An old-fashioned oatmeal raisin cookie can’t be beat! These vegan oatmeal raisin cookies have perfect, chewy texture. They’re made with wholesome rolled oats, and they’re perfect with a glass of non-dairy milk.

The holiday season is often a time for elaborate cooking and baking. It’s my busiest time of year in the kitchen for sure, and I tend to save my most ambitious desserts for November and December.

In spite of this, or maybe because of it, I like to take breaks from the holiday madness in order to prepare some simple food. These vegan oatmeal raisin cookies are the epitome of a low stress dessert. They come together in a single bowl, bake quickly, and they feature simple ingredients.

What’s more, they have the sweet, yet wholesome vibe that make oatmeal raisin cookies so lovable and special. They’re not the richest or most decadent cookie, but they don’t have to be. They’re sweet, soft, buttery, and studded with juicy raisins, and that’s more than enough.

An ode to oatmeal raisin cookies

I don’t think that any cookie is quite as divisive as oatmeal raisin cookies are.

Every time I mention oatmeal raisin cookies in mixed company, it seems that half of the people present love them. The other half hates them. There are no in-betweens.

I guess it’s easy to compare oatmeal raisin cookies to what they aren’t. They’re not bursting with melted chocolate. They’re not covered in frosting or glaze. They have neither the sweetness nor the intense buttery flavor of sugar cookies.

What oatmeal raisin cookies do have is that wonderfully chewy interior. The effect is heightened by the plump, juiciness of raisins and the nice texture that rolled oats lend to the cookie batter.

Oatmeal raisin cookies are subtle. Most recipes call for just a hint of cinnamon—not enough to make the cookies smell like pumpkin bread, but enough to give them the familiar aroma and taste of fall baking.

Oatmeal raisin cookies are buttery, but not in the overwhelming way that shortbread is buttery. And while this batch of vegan oatmeal raisin cookies is definitely sweet, they don’t register as being sugary.

The cookies are just the thing to enjoy in contrast to the many ornate cakes, pies, puddings, and pastries that you might enjoy this holiday season. They’ll make you smile, and they may evoke some nostalgia. But they’ll do that in a quiet and humble way.

My favorite rolled oats

A lot of oatmeal raisin cookie recipes call for quick oats. I like quick oats for breakfast, but when it comes to cookies, I think that rolled oats can’t be beat.

Rolled oats are key for giving the vegan oatmeal raisin cookies their perfectly chewy, textured interior. And I could only have chosen my favorite rolled oats from One Degree Organics for the job!

I love these oats, and I love all of the other cereals, granolas, and flours that One Degree produces. The oats have sweet, mild flavor, they’re always super fresh, and they’re great for both oatmeal and baking. (Or for baked oatmeal.)

The One Degree Organic oats are both organic and glyphosate-free. For those who are allergic to gluten, the oats are certified GF.

Best of all, One Degree prides itself on transparent sourcing. Each product bag features a QR code that you can use to trace the product’s ingredients and the farmers who grew them.

Other oatmeal raisin cookie ingredients

While oats are of course the starring ingredient of this recipe, there are a few others you’ll need to make the cookies.

Vegan butter

You’ll need eight tablespoons, or one stick, of vegan butter for the recipe. The butter should be at room temperature, as you’ll be creaming it together with sugar in a stand or handheld mixer.

You can use any butter variety that you like, but I find that vegan butter in stick form is easiest for baking.

Flax meal

The recipe calls for one vegan “flax egg.” It’s made with ground flax meal + water. You can grind the flax seeds at home, if you have a spice mill, or you can purchase pre-ground flax.

Sugars

The cookies call for both cane and brown sugar. The sugars each contribute different degrees of moisture to the recipe, which is why I use a mix. However, you can use all cane sugar or all brown sugar in a pinch.

Unbleached, all-purpose flour

I use unbleached, all-purpose flour in the oatmeal raisin cookies. The lightness and tenderness of this flour works well with the wholesome texture of the oats. If you like, you can use whole wheat pastry flour in its place.

And if you need the recipe to be gluten-free, you can try using an all-purpose, gluten-free flour blend.

Cornstarch

There’s not much cornstarch needed here, but a small amount can contribute to chewy texture and help to replace egg in vegan cookie recipes. You can substitute arrowroot instead. If you don’t have cornstarch at home, you can omit it.

Raisins

I tested the cookies with a whole cup of raisins and only a half cup. The batch with a cup seemed to be overwhelmed by the raisins, while half a cup wasn’t enough. Two-thirds of a cup was my sweet spot.

If you’re a big raisin lover, you can use three quarters of a cup instead.

How to make vegan oatmeal raisin cookies

The process of making these vegan oatmeal raisin cookies is fairly simple. And you’ll find that it isn’t very different from making regular oatmeal raisin cookies, if you’re already a pro. Replacing egg is the only real vegan modification in the recipe, and a flax egg does that very efficiently.

Prepare your flax “egg”

Preparing a flax egg is really as simple as mixing a tablespoon of ground flax meal and three tablespoons of warm water. Be sure to give the flax egg a little time to “gel” up into a thick mixture; you can let it sit and thicken while you proceed with the rest of the recipe.

Cream your butter and sugar

You can use either a stand mixer or a handheld mixer to cream butter and sugar for this recipe.

Creaming butter and sugar isn’t just about mixing the two together. It’s a process of aerating the butter as you disperse the sugar evenly through it. Be sure to keep mixing the ingredients until the creamed butter appears light and airy.

Add your dry ingredients

I add dry ingredients, mix to combine, and then mix in the raisins. Note that this cookie dough will be relatively wet and sticky. This is how it’s supposed to look at this point. Chilling time, the next step, will make it more solid.

Chill

If a cookie recipe calls for chilling time, then it’s probably a necessary and important step. Chilling cookie dough fully hydrates the flour, and it also allows fats to cool. This means that cookies won’t spread too much as they bake.

One hour of chilling time is enough for the vegan oatmeal raisin cookies, but overnight is fine if you have the time.

In this recipe, I also use baking powder instead of soda. While this is unusual for cookies, it works. When I tested the cookies with baking soda they spread too much. Baking powder gives them rise without making them overly thin and flat.

Scoop

You’ll drop the cookies in two-tablespoon heaps onto lined baking sheets before baking at 350F. A cookie scoop makes this easy, and is worthy having at home if you love to bake cookies!

Bake

It took me years to learn how to bake cookies without burning them. Whenever I removed them from the oven at the indicated time, it would seem to me that they were too pale and undercooked.

I didn’t realize that cookies always keep baking for a bit after you pull them from the oven. In addition, only two or three minutes of oven time can be the difference between burnt and properly baked cookies. A good rule of thumb is to remove them from the oven a little before you think you need to.

The oatmeal raisin cookies will need 12-14 minutes of baking time, and no more. They’re ready at the moment they’re just starting to brown at their edges.

Storage

Store the vegan oatmeal raisin cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to four days. A Stasher Bag is also a good storage container for them.

Can I freeze oatmeal raisin cookies?

Yes, it’s fine to freeze the cookies. They can be frozen for up to six weeks and enjoyed whenever you have a craving.

It never hurts to have a bite of something very nostalgic and comforting. During these busy winter months, it also doesn’t hurt to bake something easy and low-stress. Something that you don’t necessarily have to share with anyone else. Just a wholesome, chewy treat for you.

My hope is that these vegan oatmeal raisin cookies will fill that need. Enjoy!

xo

This post is sponsored by One Degree Organics. All opinions are my own. Thanks for your support!