20-Minute Almond Butter Oatmeal Cookies (Vegan)

Name: 20-Minute Almond Butter Oatmeal Cookies (Vegan)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1/2 cup coconut oil; 1/4 cup almond butter; 1 cup brown sugar; 1/4 cup nondairy milk; 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour; 1 cup quick cooking oats; 1 tsp baking powder; 1 tsp baking soda; 1/4 tsp salt; 2/3 cup dairy-free dark chocolate chunks (can substitute chocolate chips)

by Olivia Biermann on Nov 16, 2019 (updated Mar 5, 2025)

Jump to Recipe·5 from 8 reviews

These vegan almond butter oatmeal cookies are hearty and so delicious. With plenty of dark chocolate chunks, the cookies have a crispy exterior and a slightly chewy center. Plus, they’re ready in just 20 minutes!

almond butter oatmeal cookie broken in half on a cookie sheet

I can’t tell you how many vegan cookie recipes I have baked over the years as a food blogger, and I have a lot of favourites. I can’t choose just one – that would be impossible! Among my favourite are always classic chocolate chip, fudgey double chocolate and thick and chewy sugar cookies, but there is something to be said for a super quick (20 minutes, to be exact) recipe that yields light and crisp, yet chewy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.

Let’s talk about oats

For these oatmeal cookies, I recommend quick cooking oats, as they allow the cookies to spread since they absorb more moisture and break down faster. I also tested this recipe with rolled oats, which are often used in oatmeal cookie recipes as they provide a chewy texture and hearty flavour. However, in this recipe the rolled oats version did not spread – they stayed very rounded and thick (which are also delicious) but also more crumbly.

ingredients for oatmeal almond butter cookies — Gather all ingredients.

A bowl containing wet ingredients combined for almond butter oatmeal cookies — Gather all ingredients.

This dough doesn’t need chilling?!

You might notice in this recipe that I don’t recommend you chill your cookie dough. Chilling cookie dough before baking is often recommended because it can make a big difference in texture and flavor. Chilled dough spreads less in the oven, resulting in thicker, chewier cookies with a richer taste as the flavors meld over time. It also allows the fats to solidify, preventing cookies from spreading too thin.

On the other hand, not chilling dough leads to a softer, thinner cookie with a slightly crispier edge, as the fat melts faster during baking. I have found through trial and error that cookies containing either almond butter or coconut oil tend to not spread as well. And this recipe has both! Therefore, when I wanted these cookies to be extra light and crisp with a slightly chewy center, they were better baked straight away.

vegan almond butter oatmeal cookies on a sheet pan

Liv’s Tips for Cooking and Storing:

If your almond butter has a layer of oil on top, stir it very well until completely combined before you use it in this recipe.

These cookies will stay fresh at room temperature for up to one week. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months.

If you prefer to freeze the dough and bake whenever you want a fresh cookie, bake dough from frozen and add 3-5 minutes extra cooking time. As explained above, you might find they don’t spread as well when baked from frozen. They will still taste delicious, though!