Gluten-Free Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies (Vegan)

These unbelievably soft and chewy Gluten-Free Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies are vegan, allergy-free, and so easy to make! Made with gluten-free rolled oats, rich brown sugar, melted vegan butter, and applesauce for optimal chewiness and moisture while being eggless and dairy-free! This recipe is loaded with plenty of chocolate chips and baked in 10 minutes!

Literally, this is my new favorite cookie! Imagine a warm, cozy bowl of brown sugar oatmeal loaded with chocolate chips...but portable and handheld. Sure, you can do plain oatmeal cookies, oatmeal raisin cookies, but when chocolate is an option...give me one good reason why you wouldn't take the chocolate. These perfected chewy gluten-free oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are a cookie-lover's dream. Vegan, allergy-free, and beyond easy to make...pretty sure these should be packaged and sold for profit.

Using Safe Gluten-Free Oats

Not all oatmeal cookies are gluten-free! As a celiac, oats always come with a big asterisk. They must be certified gluten-free, and that means any 'ole oats you find in the store will not be safe to consume. Oats are commonly grown and processed with other gluten-containing grains and thus are prone to cross-contamination. While they're inherently gluten-free, unfortunately, commercial manufacturing practices make most oats unsafe.

Whole rolled oats are essential for perfect oatmeal cookie texture and chewiness. Quick oats will lead to a textureless, mushier cookie. The protein in oats, called avenalin, gives you that gluten-free glueiness that helps keep the cookies together, making oats ideal for a gluten-free vegan recipe. So what are your gluten-free options?

• GF Harvest Organic Rolled Oats (my all-time favorite brand for safe, certified purity protocol gluten-free oats)
• Montana Gluten-Free
• Gluten-Free Prarie

Why This Is The Best Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

Besides being gluten-free, these oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are vegan and allergy-free! No eggs, dairy, or nuts. But they are still unbelievably chewy, soft, buttery, and rich in cozy flavor (and melty chocolate). The key to chewy eggless cookies is melted butter, along with rich brown sugar for added moisture and chew, and a little applesauce to help keep the cookies together. A small amount of granulated sugar keeps the outer edge crisp, but the center remains warm and melty with little pockets of vegan chocolate chips! These classic homemade cookies are:

• Gluten-Free
• Vegan & Vegetarian
• Allergy-free (Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Egg-Free, Nut-Free, Peanut-Free, Wheat-Free, Sesame-Free, Corn-Free, Coconut-Free)
• Healthy-ier With Sugar-Free Option
• Makes Large Bakery-Style Cookies
• Kid-Friendly
• Quick & Easy, Just 10-11 Simple Ingredients
• Make-Ahead, Freezer-Friendly, & Giftable
• Old-Fashioned Dessert Perfect For Holidays, Potlucks, and Cookie Exchanges

Ingredients For Gluten-Free Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

• Gluten-Free Rolled Oats: If you are a celiac, to ensure 100% safe oats, I recommend GF Harvest Organic Rolled Oats. If you have another favorite brand of gluten-free oats that you feel safe using, go ahead (obviously, it doesn't change the actual outcome of the recipe). Remember, the oats must be whole rolled oats, sometimes labeled as old-fashioned oatmeal. NOT quick oats.
• Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour: You do need some normal all-purpose flour in these cookies for proper structure. You can use gluten-free oat flour (like I did in these oatmeal raisin cookies) or just stick with your favorite gluten-free all-purpose.
• Starch + Baking Soda + Salt: Starch keeps the gluten-free flour in the cookies from being too heavy. You can use cornstarch or arrowroot starch for a corn-free option. Baking soda and salt help give the oatmeal cookies a slight lift, so they aren't flat pancakes!
• Vegan Butter: One stick (or ½ cup) of dairy-free butter for rich buttery flavor and chewiness. Melted butter is what makes cookies flatter and chewier versus thick, tall, more cakey mounds.
• Brown Sugar: You can use dark or light brown sugar. To make these cookies sugar-free, I always use brown sugar-style sweetener such as Swerve. The brown sugar adds moisture and keeps the gluten-free cookies soft.
• Granulated Sugar: A small amount of granulated sugar helps the cookies get that slight browned crisp edge that holds the cookie shape together. Again, you can use a granulated sugar-free sweetener.
• Applesauce: Unsweetened applesauce was the best vegan egg replacement for these cookies since it adds to the moisture, softness, and chew perfectly without adding an overpowering flavor.
• Vanilla + Cinnamon: For added cozy flavors to these classic old-fashioned cookies, vanilla extract and a sprinkle of cinnamon complement the rich mollasesy brown sugar and give the essence of a warm bowl of oatmeal to the cookies!
• Chocolate Chips: Vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips for a more intense melty chocolate bite! Literally just load them in...you can't have too many...can you?

How To Make Gluten-Free Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

1. Add the gluten-free oats, flour, starch, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon to a large mixing bowl.
2. Mix all the ingredients together until fully combined.

3. Melt the vegan butter in the microwave for about 30 seconds before adding the brown sugar, granulated sugar, applesauce, and vanilla to the bowl.
4. Mix everything together so that the sugars have melted into the hot vegan butter and you get a thick liquid.

5. Pour the hot butter mixture into the bowl of dry ingredients.
6. Mix the oatmeal cookie batter together. It should be thick and smell like oatmeal.

7. Add and fold in the chocolate chips to the oatmeal cookie batter.
8. Place the cookie batter in the freezer while you preheat the oven to 350°F.

9. Once the dough is slightly chilled, use a 1-tablespoon-sized cookie scoop to scoop out 2-tablespoon-sized balls of cookie dough and place the mounds on a lined baking sheet.
10. Bake the oatmeal chocolate chip cookies in the oven for 10-12 minutes, just until the outer edge is golden brown but the center is still moist.

11. Allow the cookies to cool for about 5-10 minutes on the baking sheet before gently transferring them to a wire rack. From there, eat them right away for a heavenly out-of-this-world experience or allow them to cool completely before storing.

Recipe Tips & Tricks

• You don't need to chill the dough for long, but a few minutes in the freezer while you preheat the oven and prep your baking sheets makes scooping out the cookie dough easier since these cookies contain melted butter. We don't want them to spread too much, but we also don't want to use completely chilled dough. We do want them large and chewy, not mounds!
• Make sure you leave plenty of space between cookies! This recipe is for 14 large oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. You can make smaller, 1-tablespoon-sized cookies for a total of 28 if you'd like, but the large cookies are...a vibe.
• DO NOT overbake these oatmeal cookies. You want the centers to still glisten on top, looking almost underbaked. This ensures a perfect soft chew.
• The cookies need to set after baking, so let them sit on the pan for about 5-10 minutes to cool slightly before gently transferring them to a wire rack.

How To Store Chewy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Once the cookies have cooled to room temperature, you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for 5-7 days. Alternatively, you can freeze leftover oatmeal cookies by wrapping them in wax paper and stacking them in a freezer-storage bag or container for 4-6 months. Allow them to thaw at room temperature before serving (or toss one in the microwave to reheat quickly if you need a warm, sweet, chewy treat!)

How To Make The From-Scratch Cookies Ahead Of Time

You can prep the cookie dough 2-3 days in advance and keep it covered in the fridge. You can also scoop the oatmeal cookie dough into balls and freeze them on a baking sheet before transferring them into a freezer-safe storage bag for up to 4 months. When ready to use, take the cookie dough balls out and allow them to thaw slightly at room temperature while you preheat the oven. You may need to bake them for 2-3 extra minutes.

More Gluten-Free Cookie Recipes:

• Gluten-Free Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
• Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Vegan White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
• Loaded Vegan White Chocolate Pretzel Cookies
• Chewy Brown Sugar Cookies
• Gluten-Free Snickerdoodles
• Soft Molasses Cookies

Print

A warm ooey gooey oatmeal chocolate chip cookie that's gluten-free, vegan, and allergy-free? Sign me up! I think I'll have one for breakfast...how about you?

So tell me:

+ Are you team plain, raisin, or chocolate chip when it comes to oatmeal cookies? Maybe even an oatmeal cream pie?

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