Almond Butter Oatmeal Cookies with Raisins
These almond butter oatmeal cookies are soft, chewy cookies made with whole foods such as dates, almond butter, oats, and raisins. They’re a quick, wholesome treat that works perfectly for everyday snacking while fitting vegan, gluten-free, and sugar-free diets. Unlike many “healthy” cookie recipes, this version skips flour, butter, oil, and refined sugar entirely but still turns out naturally sweet, rich, and satisfying.
A Family-Friendly Treat We Always Come Back To
These almond butter oatmeal cookies are a staple in our kitchen, especially on busy days when we need something quick and satisfying. I often make a batch to have on hand, and my five-year-old daughter loves them just as much as I do—whether as a simple breakfast or an easy snack in between.
She especially enjoys them when they’re still slightly soft in the middle, and I like that they’re not overly sweet but still feel like a real treat we both look forward to.
Why These Cookies Are a Wholesome Option
These almond butter oatmeal cookies are made with just a handful of simple ingredients I regularly use at home—oats, almond butter, dates, and raisins. I like this combination because it creates a naturally sweet, satisfying cookie without the need for added sugar or flour.
In everyday life, I notice that they’re more filling than typical cookies and work really well as a quick breakfast or snack. They keep us full longer and don’t lead to that typical sugar crash—which is exactly why I come back to this recipe so often.
Ingredients for Vegan Oatmeal Cookies
Instead of relying on butter, refined sugar, or flour, these cookies are made with simple, whole, plant-based ingredients and naturally sweetened with dates and raisins, which bring both flavor and texture and are ingredients I regularly use at home:
- oats (rolled or quick oats) – If needed, make sure to use certified gluten-free oats
- linseeds (flaxseeds)
- raisins
- dates
- almond butter
- vegan milk
- cinnamon
- vanilla
- baking powder and a pinch of salt
This combination keeps the cookies naturally sweet and hearty, with oats and almond butter adding substance and a more satisfying texture. In practice, these are simply ingredients that work well together and make the cookies filling without feeling heavy.
What you won’t find in this recipe are traditional cookie ingredients. These oatmeal cookies are made without flour, butter, sugar, or eggs. They also don’t contain bananas or applesauce, which are often used to sweeten sugar-free cookies.
Easy to Make, With or Without Special Equipment
These oatmeal cookies are simple to prepare and work with either a kitchen scale or cups and spoons—whichever you prefer. Both options are included in the recipe, so you can choose what feels most natural.
You also don’t need a blender. Using oat flour and ground linseeds (flaxseeds) is an easy alternative to whole oats and seeds, and date paste (about 5 tbsp) works well instead of whole dates.
The cookies turn out well even without a blender—but if you do use a blender, it helps create a smoother, more uniform dough by combining the oats, linseeds, dates, milk, and almond butter.
How to Make Them
First, mix the dry ingredients, then stir in the wet ingredients and combine everything well. Shape the dough into small balls, flatten them slightly, and bake for about 18 minutes.
That’s it—simple, no-fuss cookies that come together quickly and are easy to make anytime.
Healthy Sweets
If you’re into naturally sweet, wholesome treats, you might also like my other sugar-free favorites, with the best possible conscience, in the sense of “the more you eat, the better”:
- coconut-almond-date energy balls that taste like Raffaello
- eggless carrot cake, so moist and packed with carrots and nut, topped with a cashew frosting
- vegan baked oats breakfast cake (Yes, you read that right: cake for breakfast)
You might also like to eat …
Chewy Almond Butter Oatmeal Cookies with Raisins
Useful equipment
- mini blender *)
Ingredients
- 2 cups oats approx. 220 g (rolled or quick oats) – divided into 1 cup and 1 cup
- 2 tbsp flaxseeds
- ½ cup raisins approx. 85 g or 3 oz
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch salt
- 1/8 to 1/4 tsp ground vanilla bean powder *)
- 3/4 cup vegan milk 180 g or ml, e.g. oat milk
- 10 pitted dates approx. 85 g or 3 oz
- 5 tbsp almond butter approx. 100 g or 3.5 oz (I use white one from blanched almonds, but I am sure that any other pure almond butter or nut butter would work).
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees (355 F) top and bottom heat.
- In a small blender, blend 1 cup of rolled oats with 2 tablespoons of linseed until both are finely ground.
- Now place the ground oats and linseed in a bowl, with the other dry ingredients (the cup of whole oats, raisins, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, vanilla), and mix with a spoon.
- Blend the milk, dates, and almond butter in the blender jug from before until creamy (and be sure to taste this delicious mixture!).
- Pour the milk-date-almond cream into the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir with a spoon.
- Now form small balls (about the size of a golf ball) and place them evenly on a baking tray lined with baking paper (three rows of four). I form the balls by hand and have a bowl of water ready to moisten my hands in between (otherwise it gets too sticky).
- Flatten the dough balls with a fork to a thickness of approx. 1 cm, which is a bit less than 1/2 inch (check out the photos above). Have a small bowl or cup of water ready and dip the fork from time to time, otherwise, it will stick to the cookie.
- Bake on a medium heat for approx. 18 minutes, until the edges are just starting to brown. The cookies will still be soft on the inside.
- Open the oven door and leave the cookies to cool for approx. 20 minutes.
Notes
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If not eaten immediately, store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days (they taste the best fresh and slightly chilled).
These wholesomely scrumptious cookies are right up my alley! I love these ingredients, and they’re blissfully combined! Just the right level of sweetness.
Thank you Wendy! You have a lovely blog by the way, nice recipes.
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This looks like a great recipes. I am a bit confused though. In the ingredients you indicate almond butter, but in the directions you say almond paste. To me they are different things; almond butter is like any nut butter while almond paste is white, comes packed in a tube or brick. I have used almond paste for cookies or pear almond tarts. I am not sure which to use. Please advise.
Oh, thank you for pointing that out! I wasn’t aware there was a difference. My mother tongue is German, and we call it ‘Mandelmus.’ I made a mistake when translating it and didn’t even realize almond paste was a thing. I’m definitely using almond butter, and corrected the post.