These super simple, healthy and vegan oatmeal cookies are crispy, chewy, and very quick and easy to make using this lazy no-fuss Swedish-inspired Cookie recipe! Made with gluten-free oats, dairy-free milk and no eggs, these cookies are healthier than traditional recipes and perfect for kids and adults alike!
The Best and Easiest Vegan Oatmeal Cookies
If you’re craving cookies but are looking for something healthier, try this homemade Swedish oatmeal cookie recipe! They’re crispy on the outside but chewy on the inside and taste so good that nobody will know they’re vegan!
But best of all, this vegan cookie recipe is super simple so even beginners can make it! It requires just 8 pantry staple ingredients, one bowl, and less than 5 minutes to mix the dough and shape the cookies. Then just bake them for 15 minutes, and you’ll have the best and easiest cookies ever to enjoy for breakfast, dessert or as a snack. Plus, they’re also perfect for making a tart, pie or cheesecake cookie crust!
Add vanilla, cinnamon or chocolate chips!
These healthy vegan oatmeal cookies are delicious as they are. However, feel free to amp up the flavors to your liking by adding more vanilla extract or some almond extract or a pinch of cinnamon or some vegan caramel. You can also fold in some vegan chocolate chips, chopped nuts or dried fruit – whatever you desire.
Enjoy them with a glass of plant-based milk for a refreshing quick snack or with a cup of tea or coffee for an afternoon treat. Eat them all yourself or share them with your family or friends. Just make sure to make a big batch as they will be gone quickly for sure!
Ingredients and substitutes for vegan oat cookies
- Oats: use gluten-free oats as needed to make these cookies. I use fine oats, also known as rolled porridge oats or oat flakes, which have a finer texture than the old fashioned ones. If you have only rolled oats on hand, you could place them in a food processor or blender and pulse a few times.
- All-purpose or spelt flour: you can also sub gluten-free baking flour or whole wheat flour if you want to make whole grain cookies.
- Baking powder: or use half amount of baking soda instead.
- Ground vanilla: or vanilla extract for flavor.
- Salt: to balance out the sweetness.
- Raw cane sugar: or use your favorite variety such as coconut or brown sugar.
- Vegan butter: I recommend cutting it into small pieces first and then allow to soften. Alternatively, try using a little less coconut oil + 1 tbsp applesauce.
- Agave syrup: you can also use any other syrup to taste such as maple, date, or coconut or rice syrup.
- Dairy-free milk: Depending on the type of flour you use, you may need a little oat, almond, cashew, or soy milk, especially if you use gluten-free or whole wheat flour.
How to make Vegan Oatmeal Cookies
Step 1: making the cookie dough
Put the dry ingredients (rolled oats, flour, baking powder, ground vanilla, salt and sugar) in a bowl and stir together. Then add the soft vegan butter and agave syrup and mix until a dough forms. If the mixture looks too dry add a little bit of dairy-free milk. If you want to add chocolate chips, nuts or dried fruit, add them now and mix until combined.
Step 2: shape cookies and bake
Now form the dough into walnut-sized balls and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, leaving enough space between each ball. Then flatten them slightly with the palm of your hands (the more you flatten them, the thinner they’ll be). Bake in the preheated oven at 356°F/180°C (fan-assisted) for about 15 minutes until golden brown.
Once done baking, allow to cool completely. The cookies will still be very soft after baking, but they will crisp up as they cool. Enjoy!
How to store these cookies?
These healthy oatmeal cookies are best enjoyed fresh. However, you can keep leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 week (they never last longer in my house, because they taste so good). You could even freeze them for up to 2 months. Then whenever you’re craving some homemade cookies, simply remove and thaw them. For more crispness, you can also reheat them in the oven briefly.
Can you make the cookie dough ahead?
Yes! You can prepare the dough and leave it wrapped in cling foil in the fridge overnight. Just consider that you will get a chunkier cookie if you cool it. Therefore, I recommend removing the dough earlier from the refrigerator to allow it to soften slightly. Then shape your vegan cookies and bake as instructed.
This easy vegan homemade oatmeal cookie recipe is
- Quick and easy to make
- Dairy-free
- Egg-free
- Simple
- Versatile
- Requires just a few ingredients
- Can be made in one bowl
- Can be made gluten-free
- Crispy on the outside
- Soft and chewy on the inside
- Absolutely delicious
- Perfect for anytime!
More easy vegan cookie recipes to try
- Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
- Vanilla Crescent Cookies
- Vegan Linzer Cookies
- Gingerbread Cookies
- Pecan Pie Bars
- Apple Hand Pies
- Vegan Almond Horns
- Vegan Nut Bars
- Peanut Butter Chickpea Cookie Dough Pretzel Bites
If you try this easy vegan oatmeal cookie recipe, feel free to leave a comment and a star rating! And if you take a picture of your yummy homemade oat cookie and share it on Instagram, please tag me @biancazapatka and use the hashtag #biancazapatka because I love seeing your remakes! Happy baking! 🙂
Vegan Oatmeal Cookies
Author:You do not have a fitting cake pan at hand right now? Try my Cake Pan Conversion Calculator!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup (125 g) fine oats gluten-free as needed
- ½ cup (50 g) all-purpose or spelt flour or gluten-free flour (*see notes)
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder or ¾ tsp baking soda
- 1 pinch of ground vanilla or 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 pinch of salt
- ¼ cup (60 g) raw cane sugar or another sugar of choice
- 3.5 oz (100 g) soft vegan butter cut into small pieces (or coconut oil, *see notes)
- 2 tbsp agave syrup or other syrup to taste
- 1 tbsp dairy-free milk optional as needed
Instructions
*Note: Check out the step-by-step photos in the blog post above. Also, I recommend using metric measurements for the best result!
- Preheat the oven to 356°F/180°C (fan-assisted) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Put the dry ingredients (rolled oats, flour, baking powder, ground vanilla, salt and sugar) in a bowl and stir together. Then add the soft vegan butter and agave syrup and knead everything into a dough (if the mixture looks too dry add 1 tbsp of dairy-free milk).
- Form the dough into walnut-sized balls of 1 oz (30 g) each and place them on the prepared baking sheet, leaving enough space between each ball. Then flatten them slightly with the palm of your hands (the more you flatten them, the thinner they'll be).
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 12-15 minutes until golden brown.
- Allow to cool completely. (The cookies will still be very soft after baking, but they will crisp up as they cool).
- Store in an airtight container or enjoy them all immediately! 🙂
Notes
- I use fine oats, also known as rolled porridge oats or oat flakes, which have a finer texture than the old fashioned ones. If you have only rolled oats on hand, you could place them in a food processor or blender and pulse a few times.
- To make these cookies gluten-free, you can use a gluten-free flour blend 1:1.
- Instead of vegan butter you could use ⅓ cup of coconut oil + 1 tbsp applesauce.
- More helpful tips, suggestions for recipe variations as well as make-ahead and storage instructions can be found in the text above the recipe card.
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Hi 🙂
I made the cookies yesterday and they are amazing, although I needed to adapt to my pantry. I chose to use coconut oil but did not read, that you need to use applesauce as well … so I ended up using 50g of coconut oil (then i realized, that I don’t have enough) and 50g of margarine. And I was so happy about the consistency, that i totally forgot the syup 😀 But I pressed them really well in balls, before pressing them down. I don’t know if this is why they are so tight and crunchy now, but I really like it. Reminds me a little bit about these crunchy oatmeal bars from nature valley.
Thank you! This is a great recipe, because it does not call for bananas. And tastes amazing!
Glad they taste amazing! Thank you! 🙂
Hello,
Great cookie recipe thank you. I used oat flour and almond flour. No sugar at all. Used avocado oil and homemade applesauce. Used date syrup and maple syrup. My kid loves it.
I have freezed the cookies now. To take this on a day out can I just microwave for 30 secs and pack in a box. when say thaw is it on a pan on the stove. If you have any almond oat flour vanilla cake vegan recipe please share link. Thank you.
That’s awesome! 🙂 Glad your kids loved these cookies too!
I have no specific almond oat flour vanilla cake recipe but you could try to modify my classic vegan vanilla cake recipe.
I absolutely love this recipe! The cookies are insanely delicious and so quick to make 🙂 Thank you!
Awesome! Glad you love it! 🙂
Hello Blanca Zapatka,
I made the recipe, but the consistency of the ingredients did not come together, therefore the oats were all loose and it was not possible to obtain a compact dough.
I added one apple’s sauce and it seemed better, only it was quite humid.
Regards,
Did you use quick cooking oats as recommended? 🙂
The ingredients don’t list quick-cooking. Can I not used rolled oats, processed?
Yes! 🙂
These are delicious.
But dangerously addictive too. 😉
Will definitely be making these again!
Great! 🙂 I’m glad you liked the recipe. Thank you so much for your lovely feedback! I hope you have a great evening! ♡
Can i use olive oil instead of vegan butter or coconut oil?
No, sorry…
because I forgot to leave a rating lol.
Awww thank you! 🙂
THESE ARE SO GOOD! I immediately ate four haha. I can’t wait to make these for people as little treats. Perfect balance of sweetness. I added a bit of cinnamon because I love it 🙂 I can’t wait to try more of your recipes, I have so many bookmarked. Thank you!
Glad you love this recipe! Thank you so much for your great feedback! 🙂 ❤️