now add the dry ingredients to the food processor and process for about 20-30 seconds until mixed. In a small bowl add the coconut oil and microwave for 20 seconds to soften (if necessary). In the same bowl, stir in the maple syrup, almond milk, and vanilla, and pour into food processor. Process until the mixture is thoroughly combined. Remove bowl from processor and dump contents into a large bowl. Mix in the remaining 1 cup of oats by stirring or with hands. Fold in the 2/3 cup of raisins. Take about 2 tbsp of dough, make a ball, and then flatten with fingers. Place on cookie sheet. Repeat. Bake for 10 minutes at 350F and no longer. Remove from oven and let sit on baking sheet for 2 minutes before placing onto a cooling rack for 10-15 minutes. Makes about 16 large cookies.
This was my first time baking with Kamut flour!
Kamut (pronounced ka-moot) is an ancient whole grain cultivated by the Egyptians in 8,000 B.C.
Like spelt, it may be a healthy alternative for people who are sensitive to wheat products. The benefit of Kamut over spelt flour is that Kamut is much lighter than spelt and won’t weigh the baked goods down. I have been excited to try it out ever since my friend Heather told me about it!
I bought some white Kamut flour and some whole grain Kamut flour. I started with the white Kamut flour first to ‘test the waters’.
After grinding the toasted walnuts and then processing with the dry ingredients…
Next, I processed in the wet ingredients and then folded in the oats and raisins…
=> the most delicious & rich & buttery cookie dough in the world.
Baking for just 10 minutes (not a second longer!) at 350F.
Damn.
The result was the most delicious oatmeal raisin cookie I think I have ever tasted. The toasted walnuts were magnificent and I am so glad I toasted them. The recipe is slightly ‘fussy’ but well worth the effort and it still didn’t take longer than about 35-40 minutes or so.
I have a feeling my customer’s kids will love these cookies.
Eric was silent for a while as he ate one and his eyes went into a far off daze. After snapping him out of it, he said, ‘These are incredible…mmmm…..’ and then he went back into a daze as he ate them.
He hasn’t been the same since.
I’m going to give my customer this batch on the house so he can test them out and see how they all like them.
I also made some mini cookies- just 1 inch in diameter (but they look much bigger in this deceiving picture!)
Mini cookies are fun for lunches when you want just a little something sweet.
Or you can go big or go home. ;)
Food for thought: If you could have one recipe made healthier and/or vegan what would it be?
I made these cookies and they were awesome! I substituted pecans in place of walnuts (on account of an allergy), added a chopped-up dark chocolate bar, and omitted the raisins. I also used whole grain flour because it was what I had on hand. Definitely take the advice not to bake for more than 10min on 350. The cookies were very fragile when I took them out of the oven, but they cooled to a perfectly soft and chewy texture.
Thanks for another great recipe!
Mock chicken and dumplins – favorite comfort food from the South.
I made these yesterday and they have completely disappeared! I subbed oat flour and coconut flour for the kamut, and used agave nectar as a sweetener – they came out great! Thanks for another awesome recipe. I’m also working my way through your cookbook and it’s wonderful!
These vegan cookies are sooo delicious. I used untoasted nuts (1 cup walnuts and 1 cup cashews). Satisfying taste.
OMG. These were soooooo good. I just stumbled upon your blog- as I was looking for a resource for healthy, raw, vegan foods (I am newly converted). I am an avid baker and my specialty is specialty cookies. These are fantastic. I used whole wheat flour and they turned out great. One of the best oatmeal cookies I have ever baked. Thank you!
I just made these and they are awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!! im going to make banana ice cream and make cookie sandwiches out of them!
Made these but substituted a mashed banana and dates for the brown sugar and 1/2 of the maple syrup–as I usually try to limit added sugar. Came out great!
Thank you Angela for creating this recipe! I’ve made two batches of these cookies in the last two weeks and I’ve been getting compliments left, right and centre! Everyone loves them, so crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside… And it was my first time baking cookies! All the best!
I subbed rice flour & almonds as didn’t have kamut or walnuts, added a splash extra almond milk. Result? Delicious!! The smell while baking/cooling alone was amazing! Thanks for the great recipe.
I am always testing vegan cookie recipes and these are my FAVORITE TO DATE! The walnut flour realy adds a rich flavor that vegan cookies often lack. I didn’t do all of the food processor steps, just the nuts and dry ingredients, and they were still incredible. Nutty, just sweet enough, and PERFECT :)
I never thought I would love oatmeal raisin cookies so much. These are phenomenal! I made a few adjustments based on what I had and they came out great. I used spelt flour and date sugar, and upped the cinnamon a tad. Thanks for the recipe!
These just came out of the oven. They are absolutely delicious. I skipped the sweeteners and subbed with 6 packages of stevia (diabetic in the family). I didn’t have any walnuts, so used sunflower seeds.
This is a keeper. Thanks for the recipe.
I made mine with sunflower seeds instead of walnuts like you did since I also had no walnuts in the cupboard. But the next day the middle of my cookies were green. Is this normal?
Yum! Do you have any gluten free flour suggestions in replace of the kamut flour because I would love to make these!! :) ????
I am blessed with not having a sweet tooth.
However, on the rare occasion that I crave something sweet, my go to is either vegan carrot cake or vegan oatmeal raisin cookies.
These cookies blew my mind!
So easy to make, so yummy and so addictive.
Crunchy and chewy and not overly sweet.
In a word, perfect!
Thank you so much to coming up with these and sharing.
Just made these and they turned out great, nobody could tell they were vegan.
Hi Angela!
My family and I absolutely love your blog (and book)! We are mostly plant based and my mom has celiac disease so your blog has been a godsend! My dad’s all time favorite cookie is “Oatmeal Scotchies”. Do you think I could put butterscotch chips instead of the raisins in this?
I love your recipes. I am allergic to walnuts and hazelnuts. Are you able to suggest substitutions for these nuts? Thank you!
Just wondering what the nutritional info was on these cookies?
Hi Angel, I absolutely love your blog! I tried the vegan oatmeal raisin cookies (but with more oats rather than walnuts -I’m not a fan). One recipe I would really love to see made refined sugar, dairy and wheat free is caramel squares/millionaire’s shortbread. There are so many recipes online, but many a raw; its is a baked base one that I am looking for!
Thank you so much for all the great recipe ideas
Hi Angela, I absolutely love your blog! I tried the vegan oatmeal raisin cookies (but with more oats rather than walnuts -I’m not a fan). One recipe I would really love to see made refined sugar, dairy and wheat free is caramel squares/millionaire’s shortbread. There are so many recipes online, but many a raw; its is a baked base one that I am looking for!
Thank you so much for all the great recipe ideas
This recipe looks fantastic! I will definitely be making these in the near future. Unfortunately, my wife does not eat nuts. Is there a substitute since there is a fair amount of walnuts in the recipe? I’m sure she’d love to share with me.
I wish there was a healthy carrot cake recipe. With cream “cheese” icing. I’ve yet to find one that doesn’t call for so much white sugar that it makes my teeth decay just reading the recipe.
I came across this recipe on Facebook and decided to give it a try. Love the toasted walnuts, nice touch! The only thing I did differently was use date sugar instead of brown sugar. It usually requires a bit more liquid, but it was perfect here. Yum!
Perfect! One of the best oatmeal cookies I have ever tasted. Made a few (minor) replacements: sesame oil for coconut oil, honey instead of maple syrup, whole wheat flour, and added the rind and juice of one orange. Came out beautiful, crunchy around the edges, chewy in the middle, you can taste the toasted walnuts and the cinnamon, wholesome, great texture and sweet enough to satisfy your craving for something sweet after dinner! Thank you Angela, love your blog, and your book!!
I just made these cookies as they sounded gorgeous! And they are!! Just perfect! The batter is also to-die-for! Thank You once again Angela! I also substituted the kamut flour for wholemeal flour and the maple syrup for agave!
I was desperately craving oatmeal cookies tonight and thankfully found this recipe. The cookies are absolutely heavenly. I substituted kamut for spelt flour because it’s what I had in the pantry. The combination of brown sugar, maple syrup and pulverized walnuts make for a deliciously, multi-layered cookie. I can’t wait to make these again.
Hi Katherine, I’m glad to hear these cookies hit the spot! :)
Angela! These are amazing! We are having a spring snowstorm here in NB and these are just what we needed to warm hearts and bellies :)
Just made this amazing cookies!!! The yummiest!! Instead of raisings Inused cranberries…
I’ve been craving oatmeal cookies. I just made these but used craisins instead of raisins and they are delicious! I will be making these again. Thank you for the recipe.
That sounds like a great twist on the recipe, Sue! So glad you enjoyed the cookies.
I used whole wheat flour because I didn’t have kamut, I used apple sauce instead of maple syrup, I used coconut sugar instead of sucanat, I forgot to put in the baking soda, I didn’t put it in a food processor and I added 3 chopped dates, and they were still so so good!
Haha, I’m so glad they turned out with all the subs, Aly!! Thanks for sharing :)
WOW WOW WOW! Just made these and they are DIVINE! Used regular oil due to a coconut allergy and I baked for 15 mins since I used a 1/4 cup measure instead of 2 tbsp. I am in heaven. Thank you for this recipe!!
I am just finishing the second batch of these ‘eye glazing’ over treats. The ‘bite’ of these cookies is really satisfying. A delicate chew and a crunch.
Last night I made them splitting the batch in half, 1/2 with chocolate chips and 1/2 with raisins. Both excellent. The fam just has two preferences. I had a sweet mochi rice flour and substituted that with an 1/8 tsp xantham gum. And this morning I Salted the walnuts when they came out of the oven. Because last nights batch was a bit flat, so I ended up sprinkling salt on mine. Today’s are great! Thank you so very much for these healthy tasty treats!
So glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Phebe! :)
These were great, though I did have to make some substitutions.
I didn’t have enough Kamut flour so I also used unbleached, organic white, and I only had one cup of walnuts so I used almonds and hazelnuts to make up the difference. I don’t like coconut oil so I used organic canola, and I didn’t have almond milk so I used soy. I also used brown sugar. I made 13 cookies without raisins (for the raisin hater I married), and another dozen with raisins, and they all turned out perfectly. Thank you for the recipe.
Just made these – very nice, but very sweet. I think next time I’ll quarter the amount of brown sugar, or maybe leave it out altogether. Didn’t have kumut flour, so I used ordinary self-raising and halved the amount of baking powder.
Made this last night and am having trouble not eating the whole batch – Delicious!! Didn’t realize they wouldn’t flatten at all in the oven, so mine are a bit thick, but they’re still amazing!!
Happy to hear you’re enjoying them, Kelsa!
These look great! But I’m allergic to walnuts. Do you think ground almonds or hazelnuts or a mixture of both would work?
Hey Kelly, I believe readers have had success with subbing in both almonds and an almond/hazelnut combo. If you decide to give a swap a try, I hope you enjoy the results, too! :) I’d love to hear how it goes.
These better taste good, cos they are a pain in the ass to make.
Hi there!
Anyone tried to store these? Airtight container I guess? How long do they keep fresh for?
Thank you X
Hey Kat, I’d recommend storing these cookies in an airtight container or zip bag in the fridge for a few days, or in the freezer in a freezer-safe, airtight container or zip bag for 2 to 4 weeks. Hope this helps!
I will start by saying I love your recipes! I did make some changes to this oatmeal cookie, using whole purpose flour, leaving the nuts in chunks and using agave instead of maple syrup. I also used craisins instead of raisins. The flavor is amazing but they need something to bind them better. I think I will try a flax “egg” next time and see how that works. Thanks for another tasty recipe.
Fabulous recipe! I’ve been making these for years as dairy free Lactation cookies and they’re a lifesaver. To turn them into Lactation cookies I add 2 TBSP of flax meal mixed with 3 TBSP water with the wet ingredients, and 1 TBSP brewers yeast with the dry ingredients. They really work and taste delicious! I also substitute 1 1/3 cups ground almond meal for walnuts when I’m too busy to roast the nuts and they’re almost as good. Thank you
Thanks so much for sharing those adaptations, Lauren! That’s great to know.
Thanks Angela for the recipe. I used unbleached flour and craisins and it turned out amazing! I love oatmeal cookies and this is now my new favorite recipe. Thanks for all the good things you do!
Thanks for the glowing review, Elena! So glad you enjoyed the cookies. :)
Trader Joe’s sells fantastic vegan oatmeal cookies. Also vegan chocolate chip and vegan trail mix cookies in a white filed bag by their muffins, and pastry section.
Just made these with a couple of substitutions and they were delicious! Used quick-oats, and toasted almonds. Chewy, in a good way :)
Glad they were a hit, Kate! Happy eating ;)
I have a question, I’ve been searching for Vegan Oatmeal Raisin cookies for a while and this is the closest I can get to “easy” and I was wondering, can I substitute the walnuts with, or how should I grind them up because I don’t own a food processor or anything to grind them up with?
Hey Nicole, I’m sorry I haven’t tried these without the ground walnuts before…they would be tricky to replace without some experimentation involved. If you have a blender you can probably grind them in that. Another option would be to finely chop them (super finely though — would take some time and patience).
Nicole,
I know this is late – but I just made using packaged chopped walnuts (you can find them in baking sections, usually) and they seem to be turning out just fine :)
So delicious!!! Thank you!