Spiced Vegan Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies

By
Jolinda Hackett
Jolinda Hackett
Jolinda Hackett has written five books about plant-based cooking and has developed hundreds of vegan and vegetarian recipes.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 01/5/22
Spiced vegan oatmeal cranberry cookies

The Spruce 
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Total: 30 mins
Servings: 18
Yield: 18 cookies
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
143 Calories
2g Fat
30g Carbs
3g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 18
Amount per serving
Calories 143
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 2g 2%
Saturated Fat 0g 2%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 42mg 2%
Total Carbohydrate 30g 11%
Dietary Fiber 2g 8%
Total Sugars 14g
Protein 3g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 25mg 2%
Iron 1mg 6%
Potassium 81mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

This vegan recipe for spiced oatmeal cranberry cookies results in a thick and chewy cookie—just the way oatmeal cookies should be. They are perfect throughout the holiday season and a plate of these cookies will go fast at any gathering.

Unlike many vegan cookie recipes, this one doesn't require any egg replacer or egg substitute, so it's a good one to try if you're new to baking vegan (or just don't have any egg replacer on hand). Use a vegan margarine or a vegan butter substitute to make these oatmeal cookies vegan, egg free, and dairy free.

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup vegan margarine

  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar

  • 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed

  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

  • 1/2 cup soy milk, or other non-dairy milk

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

  • 3 cups quick cooking or rolled oats

  • 1 cup dried cranberries

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for spiced vegan oatmeal
    The Spruce

  2. Preheat the oven to 350 F. You don't need to grease a cookie sheet for this recipe. 

    Tray
    The Spruce

  3. In a large bowl, cream together the vegan margarine with the white sugar and brown sugar until smooth and creamy.

    Cream together the vegan margarine
    The Spruce

  4. Add the vanilla and soy milk (or other non-dairy milk substitute) and mix well until well combined.

    Add vanilla and soymilk
    The Spruce

  5. Add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger powder, ground cloves, and nutmeg, and stir again until well mixed.

    Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon
    The Spruce

  6. Then stir in the quick-cooking oats and the cranberries.

    Stir in quick cooking oats
    The Spruce 

  7. Spoon the dough in 1 1/2-inch balls onto an ungreased cookie sheet and bake 10 to 15 minutes, or until done.

    Spoon the dough into balls
    The Spruce 

  8. Allow to cool on a rack.

    Allow to cool
    The Spruce 

  9. Serve and enjoy.

Tips

  • They are delightful while still warm, but you can also store them. To keep them chewy, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days. Adding half a slice of bread to the airtight container can also help ensure they don't dry out. If you want to store them in a cookie jar, it's best to place them in a zip-lock bag inside the jar to retain moisture and keep them chewy.
  • A make-ahead tip is that you can prepare the dough and refrigerate it for several days before baking. For even more convenience, scoop out the cookies onto baking sheets and freeze them. Then transfer the frozen dough balls to a freezer bag, and you'll be able to bake a batch at any time, even without thawing the dough. Add an extra minute or two to the baking time for the frozen dough.

Variations and Substitutions

  • If you're missing one of the spices (ginger powder, ground cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg), it's OK to omit it without too much trouble, and just add a bit more of one of the other spices.
  • If you're missing two of the spices, your oatmeal cranberry cookies will still be reliably delicious, but they'll be even better with the full combination of spices.
  • If you happen to have pumpkin pie spice on hand, you can also use that as a reasonable substitute.
  • A variation to consider is adding 1 cup of chopped walnuts or pecans. That would add yet another "superfood" to these cookies that already include oatmeal and cranberries.