I don’t often call recipes perfect, but these Vegan Oatmeal Bear Cookies are soft, chewy, lightly spiced and are everything a perfect oatmeal cookie should be. They’re vegan, easy to make and use ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen pantry.
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Vegan Oatmeal Bear Cookies
I had quite a few recipe requests on Instagram for a delicious vegan oatmeal cookie and I am SUPER excited to share this recipe with you! When you thought oatmeal cookies couldn’t get better, I went and turned them into little teddy bears. Vegan Oatmeal Bear Cookies are perfect for Valentines day, Mother’s Day, Baby Shower or any occasion needing delicious and cute cookies! They’re soft and chewy, and contain warming spices, perfect for breakfast or as a snack! You’ll fall in love with this recipe!
In my personal opinion, this is THE BEST cookie for dunking into milk (dairy-free of course) or to serve along side a nice hot cup of tea / coffee.
Why these are THE BEST Vegan Oatmeal Cookies!
- They’re soft, chewy and crisp.
- They have the PERFECT flavour!
- Perfect for Valentines Day.
- Great for parties, or occasions like a baby shower / Mothers Day.
- Easy to make.
- Hint of cinnamon is super cozy and warming.
- Recipe uses easy to find ingredients.
- Can be made gluten-free.
- They take less than 5 minutes to make!
- Baked and ready in under 20 minutes.
- Bear shape is super cute, simple and effective.
- No special tools required.
What is an oatmeal cookie?
An oatmeal cookie is an oatmeal based cookie, lightly spiced with cinnamon. They are crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside. They kind of remind me of a flapjack (one of my go-to treats from my book ‘ The Little book of Vegan Bakes’. Grab yourself a copy of my award-winning baking book here.
Vegan Oatmeal Cookie ingredients
You’ll love how quick, simple and easy this recipe is! Containing only a few ‘easy to find’ ingredients, you’ll be making these cookies every week!
- Caster sugar : Use a fine white caster sugar. Alternately, you can use granulated sugar or coconut sugar.
- Light brown sugar : The addition of the light brown sugar adds a caramel flavour, and also helps with the chewiness of the cookie.
- Ground cinnamon : The addition of the cinnamon add’s a light spice which is really tasty. You are more than welcome to leave it out.
- Dairy-free butter : Make sure to use a vegan block butter such as Naturli Vegan Block or Flora Plant Butter. Try not to use margarine if you can help it, as margarine makes the cookies spread a lot more than a block butter.
- Dairy-free milk : This recipe can use any dairy-free milk, including almond, soya, oat or cashew.
- Plain flour : Us a plain white flour blend. If you wanted to make the cookies gluten-free, use a gluten-free plain white flour blend such as Doves Farm or BobsRedMill.
- Baking powder & Bicarbonate of soda : Raising agents help to puff up the cookie, helping with the chewy texture.
- Oats : You want to use whole oats if possible. You can use rolled oats but you loose the chewy oat pieces, which I personally really love about using whole oats.
How to make Vegan Oatmeal Cookies
Making the oatmeal cookies couldn’t be easier, heres what you need to do: (Find the full list of ingredients and written ‘step by step’ recipe in the recipe card at the bottom of this post!
- Cookie ingredients
In a large mixing bowl, cream together the dairy-free butter, milk and sugars. Sieve in the baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, flour and cinnamon. Fold in the oats. Mix to combine and until thick and a sticky dough.
- Making the bear shape
Measure 50g of the cookie mixture and roll into balls. Roll smaller balls for the ears and nose. Press the two larger balls to the top of the bear head, and the smaller one in the middle of the cookie for the nose. (refer to images for reference)
- Bake
Place one tray into the middle of the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden in colour. Once baked, remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on the tray before lifting them up and placing onto a wire rack. Repeat for the other tray.
- Chocolate details
Melt the chocolate, transfer into a piping bag and pipe on a nose and eyes. Allow to set then serve and enjoy.
Vegan Oatmeal Cookie FAQ
Is this recipe vegan friendly?
- Yes! It is 100% vegan and doesn’t contain any animal derived ingredients. Always make sure to check labels of the ingredients you use are using to make sure they’re vegan friendly!
Can this recipe be made gluten-free?
- It sure can! make sure to use gluten-free oats and a gluten-free plain white flour blend!
My cookies spread too much, why?
- If you ended up with really large and flat cookies, there could be a few things wrong. You either added too much butter, used margarine or pressed the cookies down too much before baking. This would make them to spread out and cause the cookies to misshape and become thin. Only press them down slightly so you have thick and chewy oatmeal cookies.
How to store the oatmeal cookies?
- To keep the cookies fresh, make sure they are stored in a air tight, sealed container. I personally like to store my cookies in the fridge then allow them to come to room temperature before serving and enjoying. It makes them fresher for longer!
Can I make the cookies ahead of time?
- You sure can! You can make up the cookie dough, wrap it in some grease proof paper and store in the freezer until ready to use. Make sure to defrost fully before shaping and baking!
Looking for more Valentines Day recipes? Check these out:
- Vegan Pink Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls
- Vegan Raspberry Cake
- Gluten-free Vegan Brownies
- Easy Air Fryer Doughnuts (vegan)
- Vegan Strawberry Cream Danishes
- BEST Vegan Battenberg Cake
- The BEST Vegan Tiramisu
If you make, and love this recipe, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below. Thank you & happy baking! Make sure to tag me in your photos on Instagram and Facebook!
Print
Vegan Oatmeal Cookies
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 8–10 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These cookies are soft, chewy, delicious and adorable! Make some cute and cuddly vegan teddy bear oatmeal cookies and cozy up with all the warm spices and comforting texture, perfect for Valentines Day!
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 120g of caster sugar
- 25g of light brown sugar
- 115g of dairy-free butter
- 35ml of dairy-free milk
- 1 teaspoon of baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda
- 100g of plain flour
- 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- 200g of whole or rolled oats
Decorations
- 20g of dairy-free dark chocolate
Instructions
Method (cookies)
- Preheat the oven to 180°C fan and line 2 baking trays with grease proof paper. Set aside.
- Add the sugars, butter and milk into a bowl and cream together. You can do this either in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or using a hand held whisk. Beat until creamy.
- Once light and creamy, sieve in the baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, flour and cinnamon. Fold in the oats. Check its the right consistency but picking up some of the mixture and rolling it into a ball. It should be able to form a sticky ball. If not and it feels too dry and crumbly, add in a splash more dairy-free milk until you can roll it into sticky balls.
- Create the bear shape by rolling a larger ball (50g) and two smaller balls for the ears (8g each) and a smaller ball for the nose (5g). Press them together to create the bear shape (refer to photos for reference).
- Place the bears onto the lined baking tray. Press the cookies down slightly.
- Bake in the middle of the oven for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown in colour and the edges are crisp.
- Once baked, remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool fully on the baking tray. They will be soft when first out of the oven but will firm up to the perfect chewy oatmeal cookie texture when cooled.
Method (chocolate details)
- Fill a small saucepan 1/4 full with water and place on the hob over medium heat. Add the dairy-free chocolate into a heat proof bowl. Place the bowl over the pan, creating a bain-marie. Allow the chocolate to melt, stirring with a heat proof spatula. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for a few minutes. You can also melt the chocolate in the microwave.
- Transfer the chocolate into a piping bag, snip off the tip and pipe one two eyes and a nose (refer to images for reference). You can place the cookies in the fridge to set the chocolate.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
To store: Store the cookies in a sealed / air tight container in the fridge and allow to come to room temperature before enjoying. Enjoyed within 5 days of making.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10-12 minutes
- Category: cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Made them and the kids thoroughly enjoyed decorating them. Thank you Holly 🙂
Made these today and my kids (and me!) loved them! Not only are they the cutest bake ever, they taste amazing! Thanks for sharing your recipe Holly 🧸💗
Author
aw thanks Ali! I am over the moon you all enjoyed 😀 xxx
Can I make these with gluten free plain flour?
Made these cookies with my three year old! Was so much fun for the both of us! (And eating them of course too😋!!!) Great recipe😍🫶
Author
Hello, Aw i am SOOO happy you enjoyed!! xx
excellent cookies – I’m on batch two and this time I doubled up. Perfect again, even with substituting coconut sugar. Maybe next time I’ll try making them into bears!
As a vegan who loves oatmeal cookies, I highly recommend the Vegan Oatmeal Bear Cookies recipe. The simple ingredients and easy-to-follow instructions make it perfect for busy individuals. The adorable bear shape adds a fun element to any occasion, while the cinnamon adds a cozy and delicious flavor. Trust me, everyone should give this recipe a try!