These paleo “oatmeal” raisin cookies are chewy, sweet and perfectly spiced and taste just like traditional oatmeal cookies, yet are completely grain free, vegan and paleo. You’ll fool everyone into thinking they’re the real thing!
I hope you’re ready to fall in love and STAY in love. With these “oatmeal” cookies – because they were love at first bite for everyone – and THAT is truly saying something in my world.
Just in case you’re wondering, an “oatmeal” cookie is a cookie that contains no oats (some call it n’oatmeal) or grains for that matter, yet by the way of a magical miracle actually taste like an oatmeal cookie. In truth, I didn’t actually believe it was possible before accidentally stumbling on the recipe a few months ago.
And, by accidentally stumbling, I mean that I was trying desperately to not have to waste a failed attempt at cookie dough for my cookie dough ice cream. I decided to add raisins to the dough and bake it. Now, I was in a frantic, frustrated rush so I didn’t even add an egg or flax egg, and needless to say the cookies all broke into pieces. However, the flavor rocked my (paleo) world, and totally reminded me of an oatmeal cookie. I made a note of it and decided to revisit the recipe (in a better state of mind) a few weeks later.
I decided to use a flaxseed “egg” not only to make them vegan + paleo, but also because I’ve noticed flax eggs provide a little big more of a gooey, chewy texture than actual eggs. Just an observation, and I’m not sure it works that way with everything, but for these cookies I think it makes a difference. That said, if you want to use real egg I recommend using just one egg yolk to get that deliciously chewy texture.
To up the chew factor even more, I included tapioca flour – something I rarely use in cookies – and again, I think it made a big difference! My kids couldn’t even believe that these weren’t actual oatmeal cookies, and Adam was sold too. Of the three batches I made over the past month, they’ve been gone within a day. One of my kids was actually sneaking them, which I always take as the biggest recipe compliment of all (secretly, anyway.)
A couple of notes and tips before we start. I used solid but soft coconut oil for this recipe, which will require an electric mixer to cream together with the other ingredients. These cookies spread a bit in the oven as is, and using melted coconut oil might just make them spread TOO thin – it’s a delicate balance as always.
I also recommend using an almond butter that’s not too hard and not too drippy, again, to get the texture just right. Additionally, I chill this dough for 5-10 minutes before scooping onto the cookie sheet since before chilling, it can be a bit on the sticky side, and I don’t like to have to work too hard to get my cookies onto the cookie sheet – I’m guessing you don’t either.
Now that we’re all set, I’m getting excited for you – you’re about to make paleo oatmeal cookies that might just become the love of your (grain-free) life! Feel free to add more than just raisins if you choose, too. You can sub in dark chocolate chips or chopped nuts if that’s more your style! Are you ready to get started?! Let’s bake!
Paleo “Oatmeal” Raisin Cookies {Vegan, GF, DF}
Paleo "Oatmeal" Raisin Cookies {Vegan, GF, DF}
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups blanched almond flour
- 1/4 cup tapioca flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 "flax egg": 1Tbsp ground flaxseed mixed with 2.5 tbsp water allowed to sit for 10-15 mins *See note to sub with eggs
- 1/4 cup smooth almond butter unsalted
- 1/4 cup coconut oil solid but soft (use refined to avoid coconut flavor)
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons coconut sugar or maple sugar
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup raisins
Instructions
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Prepare the flax egg as described in the ingredients section before beginning. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
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Whisk together the almond and tapioca flours, baking soda, salt and cinnamon, and set aside.
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In a separate bowl with an electric mixer, cream together the almond butter and coconut oil until smooth, then add the maple syrup and vanilla and continue to mix until very smooth. Add in the flax egg and beat on low until fully combined.
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Slowly mix in the flour mixture (with a spoon) until a sticky cookie dough forms, then fold in the raisins and chill the mixture for about 15 minutes or up to one hour.
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Using a medium cookie scoop, scoop the mixture by 1.5 tablespoons onto a cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart since they will spread.
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Bake in the preheated oven for about 12-13 minutes or until cookies are set in the center and beginning to brown around the edges. They will be very soft but don’t over-bake to maintain a chewy texture.
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Remove from oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes, then carefully transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Makes 12-14 cookies. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
*If you don't want to use a flax egg and don't need these to be vegan, one egg-yolk will give you a similar result
Nutrition
What I Used to Make My Paleo “Oatmeal” Raisin Cookies:
Want more paleo and vegan dessert recipes? Try one of these!
Banana Blueberry Breakfast Cookies
Paleo and Vegan Cookie Dough Truffles
Chocolate Chip Cookie Vanilla Cheesecake
Tell Me!
Do you have a “sure thing” cookie recipe that the whole family loves every time?
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Thankful for flax eggs today; I LOVE how they make good substitutes when you can’t put eggs in baked goodies. And these ‘oatmeal’ cookies are so pretty. I would never guess that there was no oatmeal in them if I just saw the picture.
Yup flax eggs are pretty awesome! Can’t get over that great texture they produce 🙂
Fantastic recipe! I doubled the recipe, used one whole egg instead of of 2 egg yolks/flax eggs. I used TJ almond flour and replaced coconut oil with Miyoko’s vegan butter (from TJ). I also mixed the raisins with the dry ingredients before adding wet. I thought they would taste fatty/ greasy but they were light, crispy outside and soft inside. They didn’t spread probably because of the vegan butter/egg? Perfect amount of sweetness. I usually cut sugar in half in most recipes. Thank you Michele!
Do you think that chia would work instead of flax for the egg? thanks
I actually haven’t tried a chia egg but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work! I’ll have to try that ASAP 🙂
I’m very excited to try these and a flax egg for the first time. I also have your little cherry tart cookies in the new recipe line up they look beautiful and I bet they taste wonderful.
I really think you’ll love both! Hope it goes well 🙂
Michele, these looks amazing! ?? I seriously need to try these ASAP! I’ve never made a Paleo version of oatmeal cookies, but these look just as good, if not BETTER! By the way, I totally agree with you on others sneaking your treats as the biggest compliment. I keep that a secret, too! ?
I think you’ll love these! So funny about the sneaking 🙂
I love these, they turned out perfect as described. However the next day they seemed a bit softer. Should I have refrigerated them perhaps?
I made these cookies yesterday and they were delicious! I followed the recipe exactly, except our use sunflower seed butter instead of almond butter. The inside of my cookie is green. Did that happen to anyone else? I can’t figure out what it could’ve been?
That’s from the sunflower seed butter! It reacts with the baking soda causing a green color! Weird but totally find to eat, it happened to me and I freaked out at first but was relieved to find out it’s just a quirk. If you reduce the baking soda and/or add a splash of lemon it can help supposedly, although now I just avoid combine sunflower seed butter with baking soda 🙂
Sunflower butter has a chemical reaction when baked that turns it green. It’s normal and nothing to worry about.
Can you substitute the tapioca flour for something else?
These are the best paleo cookies I have had! I didn’t have tapioca so used 1 and 1/2 tablespoons of arrowroot powder.
Great flavor and texture!
These cookies are great! I used a yolk and replaced the 1/4 cup coconut oil with an additional 1/4 cup almond butter to make them a bit healthier. Soooo good!
Sounds great! Happy you liked them 🙂
I made these. With egg, ghee. I thought they could have been sweeter. Also it tasted a little bit baking soda like. Why could this be? I added the recommended amount
I made these with modifications and they are so yummy! I used sunbutter and coconut flour.
These are amazing!
These are amazing!! So delicious. Thank you Michele, I love all of your recipes!!
These cookies were delicious!!! Perfect sweetness and texture….I added a few walnuts and used tropical traditions palm shortening….yum! Thank you for the recipe❤️
I have been making these “oatmeal” cookies quite a bit lately as we enjoy them so much. Today I had a taste for them again, but was too tired to make cookies, per se. I doubled the recipe, used two egg yolks in place of the flax eggs, lined a 9X9 cake pan with aluminum foil (with wings) and baked for 30 minutes @ 350. They were excellent with little clean-up. Thank you, Michele, for another outstanding recipe.
Failed to rate these yummy “oatmeal” cookies that I made into bars.
I used chocolate chips instead of raisins and they turned out so good! Very soft and tasty!
Thought i’d share, I subbed 1 cup of almond flour for oats and they still worked well.
I don’t normally eat oatmeal but had a bag in the cupboard and we stretch the time between grocery trips or a days and eat what we have.
These cookies are so good! I can’t believe how much they taste like the real thing. Probably the best Paleo cookie I have ever had. Thank you!
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My cookies did not flatten. Wondering if I did something wrong.
Mine didn’t spread at ALL either. Followed exactly.
Loved loved loved these! So good!
Xlnt with walnuts. I’d use a different sweetener if it would work to reduce sugar,nevertheless these are great. 2 thumbs up!
BTW, I’m using an antique, heavy duty cookie sheet I inherited from Mom, that will last longer than all of us. Flat as the day it was bought.
A customer of mine gave me a few and they were amazing! She shared the recipe, I bought all of the ingredients, and tried to make them myself….they came out smooth on the outside (not at all like your pics), and chewy in the middle. Hers were sweeter, perhaps a different maple brand, but hers also had a subtle hint of salt which I enjoyed but mine didn’t have that flavor. I’m suspicious she used regular almond butter and I used just straight organic almond butter. I can tinker with flavor later, my main concern is that they didn’t look or feel like oatmeal cookies. The only step I missed was chilling it before placing on the baking sheet, would be the reason for the appearance to be off?
They tasted OK but not like raisin oatmeal cookies and I have been doing paleo for years.
My grandson and I made them for his great grandfather for father’s day. We had to make another couple of batches. They were so good we decided to share with other friends. We substituted paleo chocolate chips instead of raisons.
These are by far the best Paleo cookies I have ever made. I had to make a few substitutions due to allergies so I used cashew flour instead of almond flour, arrowroot flour instead of tapioca and Rainforest nut butter instead of almond and they turned out amazing. My scoop is somewhat smaller so I ended up with 20 cookies. These will be my main cookies from now on and I’ll mix it up by sometimes using chocolate chips or cranberries and pecans instead of the raisins. Thank you so much for this recipe!!
Hi sorry where does the coconut sugar go?
These cookies are SO GOOD. I don’t like raisins so I subbed in dried cranberries. Delicious!!
Where do you add the two tablespoons of sugar? I don’t see that in the recipe.
Yeah same!