As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please see my Privacy Policy for more details.
Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies – just like the classic cookies you know and love, but with no oil, no eggs, no butter, no refined sugar….and they just happen to be gluten free as well. Try it to believe it!
It’s cookie time!
It’s always cookie time around here. My kids are dessertaholics (that’s a thing, right?). So, we tend to always have sweets of some sort in the kitchen.
I like to experiment with flavors and ingredients, like in this Mint Cream Icebox Dessert or these Cinnamon Chickpea Truffles, but this time I decided to go classic. And this Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie does not disappoint!
Kids in the Kitchen
If your kids like to join you in the kitchen like mine do, this easy cookie recipe is a great one for them to help with. It’s your basic measure, dump, stir kind of recipe.
Just don’t be surprised if some of your chocolate chips go missing when you look away for a second.
Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
I have a few cookie recipes on the blog already – Gluten Free Thumbprint Cookies are my fave and my Crunchy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies are more a trail mix type cookie, so these Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies are the closest to a classic cookie that I’ve made.
The first time I made them, my in-laws happened to be over later in the day. I got a “You should definitely put these on your blog” from my mother-in-law. So, I guess you have her to thank for the fact that I remade them again so quickly to get them just right for you guys.
They have crunchy edges with a soft middle that doesn’t fall apart when you take a bite. So good!!
My hubby is hoping these turn up in our kitchen at some point with raisins in them. You could certainly swap the chocolate chips for an equal amount of raisins, but he probably shouldn’t hold his breath for that one. Maybe on his birthday. 🙂
Make This Recipe
We have worked our way through many batches of these Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies and now it’s your turn. After you make them, be sure to come back and leave me feedback and a star rating below. And if you’re so inclined, snap a quick pic and tag me @veggie_inspired and #veggieinspired on social media.
- 3 cups certified gluten free rolled oats
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup coconut sugar
- 1 cup dairy free chocolate chips
- 3/4 cup cashew butter
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/2 cup unsweetened rice milk (soy milk or almond milk should work too)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, almond flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, coconut sugar and chocolate chips.
- In a large measuring cup, whisk together the cashew butter, maple syrup, rice milk, and vanilla.
- Pour the liquids into the dry ingredients and stir well to combine.
- Let the dough sit for at least 15 minutes.
- Using slightly damp hands, form the mixture into balls and flatten into about a 2.5 - 3 inch disc. This makes nice big cookies - just the way we like them. (You may have to re-dampen your hands as you go so the dough doesn't stick).
- Bake the cookies for 11-13 minutes until starting to brown. Let cool on the baking sheet for about 2 minutes before removing them to a cooling rack to continue cooling completely.
- Store leftovers on the counter, loosely covered with plastic wrap or foil.
~If you make the cookies about 2.5 - 3 inches, you will get about 18-20 cookies. Obviously, making them smaller will yield more cookies. Also, be mindful that smaller cookies will take less time to bake.
~I don't recommend swapping out the almond flour for another type of flour. Almond flour helps to keep these cookies moist. It may work with another flour, but the texture will likely be different.
You might also like:
Chewy Gluten Free Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies
Peanut Butter Chocolate Cupcakes
Check out more Healthy Vegan Cookie Recipes.
ana says
Hi, many thanks for sharing this recipe! I have a question: is it possible to use apple sauce/ apple puree, instead of any kind of butter (peanut, almond etc). Here in my country those nuts are kinda expensive 🙁 and also dont have much time to prepare them by myself :p
Jenn Sebestyen says
Hi, Ana. I haven’t personally tried it, so I can’t say for sure. I think the texture would be different, but might probably still taste good. Let me know if you decide to experiment.
Megan says
Made my own cashew butter with no added oil and subbed oat/coconut milk. I’m not vegan but these were the best oatmeal chocolate chip cookies I’ve made in years. Love that they are wheat-free too!
Jenn Sebestyen says
Yay! I love that, Megan. Thank you!
Patrick says
Jenn – Looks like a great recipe. Not so sure if the claim of “no oil” is totally correct, though. The cashew butter link takes you to Woodstock brand cashew butter on Amazon.com. Ingredients for this cashew butter are “Dry roasted cashews, organic sunflower oil or safflower oil”.
Jenn S. says
Feel free to make homemade cashew butter!
beanpip says
I made these yesterday in my wee cold Scottish kitchen and they were sooooo good thank you! The whole family love them 🙂 (we ate some for breakfast!)
Jenn S. says
Wonderful! Thank you! I’m so happy you loved them! And cookies for breakfast are always a good idea! 🙂
Lili says
Best vegan, oil-free oatmeal chocolate chip cookie I’ve tried yet. I gobbled up 4 in a row chastising myself after 2 but unable to control my hand! Thank, thank you, thank you!
Jenn S. says
HaHa!! Best comment ever! 🙂 Thank you, Lili!
Lisa says
Would substituting the cashew butter with peanut butter be a big deal? It’s the only ingredient I don’t have handy – or is there another option to substitute it with?
Jenn S. says
Hi, Lisa. Peanut butter should work great – you’ll just have Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies – sounds good to me!! 🙂 Let me know how they turn out!
Lisa says
Thanks so much for the quick reply! I realized I had cashews in the pantry and made my own cashew butter! I’ll make the cookies this weekend. 🙂
Jenn S. says
Oh perfect! Can’t wait to hear how they turn out! Enjoy!
Lisa says
Just took them out of the oven and had to try one…a little hot but still delicious! Probably better after they’ve cooled and set! 🙂
Jenn S. says
It’s so hard to wait until they cool, isn’t it?! Enjoy every bite!!
Sue says
Made a batch with larger cookies and a batch with smaller cookies. Used vegan Choc Shot to add chocolate flavour. Didn’t have choc chips so added peanuts and raisins. Used SR flour and golden syrup where I didn’t have the correct ingredients. They have come out a little too chocolatey flavour for the smaller grandchildren so would use one squirt instead of two next time (and there will be a next time). They are crisp on the outside and nicely soft and crumbly inside. I would give myself 7/10 this time and know with the slight variation, that I can do better. The true test will be when my teenage Grandaughter tastes them.
Thank you for this tasty, versatile recipe. Sue Xx
Jenn S. says
Thanks, Sue! Glad I could provide some inspiration!
Karen Talmon says
Sooo flippin delicious! Seriously! We all thought they tasted even better the next day… then there were 6 left, and by 12:00 (pm), they were gone! I will be making these tomorrow again! So good!
I was at my brother’s and didn’t have almond flour, so used whole wheat…. didn’t have coconut sugar, so used brown sugar and didn’t have cashew butter, so used coconut oil. The cookies still turned out amazingly!
Thank you for this recipe! I would like to share it on my blog and will definitely tell them to go to your blog! 🙂
Jenn S. says
Thank you, Karen! I am so thrilled you all loved them. They don’t last long around here either. 🙂 Thank you for wanting to share. I’d be happy for you to do so with a link, just please don’t post the recipe in full. Thanks again!! Enjoy your weekend.
Jasmine says
These sound and look so good! If you don’t mind I have a basic cooking and baking substitution question.
I have been vegan since I was a teen living in San Diego CA, I met my husband who just Turner 40 this month in north TX 10 years ago! who I’m exceedingly proud to say has just recently converted to a vegan lifestyle with me via years of trying a baked teryaki tofu buda bowl here and Buffalo style cauliflower “wings” there and truly cooking to satisfy an apitite seeking conventional American southern style tastes has been a very fun challenge but baked recipes have laregly alluded me. I just found your blog through a tumbler link to the strawb/lemonade cake (:0 thumbs up BTW) and feel you are a good person to ask what a good overall substitute for cashew butter would be? My husband is super allergic and it seems like its the one ingredient that wants to sabotage my ongoing quest to prove the superiority of my- now our lifestyle 😛 I’ve tried sunflower butter as per a suggestion of a friend and it surprisingly turned things green and visuals are still big for Charlie I was thinking almond butter might be to dry and penut butter would change the taste to much??? I’ve been avoiding cashew recipes for to long.
Your blog looks great! thanks for being a new resource in the good fight.
Jenn S. says
Hi, Jasmine! Thank you! How exciting that your hubby is on board now too! Cashews are definitely found all over in vegan recipes, but I’m confident you can still make some yummy treats with some subs. I’m surprised sunbutter turned your recipes green, but I don’t use it that often – maybe it was just that particular brand? Either way, sunbutter is definitely a different flavor, which in certain instances would likely be fine, but not in all. The almond butter I buy is actually quite runny and I use it a lot in place of butter/oil. I get the Trader Joe’s Raw Creamy Almond Butter. You could also try making your own pecan butter, which is a GREAT sub for butter/oil (I use it in my Vegan Toffee Bars!). Just blend pecans until smooth in a food processor. It only takes a few minutes as pecans are super soft and “buttery.” Another good one to try might be macadamia nut butter, which is a little more neutral in flavor. I don’t use it much because it’s super expensive and I’ve never tried making my own (raw macadamias are also expensive!). And, yes, if you don’t mind the peanut butter flavor, that would certainly work too. For these particular cookies, I might go the pecan butter route first, but really any of those subs should work. Let me know what you end up trying and how they turn out! Good luck! And if you have any other questions, feel free to drop me a comment on the blog or shoot me an e-mail! Have a great week!
Alisa Fleming says
I seriously never get tired of seeing different chocolate chip cookie recipes, and your version is actually quite far from the norm. I love all of the nutty goodness!
Jenn S. says
Thanks, Alisa! One can never have too many chocolate chip cookie recipes! This is definitely one of my faves!
Aimee says
These look perfect. When I make recipes, I nearly always mess with the ingredients but don’t think I’d change anything here – everything sounds so delicious and wholesome!
Jenn S. says
Aw, thank you, Aimee! They really did turn out amazing! But, I am guilty of changing things up all the time too…even from my own tried and true recipes. LOL!
Cathy says
These look so good. It’s great that vegan food can be made to be just as nice as non-vegan!
Jenn S. says
Yes, so true! And sometimes, I think the vegan version is often better because it doesn’t leave that greasy feeling in your mouth! Thanks, Cathy!
Ann says
OMG Jenn these are truly beyond delicious, and my brother still doesn’t believe they are vegan! I was thrilled they turned out perfectly the first time and far exceeded my expectations. Beautiful taste and texture. Totally cookielicious 🙂 Thank you so much for the recipe, the only one I’ll go to from now for sure. Oh and I’m stoked I stumbled upon your blog and I can’t wait to make more of your yummies x
Jenn S. says
Thank you so much, Ann!! You totally just made my night! I’m so happy you guys love them. And I’m totally stealing that word – cookielicious! 🙂 I hope you find lots more recipes to love here as well! Thanks again. Have a great weekend!!
jacquie says
my all time favorite cookie and they look fantastic! thanks for posting. a question though – is there something I can substitute for the “milk” as I don’t typically have “milk” products in my place and I would like to be able to make this at a moment notice when a craving hits. Thanks.
Jenn S. says
Hi, Jacquie. You can try water or juice. It just needs a little more liquid. I can’t say it will be the EXACT same taste/texture using one of those, but I would think it would work fine. Let me know if you try it.
Becky Striepe says
These look so amazing! I need to make them.
Jenn S. says
Thanks, Becky!! Let me know if you do!
Strength and Sunshine says
If I had children, there would be 2 things I would force them to learn to bake well right when they can stand….granola and cookies. Otherwise I would be ashamed of my children….those to skills MUST be mastered 😛
Jenn S. says
HaHa!! And we make both of those things quite often – we are good! 🙂