These steel cut oat cookies are a twist on your classic oatmeal raisin cookies, offering chewy edges, a nuttier flavor, and a soft, buttery interior. You can make them with either slow-cooking or quick-cooking Irish oatmeal, and they’re straightforward to prepare. Only 9 ingredients, one bowl, dairy-free and vegan-friendly!
Why You’ll Love These Steel Cut Oat Cookies
If you have extra Irish Oatmeal (a.k.a. steel cut oatmeal) in your pantry, these cookies are a great way to use it up. Here are a few reasons we love this recipe and you will too:
- Chewy Texture with Nutty Flavor – The steel cut oats bring a chewy texture and nutty flavor that offers a delightful twist on a classic cookie.
- One Bowl Wonder – No separate bowl is needed for the dry ingredients; this recipe is so straightforward that you can mix it all in one bowl so there’s less mess!
- Vegan & Dairy-Free – While these cookies are naturally dairy-free and vegan-friendly, you can easily substitute vegan butter 1:1 for dairy-based butter if that’s what you prefer.
- Cost Effective with Only 9 Ingredients – You’ll need just 9 simple ingredients to whip these up, and there’s no need for pricey eggs!
Steel Cut Oats vs. Old Fashioned Oats
While old fashioned oats are steamed and rolled flat, steel cut oats are whole oat groats that have been chopped into pieces.
This results in a coarser, chewier texture when cooked. Irish oatmeal is essentially the same as steel cut oats; the terms are often used interchangeably. Both are oat groats that have been chopped into pieces, rather than rolled.
The unique texture of steel cut oats really shines in this recipe, offering a nuttier taste compared to regular oatmeal cookies.
Ingredients
Before we get started, let’s go through what you’ll need:
- Slow Cooking Steel-Cut Oats or Irish Oats– The star of the show, providing that nutty, chewy texture. Be sure to see the recipe card below for how to prepare quick-cooking steel-cut oats.
- Vegan Butter – Provides a rich flavor and moisture.
- Light Brown Sugar – Adds sweetness and helps give the cookies that chewy texture.
- Vanilla Extract – This helps provide lots of flavor.
- All-Purpose Flour – The base that gives structure to the cookies.
- Baking Soda – The leavening agent.
- Cinnamon – Adds a warm spice note that helps compliment the raisins.
- Salt – This helps balance the sweetness.
- Raisins or Dark Chocolate Chips – These add a touch of sweetness or richness.
Substitutions
If you need to make some swaps, here are a few suggestions.
- Steel-Cut Oats – Old-fashioned oats or rolled oats can be used but will lack the unique texture of steel-cut oats. Keep in mind that you won’t need to soak the old-fashioned oats.
- Vegan Butter – You can use your preferred butter if you’re not adhering to a dairy-free or vegan diet. Just make sure it is softened to room temperature.
- All-Purpose Flour – Whole wheat flour can be substituted but may result in a denser cookie.
- Raisins or Chocolate Chips- Feel free to use chocolate chunks or chopped dark chocolate to make chocolate chunk oat cookies.
Helpful Equipment
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Cookie Scoop
- Baking Sheet + Parchment Paper
- Wire Cooling Rack
Step by Step Instructions
STEP 1: Soak the steel cut oats in room temperature water for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Try not to let them soak longer than this as it will make the oats too soft. Drain well and pat dry.
STEP 2: Preheat your oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
STEP 3: In a large bowl, combine the softened vegan butter and light brown sugar. Mix until fluffy.
STEP 4: Add the all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon to the bowl on top of the wet ingredients. Sift and mix until a soft cookie dough forms.
STEP 5: Fold in the steel cut oats and your choice of raisins or dark chocolate chips. You could use both raisins and chocolate chips if you’d like!
STEP 6: Use a cookie scoop to place dough balls onto the baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
STEP 7: Bake for 11-13 minutes until the edges are golden brown.
📌 TIP: If your cookies have spread too much, you can gently reshape them with a cookie cutter or glass rim right after they come out of the oven. Just proceed with caution as they’ll be hot.
STEP 8: Allow to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Serving
Once your Irish oatmeal cookies have completely cooled, it’s time to enjoy them!
Pair them with a cold glass of almond milk for a vegan treat. These cookies are also wonderful alongside a cup of hot tea or coffee.
Storage
Store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for about 5 days.
You can also freeze them for up to three months, making sure they’re well wrapped to avoid freezer burn.
Helpful Tips
- Soaking the Oats is Essential – Don’t skip the soaking step. It softens the steel cut oats, making them easier to chew once baked and improving the overall texture of your cookies.
- Quick-Cooking Steel Cut Oats – If you’re using quick-cooking steel cut oats, you’ll only need to soak them for about 15 minutes. Make sure to drain and pat them dry just like you would with the slow-cooking oats.
- Shape After Baking – If your cookies spread out more than you’d like, you can gently shape them using a cookie cutter or the rim of a glass immediately after they come out of the oven. Just be careful, as they’ll be hot.
- Tapping the Tray – If your cookies come out looking too puffy or thick, give the cookie sheet a gentle tap on the counter. This will help them flatten to a more desirable thickness.
FAQ
While you can, it won’t offer the same chewy, nutty texture that steel cut oats provide.
Yes, soaking the steel cut oats is essential to achieving the right cookie texture.
I haven’t tested this recipe with coconut oil, so I can’t guarantee results but I suspect it will work. If using coconut oil, make sure it isn’t melted, but rather softened like the butter in the instructions below.
I don’t recommend using maple syrup as it will make the cookie dough too wet.
Did you make these steel cut oat cookies?
⭐️ I’d love to know! Leave a star rating and comment below! ⭐️
Steel Cut Oat Cookies
These steel cut oat cookies have chewy edges, a nutty flavor, and soft buttery interior. Feel free to add in raisins or chocolate chips! This recipe can be made in 1 bowl and is dairy free, vegan and eggless.
Ingredients
- ½ cup uncooked steel cut oats, slow cooking or quick cooking (see step 1 of the instructions below)
- ½ cup (120g) salted softened vegan butter, or butter of choice
- ¾ cup (150g) light brown sugar, packed
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (120g) all purpose flour spooned into the measuring cup & leveled
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp (4g) cinnamon
- ⅛ tsp salt
- ⅓ cup (50g) dark Thompson raisins, or dark chocolate chips
Instructions
Soak the Steel Cut Oats:
- Cover the uncooked slow cooking steel cut oats with room temperature water and soak for 30 minutes - 1 hour. Soaking for the full 1 hour provides a softer texture. If using quick cooking steel cut oats, soak them for 15 minutes.
- Drain the oats well and pat them dry with a paper towel or tea towel. Try to remove as much moisture as possible.
Prep the Dough:
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, add the softened butter and the brown sugar. Mix to combine until the mixture is fluffy and slightly lighter in color. Add the vanilla extract and stir.
- Add the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon on the wet ingredients. Use a fork to sift the dry ingredients together. Mix into a soft dough. Then, add the drained and dried steel cut oats into the mixture. If using raisins or chocolate chips, add them now and fold them into the dough.
- The cookie dough should be thick and moist.
- With a cookie scoop, drop the dough onto the parchment lined baking sheet, leaving 2 inches between each cookie.
- Bake for 11-13 minutes or until the edges are slightly golden and the center no longer looks wet.
- TIP: If your cookies have spread too much, you can gently reshape them with a cookie cutter or glass rim right after they come out of the oven.
- Let cool on the tray for 2-3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
Notes
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 250
Nutritional info is an estimate.
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