The search for the BEST oatmeal cookie is over! And it just happens to be vegan and gluten-free. These chewy oatmeal cookies are studded with raisins, laced with cinnamon, and oh so perfect. Plus, just 30 minutes and simple methods required! Let us show you how it’s done.
These cookies start with a wholesome base of almond flour, rolled oats, and our DIY gluten-free flour blend. They’re infused with cinnamon, leavened with baking powder, sweetened with brown sugar, and get a flavor boost from sea salt.
To mimic the properties of eggs, we used aquafaba. It’s the brine from a can of chickpeas, and when whipped, it’s practically magic how much fluffiness and binding it provides, similar to whipped egg whites. Plus, it’s a great way to use up the liquid that’s usually discarded when making chickpea recipes.
After whipping the aquafaba, we add almond butter and avocado (or coconut) oil for additional moisture. Then when the wet ingredients are mixed into the dry, the most perfect cookie dough forms.
Adding raisins gives these cookies classic oatmeal raisin vibes, but another dried fruit or chocolate chips would also work well if that’s more your style.
We hope you LOVE these vegan oatmeal cookies! They’re:
Chewy
Perfectly sweet
Subtly spiced
Comforting
& SO satisfying!
They’re the perfect healthier treat any time you’re craving a classic oatmeal cookie. Enjoy on their own or with a glass of dairy-free milk, a chai latte, or hot chocolate. They’d also be incredibly delicious crumbled over a bowl of our Creamy Vegan Vanilla Ice Cream.
More Vegan Cookies with Oats
- Healthy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies (V/GF)
- Blueberry Muffin Breakfast Cookies (Vegan + GF)
- Almond Butter No-Bake Cookies
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Vegan Oatmeal Cookies (GF)
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup almond flour or almond meal
- 3/4 cup rolled oats (certified gluten-free as needed)
- 1/4 cup gluten-free flour blend (or sub unsweetened desiccated or shredded coconut, but cookies will be less fluffy)
- 1/4 cup raisins (or other dried fruit)
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/3 cup packed organic brown sugar (or sub coconut sugar)
- 1/4 cup aquafaba (the brine/liquid in a can of chickpeas // if not vegan, sub egg whites)
- 2 Tbsp almond butter* (or other nut or seed butter)
- 2 ½ Tbsp avocado or melted coconut oil*
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together almond flour, oats, gluten-free flour, raisins, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and brown sugar.
- In a separate bowl, beat aquafaba (using a handheld mixer or by whisking vigorously, which will take much longer) until light and fluffy and loose peaks have formed. (Add 1/8 tsp cream of tartar to help them along if not whipping.)
- To the aquafaba, add the almond butter and oil and beat or whisk to combine. (The mixture will deflate a little — that's okay). Then add to dry ingredients and mix until combined. You should have a firm, semi-tacky dough (see photo). If not baking immediately, cover and chill in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days (the cookies will develop a bit more flavor and slightly firmer texture if the dough chills, but chilling this long is not necessary).
- Scoop dough into roughly 2-Tablespoon amounts (I like this scoop) and place on prepared baking sheet with about a 1-inch gap in between each cookie to allow for spreading. Press down slightly with your palm to form a disc. Then use fingers to tuck in any raisins that might be sticking out. There should be about 12 cookies.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until the edges are slightly golden brown and they’ve puffed up and expanded a bit. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes on the pan before enjoying (they will continue firming up as they cool).
- Store leftovers in a loosely sealed container at room temperature up to 2-3 days, or in the freezer for 1 month. We recommend storing them in the freezer once cooled to help retain their crispy exterior. These are so delicious when warm and dipped in homemade almond milk or a chai latte!
Video
Notes
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with avocado oil and without optional ingredients.
Sin Ae says
I made the vegan Oatmeal Cookies, they were absolutely delicious. I love your website, thank you so much for posting the recipe. Your recipes are the very best and easy to follow. Everyone loved the cookies and all my friends and family wanted the recipe. They did not last long!!! Your ingredients are very healthy and readily available and affordably. Thank you so much!
Aw, thanks so much! We’re so glad you enjoy our recipes! xoxo
Laura says
Hi!
I love your website so much; thank you for such wonderful recipes. I just made these cookies and am currently eating one not long out of the oven – delicious!!
I substituted the GF flour for the coconut and Almond flour for Buckwheat flour; I also used egg whites and half peanut, half seeded nut butters. My mixture was slightly dry, so I added a touch of almond and coconut milk to bring it all together. It is such a good cookie; thank you!
Every time my friends ask for good recipes, I tell them to check out Minimalist Baker!
Warm regards from Melbourne, Australia
Woohoo! Thanks so much for the great review and for sharing your modifications, Laura. We’re so happy to hear you enjoy our recipes!
Judy says
Hi there, I made these cookies, and Wow! Yummy ! I love your website, and look forward to my emails for inspiration for vegan gluten free cooking and baking. You’re recipes are straight forward and easy to make with a few subtle changes, based upon what’s in my pantry. Case in point; I followed the basic dry to wet ration used an almond coconut flour blend, BRMill 1-1 gluten free. I’ve used aqua Fava as an egg white in savory recipes also, it’s genius in this recipe. Changes I made are;, substituted dried apricot, I didn’t have raisins, am low on cinnamon, used a sweet turmeric spice w/ cinnamon clove ginger and black pepper, by Frontier Co-op, melted vegan butter in place of coconut oil. Tahini instead of almond butter.
So I’m calling them my Minimal Mediterranean Inspired Oatmeal Cookies!
Also I love the applesauce idea another commentator wrote, I’ve been experimenting with it in other recipes, to reduce oil and fat. I will try it out next time on this recipe, but I’m recalcitrant to alter this recipe too much as it’s fabulous as is.
Thanks Minimalist Bakers, Keep up the good work !
Sincerely Judy
Thank you so much for your kind words and lovely review, Judy! We love your creative modifications and are so glad to hear you enjoy our recipes! xoxo
HJD says
I made these cookies for the first time this evening. I replaced the coconut oil with applesauce and they are very good. We will see what my vegan family thinks when they have a few this weekend. Experimenting with vegan gluten free recipes is fun.
Great! Thank you for sharing! xo
Elizabeth says
I really wanted to love these cookies because I adore every Minimalist Baker recipe that I’ve tried but these just didn’t turn out! I followed the recipe except I used 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour instead of the GF flour blend and when I added the liquid ingredients, it was still super dry – like I hadn’t added any wet ingredients at all. Maybe it was the all-purpose flour? Tried to salvage by adding more wet ingredients but that was very wrong on my part and they never made it out of the ball shape I put them into the oven as. Maybe they’ll turn out another time!
Hi Elizabeth! So sorry these didn’t work out for you. All-purpose flour is about twice as absorbent as gluten-free flour, so that is most likely why the cookies were too dry. If you try them again we’d suggest replace BOTH the almond flour and the GF blend with ~1/2-3/4 cup of all-purpose, starting with the lesser amount and adding more if it’s too wet. Hope this helps!
Nini says
Hi! Is there any substitution for the aquafaba?
Hi Nini, if not vegan, you could try subbing egg whites. Hope that helps!
Nini says
Thanks! Can I use a whole egg or how many egg whites should I whip? Thanks 🤎
Hi Nini, we’d suggest 1/4 cup egg whites (from ~2 large eggs).
Vivian says
My favorite cookie recipe!! I’m not GF so I subbed the GF flour with all-purpose (although I used a tablespoon or two less than 1/4 cup). I also used melted coconut oil. So chewy, moist, cinnamon-y, and the almond butter really brought out the flavors. Oh, and I didn’t have brown sugar so I made my own by adding a little molasses to cane sugar.
Wonderful! We’re so glad they turned out well! Thank you for sharing, Vivian!
Barbara L Larsen says
These were amazing and delicious!!!
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Barbara! Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Vegan gal says
I had to do a few substitutions because of what I had on hand, but these were great! This is a really versatile recipe – a great one for getting a little experimental.
I subbed in flaxseed meal for the gluten free flour, apple sauce (which I didn’t beat, of course) for aquafaba and tahini for peanut butter. I also cut the sugar down to less than a 1/4 cup and accidentally cooked for 17 mins!
Delicious! A firm, almost crunchy exterior, and a soft center.
Lovely!! Thanks so much for sharing!
Mars says
Do you think these might last up to a week without refrigeration? I want to bake some and send to a friend for their birthday! Looks like an amazing recipe. Most cookies last 6-10 days without refrigeration, curious if there’s something special here that makes them more likely to spoil, such as the aquafaba?
Hmm, we’re not sure unfortunately! It will depend on the temperature and humidity conditions where they’ll be traveling.
Laurie says
The postmaster told me to freeze the cookies 1st& wrap in insulated bag begging boxing( I like using the silver bags my grocery order comes in during warm months) & then boxing& marking “Perishable “
P.s. great cookies, but I double the batch because they don’t last!
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing that info, Laurie!
Deidra says
This recipe was a great excuse to work with aquafaba for the first time! I was nervous, but it worked out fine. So pleased. I subbed Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 baking flour for the gluten-free flour blend and subbed chocolate chips for raisins. Delicious. Stunning cookie. Will 100% make again.
Amazing! We love to hear this. Thanks for the lovely review, Deidra! xo
Maria says
Amazing. Love these cookies. I always make your chocolate chip oatmeal ones but I’m not a huge chocolate fan so these raisin ones are perfect for me. Thanks so much for sharing!
Yumm, so glad you enjoyed, Maria! Thanks for the kind review. xo
Tash says
Subbed out almond meal for oat flour, and chopped dates for sultanas. Also added the coconut for GF flour. These are great cookies!
Also accidentally put in 3 half teaspoons of baking powder instead of 3 quarter teaspoons but they were absolutely fine.
Loooove how the Aquafaba whipped up
Awesome! Thanks for the kind review and for sharing your modifications, Tash! xo
Lily Baker says
I am a huge MB fan, but this particular recipe absolutely did not work for me.
I used egg whites which is an alternative to the recipe, and followed the recipe exact.
It had the consistency of scone, which doesn’t sound bad, but not salty enough, flavorful enough and they were dry.
Bummer! Sorry these didn’t work for you, Lily. How many egg whites did you use? It’s possible that changed the texture! xo
Jenn says
Love this recipe! I am sugar free so I subbed the sugar for golden monk fruit, also used 2T coconut flour in place of the gluten free flour, used sunbutter instead of almond butter, used melted vegan butter in place of oil, and used sugar free chocolate chips instead of raisins. Lots of subs for my Lyme diet, but turned out to be one of the best cookies I’ve ever had, and I am a former Pastry Chef. Thanks so much for a great recipe, it was nice to have such a treat!
Amaziiing! Thanks for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Jenn. We’re so glad you enjoyed! xo
Josie says
These are amazing! I make lots of chickpeas so I always have aquafaba on hand. Great cookie (fresh anyway, haven’t tried them after storage). I did use whole wheat pastry flour instead of GF flour.
Thanks for sharing your experience and modifications, Josie! We’re so glad you enjoyed. xo
June says
I’ve always been curious about aquafaba. If you cook your own chickpeas from scratch, is that liquid adequate for this kind of recipe? And is there any simple ratio for beans/water if you make it this way? Thank you.
Hi June! You can check out our Guide to Aquafaba, and you can also see our Instant Pot Chickpeas for cooking your own chickpeas. If you make your own aquafaba for this recipe just make sure it’s plain chickpeas and water (no added garlic, etc). Let us know how it goes!
Debi says
I’m not GF. Can I just sub out the almond flour and GF for all purpose flour or do the ratios change?
Hi Debi! We haven’t tried it but we would suggest starting with a bit less all purpose since it tends to be drier than gluten free flours. Let us know how it goes if you try it! xo
Brittany ramsey says
Was just curious, how many egg whites would you use for this recipe?
We haven’t tried it but 1 large egg white should work! Let us know how it goes! xo
Patricia says
Just what I felt like on a Sunday afternoon with a cup of tea. The only problem was that I didn’t stop at one, they were just too yummy. So easy and quick to make, and I love how the acqua faba resembles egg white once beaten. Love all your recipes, keep them coming please…
Yumm, we’re so glad you enjoyed these cookies, Patricia! You’re on a roll with all the new recipes! xo
Amanda says
This looks yummy, and what a great way to use aquafaba! I wonder, would coconut flour work for the gluten-free flour blend?
Hi Amanda! We haven’t tried it with coconut flour and suspect that it would change the texture quite a bit. Let us know how it goes if you try it!
Mo says
These were delicious! I loved the hint of almond flavor from the almond flour. I used dried blueberries because I didn’t have raisins, and that turned out great. I loved the texture of these cookies, there was a little crunch on the outside and they were soft in the middle. I will be making them again, probably tomorrow since we already polished off the whole batch!
Amazing! So glad to hear these were enjoyed by all. Thanks for the lovely review, Mo!
Rena says
Can I use flax eggs instead of Aquafaba and how much. I don’t have Aquafaba much at hand.
We haven’t tried it with flax eggs but we would suggest starting with one and adding more if the batter is too dry. Let us know how it goes! xo
Christy says
Delicious! My whole family loved them!! ❤️
Love to hear it! Thanks for the review, Christy! xo
Eleni says
Have you tried Bob’s Red Mill Farm “Egg Replacer”? I used it last week to make lentil fritters. They worked great. So you think I could estimate this recipe uses 1 egg (2 egg whites or 1/4 c aquafaba)? Thank you.
We haven’t tried that particular replacement but that sounds promising! If 1 “egg” makes ~1/4 cup liquid that should work, but we can’t say for sure! Let us know how it goes if you try it. xo
Cazza says
I’m wondering if you have a suggestion for a sub for the almond meal. I realise it is a substantial portion of the dry ingredients, but if I can make it work for my kids nut free school, that would be awesome 😊
Hi Cazza! A couple ideas would be oat flour or coconut flour, though we have not tested those and don’t know exactly how it would turn out. Let us know how it goes if you try it! xo
Winnie says
These were delicious! I had all of the ingredients on hand except the aquafaba, so I substituted apple sauce and added a 1/4 of ground flax meal in place of the gf flours. Perhaps they would be fluffier with the faba, but they were tender and flavorful. Everyone loved them. Will make again!
Thanks for sharing a lovely review and such helpful modifications, Winnie! We’re glad everyone enjoyed the cookies. xo
Elaine says
Many of your recipes have oil in them and I appreciate that you put subs for that but I was just wondering if possibly aquafaba might be a good substitute …….just in the liquid state.
Whipped aquafaba can be a great substitute for oil but we haven’t tried it in the liquid state, could be interesting!
Susan Moe says
Is there a substitute for aquafaba? My son is allergic to legumes so I assume he’ll be allergic to the water touching them. So many recipes are using it now and I wondered if I could use them just with a sub?
Hi Susan! We haven’t tried it without aquafaba, and it’s part of what gives them lift and chewiness. If you’re not vegan you can use real egg whites, otherwise you could try with flax eggs, though we haven’t tested them that way. Let us know how it goes!
Susan Moe says
OK, yes, we are a vegan family so I’ll try with flax or chia eggs and let you know. It will be fun to experiment:)
Valentina says
Thanks for this recipe, the cookies turned out absolutely delicious!
Thanks for the lovely review, Valentina!