The Best Vegan Oatmeal Cookies (Nut-Free)

The BEST vegan oatmeal cookies that also happen to be nut-free! These cookies are made with simple ingredients you likely already have at home. They’re crispy around the edges and perfectly chewy in the center.

I don’t name my recipes “the best” often (mostly because it’s overused and subjective), but in my personal opinion, these cookies deserve it. They’re truly the best oatmeal cookies I’ve ever had. Vegan or not.

These cookies are crispy around the edges and perfectly chewy in the middle. They’re deliciously sweet and salty with a hint of cinnamon.

The best part? These cookies are made with basic ingredients in less than 30 minutes. All you need is all-purpose flour, rolled oats, sugar, maple syrup, flax seeds, butter, cinnamon, vanilla, salt and baking soda. Plus, they’re vegan and nut-free! You can also find many notes on ingredient substitutions below.

Ingredient Substitutions and Add-Ins:
  • Add your favorite vegan chocolate chips to make oatmeal chocolate chip cookies! You can start with 1/4 cup and add more if desired.
  • This recipe was tested with golden cane sugar. Feel free to try other granulated sugars, such as coconut sugar or regular white sugar.
  • Looking for a gluten-free option? Try these vegan and gluten-free oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.
  • There are two amounts suggested for the cinnamon. If you want just a hint of cinnamon, try 1/4 teaspoon (my favorite). If you want a little more cinnamon flavor, go for 1/2 teaspoon. You can also omit it.
Notes on the Recipe:

The cookies stay fresh and chewy for a few days on the counter, but they will become drier with time. To keep them chewy, let them cool completely and store them in a sealed container.

These cookies were tested using a light baking sheet. A darker baking sheet can bake the cookies faster, so check them after 13 minutes. Every oven can also be slightly different.

Make sure to spoon and level the flour. This means, don’t scoop the flour using your measuring cup or you’ll have too much flour! Instead, scoop the flour using a spoon and transfer it to the measuring cup. Then level the top with the back of a butter knife.

More Vegan Cookie Recipes:
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The Best Vegan Oatmeal Cookies (Nut-Free)

The BEST vegan oatmeal cookies that also happen to be nut-free! These cookies are made with simple ingredients you likely already have at home. They're crispy around the edges and perfectly chewy in the center.
Course Dessert
Cuisine vegan
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 10

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons flax seeds, ground
  • 1 1/2 cup (125g) rolled oats
  • 1 cup + 1 tablespoon (138g) all-purpose white flour, spoon and leveled
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
  • 1/4-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, ground
  • 3/4 cup (165g) cane sugar
  • 1/2 cup vegan butter, room temperature
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • Chocolate chips or chunks, to taste (optional)

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Make your flax egg: In a small bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons of ground flax seeds with 4 tablespoons of room temperature water. Set aside and let it thicken while you prepare the recipe.
  • In a medium or large bowl, combine your rolled oats, flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.
  • In a different medium bowl, beat together the butter and sugar. Stir in the maple syrup, flax egg and vanilla until combined.
  • Transfer the wet mixture to the dry mixture and combine. Don't overmix! Fold in the chocolate if using.
  • Form 10 cookies and place them on the prepared baking sheet, leaving some distance between each cookie. They do spread. Form a little mound with each cookie. This limits the spread and makes thick and chewy cookies (see photos).
  • Bake for 15 minutes at 350°F. Let them cool for at least 5-10 minutes on the baking sheet. They will be delicate when warm. Enjoy!

Notes

Want to make oatmeal chocolate chip cookies? Simply add your favorite vegan chocolate chips or chunks! You can start with 1/4 cup and add more if desired.
This recipe was tested with golden cane sugar (turbinado sugar). Feel free to try other granulated sugars, such as coconut sugar or regular white sugar. Make sure your sugar is vegan to make this recipe 100% vegan.
The cookies stay fresh and chewy for a few days on the counter, but they will become drier with time. To keep them chewy, let them cool completely and store them in a sealed container.
I bake mine for 15 minutes using a light baking sheet. A darker baking sheet can bake the cookies faster, so check them after 13 minutes. Each oven can also be slightly different.
Make sure to spoon and level the flour. This means, don’t scoop the flour using your measuring cup or you’ll have too much flour! Instead, scoop the flour using a spoon and transfer it to the measuring cup. Then level the top with the back of a butter knife.
I haven’t tried other flours in this recipe yet, but I will update the recipe when I do. Let me know in the comments if you try other flours!
There are two amounts suggested for the cinnamon. If you want just a hint of cinnamon, try 1/4 teaspoon (my favorite). If you want a little more cinnamon flavor, go for 1/2 teaspoon.
 

If you make these vegan oatmeal cookies, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! I love to hear from you guys. And of course, if you try this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram!

View Comments

  • Mine didn't spread out at all :(
    I made sure to use the spoon scoop method for the flour so there wasn't too much but they still jsur stayed as mounds

    They were DELICIOUS MOUNDS so your recipe is simple and yummy

    I definitely just did something wrong but I can't figure out what
    Would using margarine instead of vegan butter be the problem?

    • Hi Irene, I'm happy you still liked the recipe, despite the fact that they didn't spread. I'm sorry to hear! For this recipe, I used Becel vegan "butter", which is basically margarine, so you should be fine with this. My first thought was the flour as well, but if you used the spoon and level method, it shouldn't be an issue. Another possibility is the temperature of the ingredients. However, I use the maple and vegan butter straight from the fridge. They're not completely at room temperature, but they do start to warm up while I prepare the recipe. If your fridge is at a colder temperature, that could make a difference. Otherwise, overmixing the batter can lead to denser cookies. And making sure that you added the ingredients in the right order. I hope this helps a little! I will update the recipe with a note on the ingredient temperatures though!

  • Who doesn't love a good cookie? These oatmeal cookies are a great way to satisfy any cookie cravings you may have!

    • Hi Sharon, there's a lot of vegan sugar out there. Not all brands process their sugar with animal products.

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