Irresistible Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies: Thick, Chewy, and Perfectly Soft

These vegan oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are the epitome of comfort baking: wonderfully thick, luxuriously soft, and delightfully chewy, with an abundance of rich chocolate in every single bite! Prepare yourself for a cookie experience that will redefine your expectations for plant-based treats.

After a labor of love involving about a dozen meticulous trials and careful tweaks, the ultimate vegan oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe is finally perfected and ready for you to savor! I poured my heart into getting these cookies just right, ensuring they deliver on every promise: a satisfyingly thick profile, an irresistible chewiness, subtly crisp edges, and a perfect spread in the oven, all while being absolutely loaded with melty chocolate chips. The best part? We achieve this incredible texture and flavor without a single egg or speck of dairy butter, making them a dream come true for anyone seeking a delightful vegan dessert.

Why You’ll Adore These Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

There are countless reasons why these plant-based oatmeal chocolate chip cookies will become your new favorite go-to recipe. From their incredible texture to their surprisingly simple preparation, they truly hit all the sweet spots:

• A Treat with Satisfying Substance. While I certainly cherish classic vegan chocolate chip cookies, the addition of hearty oats elevates these cookies to a whole new level of satisfaction. The oats provide a wonderful chewiness and a slightly nutty flavor that makes them feel more substantial. They’re so wholesome and filling, they could even pass for a delicious breakfast, much like my popular pumpkin chocolate chip oatmeal breakfast cookies!
• The Quintessential Cookie Texture. Prepare for absolute perfection in every bite. These vegan oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are wonderfully thick and soft throughout, yet boast delicately crisp edges that provide a delightful contrast. The centers remain irresistibly chewy, creating a multi-faceted texture that will keep you coming back for more. It’s the ideal balance that every cookie lover dreams of!
• Effortlessly Easy to Make. Don’t let their gourmet taste fool you; these vegan oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are a breeze to whip up. Much like my simple vegan oatmeal cookies, this recipe is straightforward and accessible for bakers of all skill levels. It’s the perfect solution when you’re struck by a sudden craving for something sweet, homemade, and incredibly comforting.
• Dietary-Friendly & Delicious. Being entirely plant-based, these cookies are naturally dairy-free and egg-free, making them suitable for vegans and those with related allergies. With the right ingredients, they can also be easily made gluten-free, ensuring almost everyone can enjoy these delectable treats without compromise.
• A Guaranteed Crowd-Pleaser. Even your non-vegan friends and family will rave about these cookies. Their rich flavor and impeccable texture are so universally appealing that they’re sure to disappear quickly at any gathering or simply as a delightful snack at home.

Essential Ingredients for Perfect Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Crafting the perfect batch of vegan oatmeal chocolate chip cookies begins with understanding the role of each ingredient. Below, I’ll walk you through the key components and offer valuable tips for success.

For exact quantities and detailed recipe instructions, please scroll down to the recipe card.

• Solid Coconut Oil – This is a crucial ingredient for achieving the right texture in these vegan cookies. When solid and at room temperature, coconut oil mimics the properties of butter, allowing for proper creaming with the sugar, which contributes to the cookies’ structure and soft crumb. If your coconut oil is liquid, you’ll want to chill it until it solidifies. While you can substitute with another oil that doesn’t solidify (like vegetable or canola oil), be aware that your cookies will likely spread more and have a slightly different texture, potentially becoming thinner.
• Brown Sugar – More than just a sweetener, brown sugar plays a vital role in the texture and flavor of these cookies. Its natural molasses content adds incredible moisture, contributing to that desirable chewy texture, as well as a beautiful golden-brown color and a deeper, more complex flavor profile. You can use either dark or light brown sugar, with dark brown sugar offering a richer molasses note.
• Flax Eggs – Our brilliant vegan egg substitute! A flax egg is made by combining ground flaxseed meal with water and allowing it to sit until it forms a gelatinous, egg-like consistency. This acts as a binder, holding the cookies together, and helps achieve a tender crumb. It’s imperative that your flax eggs are properly set up and thickened before adding them to the wet ingredients. Learn exactly how to make flax eggs here.
• Old-Fashioned Oats (Rolled Oats) – The star of our oatmeal cookies! Old-fashioned oats, also known as rolled oats, are ideal for this recipe because their flat, flaky shape absorbs moisture well without disintegrating entirely, providing that classic chewy texture. Avoid using quick oats, which can turn mushy, or steel-cut oats, which are too hard and won’t soften sufficiently during baking. If you require these chocolate chip oatmeal cookies to be gluten-free, ensure you use certified gluten-free old-fashioned oats.
• Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour – I highly recommend and personally use Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour for consistent results. This blend is specifically formulated to replace regular wheat flour cup-for-cup in recipes, making gluten-free baking straightforward. If you don’t follow a gluten-free diet, regular all-purpose flour works perfectly fine as a substitute.
• Baking Soda – This is our primary leavening agent, which reacts with the acidic brown sugar and molasses (if used) to create carbon dioxide bubbles. These bubbles expand in the oven, giving the cookies a lovely lift and contributing to their soft, tender texture.
• Ground Cinnamon – A touch of ground cinnamon adds a warm, comforting spice note that perfectly complements the oats and chocolate. It’s a subtle but essential flavor enhancer that elevates these cookies from good to extraordinary.
• Sea Salt – Salt is crucial for balancing the sweetness and enhancing all the other flavors in the cookies. A good quality sea salt makes a difference. For an extra touch of gourmet flair and a delightful salty-sweet contrast, consider sprinkling some flaky sea salt on top of the cookies just before baking.
• Vanilla Extract – Pure vanilla extract is a non-negotiable ingredient in almost any cookie recipe. It rounds out the flavors and adds a beautiful aromatic depth that truly makes these cookies shine.
• Pure Cane Molasses – This ingredient is optional, but I cannot stress enough how highly recommended it is if you have it on hand! Pure cane molasses (not blackstrap, which is too bitter) infuses the cookies with an incredible depth of flavor reminiscent of classic brown sugar cookies, enhances their chewiness, and adds a beautiful, darker hue. It truly takes these cookies to the next level.
• Vegan Chocolate Chips – The more chocolate, the better! I personally adore combining different types, like classic vegan chocolate chips with larger vegan chocolate chunks, to create a stunning variety of textures and melt factors throughout the cookie. However, feel free to use your favorite brand and type of vegan chocolate chips. Dark chocolate varieties (typically dairy-free) work wonderfully for a richer flavor.

How to Bake the Best Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ready to create some cookie magic? Follow these simple steps to bake a batch of incredibly delicious vegan oatmeal chocolate chip cookies that will impress everyone.

• Prepare Your Baking Environment. Start by preheating your oven to 350°F (180°C) to ensure it reaches the correct temperature before the cookies go in. Line one or two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. This prevents sticking and ensures even baking and easy removal.
• Whisk the Dry Ingredients. In a medium bowl, sift together the gluten-free baking flour (or all-purpose flour), baking soda, ground cinnamon, and sea salt. Sifting helps to aerate the flour and ensures all the leavening agents and spices are evenly distributed, preventing pockets of unmixed ingredients. Whisk them thoroughly to combine and set aside.
• Cream the Wet Ingredients. In a larger mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, cream together the solid coconut oil and brown sugar on medium speed for about 3 minutes. This crucial step incorporates air into the mixture, which is essential for a light and tender cookie. Next, beat in your properly set flax eggs and vanilla extract. Continue mixing on medium speed for another 2 minutes until the mixture becomes visibly light, creamy, and well emulsified. This careful creaming process is key to vegan baking success, replacing the aeration typically provided by dairy butter.
• Combine Wet and Dry Mixtures. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in two separate portions. Beat each portion for approximately 30 seconds, just until the dry mixture is mostly combined. Be careful not to overmix; overmixing can lead to tough cookies. Don’t forget to scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure everything is fully incorporated. If you are using the optional pure cane molasses, fold it in completely at this stage. Finally, gently fold in the old-fashioned oats and vegan chocolate chips using a spatula until they are evenly distributed throughout the dough.
• Chill the Dough. This step is non-negotiable for perfectly thick and chewy cookies! Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour. Chilling allows the flavors to meld, the oats to absorb moisture, and the fats to solidify, which significantly prevents the cookies from spreading too much in the oven.
• Form the Cookies. Once the dough is sufficiently chilled, remove it from the fridge. Using a 2-tablespoon scoop for each cookie, roll the dough into neat, uniform balls. The dough should be thick and easy to handle. If desired, you can gently press a few extra chocolate chips onto the top of each dough ball for a beautiful aesthetic. Place the dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, ensuring at least 2 inches of space between each cookie to allow for proper spreading.
• Bake to Golden Perfection. Bake the cookies in your preheated 350ºF (180°C) oven for approximately 14 minutes. The cookies are ready when their edges are set and lightly golden, but the centers still appear slightly soft and chewy.
• Cool Patiently. This step is just as important as baking! Once out of the oven, allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 to 10 minutes. During this time, residual heat from the pan continues to cook the cookies gently, allowing them to set and firm up without over-baking. Attempting to move them too soon will result in crumbly cookies. After this initial cooling period, carefully transfer the cookies to a wire rack to finish cooling completely. Serve warm or at room temperature and enjoy!

Mastering Your Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies: Pro Tips

Achieving bakery-quality vegan oatmeal chocolate chip cookies is within reach with these expert tips:

• Always Weigh Your Ingredients. For consistent and precise baking results, I cannot emphasize enough the importance of weighing your ingredients, especially flour and coconut oil, with a kitchen scale. This significantly reduces the likelihood of human error that often comes with volume measurements, ensuring your cookies turn out perfectly every time.
• Allow Flax Eggs to Properly Set. Patience is key when it comes to flax eggs. You want them to achieve a thick, gelatinous consistency, similar to a traditional egg white, before incorporating them into your wet ingredients. This proper gelling is vital for their binding properties, which are essential for holding your vegan cookies together.
• Stick to Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats. Resist the temptation to substitute! Quick oats are too finely cut and will absorb too much liquid too quickly, resulting in a mushy texture. Steel-cut oats, on the other hand, are too dense and won’t soften enough during the baking process. Old-fashioned (rolled) oats provide the perfect balance, thickening the batter during chilling and baking up to give these cookies their signature delightful chewiness.
• Master the Art of Mixing. Follow the provided mixing times diligently. The creaming process of the coconut oil, brown sugar, and flax eggs is particularly crucial in vegan baking, as it builds the necessary structure and aeration that would typically come from butter. Undermixing won’t incorporate enough air or fully combine ingredients, while overmixing can develop gluten (if using all-purpose flour), leading to tougher cookies.
• Do Not Skip the Dough Chilling Step. This is one of the most critical steps! Chilling the dough for at least 1 hour makes all the difference between cookies that spread too much and become thin, cookies that don’t spread at all, and cookies that spread perfectly to achieve that ideal thick and chewy texture. The cold fat in the dough takes longer to melt, preventing excessive spreading.
• Practice Patience While Cooling. It’s tempting to dive right in, but allowing the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes after baking is crucial. The residual heat from the pan continues the baking process gently, allowing the cookies to set properly and firm up without becoming over-baked or crumbly when handled. Transferring them too soon can cause them to break apart.

Exciting Variations for Your Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

While these vegan oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are absolutely perfect as is, feel free to get creative and experiment with these delicious variations to customize them to your liking:

• Introduce Some Dried Fruit. For a delightful twist, consider swapping half of the vegan chocolate chips for an equal amount of your favorite dried fruits. Raisins add a classic chewiness, dried cranberries offer a touch of tartness, and dried cherries provide a lovely fruity note that pairs beautifully with the chocolate and oats.
• Go Nutty! If you’re a fan of added crunch and nutty flavor, try replacing half of the chocolate chips with your favorite chopped nuts. Toasted pecans, walnuts, or even almonds would be fantastic choices, adding a wonderful textural contrast and an extra layer of richness to these vegan oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.
• Embrace the Chopped Chocolate Bar. Instead of traditional chocolate chips, which often hold their shape, opting for a chopped vegan chocolate bar creates a more dynamic chocolate experience. The smaller bits will melt seamlessly into the dough, creating luscious pockets of melted chocolate, while larger chunks will provide big, gooey bursts of intense chocolate flavor throughout each cookie.
• Spice It Up. For an autumnal or holiday-inspired flavor profile, consider adding a pinch of ground nutmeg, a touch of ginger, or even a tiny amount of ground cloves alongside the cinnamon. These spices can deepen the warmth and complexity of the cookies.
• Alternative Extracts. While vanilla is classic, a quarter teaspoon of almond extract can add a unique and fragrant dimension to your cookies. Just be sure not to overdo it, as almond extract can be quite potent.

How to Store Your Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

To maintain their perfect texture and freshness, ensure your vegan oatmeal chocolate chip cookies have cooled completely before storing. Once fully cooled, transfer them to an airtight container. They will remain wonderfully fresh and delicious at room temperature for up to 4 days. Stacking them with a piece of parchment paper between layers can help prevent sticking.

Can I Freeze These Delicious Cookies?

Absolutely! These chocolate chip oatmeal cookies are excellent for freezing, allowing you to enjoy a homemade treat whenever a craving strikes. Once the cookies have cooled entirely, you can store them in an airtight container or a heavy-duty freezer bag for up to 3 months. To serve, simply remove the desired number of cookies from the freezer and let them thaw at room temperature. They’ll be just as delicious as they were fresh out of the oven!

Frequently Asked Questions About Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Here are some common questions you might have when making these delicious plant-based cookies:

• What makes these cookies vegan?
  These cookies are made vegan by replacing traditional dairy butter with solid coconut oil and using flax eggs as a binder instead of chicken eggs. These plant-based alternatives work wonderfully to create the desired texture and richness without any animal products.
• Can I use quick oats or steel-cut oats?
  It’s highly recommended to stick with old-fashioned rolled oats. Quick oats are pre-cooked and finely chopped, which can lead to a mushy texture in the cookies. Steel-cut oats are too coarse and won’t soften sufficiently, resulting in a tough or gritty cookie. Rolled oats provide the perfect chewiness and structure.
• My dough is too sticky/crumbly. What went wrong?
  Dough consistency can be affected by factors like humidity and how accurately ingredients were measured. If your dough is too sticky, try adding a tablespoon or two more of flour. If it’s too crumbly, ensure your flax eggs were properly set and that your coconut oil was solid and softened, not melted. Sometimes chilling the dough for an extra 30 minutes can also help it become more manageable. Weighing your ingredients (especially flour) is the best way to ensure accuracy.
• Do I need to melt the coconut oil?
  No, in fact, you should avoid melting the coconut oil unless specified. For the creaming process with sugar, solid (but softened) coconut oil is crucial. It mimics butter, allowing air to be incorporated and contributing to the cookie’s structure and chewiness. If it’s melted, your cookies will likely spread too much and be very thin.
• Can I make these gluten-free?
  Yes, this recipe is designed to be easily gluten-free! Simply ensure you use certified gluten-free old-fashioned rolled oats and a reliable 1-to-1 gluten-free baking flour blend, such as Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour. These substitutions will yield a delicious gluten-free cookie.

The Joy of Vegan Baking

Embracing vegan baking doesn’t mean sacrificing flavor or texture. In fact, it opens up a world of creative possibilities and delicious discoveries. This recipe for vegan oatmeal chocolate chip cookies stands as a testament to how incredible plant-based desserts can be – rich, satisfying, and utterly delightful. It’s a wonderful way to enjoy classic treats while being kind to animals and the planet. So go ahead, bake a batch, and share the joy!

Explore More Vegan Cookie Recipes

If you’ve loved these vegan oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, you’re in for a treat! Here are more fantastic plant-based cookie recipes to satisfy your sweet tooth:

• Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Cookies
• Chai Sugar Cookies
• Kitchen Sink Cookies
• Gingersnap Molasses Cookies
• S’mores Cookies

Enjoy, dear friends! If you make this mouth-watering vegan oatmeal chocolate chip cookies recipe, please capture a photo and tag #jessicainthekitchen on Instagram! We would also be incredibly grateful if you could take a moment to leave a comment below and give the recipe a rating. Your feedback truly means so much! Thanks a million for your support!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Servings: 16 cookies

Prep Time: 20 minutes mins

Cook Time: 14 minutes mins

Resting Time: 45 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr 19 minutes mins

These vegan oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are thick, soft and chewy, with loads of chocolate in every bite. Easy to make and hard to resist!

5 (from 16 ratings)

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Ingredients

• ½ cup solid coconut oil, (100g)*
• 1 cup brown sugar , (200g)
• 2 flax eggs, properly set up before
• 1 ½ cups Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Old Fashioned Rolled Oats, aka rolled oats
• 1 cup Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour, (148g)
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoons pure cane molasses, optional BUT highly recommended**
• ¾ cup vegan chocolate chips

Instructions 

• Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C. Line a large baking sheet or two smaller baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper.
• In a bowl sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and sea salt to combine. Set aside.
• In a larger bowl, mix together the coconut oil and sugar on medium speed for 3 minutes to cream together. Add in the flax egg and the vanilla extract, and mix for another 2 minutes on medium speed until the mixture is light and creamy and emulsified.
• Add in the dry ingredients in two batches, mixing for 30 seconds each until the dry mixture is just combined, scraping down the sides to combine. If you’re using the molasses, fold it in completely here. Fold in your oats, then your chocolate chips, until completely folded in. I use a spatula for this step.
• Cover your dough and place in the fridge for 1 hour to chill. Preheat your oven near the last 15 minutes of chill time.
• Using 2 tablespoons per cookie, scoop the dough and roll into a ball. The dough should be thick and easy to roll. Feel free to add extra chocolate chips on top. Place on the baking sheet, allowing at least 2 inches of space between each cookie.  
• Bake for 14 minutes until the cookies are finished.
• Remove from oven.
• Allow to cool on the baking sheet for at least 5-10 minutes (trust me) outside of the oven, then transfer to a wire rack. You don’t want to disturb them before that – the cookies are still cooking from the residual heat. Serve and enjoy! Store the cookies in an airtight container once cooled, or leave them on the wire rack.

Notes

** I understand that not everyone has molasses, and the cookies taste fantastic without it, but I REALLY loved the depth that the molasses added to this recipe. If you have it, fold it in right before you add in your oats and chocolate chips!

If you don’t have coconut oil, you can substitute another oil that doesn’t solidify, but just know the cookies will spread some more.

Some more cookie tips

• Get your cookie dough balls nice and round. This yields a beautiful end cookie. 
• Give each cookie enough space to bake. You want to leave at least 2 inches between each because they spread. I used two cookie sheets and put them on the middle rack.  
• Allow the cookies to cool. Trust me! When they’re done, I let them cool on the cookie sheet *OFF* (I move them to an oven mitt or trivet while still on the cookie sheet) the stove for 5 minutes. This helps them to set, without over baking them. 
• Don’t substitute the ingredients, or if you do, don’t expect they’ll need the same time. That also counts for smaller or larger cookies. Smaller cookies will bake quicker, larger cookies will take longer. 
• The chill time of 1 hour means you can pop your cookies out, roll them into balls and then make them for the perfect result. Remember to preheat your oven within about the last 15 minutes so it lines up beautifully. If you chill them for too short, they’ll spread too much. If you overchill them, they won’t spread as beautifully. If you have to leave them in for longer than the 1 hourup to 2 hours, take them out and place them on your counter for about 15 minutes to slightly soften up. If you have to leave them in longer to overnight, take them out and place them on your counter for about 20 minutes to slightly soften up. Then roll them up! 
• Once these vegan oatmeal chocolate chip cookies have cooled completely, place them in an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to 4 days.
• You can freeze these chocolate chip oatmeal cookies for up to 3 months. Store them in an airtight container or freezer bag and let the cookies thaw at room temperature before serving.

Calories: 206kcal, Carbohydrates: 27g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Sodium: 213mg, Potassium: 14mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 14g, Calcium: 32mg, Iron: 1mg

Disclaimer: Although jessicainthekitchen.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Jessicainthekitchen.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.

Cuisine: American, Universal

Course: Dessert, Desserts

Author: Jessica Hylton