These Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookies deliver a nostalgic trip down memory lane! They remind me of the ones my Mom used to make when I was a kid. This fully plant based version bakes up soft and chewy just like the classic recipe you grew up loving but without the use of butter or oil. They combine hearty rolled oats, plump raisins, warm cinnamon, and a touch of maple syrup for bakery-style texture and flavor. Vegan, dairy-free, and perfect for when you're craving oatmeal raisin cookies, but want them a little healthier. Yes, that means you can enjoy more than one!!
Cashew butter takes the place of oil and butter in these healthier vegan oatmeal raisin cookies, keeping them soft, chewy, and full of flavor. The natural nut oils coat the oats and lock in moisture, while the cashew butter helps bind everything together so you don’t need eggs or dairy. The result is a healthier oil-free, butter-free oatmeal cookie that still delivers that classic chewiness.
Want to try out some other quick and easy plant-based cookie recipes while you’re here? Lemon lovers will be obsessed with these Vegan Lemon Blueberry Crinkle Cookies! Or check out my Chewy Chocolate Oatmeal Refrigerator Cookies when you’re craving something rich and fudgy instead. And if you're a fan of chewy desserts in general you will also love my ultra chewy Easy Vegan Date Bars!
Adapted from Nisha Vora’s Breakfast Cookies at Rainbow Plant Life—with tweaks to make them our beloved Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookies.
Jump to:
- 💗Why you'll love these Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- 🥣What Equipment You’ll Need to Make Them
- 🍪Ingredients & Helpful Substitutions
- 📖How To Make Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- 💭Pro Tip
- 🧊 Storage & Meal Prep
- ❓FAQ's
- ⭐Did you enjoy this Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookie recipe?
- 👩🏻🍳Creating the shot: A behind the scenes look
💗Why you'll love these Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- Soft & chewy – just like the classic, but made 100% dairy-free and oil-free.
- Perfect finger food – ideal for potlucks, parties, or holiday gatherings.
- Great for gifting – pack them up as a thoughtful care package or a sweet treat for teachers on the first day of school.
- Wholesome & simple – made with everyday pantry staples like oats, cashew butter, and maple syrup.
🥣What Equipment You’ll Need to Make Them
- Mixing bowls – one for dry, one for wet.
- Whisk & spatula – whisk for blending the dry mix, spatula for folding that sticky dough.
- Measuring cups & spoons – accuracy matters for chewy cookies.
- Liquid Measuring Cups – since liquid and dry differ slightly.
- Large spoon for combining wet and dry ingredients.
- Cookie scoop (1½ Tbsp) – keeps all your cookies the same size (and helps them bake evenly).
- Baking sheet lined with parchment paper – for perfect bottoms that don’t stick.
- Wire cooling rack – helps cookies firm up after that 10-minute pan rest.
🍪Ingredients & Helpful Substitutions
For the full list and measurements, see the recipe card below. Here are the main ingredients and easy swaps.
- Rolled oats – use extra thick if you love a heartier chew, regular rolled oats and quick oats will also work. (Oat weights vary by brand, so cups are the most reliable way to measure.) Be sure to grab certified gluten-free oats if you’re baking for someone with sensitivities.
- Ground cinnamon – brings that nostalgic warmth oatmeal raisin cookies are known for.
- Cashew butter – the star of the show! Replaces oil and butter while keeping the cookies rich and chewy. Almond will also work, but keep in mind it will change the flavor a bit. Cashew butter is the most neutral and gives that “classic” oatmeal raisin vibe.
- Maple syrup – a natural sweetener that also locks in moisture, so your cookies stay soft. Since this is a main ingredient I would not recommending subbing this.
- Molasses – the secret weapon for chewiness and that classic, old-fashioned cookie flavor.
- Vanilla extract – gives that cozy flavor and rounds out the sweetness.
- Raisins – the traditional mix-in that plumps up while baking and adds chewy bursts of sweetness. Try dried cranberries, chopped dates, or even mini vegan chocolate chips if you want to mix things up.
- Cornstarch – a simple binder that keeps these egg-free cookies sturdy enough to hold together while staying soft.
📖How To Make Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Gather your ingredients, line a baking sheet with parchment, and pre-heat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
In a large bowl, add oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
Whisk dry ingredients until evenly distributed.
In a medium bowl add the cashew butter, maple syrup, molasses, and vanilla.
Using a whisk combine the wet ingredients together.
Once combined the mixture will appear smooth and glossy.
Add the wet mixture to the dry and use a large spoon to combine everything until no dry pockets remain (the dough will be thick and sticky).
Time to add the raisins!
Gently fold in the raisins so they're evenly distributed.
Use a 1½ tablespoon cookie scoop (or heaping tablespoon) to portion dough onto the prepared sheet, 2 inches apart.
Lightly press the tops to about ¾ inch thickness.
They'll spread a little on their own so a gentle press is plenty.
Bake at 350°F for 12–13 minutes, until edges look slightly golden and the centers are still soft (they’ll finish setting as they cool).
Do not move them yet. Let cookies cool on the pan for 10 minutes so they firm up and hold together.
Once the 10 minutes is up use a thin spatula to transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely (or as long as you can stand to wait).
I tested these cookies six times to nail down the texture.
Cookie A (not pressed, baked too long) turned out dry in the center and darker on the bottom and never flattened out.
Cookie B (pressed but baked too short) looked nice but stayed a little underdone.
Cookie C (pressed and baked 13 minutes, with a 10-minute rest on the pan) came out just right — soft, chewy, and evenly baked.
💭Pro Tip
Give them a gentle press – Flatten the dough balls slightly to about ¾ inch before baking. This helps them bake evenly and look prettier.
Watch the clock – Bake for 12–13 minutes. In most ovens, 13 minutes is the sweet spot for a soft, chewy center with golden edges.
Don’t skip the pan rest – Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before moving them to a rack. This sets the structure so they don’t fall apart.
Scoop for consistency – A 1 ½ tablespoon cookie scoop makes it easy to get evenly sized cookies that bake at the same rate.
Baker’s note – Get that perfect chewiness by pulling them out of the oven when centers are just set and letting the 10-minute pan rest work its magic. Don’t overbake; they’ll seem soft out of the oven and finish setting as they cool. 12 -13 minutes was perfect when I tested this recipe multiple times.
🧊 Storage & Meal Prep
Refrigerator: Store cookies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. They’ll stay soft and chewy, just a little firmer when chilled.
Freezer: Place cooled cookies in a freezer-safe container or bag and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
Meal Prep: Bake a batch on the weekend and keep them on hand for lunchboxes, after school snacks, or a quick treat with coffee.
❓FAQ's
No chilling needed here. Because these are oil-free and use cashew butter, the dough naturally spreads less than butter-based versions.
For even cookies, gently press each scoop to about ¾-inch thick before baking and pull them out at 12–13 minutes (13 is the sweet spot). Let them rest on the pan for 10 minutes so they set chewy instead of crumbly. If yours still didn’t spread, flatten a touch more while they are still warm or add 1–2 teaspoons plant milk to the bowl on the next batch.
Any oats you prefer will work for this recipe. When I tested this recipe I used extra-thick rolled oats, but regular rolled and quick will work fine!
I intentionally did not list grams for the oats since oat weights vary by brand and cut, so 1 cup can weigh more with extra-thick oats than with standard rolled or quick oats. For best results, measure oats by cups for this recipe. If using very thick oats and the dough seems dry, add 1–2 teaspoons plant milk until it looks cohesive. If it’s too soft, fold in a tablespoon of oats.
👩🏻🍳 Want to see some behind-the-scenes fun (and maybe a little kitchen chaos)? Keep scrollin’ — it’s all happening below the recipe card!
Print
Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookies (Soft and Chewy)
- Total Time: 28 minutes
- Yield: 18 Cookies 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookies deliver a nostalgic trip down memory lane! They remind me of the ones my Grandma used to make. This fully plant based version bakes up soft and chewy just like the classic recipe you grew up loving but without the use of butter or oil.
Ingredients
2 cups rolled oats
2 teaspoons cornstarch (6 g)
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¾ cup cashew butter (190 g)
½ cup pure maple syrup (160 g)
1 Tablespoon molasses (20 g)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (10 g)
½ cup raisins (75-80 g)
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
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In a large bowl, whisk together the oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
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In a separate medium bowl, stir together the cashew butter, maple syrup, molasses, and vanilla until smooth.
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Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until fully combined. The dough will be thick and sticky.
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Fold in the raisins until evenly distributed.
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Scoop dough with a 1 ½ tablespoon cookie scoop and place on the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Gently press each mound to about ¾ inch thick.
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Bake for 12–13 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers still look soft.
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Let cookies cool on the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Notes
For the best results, gently press each dough ball to about ¾ inch thick before baking. This helps the cookies bake evenly and keeps the centers chewy.
Bake for 12–13 minutes, with 13 minutes usually giving the perfect soft center and golden edges. Let cookies cool on the pan for 10 minutes before moving to a rack so they set and hold together.
Use rolled oats (extra-thick if you love a heartier texture); since oat weights vary by brand, measure in cups for accuracy.
Variations: Swap raisins for dried cranberries, chopped dates, or mini vegan chocolate chips. Cashew butter is best for a neutral flavor, but almond butter can be used if you don’t mind a slight flavor change.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 13 minutes
- Category: Dessert, Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
⭐Did you enjoy this Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookie recipe?
If you give these Oatmeal Cookies a try please leave a comment and rating below! Justin and I read every one! Your feedback helps more people find my recipes and keeps the delicious messy chaos going in the Fresh Fun Flavor kitchen. Plus, we just love hearing from you!
👩🏻🍳Creating the shot: A behind the scenes look
I think Charlie figured if he didn't go straight for the cookies and just quietly licked the baking paper I wouldn't notice. I let him have that win😅.
Setting the scene and trying to strategically balance those towering oatmeal cookies!
What really happened
When you test six half-batches of cookies in one week, you end up with a cookie mountain that could feed a small vegan village. Luckily, Justin and Chris bravely volunteered as ‘official cookie quality control testers'. Someone’s gotta do the hard work, right? 🍪😂
Disclaimer: The nutritional information provided for Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookies is an estimate calculated using Nutrifox, an online tool. Please note that this information is for general guidance only and should not replace advice from a qualified professional. Additionally, this page may include affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you purchase through those links at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting Fresh Fun Flavor!
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