The absolutely most delicious VEGAN OLD-FASHIONED ICED OATMEAL COOKIES made dairy-free, gluten-free, oil-free and just 8 EASY ingredients!
Annnd cue the drooling. These cookies need to come with a warning. Like, I seriously can’t get over how incredibly delicious they turned out. I have so many fails in my kitchen when testing recipes. So many. But sometimes I have a successful recipe that even blows my own mind. Haha! These cookies are a perfect example. These Vegan Old-Fashioned Ice Oatmeal Cookies totally blew us all away at my house. They are that good.
I did the icing a couple of different ways. The full icing is of course the classic look of the Iced Oatmeal Cookies we ate as kids from the Mother’s brand or similar, but I have to say, the drizzle effect looks so much more pretty to me!
My weakness is cookies. I don’t struggle with wanting to gorge myself with things like candy or ice cream.
But. Cookies. I was nicknamed the cookie monster at one of my old jobs years ago because I ate them daily and apparently was in somewhat of a trance while I ate them, lol! I think that’s why one of my specialties has always been at creating cookie recipes because I am so passionate about eating them!
My point is that these cookies are so darn nostalgic and trance-worthy.
These cookies are the result of a little survey I took on my Facebook page asking which recipe to post next. It was between these Iced Oatmeal Cookies and Vegan Gluten-Free Chocolate Waffles.
My goodness, you all mean business with wanting the oatmeal cookies, lol. There was 300 comments and these won.
Since there was such a high demand for these cookies and a couple of requests regarding allergies, I worked endlessly in my kitchen creating 2 different versions and 4 different icing choices so that everybody could make these. Am I good to you all or what? 🙂
Guys, the originals are made with white flour, butter, lots of sugar and the store versions are of course full of processed ingredients. My version is SO much easier, so much healthier and yet, taste so similar?! Maybe they are magic cookies?
I ultimately had success doing a modified version of my Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookies on the blog.
UNBELIEVABLE HOW EASY THESE VEGAN ICED OATMEAL COOKIES ARE
Hard to believe these amazingly nostalgic Vegan Gluten-Free Old-Fashioned Iced Oatmeal Cookies require JUST 6 main ingredients for the cookie base and 2 for the icing, so 8 total (+salt):
- Old-fashioned whole oats
- White rice flour
- Cinnamon
- Baking soda
- Maple syrup
- Raw Cashew butter
And the icing:
- Powdered sugar
- Plant milk, which I used coconut for the true bright white icing and thick texture
I kind of still can’t believe how much they look and taste like the original but made with completely different ingredients! I swear, these are every bit as delicious and so much less guilt eating them.
These Vegan Old-Fashioned Iced Oatmeal Cookies bake up and spread round and flat just like the originals and are wonderfully chewy like the original. The cashew butter, oats and rice flour really give them that awesome chew.
I always make my own cashew butter at home because it is so easy and cheaper. Plus, it’s so hard to find store versions that don’t have added oil. You do need a strong food processor though in order for it to work properly. I use my food processor on a near daily basis, so it is an incredible investment.
These beauties are soft, with an ever-so-slightly crispy edge and a decadent, rich and chewy center. Oh gosh. I’m salivating just typing that out.
Now, guess what? Before any of you start panicking that there is cashew butter and you or your kids are allergic to nuts, I also tested and created a nut-free low-fat version.
These Low-Fat Iced Oatmeal Cookies are truly delicious as well, so make these if you are needing to watch the fat or nuts!
OTHER VEGAN COOKIE RECIPES TO TRY:
- Best Vegan Gluten-free Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Almond Butter Blossoms
- Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- 4 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies
- Snickerdoodles
- Grain-free Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Vegan Old-Fashioned Iced Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups (150g) old-fashioned GF rolled oats, NOT quick oats
- 6 tablespoons (60g) white rice flour, do not use brown, they will crumble
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/4 + 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3/4 cup (240g) pure maple syrup
- 3/4 cup (204g) raw cashew butter* (with NO added oil or sugar)
CLASSIC WHITE FULL ICING (This will yield the best most classic result and is enough to frost 18 cookies. For a lower sugar option, do half the recipe for the drizzle effect)
- 2 tablespoons (30g) canned "lite" coconut milk, can shaken well first
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons (140g) powdered sugar, sifted if it is lumpy
- Please understand that other milks tested...soy, almond, rice ALL made a thinner, less white frosting that did not dry as well and is NOT recommended. Something magical about coconut milk that works best.
LOW-FAT & COCONUT-FREE ICING (this was my favorite for the drizzle effect & the one I used in the photos. It has a delicious cream cheese flavor)
- 4 teaspoons (20g) soy or almond dairy-free yogurt
- 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon (70g) powdered sugar
UNREFINED SUGAR & NUT-FREE ICING (this obviously has a coconut flavor and is more yellow than white and is for drizzle only)
- 1/4 cup (60g) melted LIQUID coconut butter (make sure you've thoroughly mixed the jar before measuring)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons (30g) maple syrup, room temp
- 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons (25g) non-dairy milk (I used coconut)
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
UNREFINED SUGAR & COCONUT-FREE ICING (my least favorite for these cookies and I ONLY recommend the drizzle effect for this version)
- 2 tablespoons (40g) pure maple syrup
- 4 tablespoons (64g) raw cashew butter
- 2 teaspoons any milk to thin
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line 2 large sheet pans with parchment paper.
- To a large bowl, add the oats, white rice flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt and stir well.
- Pour the maple syrup and cashew butter over the dry ingredients and stir for a couple of minutes until it all comes together into a very thick and sticky batter.
- Drop by large spoonfuls (about 2 tablespoons) onto the pan, placing 9 on each sheet, spaced about 2 inches apart as they will spread a lot. With damp fingers (dipped in water), press the cookies down to about 1/4 inch thick and form a round shape with your fingers in a patting motion and round out the edges. The batter will be way too sticky to roll into balls. Please refer to my video above for a visual. This is an important step for how the cookies bake up beautifully and round and flat.
- Bake one pan at a time on the center rack for 12 minutes. The cookies should have spread nicely and have a beautiful crackle and light golden top. Cool for 5 minutes on the pan and then carefully transfer them to a cooling rack with a spatula. Do not use your hands to pull them off. They will firm up as they cool, so let them cool!
- For the classic icing (this was my favorite), add the powdered sugar and milk to a small bowl and whisk until completely smooth. It will seem too dry at first but keep whisking and it will come together. Do not be tempted to add more milk! It should become thick and white. Ice the cookies quickly as it does start to dry out fairly quickly. Use a spoon to dollop each cookie and spread out with the back of the spoon. Or, for a less sugar topping, add the icing to a baggie, cut a small tip off the corner and drizzle it on. FYI: I used the yogurt version for the drizzle. Please place the cookies in the fridge to allow the icing to set quickly and then you can either store them at room temp or fridge. I place a piece of parchment paper in between each layer of cookies so the icing doesn't stick to the other cookies.
- If using the coconut butter version, melt it gently (if it's hard) in the microwave for 30 secs or until warm and soft and is liquidy. Add the syrup, milk and vanilla and mix with a fork until totally smooth and a thick pudding consistency has formed. Add to a baggie and trim off a small corner and drizzle on the cookies. Place in the fridge to set.
- If using the cashew butter icing version, add the ingredients to a small bowl and mix with a fork until smooth. Add to a baggie and trim off a small corner and drizzle on the cookies. Place in the fridge to set. This will not harden as well as the powdered sugar version and it wasn't my favorite. The cashew flavor is strong, which is why I only recommend drizzling, not completely frosting.
Thank you for sharing and bringing back memories of the old time mother’s iced oat cookies!
I used the coconut milk icing and it is a clear white.
Your icing looks so white- why is this ?
Hello, I’m wondering if vegan butter could be used in place of the cashew butter? I’m excited to try this recipe!
I wouldn’t think the two could be substituted. Vegan butter is like salted and unsalted butter you’d find at the grocery store that you can cook and bake with.. sometimes used as a nonstick agent. Cashew butter is like peanut butter. But cashews are used instead of peanuts..
Exactly, you are correct!
Hi Molly! I GREATLY apologize that I missed this question before! No, unfortunately vegan butter will not work as a sub for cashew butter. Vegan butter is oil and when baked it just dissolves into oil. Cashew butter on the other hand is pure cashews blended into a creamy nut butter and will not dissolve into oil, in fact it helps to firm up the cookies. They are not interchangeable at all. Cashew butter is crucial to both the flavor and texture here.
Hello, so the 3/4 cup of maple syrup is listed at 240g and the 3/4 cup of cashew butter is 204g is this accurate? I weigh everything and just made these and the batter seemed so off.
Yes, it’s correct! Yes, follow the steps to dampen fingertips to press the batter into shapes cookies. This is what helps them spread. If the batter is too firm they don’t spread.
Maple syrup is 20g per tablespoon and cashew butter is 1ess. All my recipes are tested strictly by weight.
Does it have to be raw cashew butter? I have regular cashew butter with no added oil or salt. It’s just dry roasted cashews.
If you don’t mind the stronger cashew flavor, it’s fine! Also, roasted tends to be oilier so the cookies/batter might spread more.
AMAZING RECIPE, best EVER!! Thank you, Brandi!!
Yay, thank you Magy!
Mine came out tasting like baking soda. 🤔😢 Has this happened to someone else?
1 1/2 teaspoons? Is this correct? Can it be reduced to maybe 1? Thank you.
Hmm never had that happen or another reader saying that! Maybe use an aluminum free baking soda? You could try reducing and see how they spread.
Scrumptious… I Love these cookies. Definitely a keeper for me.
My first batch was a soft chewy cookie (got a new oven and still figuring it out), the second batch were nice and crunchy. Both delicious.
Since they are already on the sweet side for me I ate them without icing, not an icing fan anyway.
These cookies are a great way to ‘prove’ vegan is better and tastier.
Tnx so much for creating this recipe. Your a gem.
Thank y9u very for sharing this great recipe! Can I ask you if I can substitute molasses for pure maple syrup
and vegan butter (I have the homemade one with coconut oil. nutritional yeast, olive oil, turmeric powder) for cashew butter. Thank you and I am looking forward to all great creative recipe from you. Have a great day!
No that would completely change the result of the recipe. Vegan butter is oil and cashew butter is just nuts. They’d end up greasy and overspreading.
Would this frosting/icing be thick enough to make these into oatmeal cream pies?
No, it’s a glaze. Here is my frosting recipe. https://thevegan8.com/vegan-vanilla-buttercream-frosting/
Absolutely, completely delicious, even without the frosting! I went with the classic icing, which is amazing. Thank you for your great work, Brandi!
Hello! Thanks for your meticulously explained recipe, I can’t wait to try these!I would like to make these for my vegan cousins, but I don’t have rice flour. My cousins are not on gluten-free diets, so can I just use the same amount of wheat flour? How would I go about the conversion to get the right consistency in the dough, by weight or volume?
Hi Lucie! To get the most accurate results, you will want to weigh the ingredients by the listed grams I have provided. If you want to use wheat flour, you would use the same weight amount as given for the rice flour. However, you need to keep in mind that wheat is full of gluten of course, so it will make these much more grainy, dense and drier, likely. The batter should be thick and sticky/moist not super stiff. If it is really stiff and not looking like it should, as in my video here, you may need a bit of milk added to the dough. I can’t vouch for how they will turn out without ever using wheat. Regular all-purpose would be better than whole wheat.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OjLeaO0iGo&t=1s
Hi! Thanks for your advice, I made them as you said, with 60g of white wheat flour instead of rice flour, and the mixture was fairly sticky and they spread out nicely in the oven. I accidentally overcooked them a bit so they were more crunchy than chewy, but that was all right with me. A great recipe with simple ingredients (except the cashew butter— took me almost an hour to make it with my 5 cup food processor!!!!)
That is wonderful to hear! Oh wow, that is a really long time for the cashew butter, mine only takes 10 minutes. But I know the reason, I have an 11 cup and since yours is so small, it will take a lot longer to break it down. You could always buy it from Whole Foods, they have a raw one there with no added oil.
Hi! I am SO excited to make these for Christmas and want to get them just right. It says to watch the video for proper technique in shaping them, but I can’t seem to find the video. Help, please!
Wonderful, I cant’ wait to hear! Oh, here is the video! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OjLeaO0iGo
Oh! How long will they last after baking? And can I refrigerate the dough ahead of time?