Slightly crisp on the outside with a chewy center, these Gluten-Free Oatmeal Raisin Cookies will make you want more. With a dairy-free and vegan option, this is a cookie recipe everyone will love.
There are a lot of oatmeal cookie recipes out there. But with crisp edges and a chewy center, this gluten-free oatmeal raisin cookies recipe is adaptable for food allergies while using more healthy ingredients.
Oat flour takes the place of regular flour while the cookie is chocked full of wholesome rolled oats. Coconut oil replaces butter and the result is tasty cookies with crispy edges and a sweet, chewy bite.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- Simple ingredients
- Chewy texture
- Easy recipe
Ingredients and substitutions
Here are a few quick notes about the ingredients in this recipe. You can see a complete list of ingredients and instructions in the recipe card below.
Oats - Make sure you choose certified gluten-free oats to keep things gluten-free. Rolled oats (also known as old fashioned oats) give our cookies a great chewy texture.
Oat flour - If you are Celiac or gluten-intolerant, ensure that you use certified gluten-free oat flour or certified gluten-free oats to make your homemade oat flour.
Eggs or Ground flaxseed - You can use eggs or make these egg-free and vegan by making a flax egg.
Mixed with water, ground flaxseed forms a "flax egg," gelling to work as a binder for our egg replacer.
Coconut oil - Instead of regular butter or vegan butter, coconut oil keeps things dairy-free and creates a chewy oatmeal raisin cookie.
Use refined coconut oil to avoid an additional "hint of coconut."
Organic cane sugar - This vegan-friendly less refined sugar helps sweeten in combination with coconut sugar.
Coconut sugar - Instead of brown sugar or light brown sugar, this unrefined sweetener adds depth of flavor.
You can always sub in more organic cane sugar in its place. Do note that cane sugar is sweeter than coconut sugar. I would recommend replacing the ¾ cup of coconut sugar with a ½ cup of organic cane sugar.
Raisins - Plump raisins gives these gluten-free cookies their signature flavor. Feel free to use golden raisins in place of regular raisins.
If you're not a fan of raisins, you can swap in chocolate chips, dried cherries, or dried cranberries.
Vanilla extract and ground cinnamon - Pure vanilla extract helps round out the sweet flavors. Cinnamon adds sweetness and warmth.
Step-by-step instructions
Before you start: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. If using prepare the flax eggs in a small bowl and set aside.
Step 1: In a medium bowl, combine oat flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. In a large mixing bowl, cream coconut oil, cane sugar, and coconut sugar together with a handheld mixer until light and fluffy.
Step 2: Mix the eggs (or flax eggs) into the coconut oil mixture, followed by vanilla extract.
Step 3: With the hand mixer on low, add in the dry ingredients. Mix until combined. Stir in the whole oats until evenly combined, and lastly, fold in the raisins.
Step 4: Using a tablespoon, drop rounded scoops of cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Space them about 1 ½ to 2 inches apart.
Bake for 13-15 minutes or until cookies start to turn a golden brown. Allow cookies to cool on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
Tips
- To make your dried raisins more plump, soak them in a bowl of warm water for 15-20 minutes.
- Packing your cookie scoop is crucial so there is no excessive spread.
- You can make your own gluten-free oat flour by pulverizing about a cup and a half of certified gluten-free oats in a food processor to make one and a half cups of gluten-free oat flour.
Storage
To store, make sure the freshly baked cookies have cooled completely. Keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
If you don't plan to consume the cookies within a few days, you can freeze them. Place the cookies in an airtight container or freezer bag, separating layers with parchment or wax paper if needed. When ready to eat, allow them to thaw at room temperature.
FAQs
Yes! Place the cookies in an airtight container or freezer bag, separating layers with parchment or wax paper if needed. When ready to eat, allow them to thaw at room temperature.
Traditional oatmeal raisin cookies are made with all-purpose flour which is a gluten-containing Ingredient. This recipe utilizes gluten-free oats and oat flour.
This recipe has a vegan option. Instead of eggs, ground flaxseed is used as an egg replacer.
More recipes with oats
Love this recipe? Please consider leaving a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating on the recipe card below and let me know what you think in the comments!
📖 Recipe
Gluten-Free Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (180g) gluten-free oat flour*
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 cup (6oz) coconut oil room temperature**
- ½ cup (120g) organic cane sugar
- ¾ cup (110g) coconut sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature (or 2 T ground flaxseed + 6 T water)
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 3 cups (300g) gluten-free oats
- 1 cup (150g) raisins
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. If using flax eggs, combine ground flaxseed and water in a small bowl and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine oat flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. In a large bowl, cream coconut oil, cane sugar, and coconut sugar together with a hand mixer until light and fluffy.
- Mix the eggs into the coconut oil mixture one at a time, followed by vanilla extract.
- With the hand mixer on low, add in the dry ingredients. Mix until combined. Stir in the whole oats until evenly combined, and lastly, fold in the raisins.
- Using a #40 cookie scoop or tablespoon, drop rounded scoops of dough onto the the prepared cookie sheet, spacing about 1 ½ to 2 inches apart. It is important to pack the cookie dough in the scoop, otherwise there will be too much spread during baking.
- Bake for 13-15 minutes or until cookies start to turn a golden brown.
- Allow cookies to rest on cookie sheet for about two minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool.
Alene
Is the coconut sugar imperative? You use it a lot. I can't eat it at all. I am on a fodmap diet for my difficult digestive system, and it is a no. I love your cookie recipes because you don't use rice flour. I am wanting to make all of them! Thank you.
Tessa
Hi Alene! You could replace it with organic cane sugar, or at least some of it with organic cane sugar. Am I correct in that cane sugar is considered low fodmap? Thank you!
Sarah Wallace
I need to freeze these to have dough ready ahead of time for thanksgiving. Will these freeze ok? Any recommendations?
Tessa
Hi Sarah! I have not frozen this cookie dough so I can't speak for how it freezes. I do know that this cookie recipe for chocolate chip pistachio shortbread freezes quite well - https://saltedplains.com/gluten-free-pistachio-shortbread-cookies/
If you try freezing it, I'd love to hear how it worked for you.
Leeron
The photos look incredible to the point that within 3 minutes of seeing this blog post, i was already making them. However, mine came out a lot flatter, crispier, and darker (even though i only baked them for 10 minutes). Its possible that my oven is strong but i'm wondering why they flattened out so much - most of the cookies were touching even though i put 2.5 inches between them. I did only use coconut sugar instead of the cane sugar due to some sensitivities.
Looking forward to hearing your feedback. I've tried a lot of your other recipes and loved them! (don't get me wrong - i'm still going to eat all of these :p)
Tessa
Hi Leeron! Thanks so much for your kind words. I am so happy to hear you've tried some other recipes as well! :)
My guess is that by only using cane sugar there was a little less moisture, causing them to spread, brown, and crisp more. I know that with brown sugars, and I assume this is true for coconut sugar, that they contain more moisture which results in chewier, thicker cookies. This is usually the case when a brown sugar is subbed into a cookie recipe in place of cane sugar.
Jan P
Tessa, these are delicious! I added some toasted walnuts. Can't wait to serve them to my husband.
Tessa
Hi Jan! Thank you!! I am so happy you liked them - I hope your husband enjoys them too! :)
Gena
These look fantastic -- I'm eager to try them with aquafaba or flaxmeal. I love using oat flour in baking (it's one of my favorites in terms of texture, and it's so accessible, too!).
Enjoy New Orleans, Tessa! It's one of my favorite cities.
Tessa
Thank you, Gena!! I agree, oat flour can be magic in baking and I, too, love how easy it is to find or make at home. <3
Traci | Vanilla And Bean
Yeah, even in the heat of Summer, we need comfort right? I just turned on my oven for a cake, yesterday. ha! Coconut oil is magic. I use it for so many things, not that I still don't use butter, but it just depends on the application. I even use coconut oil in a sugar scrub for my face! This is such a delicious recipe and I love all the ingredients you use here. I'll replace 1/2 the raisins with chocolate chips.. Rob will take the raisins! Thank you for this, Tessa!
Tessa
We sure do! I'm going to make a scrub with coconut oil now, that would be great. And I need to do your 1/2 and 1/2 with raisins and chocolate chips. Thank you for those fun ideas, Traci! xoxo
Sarah @ Snixy Kitchen
I'm so surprised that coconut oil gives a chewier texture - I'm going to have to try that now! Thanks for doing the taste-test for us!
Tessa
I did a panel with my family here and we were all surprised how much we liked the texture better with coconut oil! Nothing wrong with butter, because yum, butter! But, it is nice to know coconut oil works just as well or better! xoxo
Jodi
These cookies look so delicious, Tessa! I most definitely put my vote in for raisins - always! I love the other suggestions, dried cherries + chocolate - hello! Thank you for testing these to perfection :) x
Tessa
Always raisins! ;) I've been thinking about making a batch for each of the suggested mix-ins for, you know, research. Thank you for stopping by, sweet Jodi!
Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen
These cookies look just delicious Tessa! I wish I could grab a few right off my computer screen! Pinned and can't wait to try!
Tessa
Haha, I wish I could too right now - they would definitely be breakfast!!! :) Thanks, Mary Ann! <3
Emily
New Orleans is so much fun, isn't it? And the food there- you must be in heaven! The cookies- hooray for perfecting them! We have some close friends that are gluten-free, so I always like having an arsenal of gf recipes ready to go. I'm normally a butter cookie girl, but you've convinced me that coconut oil is worth a try. :)
Tessa
So much fun! Definitely in food heaven - usually all I want to do while I'm here is eat. ;) I know, I'm a butter cookie girl too and was definitely skeptical. If you try them out I'd love to know what you think! Enjoy the rest of your weekend, sweet friend!
Rachel @ Bakerita
These cookies are calling my name! I love how thick and hearty they look - my kind of cookie. A batch is definitely in my future.
Tessa
I had to hide them away because I wanted to just keep eating them! Eek! I hope you enjoy them like I did. ;) Thanks, Rachel!
Kelsey @ Appeasing a Food Geek
These are really calling to me right now! I have actually just started enjoying oatmeal raisin cookies--I hated them as a kid. Something about the texture... Cannot wait to try! Xoxo
Tessa
So glad you enjoy them now - but I totally get not liking them as a kid! Thank you, Kelsey! xo
Abby @ Heart of a Baker
I've been loving seeing the snaps from your trip! NoLa has always been on my bucket list (beignets!) so I'll know who to come to when I need recommendations :) I actually prefer oatmeal cookies sans raisins, but these are convincing me to try them with!
Tessa
Thanks, Abby! I can't wait for you to go someday. Always happy to give recs! ;) My husband is in the non-raisin camp, so I totally understand! <3