Easy, delicious, and made with good for you ingredients, these vegan oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are a gluten free treat! The best thing about them?! They can be made refined sugar free and pass as breakfast, snack, and a dessert!
I’ve always loved oatmeal based cookies, (or anything that has to do with oatmeal, really!) but I’ve always hated raisins. Regular chocolate chip cookies are great and all, but I do like to have a bit more substance in my cookies from time to time.
So, I combined the best of both worlds *cue Hannah Montana* with these vegan oatmeal chocolate chip cookies!
They’re gluten free, vegan, made with whole food ingredients, but still taste 100% delicious. They can be dessert, a snack, breakfast, lunch even!!! These cookies know no limits.
Plus, one batch makes approximately 2 dozen cookies so they’re perfect for bake sales, big families, or someone who just realllllly loves cookies!
How to make oatmeal chocolate chip cookies
As with most baked goods, the first step is to preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a large mixing bowl, combine all wet ingredients. This includes the almond butter, brown sugar, vanilla, maple syrup, and oil. Whisk together until everything is well incorporated.
Add in all dry ingredients aside from the chocolate chips and stir together with a wood spoon.
Fold in the chocolate chips until well mixed. If the term “fold” in baking has ever confused you, it essentially just means you want to fold the batter over the chocolate chips and continue to do this until they are mixed throughout the batter. This just helps keep them in tact and ensures a uniform distribution.
Use a small cookie scoop or spoon and roll into 1 inch balls. These cookie scoops are one of my favorite kitchen devices, I use the small one for these cookies.
Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
If you want the cookies to be thick, do not flatten, but if you want them thin press down very slightly with your fingers. They will spread while they bake, but if you leave them perfectly round they will be a bit puffy when they’re done baking.
Bake for 12-15 minutes. If you want the cookies to be chewy, 12-13 minutes is ideal, they will still look kind of raw when they come out of the oven, but will firm up after 10-15 minutes. Avoid touching them after they come out of the oven! For a crispier cookie, bake for 14-15 minutes.
What kind of oats do you use for cookies?
For this recipe, is I suggest using quick oats. I have tested this recipe with old fashioned/rolled oats, and the cookies end up a bit too dry and don’t flatten properly.
You definitely don’t want to use steel cut oats for these oatmeal chocolate chip cookies! Quick oats are best, rolled oats are second best.
Should you chill the dough?
I tried this recipe with and without chilling, and it doesn’t make a huge difference because this recipe uses oil instead of butter. The way oil/butter melt is a bit different and changes the way a cookie spreads. In general, chilling dough will solidify the fat, causing the cookies to spread later than if the dough were at room temperature.
If you want the cookies thinner, do not chill, if you want them thicker and fluffier, do chill because it will prevent the cookies from spreading as much. If you do chill the dough, the cookies won’t spread all that much, so keep that in mind.
For these particular vegan oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, not chilling, baking for 12-13 minutes and only flattening the top of the cookie a very small amount will yield the perfect thickness and texture for the cookie.
Why do my cookies go flat?
This can be due to a few things. If your cookies get flat too quickly, definitely try chilling the dough. This will firm up the oil and delay the spreading process.
I played around with SO much flour/oil combinations for this cookies, so as written they should not get flat. They will flatten but will retain a nice puff.
Another issue could be the thickness of your baking sheet. A thin baking sheet is going to cause the cookies to spread prematurely and can even burn the bottom of the cookies. You always want to use an aluminum baking sheet for cookies which will ensure they cook evenly.
Tips & tricks
- If you want the cookies to be chewy, bake for 12-13 minutes, they will still look kind of raw when they come out of the oven, but will firm up after 10-15 minutes. For a crispier cookie, bake for 14-15 minutes.
- Once prepared, these cookies will keep for 5-7 days. Allow them to cool completely and then store in an air tight container for best results. If they start to get dry or firm up after a few days, add them to the microwave for about 10 seconds and they’ll be good as new!
- I prefer using avocado oil for this recipe because it does not harden when it comes into contact with anything cold. Melted coconut oil will start to harden once it comes into contact with the apple sauce, so it makes it a bit trickier to work with. If you only have coconut oil, I suggest refined coconut oil so there is no coconut taste to the cookies.
- The best almond butter in my opinion is the raw almond butter from Trader Joes in the red container. It’s SO creamy, doesn’t require stirring, and has the best flavor.
- Be sure to use the “pour and level” method for measuring the flour. Pour the flour into your dry measuring cup and then level off the top. Avoid scooping right from the bag or you’ll end up with way more flour than you really need!
- I like mini dairy free chocolate chips for this recipe, but anything works!
Try these other easy desserts next!
- Chewy Paleo Chocolate Chunk Tahini Cookies
- The Best Vegan & Gluten Free Gingerbread Cookies
- Decadent Avocado Chocolate Mousse
- Amazing Almond Flour Brownies
Lastly, if you want more recipes straight to your inbox, be sure to subscribe to my email list. As always, tag me on instagram if you make this recipe so I can see your creation! Don’t forget to leave a comment and rating if you enjoy this recipe!
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies (Vegan & GF)
Ingredients
Wet:
- 3/4 cup unsalted runny almond butter*
- ⅔ cup light brown sugar
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 1/3 cup melted coconut oil or avocado oil
- 1/3 cup apple sauce*
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Dry:
- 1 2/3 cup + 2 tbsp quick oats
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp oat flour (pour and level to measure)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ceylon cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all wet ingredients. Whisk together until everything is well incorporated.
- Add in all dry ingredients aside from the chocolate chips and stir together with a wood spoon.
- Fold in the chocolate chips until well mixed.
- Use a small cookie scoop or spoon and roll into 1 inch balls.
- Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Gently press on some extra chocolate chips if desired.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes. If you want the cookies to be chewy, 13 minutes is ideal, they will still look kind of raw when they come out of the oven, but will firm up after 10-15 minutes. Avoid touching them after they come out of the oven and let them cool/firm for 10 minutes. These over bake pretty easily, so avoid leaving them in the oven for too long.
Just made these cookies tonight and they were amazing!! I subbed the oat flour for almond flour and the applesauce for mashed banana. (it’s what I had on hand.) Was a little worried how it might turn out but they were still delicious.😍 Not overly sweet and just the right texture. Definitely keeping this recipe for reference in the future!!
So happy they worked with those substitutions!! Thanks for the feedback Cassidy 🙂
Can one make their own oat flour by just using a food processor? I can’t wait to make these!
Yes! Just make sure it is very finely ground.
Substitute for applesauce?
You can either use more oil or more almond butter. Using more oil will cause the cookies to spread more while baking, so they’ll be a bit thinner. Either way, the texture of the cookies will end up a bit different, but still delicious! Let me know how they turn out.
These where super delicious. I love the amount of chocolate and that they taste like a normal oatmeal chocolate chip cookie.
Thanks for being my favorite taste tester, Olivia 🙂
Wondering if I could sub all maple syrup for the brown sugar? If so, what measurement would you recommend? Was diagnosed with early staged breast cancer, so I try to avoid regular sugar, only using maple and raw honey as sweeteners. Thanks!
Hey Kendra, so sorry to hear that. I would suggest using 1/2 cup maple syrup in place of the brown sugar in addition to the other 1/4 cup maple syrup. If the dough seems too wet, you can add 1-2 extra tbsp of oats or oat flour, and if it seems too dry, you can add in a bit more maple syrup or oil as needed. Keep an eye on them as they cook, they should still look a bit soft/raw when they come out of the oven so they stay nice and chewy! Let me know how it turns out if you try it so I can add to the notes section!
How long are these good for on the counter? Should they be in an airtight container?
I recommend storing them in an air tight container, they should last for about 5-7 days.
I have an almond allergy. I wonder how sunflower flour and butter would work. Have you heard of anyone who has substituted?
Hi Angie! I would sub the almond flour for oat flour and then use sunflower butter in place of the almond butter. Let me know how they turn out!
Hi! How much vanilla should be added in step 3? Thank you!!
Sorry about that! It’s 1 tsp 🙂
Thank you so much for your super quick reply!! I’m trying your recipe right now 🙂
I LOVE these cookies! I like crisper cookies so I kept them in the oven just a little longer but they are perfect any way you cook them!
Thanks, Trina! I’m so glad you like them 🙂
Thanks Trina! I’m a sucker for a chewy cookie, but I’m so glad you like them! XX