Not a raisin fan? Mix things up with these chewy vegan oatmeal apricot cookies. They’re not only dairy-free, but also naturally egg-free and nut-free, too. But don’t worry, these delicious cookies have a crispy chew that doesn’t taste free from anything. I think they’re perfect for an afternoon treat, or for school-safe lunchboxes.
These Perfectly Chewy Oatmeal Apricot Cookies are Surprisingly Vegan
Many years ago, my friend Linda Coss shared her recipe with us for apricot oatmeal chews. It was a sample from her then new cookbook, What Else is to Eat?. I recently made this recipe to take some photos, and ended up making a few modifications. I added a little salt, changed up the process, and tested a couple ingredient options. And I have answers to a few ingredient FAQs to help you bake your best batch.
Can I Use Rolled Oats instead of Quick Oats?
I do like that Linda uses quick oats in this recipe. The cookies themselves are already so chewy, that the quick oats work seamlessly rather than adding bulk. I don’t personally recommend rolled oats for this recipe. If you do use them, keep in mind that the cookies will have a tougher chew, and they might spread a little much or be greasy. The quick oats are able to more readily absorb the moisture to keep the cookies nicely cohesive.
Can I Use Gluten-Free Flour in these Oatmeal Apricot Cookies?
A friend swears by King Arthur Measure for Measure Gluten-Free Flour as a perfect 1:1 swap in all baked goods (she eats wheat, but a family member is gluten-free). But we haven’t tested this recipe without gluten, so I can’t make any guarantees.
Which Dairy-Free Butter Alternative do you Recommend?
I used Country Crock sticks. They are saltier than most, which I like. It adds more richness to the cookies. I do recommend sticking with buttery sticks rather than buttery spread for these cookies. For a visual, see our Best Dairy-Free Butter for Baking comparison post with different brands.
How Sweet are these Oatmeal Apricot Cookies?
Perfectly sweet in my opinion! They’re less sweet than classic Tollhouse or Quaker Oat type cookies, but still sweet enough to call dessert. I don’t recommend tinkering with the sugar on your first batch, as sugar does affect the texture of cookies quite a bit. Once you’ve tried them, you will have a good baseline and can experiment.
Can I Sub Other Dried Fruit?
Definitely! I would personally love chopped dried pears or dried blueberries in this recipe, but most dried fruit will work great.
Special Diet Notes: Oatmeal Apricot Cookies
By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, vegan, and vegetarian. Just be sure to choose a butter alternative that suits your dietary needs.
- 1 cup quick oats
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg (or more cinnamon)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (1 stick) dairy-free buttery sticks
- ⅔ cup firmly-packed dark brown sugar (can sub light brown sugar)
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup dried apricots, diced
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Spread the oats out on a baking sheet with high sides or in a large baking dish. Place the oats in the oven and bake for 7 minutes. Stir and bake for another 3 to 8 minutes, or until lightly toasted.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
- In a mixing bowl, beat the butter alternative, brown sugar, white sugar, oil, water, and vanilla until creamed. Add the flour mixture and beat until smooth. Stir in the toasted oats and diced apricots.
- Form the dough into 1¼-inch balls and place them about 2 to 3 inches apart on your prepared baking sheet. The dough will be a little sticky, but you should still be able to roll it with ease. If it’s too sticky, refrigerate it for 30 minutes.
- Bake the cookies for about 12 minutes, or until the outer edges are set and the cookies no longer appear wet. They will still be quite soft, but will set up as they cool.
- Let the cookies cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet, before carefully removing them to cool completely.
- but cookies are still quite soft. Cool cookies on cookie sheets for 2 to 4 minutes and then remove to wire racks to cool completely.
More Vegan & Nut-Free Cookie Recipes
Roll & Cut Vegan Sugar Cookies
Chocolate Explosion Oatmeal Cookies
Vegan Sweet Potato Cookies
6 Comments
Honest question, I understand this is a dairy-free zone….If I use regular dairy butter, is it the same amount? (I can tolerate dairy butter; I love all these recipes too!) Thanks!!!
Hi Kari, it should work just fine. Please note that I tested with Country Crock, which is on the salty side. If you use unsalted butter, you might want to increase the salt.
I made these cookies with dried cherries and left out the cloves. DELICIOUS! Toasting the oatmeal adds a nice texture. I used Miyoko’s vegan butter because I had it on hand. Miyoko’s vegan butter is fantastic on toast but as you warned in your dairy free butter test, Miyoko’s is not good for cookies – the cookies don’t spread. So my cookies came out quite thick. I baked them for an extra four minutes and they ware lovely with a good texture and amazing flavor. I want to make these cookies again to try different dried fruits and I’ll probably change my brand of dairy free butter to see how the thinner version tastes. This is a great cookie!
Cherries – brilliant!! Thanks for sharing your feedback Nina.
Thanks for giving new life to one of my recipes!
Thanks for making it! These were a great not-too-sweet treat!