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These cozy gingerbread oatmeal cookies are soft and chewy inside with crisp edges and loaded with warm spices and molasses for a great holiday treat!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Love soft and chewy oatmeal cookies (like these vegan oatmeal chocolate chip cookies? Can’t get enough of warmly spiced gingerbread cookies? If the answer is yes to both, why not combine them into soft, thick, chewy, cozy, super satisfying gingerbread oatmeal cookies?! Plus, these are free from all eggs and dairy – and no-one can tell.
Just like regular gingerbread, these ginger oat cookies contain a robust spice blend, brown sugar, and sticky molasses. However, the oaty base makes them extra soft and mega chewy in the middle, with crisp edges, for a super comforting oatmeal cookie with a Fall/Winter twist. Best of all, the dough is easy to prepare and can even be made in advance – perfect for Christmas and the holiday season!
You might also enjoy these vegan gingerbread cookies, soft pumpkin molasses cookies, triple ginger vegan gingersnaps, or soft vegan gingerbread cake.
The Ingredients
Refer to the recipe card for the full list of ingredients, substitutes, and quantities.
Optional Add-Ins
- Orange zest (Add a tablespoon for a little brightness)
- Crystallized ginger (finely chopped for chewy, zingy bites)
- Vegan chocolate chips (dairy-free milk, dark, or white chocolate)
- Chopped nuts/seeds (raw or lightly toasted pecans, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, etc.)
- Shredded coconuts (add a few tbsp for extra chew and tropical flavor)
- Cardamom (just a pinch for added depth to the spice blend)
- A glaze topping (either a vanilla or pumpkin spice glaze – to drizzle or dip)
- Vegan white chocolate (to drizzle over the top of the vegan oatmeal gingerbread cookies)
How to Make Gingerbread Oatmeal Cookies
Step 1: First, thoroughly mix the ground flax meal and warm water in a bowl and set aside to thicken/congeal.
Step 2: Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mix all the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, ginger, and pumpkin spice). In a large bowl, use a hand mixer (or stand mixer) to cream the vegan butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the remaining wet ingredients (vanilla extract, molasses, and the flax egg) and mix on high for one minute.
Step 3: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ones and mix until barely combined. Then add the oats and mix until fully incorporated, being careful not to over-mix. Then, preheat the oven to 375F/190C and line a baking sheet with parchment.
Step 4: Once preheated, scoop 2-tablespoon portions of dough onto the tray, 2 inches apart, lightly pressing them to flatten. Bake the ginger oat cookies for 8-12 minutes, until they have golden edges with a slightly soft, underbaked middle. Let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack to fully cool. Optionally, ice the ginger oatmeal cookies. Enjoy!
FAQs
While very similar, pumpkin spice is more cinnamon-forward compared to ginger-forward gingerbread. For that reason, I’ve combined PS with extra ground ginger. Alternatively, substitute the mix of spices for 2 ½ tsp gingerbread spice.
Yes, but the texture of the cookies will be a little softer and less chewy. You could also go somewhere in-between, if wanted, by pulsing the oats for a few seconds.
Blackstrap molasses is much more pungent and bitter, so if you want to use it as a substitute, I’d probably recommend only using half the amount (or even less). However, it isn’t a sub that I’ve tried.
Certainly – just use certified gluten-free oats and substitute the flour with a GF flour blend, like Bob’s Red Mill or King Arthur’s. You may need slightly more flour, so adjust if necessary.
Pro Recipe Tips
- Measure the flour properly: To avoid dense gingerbread oatmeal cookies. Fluff it in its bag, spoon it into a measuring cup, then level it with a knife.
- Don’t overmix the dough: Only mix it until fully combined; otherwise, it can affect the rise and texture of the cookies.
- Don’t overbake the gingerbread cookies: It’s normal for the middle to look soft and underdone immediately after removing them from the oven.
- Rest on the tray: After baking, leave the vegan oatmeal ginger cookies on the hot tray for 10 minutes to allow the residual heat to finish cooking the center of the cookies for a perfectly soft and chewy texture.
Storage Instructions
Make ahead: You can prepare the ginger oatmeal cookie dough 2 days in advance and store it in a covered bowl in the refrigerator. Then, bring it to room temperature to continue.
You can freeze the vegan cookie dough by shaping the cookies, flash-freezing them, then transferring to a Ziplock/Stasher for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen, adding a few minutes.
Store: Store the leftover plain or iced oatmeal cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to a week (remove from fridge a few minutes before enjoying).
Freeze: Flash freeze the vegan gingerbread oat cookies on a tray until solid and transfer them to a Ziplock/Stasher for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight or quickly in a microwave.
Gingerbread Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon of flaxmeal
- 2 ½ tablespoons of warm water
- 1 cup of all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup of granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon of baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon of baking powder
- 2 teaspoons of ginger powder
- ½ teaspoon of pumpkin spice
- ½ cup of vegan butter, at room temperature
- ½ cup of light-brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons of molasses
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups of rolled oats
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the flaxmeal and warm water. Mix well and set aside.
- In a small bowl, mix the flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, baking powder, ginger powder, and pumpkin spice. Set aside.
- Using a hand mixer, in a large bowl, mix the vegan butter with the brown sugar. Beat until light and fluffy. Then add the molasses, vanilla extract, and flaxmeal mixture. Mix on high for 1 minute.
- To the same bowl, add the flour mixture and lightly mix until the ingredients are barely combined. Add the oats and mix until the dry ingredients are moist and well incorporated, but do not over-mix. Set aside while the oven preheats.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and prep a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Scoop 2 tablespoons of dough, lightly form a ball, place them 2 inches apart on the baking sheet, and lightly press it to flatten it.
- Bake for 8 to 12 minutes or until cookies are golden around the edges with the middle slightly underbaked.
- Remove from the oven, and let them sit on the baking sheet for 10 minutes to harden. Using a spatula, carefully transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Don’t overmix the dough: Only mix it until fully combined; otherwise, it can affect the rise and texture of the cookies.
- Don’t overbake the gingerbread cookies: It’s normal for the middle to look soft and underdone immediately after removing them from the oven.
- Rest on the tray: After baking, leave the vegan oatmeal ginger cookies on the hot tray for 10 minutes to allow the residual heat to finish cooking the center of the cookies for a perfectly soft and chewy texture.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Although journeytowellnesspath.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. journeytowellnesspath.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.
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So good!