Totally addicting old-fashioned Iced Vegan Oatmeal Cookies! They have soft centers with chewy edges and are topped with a simple icing that sets so you can stack and gift them if you want.
These remind me so much of those packaged iced oatmeal cookies I used to eat as a kid, except they are made with real ingredients and taste a million times better! Iced Oatmeal Cookies make such a wonderful gift come the holiday season, and are perfect for bringing to parties, school fundraisers and more.
I think you are going to love these cookies! They are:
- Soft, with chewy edges
- So pretty with the icing!
- Easy to make
- Full of spice and warm flavors
How to make Iced Vegan Oatmeal Cookies
Start by making a flax egg. (FOR THE COMPLETE RECIPE, SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW. THIS IS JUST AN OVERVIEW WITH PHOTOS)
Next, pulse the oats 6-8 times using a blender or food processor until you have some oat flour and some chopped oats. This really helps with the texture of the cookies. Mix the dry ingredients in a medium bowl, then mix the wet ingredients with a hand mixer in a large bowl. Add dry to the wet and mix by hand until just combined.
Let the cookie dough chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place heaping tablespoons of the dough on a parchment lined or lightly greased pan, leaving a few inches in between cookies. Press the dough down to flatten a bit, using moist hands if the dough is sticky. Bake for 11-13 minutes, until golden brown.
The middle will still appear soft, but they firm up as they cool. Make sure to let the cookies cool completely before icing.
The trick for pretty iced oatmeal cookies
It’s actually very simple! You just need the icing to be very thick, and then you gently dip the tops of the cookies into it. They will set so pretty with the icing.
The icing is simply 1 cup powdered sugar, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla and about 1 tablespoon of non-dairy milk. Whisk in a small bowl with a fork until smooth. If it’s really too thick, add another tablespoon of milk. The icing should be thick and smooth, but not runny and thin.
If you would rather, you can just drizzle the tops of the cookies with the icing. Either way is just fine!
How long do they stay fresh? 2-3 days at room temperature, or a week in the refrigerator.
Can they be made gluten free? Yes, just make sure to use gluten free oats and an all purpose gluten free flour in place of the white flour.
Whole grain? Sub whole wheat pastry flour for the white flour.
Can you freeze the cookies? Yes, they can be frozen, with or without the icing.
Want more vegan cookie recipes?
- Perfect Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
- The Best Vegan Sugar Cookies
- Vegan Ginger Cookies
- Vegan Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- Ultimate Chocolate Cookies
- Classic Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies
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Iced Vegan Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
Flax egg
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseeds
- 2.5 tablespoons water
Dry ingredients
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Wet ingredients
- 1/2 cup softened vegan butter
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon molasses
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Icing
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon non-dairy milk
Instructions
- Make the flax egg: Mix the ground flaxseed and water in a small bowl and set aside to thicken.
- Using a blender or food processor, pulse the rolled oats 6-8 times until you have some oat flour and some chopped oats.
- Add the processed oats to a medium sized bowl, along with the rest of the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon). Mix to combine and set aside.
- In a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat the softened vegan butter, brown sugar, molasses and vanilla until smooth and creamy. Mix in the flax egg as well. Now add the dry ingredients and mix with a large spoon until just combined. The dough will be thick and rather sticky. Cover the bowl, and chill the dough for about 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease a baking sheet (or line with parchment paper).
- Scoop heaping tablespoons of dough (about 1.5 tablespoons each) and place 2-3 inches apart on the baking sheet. Press down slightly with your hands. If the dough sticks, get your hands a little bit wet first. Bake for 11-13 minutes, until golden brown. They will still look soft in the middle.
- Allow the cookies to cool completely before icing.
- Make the icing: Add the powdered sugar, vanilla and non-dairy milk to a small bowl and use a fork to whisk until combined and smooth. You want this icing to be very thick, so add more powdered sugar if needed, or a little bit more milk if it won't come together. It should be smooth but thick, not runny.
- Once the cookies have cooled, dip the tops of each one lightly into the icing. The icing will take an hour or so to set completely, then you can stack them if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- For gluten free, make sure to use gluten free certified rolled oats and a gluten free all purpose mix instead of the white flour.
- These cookies will stay good at room temperature for 2-3 days or a week in the refrigerator. You can freeze them as well.
This recipe is a total winner! I made these cookies to go with tea for myself and some friends, and they are just perfect- chewy and soft and delicious!
Hi Coby. Sounds like a fun tea party! I’m so glad the cookies were a hit! Thanks for your wonderful review and feedback!
Is the vegan butter salted or unsalted? Thanks.
Unsalted 🙂
Oh My Goodness! I know you’ve had many compliments but please add my name to the list. These are amazing! I used some organic sweetened dried cranberries (I chopped really fine in small appliance) and coconut sugar (that’s what was in the pantry, definitely not to sweet).
They turned out just perfect! I will use and use and use these.
Hi Irene! Your cookies sound amazing! Thanks for sharing your ideas and fabulous feedback! How awesome that you loved the recipe!
hi! do u think I can replace the butter? applesauce or something?
You could try but I have no idea how they will turn out without vegan butter. They will likely be very soft and definitely not chewy.
These are so good! Could I just double the recipe to make more at one time?
I’m so glad you like them! Yes, just hit the 2x button on the recipe card to get the accurate measurements. Happy baking!
Yet another amazing recipe. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
You are welcome, Liza! I’m glad you love the cookies! Thanks for your terrific feedback!
These are absolutely delicious! I topped one with icing while it was still warm because I was impatient and wow! I was supposed to give these to the neighbors as Christmas gifts, but I kind of want to keep them for myself 🙂
Hi Mandy. I’m thrilled you loved the cookies! Thanks for your terrific feedback! Happy holidays! (Just think what joy you’ll bring to the neighbors when they get your cookies!)
Delicious! And easy!
The molasses adds a really nice flavour & the cookies are as described (softer in the middle, crispier/chewier around the edges). I baked one batch a couple minutes ‘too long’ and they turned out exactly like Dad’s oatmeal cookies. I didn’t add icing because they were sweet enough for me without 🙂 Nora you always knock it out of the park!
Well, thank you Tessa! Sounds like your cookies turned out wonderful! Thank you for sharing your fabulous feedback! I’m really glad you are enjoying my recipes!
Made these with diced apples and added a bit of nutmeg, delicious! Your cookies are always my favourites
Hi Julie. Thanks for sharing your wonderful feedback and ideas! I’m thrilled you love my cookies!
Fantastic! I made these iced oatmeal cookies yesterday, & they turned out great. This recipe will definitely be repeated!
That’s wonderful, Paula! Thanks so much for using my recipe and for your fantastic review!
Hello, this is my go-to recipe for oatmeal cookies. This is my fifth time making them, maybe more. I love the taste, texture, and the bite. I have added 1/4 cup minced cherry flavored craisins before, delicious. I will add chopped pecans next time. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you for your wonderful feedback! I’m so glad you love the cookies!
I stumbled across this recipe and I’m not even vegan. I made them for the first time over a year ago except I used olive oil and some butter and an egg. Hope I haven’t offended you by not making them vegan but these cookies are just amazing. Every time I make them they get eaten so fast!
Not at all 🙂 I’m so happy you loved the cookies!
Wow! I made these for for my hubby last night. Absolutely delicious! He said these were the best oatmeal cookies he has ever had (I agree!). So soft and perfectly spiced. Will definitely be adding these to my cookie rotation.
So happy you both loved the cookies! Thank you for sharing your fantastic review and comments!
Came out wonderfully!! Followed the instructions and made a little over 20 cookies! They look just like the store bought imo. Thank you.
The extra cookies never stay for two or three days on our countertop. They “somehow” disappear! Yum! Thanks Nora! These were a hit at all of the holliday gatherings! John Ryan
Thank you for sharing your great feedback! I’m glad the cookies were loved by all! Happy cooking!
My husband gets giddy when I tell him I’m making them. They are for sure his favorite and mine too!
I’m thrilled you guys love the cookies! Thank you for taking your time to share your wonderful review and comments!
These cookies are delicious! My mom said these are now her ultimate favorite cookies. And I’ve made a lot of cookies so that’s saying a lot!
Whoops! Forgot to add a rating
Thanks for sharing your review and comments! I’m glad you guys love the cookies!
These came out perfect! I halved the recipe with no problems. Also, I skipped the icing and instead added 3 squares from a dark chocolate bar that I chopped up. Delicious!
Hi Stephanie. Thanks for sharing your recipe adjustments! I’m glad you enjoyed the cookies!
Good recipe but only made 6 cookies not 20. I did use gluten free flour and oats so maybe that’s why? Though I don’t think so. Still good flavor so I don’t care even if it made one big cookie lol. Try these!
I’m glad you enjoyed the cookies! Maybe you made pretty big cookies? I’m not sure! Thanks!
Oh my goodness these are truly the best oatmeal cookies I have ever made and so easy. I might add raisins if you like but they don’t need raisins They are delicious with it with out frosting and u made three batches and they are gone. My husband who is not a sweet eater even ate several. Definitely one to keep and make agai and again and again
Any thoughts on if I can add in Chocolate chips or raisins without changing the other measurements? Thank you!
I don’t think that would be a problem, I would probably just add 1/2 cup or 3/4 cup of either chocolate chips or raisins. No need to change anything else. Thanks!
These cookies are AMAZING! I subbed the molasses with maple syrup and it was incredible. So beautiful and delicious. Makes a super chewy cookie! Will definitely be making these again.
Just took these out of the oven and while they smell great, I will say the dough was very crumbly and not at all sticky or easy to keep together when forming the cookies. I followed the directions – any tips?
It sounds like you accidentally added too much flour or oats, or your vegan butter wasn’t soft enough, making the dough crumbly. If you find yourself with a crumbly dry dough, you can do a few things. First, use your hands to mix it, as the warmth from your hands will help the butter soften, making the dough easier to work with if it was too cold. Second, add a tablespoon or two of non-dairy milk until it’s not crumbly. But for best results, accurately measure your dry ingredients, as well as everything else.
Delicious!!! I pretty much followed the directions exactly. I added a bit of nutmeg. One tip that I have is to put your cinnamon in the wet ingredients instead of the dry. The cinnamon flavor will be stronger. I didn’t ice mine – quarantine 15 is real. I also used the new Country Crock plant-based butter sticks – they work beautifully.