Most cookie recipes use eggs in the batter, making them unsuitable to eat for those following a vegan diet. But in all honesty, when you think about it, there are a lot of unhealthy sweets options for vegans. Some of these include Pixy sticks, Twizzlers, Blow Pops, and Jolly Ranchers. But these vegan pumpkin oatmeal cookies are a sweet treat that will fill that sweet spot craving and meet your dietary requirements.
These eggless oatmeal raisin cookies are also perfect to get you in the mood for fall. They’re nutritious and you can eat them for breakfast!
This is a great recipe to try if you follow a vegan diet, gluten-free diet, or have an egg allergy.
Psst…if you try these, don’t forget to leave a comment or recipe rating below!
Why Egg-Free Cookies?
Eggs are used in baking as a binding agent. When used in cookie recipes, your cookies will turn out more chewy and cake-like. However, there are specific reasons I chose to make an egg-free cookie recipe.
- To accomodate those with egg allergies
- To make these cookies vegan
- To reduce cardiovascular disease risk
Let me explain these reasons a little more.
Egg Allergies
According to the CDC, there are eight common food allergies that produce the most allergic reacions in the U.S (1). These are:
- Milk
- Eggs
- Fish
- Shellfish
- Wheat
- Soy
- Peanuts
- Tree Nuts
As you can see, eggs are listed as #2 on the list. Having a true allergy to a food means your body produces an immune response to the specific proteins in a food. This response can be life threatening, such as in the case of anaphylaxis (1).
I would also like to mention that these cookies are also gluten-free for those with Celiac Disease. Just take special care to use certified gluten-free oats and oat flour.
A Vegan Option
Eliminating the egg in this recipe also makes this cookie vegan. Today, more and more people are leaning towards a plant-based or even flexitarian diet due to the health benefits (2). Overall, the benefits are tremendous and may add years to your life.
In this vegan pumpkin oatmeal cookie recipe, I substitute eggs with ground flaxseed. However, there are other egg substitutes you can use to replace eggs when baking. See my egg substitute list below and learn which other food items you can use in place of eggs.
FYI, for other great eggless recipes try my Vegan Egg Salad, Apple Butter Recipe, or Dark Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies.
Reduced CVD Risk
The research on eggs and cardiovascular health is enough to confuse anyone. Research shows that most of the cholesterol in our blood is made by our liver, not from what we eat (3). However others conclude that dietary cholesterol may increase the prevalence of CVD (4).
And while eggs do have a significant amount of cholesterol (~207 mg cholesterol in 1 large Grade A egg), they also have an abundance of healthy nutrients (5).
However, a meta-analysis shows evidence that a larger intake of dietary cholesterol and eggs can increase CVD risk and overall CVD mortality (4). More specifically, it states that:
For each additional 300 mg cholesterol intake per day, there was an increased risk for overall and CVD-related mortality.
While this does not mean that you need to avoid eggs altogether, it does mean you should limit overconsumption. For most adults in the general population, one egg per day is adequate at providing nutritional benefits without increasing the risk of heart disease.
What Is a Good Substitute for Eggs?
There are a few different options you can use in place of eggs. Some are great to use in baking, while others may not be. For example, mashed banana and applesauce are often used when baking. While aquafaba, the liquid from a can of chickpeas, is not as common. Here are a few egg-free baking substitutes to try:
| Mashed banana | Make sure flavor is compatible with other ingredients; use 1/4 cup mashed banana for each egg called for |
| Applesauce | Used mainly as a substitute in sweet or bakery items; use 1/4 cup applesauce for each egg called for |
| Silken tofu | Adds creaminess and moisture; use 1/4 cup silken tofu in place of each egg called for (may need to whip before adding to your recipe) |
| Plain yogurt (or plant-based yogurt) | Can be used in both sweet and savory recipes; use 1/4 cup yogurt in place of each egg called for |
| Commercial egg replacement | Can be used in both sweet or savory recipes; use 3 tablespoons egg subtitute for each egg called for. (FYI, JUST Egg is a great vegan option!) |
| Aquafaba (chickpea liquid) | Best used for savory dishes; use 3 tablespoons aquafaba for each egg called for |
| Gound flaxseed or chia seeds | Can be used in sweet or savory recipes; use 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed or chia seeds + 3 tablespoons water for each egg called for. Let sit for 10-15 minutes before using in recipe. |
Nutritional Content
These cookies are a real treat because they not only satisfy your sweet tooth, they are also a great grab-and-go breakfast, snack, or anytime option if you’re in a hurry.
What makes these nutritious is the addition of pureed pumpkin, oats, ground flaxseed, and raisins.
Pumpkin adds vitamins and minerals including vitamins A, C, and E, the minerals iron, copper, and potassium, as well as fiber (6).
The oats provide a wonderful, whole grain base of both soluble and insoluble fiber which can help protect against heart disease, GI issues such as constipation, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and some forms of cancer (7).
Adding ground flaxseed provides essential fatty acids in the form of omega-3 ALA along with additional fiber. Omega-3s helps promote brain and vascular function, as well as protect against and reduce mortality from CVD. The lignan-rich flaxseeds are also shown to reduce inflammation and the risk of colorectal cancer (7,8).
And finally, the raisins give a perfect amount of sweetness while also adding soluble fiber, iron, copper, and other essential vitamins, minerals, and polyphenols. These nutritional benefits help to reduce heart disease, prevent anemia, protect against some forms of cancer, and more (9).
Ingredients
Old-Fashioned Oats– Oats are my grain on choice when making anything gluten-free. And old-fashioned oats provide the perfect consistency to these cookies.
Oat Flour– If you don’t have oat flour, you can make your own by blending old-fashioned oats in your blender until it becomes finely ground.
Pumpkin Puree– Make sure to use 100% pumpkin puree, NOT pumpkin pie filling. Libby’s brand is popular however store-brand pumpkin puree also works well.
Raisins– I love adding raising to oatmeal cookies! They also add natural sweetness to these vegan pumpkin oatmeal cookies.
Ground Flaxseed– This is my egg replacement in this cookie recipe. Flax egg is made by mixing ground flaxseed with a little water. I did not make the flax “egg” ahead of time in this recipe, but feel free to do so if you like and add it to the batter with the wet ingredients.
Coconut/Avocado Oil– This does add saturated fat to your cookies although the mixture of avocado oil and coconut oil is less saturated fat than coconut oil alone. I use Cocavo brand.
Maple Syrup– For a sweetener, I prefer pure maple syrup which keeps this recipe vegan. You can also try agave nectar.
Pumpkin Pie Spice– To save time, I use pre-made pumpkin pie spice although to adjust the flavors to your liking, making your own mix is a fun and fabulous idea. Just mix some or all of the following spices: cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and allspice.
Baking Soda and Baking Powder– These two ingredients will help your cookies rise.
Salt– Just a small amount for flavor.
How To Make Vegan Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies
This is a simple one-bowl cookie recipe that you can mix by hand with a spoon. Here are the step-by-step instructions to make them.
Step 1: Set Your Oven
First, you want to set your oven temp to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. This will allow the oven to heat up while you prepare your eggless oatmeal raisin cookies.
You can also make your flax “egg” at this time by combining the 3 tablespoons of ground flaxseed with 9 tablespoons of water. Let this sit for at least 5 minutes.
Step 2: Combine Dry Ingredients
Next, mix all of your dry ingredients (except the raisins) together in a large mixing bowl. Then create an indentation or a well in the center of the dry ingredients.
Step 3: Add Wet Ingredients and Raisins
Add the wet ingredients along with your flax “egg” to the well that you made in the dry ingredients. Mix until everything is just combined. Do not overmix. Then gently fold in the raisins.
Step 4: Bake Your Cookies
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spoon heaping 1 1/2 tablespoon sized cookie batter onto your cookie sheet. Each cookie should be 1-2 inches apart. I used 2 cookie sheets for a total of 14 cookies.
Then bake your cookies for about 15 minutes or until they’re cooked through. They will continue to cook slightly once you remove them from the oven. Let them cool slightly and enjoy!
Substitutions and Variations
You might be tempted to add or switch things up with these pumpkin raisin cookies. That’s totally fine! Here are a few substitutions and variations you can try.
- If you don’t have oat flour, improvise by making some yourself! Simply blend old-fashioned oats in your blender and measure out what you need.
- Try using real butter, vegan butter, or stick margarine in place of the Cocavo brand oil.
- Experiment with other egg substitutes by trying chia seeds or mashed banana which will also keep this recipe vegan.
- I love dried cranberries and cherries in cookies too. You can try substituting these for the raisins.
- Adding some chocolate chips or walnuts would also taste amazing in these cookies.
FAQ
These cookies are best eaten within 2 weeks if kept at room temperature. You can also refrigerate them for up to 2 months.
Yes. If you want to save some for weeks, or months later, these cookies can be frozen in an airtight container or freezer bags with as much air removed as possible for up to 1 year.
Yes, you certainly can. I would suggest adding 1 whole egg to this recipe in place of the flaxseed. This will give a more chewy, soft, cake-like texture to the final product. Adding an egg will also add about 15 mg of cholesterol per cookie.
Other Dessert Recipes You Might Enjoy
- Pumpkin Pie Smoothie [Vegan]
- Healthy Pumpkin Biscotti Recipe (Using Olive Oil)
- Apple Butter Recipe [Small Batch]
- Chewy Granola Bar Recipe
- Incredible Edible Cookie Dough (Vegan, Gluten-Free)
- Healthy Cinnamon Cookie Butter
Vegan Pumpkin Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Equipment
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 2 baking sheet
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups oat flour
- 2 cups old-fashioned oats
- 3 tbsp flaxseeds ground
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup 100% pumpkin puree
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ½ cup Cocavo oil melted
Other ingredients
- ¼ cup raisins
Instructions
- Set your oven temperature to 350° Fahrenheit and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients, except the raisins. Whisk together then make a well in the center of the dry ingredients.
- Add your wet ingredients to this well and mix until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Gently fold in your raisins until they are evenly dispersed throughout the batter.
- On your lined baking sheets, divide your batter evening and spreading the mixture 1-2 inches apart, into ~14 evenly sized mounds. Flatten slightly.
- Bake them in your preset oven for ~15 minutes or until cooked through. They will continue to cook slightly after removing them from oven.
- Cool slightly and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- These cookies will seem hard at first. But I’ve found that after placing in an airtight bag overnight, they’ll soften up.
- Try using dried cranberries in place of the raisins, or folding in chocolate chips, pepitas, or walnuts to the batter.
- If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, you can sub cinnamon or make your own with a little ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves.
Share with me: Let me know in the comments if you’ve tried these vegan pumpkin oatmeal cookies. Don’t forget to leave a recipe rating!
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Kiran Campbell is a registered dietitian and entrepreneur with 13 years of experience. She has a degree in psychology as well as dietetics. She is also a proud member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ and its Cardiovascular Health and Well-being Dietetics Practice Group among others. Kiran proudly presents and promotes the most up-to-date, science-based nutrition information on all things heart-related. She aims to serve not only individuals with heart disease, but also those wanting to protect against it. Learn more about Kiran by visiting her About Page.