The Best Vegan (and Gluten Free) Oatmeal Cookies!
These lovely vegan oatmeal cookies are lightly spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg and are full of chewy oats, sweet raisins, and crunchy walnuts! Make them with gluten free or wheat flour, depending on your dietary needs.
Ingredients
- 290 g (2 1/4 c) Gluten Free Flour Blend (made with The Plant Based Egg)
- 290 g (3 1/4 c) Rolled Oats (use certified GF oats if you are gluten free)
- 7.5 g (1 1/2 tsp) Baking Soda
- 1.3 g (1/2 tsp) Cinnamon
- 0.6 g (1/4 tsp) Nutmeg
- 224 g (1 c) Vegan Butter (I use Earth Balance Buttery Spread)
- 150 g (3/4 c) Vegan Sugar
- 110 g (1/2 c packed) Vegan Light Brown Sugar
- 110 g (1/2 c packed) Vegan Dark Brown Sugar
- 3.2 g (1/2 tsp) Salt
- 20 g (4 tsp) Vanilla Extract
- 30 g (2 TBS) Unsweetened Applesauce
- 75 g (5 TBS) Original Plant Milk (I use Silk Soymilk)
- 150 g (1 1/4 c) Chopped Walnuts
- 210 g (1 1/2 c) Raisins
Instructions
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Combine the flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a mixing bowl and whisk them together. (This is also when you would add The Plant Based Egg if you are using wheat flour.) Set aside for now.
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Add the three sugars, salt, vegan butter (I use Earth Balance Buttery Spread), applesauce, and vanilla to a large mixing bowl. Beat on medium-low speed for about three minutes, until the mixture is fluffy and the sugar is starting to dissolve. Beat in the plant milk one tablespoon at a time.
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Scrape down the bowl, then add 1/3 of the flour/oat mixture and stir it in with a sturdy spatula. Add half of the remaining flour mixture, and stir it in. Add the rest of the flour mixture and stir it in as well.
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Add your raisins and chopped nuts, then stir to combine. Cover your cookie dough tightly and chill for at least two hours and up to overnight. You can bake a few cookies right away if you can’t wait, but be aware that the dough will spread out too much. You can also freeze any dough you won’t use by the next day.
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Once your dough has chilled, and you are ready to bake some cookies, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Shape your cookie dough into balls and place the dough balls on a parchment-lined baking pan. You can make any size cookies that you like as long as they are equally sized. Be sure to leave sufficient space between your dough balls for the cookies to spread out while baking. Slightly flatten the dough balls if you are making larger cookies and leave them round if you are making little cookies.
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The baking time will depend on the size of your cookies. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 16 minutes if you are making 24 large cookies, and for 10 to 12 minutes if you are making 120 little cookies. (See the blog post photos to see how many of these size cookies fit on a half-sheet pan at one time.) In between sizes will require a cooking time in the middle. (Since every oven is different, it is always a good idea to bake a test batch of just a few cookies first to see how long they take in your oven for the size you are making.)
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Place the baking pan on a rack. Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for about eight minutes, then transfer them to a rack to finish cooling.
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Let any leftover cookies cool completely before storing them in a Ziploc bag. They will keep at room temperature for several days, and can be frozen for several months. Frozen cookies make great lunchbox treats! I also like to keep frozen cookie dough on hand so I can bake up a few cookies at a time whenever I want them. Just let the dough defrost and then bake according to the directions above.
Recipe Notes
- To make this recipe with wheat flour, use the same amount of flour and add the equivalent of two eggs (9.6 g or 4 tsp) of The Plant Based Egg to the flour. Whisk together with the other dry ingredients. That is the only adjustment you need to make. (The liquid amount in this recipe has already been increased, so do not add extra as The Plant Based Egg package directions say to do. Those directions are only for recipes that include eggs and you are replacing them and veganizing the recipe with The Plant Based Egg.)
- If you are gluten free, you will need to use Freely Vegan GF flour (not available yet) or make your own gluten free flour with The Plant Based Egg. Using the right egg replacement (and not using flour that contains xanthan or guar gum) is essential if you want your cookies to have the perfect texture. The Plant Based Egg replaces both gums and eggs in gluten free baking.
- If you want to be sure to make perfect cookies every time, get a digital scale and weigh your ingredients. See my post on why to use a scale for more info!
- I make my own vegan light and brown sugars because it is much less expensive than buying them, but you can use store-bought if you prefer.