This egg-less oatmeal cookie recipe makes a soft and chewy snack (no one would guess there's no egg in these)! Plus, the chocolate chips AND raisins make them outrageously delicious.
I've always been obsessed with baking soft and chewy cookies - I'm not about that crunchy cookie; you will have to look elsewhere for those. If you also prefer soft cookies, add these apple raisin oatmeal cookies and vegan brownie cookies to your bookmarks!
- Simple: With just a handful of pantry staples and minimal effort, you can whip up a batch of these classic cookies in no time. All you need are simple ingredients to make these traditional oatmeal cookies!
- No Eggs? No problem: Instead of an egg, this recipe uses ground-up flax seeds. Whether you run out of eggs while baking, follow a vegan diet, or have egg allergies (or find eggs costly these days!) you can enjoy freshly baked oatmeal goodness.
- Perfect texture: These oatmeal cookies maintain their signature chewy texture even without eggs by being wonderfully soft on the inside with a slight crunch on the outside, just like my olive oil cookies!
Ingredients for insanely good oatmeal cookies
I wanted to pack these chewy oatmeal cookies full of foods that bring goodness, but also ingredients that we easily have access to (and won't break the bank).
- Ground flaxseed and room temperature water: This is what creates a chewy texture and still holds the cookie together; it is an egg replacement. Plus, flax increases the nutrient density of these cookies. I have also tested this recipe with ground chia seeds, and that works just the same!
- Melted butter: Use melted and slightly cooled butter OR unrefined coconut oil. I have tested these cookies with melted butter, cooled butter, and coconut oil, and all work perfectly!
- Coconut sugar or brown sugar: Whatever sugar you have on hand, you can use, whether that's coconut sugar, dark brown sugar, or light brown sugar.
- Organic white flour: The flour holds the whole cookie together. You can also use whole-wheat flour. As a nutritionist, I always recommend using and eating organic grains, as common grains are often highly sprayed (with Roundup) in North America. I personally have experienced digestive issues that many people experience from non-organic flour and oats. Read more about it why I choose to eat organic grain here, which really helped me understand why we should buy organic grains.
- Organic rolled oats: You can use quick oats for this recipe; however, rolled oats will create the best classic oatmeal cookie texture. Do not use steel-cut oats. Pleaseeee use organic oats (I explain why just above).
- Raisins and chocolate chips: In my opinion, the most important part of oatmeal cookies is the raisins and chocolate chips. Soaking the raisins is my secret. I'll tell you all about it below. Then I like to use chocolate chunks for these cookies, I think it allows for more chocolate bites!
How to make egg-free oatmeal cookies
I first baked oatmeal cookies for my family when I was not even a teenager, I've learned a few things over the years. Let me show you how I make them with step-by-step photos from my kitchen, and make sure to read my top tips below!
Prepare: If you are using raisins, start by placing them in a dish and pouring hot water over them to soften. This will make plump raisins. Don't skip this, it's key!
Flax egg (photo above): Grind flax seeds in a coffee grinder or blender. Mix 1 tablespoon of ground flax with 3 tablespoon of room temperature water, let sit for 5 minutes.
Wet ingredients: In a medium mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar, vanilla, melted butter, and flax mixture. Stir together.
Dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, place the dry ingredients. Mix these together well with a wooden spoon.
Mix: Dump the flour mix and the raisins and/or chocolate chips into the sugar mixture. Stir only until combined. Don't over-mix.
Drop cookies: Using a tablespoon, grab the well-mixed dough from the bowl and drop rough cookie dough balls onto the baking sheet. Press cookies down slightly.
Bake: Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes until puffy and golden brown. You want them slightly wet-looking still for chewy cookies. Let them cool on the pan for 5 minutes before letting them fully cook on a wire rack.
Making the perfect eggless cookies
I've made hundreds of oatmeal cookies. And this specific oatmeal cookie without eggs recipe I've tested over 4 times:
- with a flax egg
- with shredded coconut
- with a chia egg
- with butter instead of coconut oil
After playing around with the amount of oatmeal and different ingredients, I found adding coconut had an awesome texture, but to make these a proper oatmeal cookie I removed the coconut from the recipe. Both chia and flax eggs work great as an egg replacement. Use coconut oil for dairy-free, or else butter if you have it!
I learned many years ago the secret to oatmeal raisin cookies is to soak the raisins in steaming hot water so they are plump and juicy and not tough and hard like those oatmeal raisin potluck cookies!
Don't overmix: I found that if you over-stir the oatmeal cookies, they create a cake-like texture, not the chewy classic oatmeal cookie texture (even with eggs) we all love.
Looking for other eggless cookie recipes? Try my favourite brownie cookies (made with a banana instead of an egg)!
FAQ
You can use quick-cooking oats in oatmeal cookies; however, it changes the chewy texture. If you use quick oats, be sure not to overmix the cookie dough.
To make a flax egg, use 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed and mix it with 3 tablespoons of room-temperature water. Let it sit for 5 minutes until it becomes a gel-like egg mixture. You must use ground flaxseeds; whole flaxseeds will not work the same. Ground chia seeds can also be used with the same ratios to make an egg substitute.
Yes, rolled oats are also called old-fashioned oats; they are both oat groats that have been flattened. Rolled oats and old-fashioned oats can be used interchangeably.
In cookies, when you are baking without eggs, you can substitute it with applesauce, banana, flax egg, or chia egg. I have even used mayonnaise instead of eggs. It depends on the type of cookie you are making; these substitutes will make different textures.
For these oatmeal cookies, I used a flax egg as it creates a chewy texture. However, in my eggless brownie cookies I use a banana to make it more of a soft brownie texture. For the best results, follow an eggless cookie recipe or a vegan cookie recipe.
Other from-scratch homemade cookies
I've been making wholesome recipes in the kitchen for over 15 years. This blog is dedicated to the wholesome snacks I create for my family! Try my other nutrient-rich recipes:
🍪 Did you think this was the best oatmeal cookie recipe?! I wanna know!! Let me know down below the recipe and leave a star rating! I love hearing from people who make my recipes, and it helps others find and make these recipes too!
Easy Oatmeal Cookies Without Egg
Ingredients
- ½ cup raisins
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseeds see the note below on how to grind flaxseeds
- 3 tablespoons water room temperature
- ½ cup coconut sugar or brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup butter or coconut oil melted and cooled
Dry Ingredients
- ¾ cup organic white flour
- ¾ cup rolled oats also called old fashioned
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup chocolate chips (I used chocolate chunks)
Instructions
- Prepare: If you are using raisins: start by placing them in a glass measuring cup and pouring hot water over them to soften. Then preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175C). Prepare the cookie sheet by covering it with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
- Flax egg: Mix the ground flaxseeds with room temperature water, let sit for 5 minutes.
- Wet ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the sugar, vanilla, melted butter (or coconut oil), and flax mixture. Stir together.
- Dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, place the flour, rolled oats, baking soda, and salt. Mix this together well with a wooden spoon. Dump this flour mix and the raisins and chocolate chips into the sugar mixture. Stir only until combined. Don't over-mix. Using a tablespoon, drop rough cookie dough balls onto the cookie sheet. Press cookies down slightly.
- Bake: Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes, until puffy and golden brown. You want them slightly wet-looking for a chewy cookie. Let them cool on the pan for 5 minutes before letting them fully cool on a wire rack.
Notes
Nutrition
Danika Vanderpyl, C.H.N
I create snack recipes with healthy ingredients that are mostly already in your kitchen. I'm certified in Holistic Nutrition and I care about giving my kids real food. Let me share my nutrient-dense easy snacks with you.
Marie says
I made these with cranberries instead of raisins. The dough was quite dry and would not pick up all the dry ingredients. I added a little more butter about 1/2 teaspoon and about a tablespoon of water. The flavor is great!!
Danika Vanderpyl says
Hi Marie! Thanks for sharing how they turned out! Did you soak the raisins? The liquid from the raisins also adds to the moisture in these cookies.