The Best Vegan Steel Cut Oatmeal Cookies Recipe EVER! (2024)

Enjoy this irresistible Vegan Steel Cut Oatmeal Cookies recipe. A blend of wholesome ingredients, unique textures, and mouthwatering flavors.

Get ready to become addicted to cookies with this Vegan Steel Cut Oatmeal Cookies recipe. These cookies are the perfect blend of chewy and crunchy textures, infused with the rich nuttiness of steel-cut oats.

Without a doubt, cookies are my absolute favorite food – no arguments, no questions. If I had to live off of one food and didn’t have to worry about the health consequences, it would be cookies.

As a plant-based eater, I quickly learned how to make delicious vegan cookies, satisfying my sweet tooth while also addressing my slight cookie addiction.

Additionally, I learned how to make cookies with a touch of healthiness, focusing not only on the choice of ingredients but also on the overall quality of those ingredients.

My belief is if I indulge in cookies, then they should be made with the finest, healthiest ingredients available, prioritizing quality in every bite.

These steel-cut oat cookies are one of my favorite cookies as they boast a symphony of flavors, from the natural sweetness of maple syrup to the warmth of cinnamon and vanilla. Every cookie bite is one of pure delicious plant-based goodness.

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Health Benefits Of Oats

Oats are a versatile whole grain, and offer more than just a satisfying taste. They are packed with essential nutrients and dietary fiber, and they can be a valuable addition to a balanced diet.

It is commonly believed that steel-cut oats offer more nutritional value than rolled oats. This is not the case. However, instant oats do raise your blood sugar quicker than the steel-cut or rolled oat variety (4).

Whole grains, including oats, provide us with wonderful health benefits and contribute to our overall well-being. Here are some of the benefits of eating oats.

Weight Management

The soluble fiber in oatmeal helps us feel full longer and aids in weight loss or weight management (1).

Lowers Cholesterol

The fiber in oatmeal also helps to lower cholesterol levels (1).

Improves Liver Function

Incorporating whole grains, including oatmeal, into your diet helps to reduce body weight and cholesterol, as well as helps to improve liver function, protecting us from nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (2).

Regulates Blood Sugar

Beta-glucan is a fermentable fiber that is found in oats, and it has been shown to improve both short-term and long-term blood sugar control, along with improving insulin sensitivity (3).

Steel Cut Oats vs Rolled Oats

The choice between steel-cut oats and rolled oats boils down to texture and processing.

Steel-cut oats are minimally processed whole oat groats, resulting in a chewy texture and nutty flavor. Rolled oats are steamed and flattened, providing a more soft consistency.

Before I developed this Vegan Steel Cut Oatmeal Cookies recipe, I always used regular oats to make oatmeal cookies. You can try which is made with gluten-free extra thick rolled oats.

After making this vegan cookie recipe with steel-cut oats, however, I do not think I will ever go back to making oatmeal cookies with rolled oats.

Don’t get me wrong, my oatmeal cookie recipe that uses regular old-fashioned oats is delicious. Those cookies are soft, cakey, and flavorful. However, if you like a more thin, crisp, and chewy cookie, then these steel-cut oats cookies are for you.

The preference depends on personal taste and your desired oatmeal experience. Hearty and robust with regular steel-cut oats or quick and creamy with rolled oats.

Vegan Steel Cut Oatmeal Cookies Recipe Ingredients

Vegan softened butter: There are a lot of options out there to choose from, as far as plant-based butter goes, however, I look for vegan butter that has the least amount of saturated fat.

Light brown sugar: The ratio of brown to white sugar in this recipe gives these cookies a beautifully rich, warm, and nutty flavor. For more depth and an even nuttier flavor, feel free to use dark brown sugar.

White sugar: Just a bit makes all the difference in this recipe. The perfect ratio between white and brown sugar.

Ground flax seed: This is what we use as our egg substitute. Note, it is best to store your flax seeds in the fridge for longer preservation.

Pure vanilla extract: Please make sure you are using pure vanilla and not vanilla flavoring. For the longest time, I did not even know there was a difference but there is, and the real deal tastes amazing, very different than the fake stuff.

All-purpose flour: I prefer to use organic all-purpose flour, however, you can easily swap this out for whole wheat or gluten-free flour if you desire.

Baking soda: Just a bit is needed. Note, this too is best stored in the fridge.

Ground cinnamon: I like to use Ceylon cinnamon but regular works fine too.

Kosher salt: You can also use sea salt, or pink or Himalayan salt.

Steel-cut oats: This is the golden ingredient. So delicious, and I prefer organic steel-cut oats.

My favorite mixins for steel-cut oatmeal cookies

I am a bit of a purist myself but here are some delicious mixins if you wish to fancy it up.

• vegan mini chocolate chips
• dried fruit pieces like cherries, cranberries, mango, etc.
• raisins (of course)
• nut pieces like walnuts, pecans, or macadamia nuts
• shredded coconut

Kitchen tools to consider

electric hand mixer – I like to use my hand-held mixer so I can ‘feel’ the dough. You can also mix this dough by hand if you wish.

glass mixing bowls – two to three bowls are needed for measuring out separate ingredients. I like these glass bowls.

measuring cups – a must in every kitchen when baking.

measuring spoons – another must in every kitchen when baking.

silicone spatula – this is nice to use to scrape down the bowl when you are blending up the ingredients.

medium cookie scoop – although not absolutely necessary, I use these so often when making cookies or muffins. I own them in several different sizes.

Baking Sheet – these are nice because they come in three different sizes as a set, with the pan, silicone baking sheet, and cooking rack.

silicone baking sheet– you can also use unbleached parchment paper.

Cooling rack – I always cool my cookies on a cooling rack to allow air to get underneath my cookies. It is especially important for these vegan steel-cut oatmeal cookies because when they first come out of the oven, they are very soft and need time to cool to room temperature.

glass storage container – glass works wonderfully for storage and I like this style. I have these in a variety of sizes.

How to make this Vegan Steel Cut Oatmeal Cookies recipe

Preheat the oven to 375°F and place the oven rack on the second to lowest shelf.

In a small dish, add the ground flax and 3 tbsp of filtered water. Whisk to combine well. Set aside to thicken.

In a large bowl, cream the butter until light and fluffy.

Add the white and brown sugars. Mix until creamy, light and fluffy.

Add the vanilla and thickened flax. Blend until creamy.

In a medium bowl combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add it to the wet ingredients, and mix until just combined.

Add the steel-cut oats and mix until blended evenly.

Using the medium cookie scoop, scoop out the cookie dough and place about one inch apart on the silicone, or parchment-lined, baking sheet.

Place the tray in the oven and bake cookies for 12-15 minutes, until the cookies are golden brown on top and along the edges.

Take out of the oven and allow to cool directly on the cookie sheet for at least 5 minutes.

Transfer the cookies to a cooling wire rack and allow them to cool completely before storing them.

ENJOY!

Tips For Success

If you do not have a hand-held mixer, you can mix this cookie dough by hand using a large fork and a silicone spatula.

Feel free to use whole wheat or gluten-free flour at the same ratio for your dietary preferences.

It is important to mix the butter, sugar, flax, and vanilla well before adding the flour mixture and steel-cut oats. Make sure the mixture is very light and fluffy. This gives the cookies a soft in-the-center and crunchy on-the-outside type of texture.

Be careful not to overmix the flour and steel-cut oats. Mix until just blended. Overmixing will create tough and dry cookies.

Make sure to allow your cookies to cool directly on the baking sheet for at least five minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. These cookies are thinner with a soft center and chewy edges. They will break easily until they have been cooled completely. Once cooled they become a much more sturdy cookie.

How To Store

These Vegan Steel Cut Oatmeal Cookies store well on your kitchen counter in a tightly sealed airtight container. I like to use glass containers but you can also use a plastic, BPA-free, bag.

These cookies last on the kitchen counter for approximately 3-5 days.

For longer storage you can put these oatmeal cookies in the freezer, stored in a freezer-safe container. They will last in the freezer for up to 3-4 months.

To defrost these vegan oatmeal cookies, just pull them out of the freezer, keep them in the freezer-safe container, and allow them to soften naturally on a cookie rack. This will take only about 10-15 minutes.

More Vegan Cookie Recipes

Because I love cookies there are quite a few vegan cookie recipes on the blog. Take a look at these recipes for more delicious plant-based cookie ideas.

• Best Cookies For Coffee: Easy Pairings Plus Recipe
• Easy Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookies: My Vegan Go-To Recipe
• Delicious Vegan Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookies
• Easy Maple No Bake Cookies (vegan and gluten-free)
• How To Make The Best Buttery Vegan Spritz Cookies

More healthy recipes, and caregiver support for you to enjoy

Let’s Connect

I hope you try this Vegan Steel Cut Oatmeal Cookies recipe, and I hope you like it so much that you share it with your friends and family too.

Please consider giving this yummy recipe 5 stars and comment below. I would be so grateful, and I’d love to hear from you.

Reference

1. https://nutritionfacts.org/questions/why-is-oatmeal-good-for-you/
2. https://nutritionfacts.org/video/can-oatmeal-help-fatty-liver-disease/
3. https://nutritionfacts.org/video/how-does-oatmeal-help-with-blood-sugars/
4. https://www.heart.org/en/news/2022/09/01/take-a-fresh-look-at-oatmeal-its-not-as-simple-as-you-think

Printable recipe card for you to enjoy