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These steel cut oat cookies are a twist on your classic oatmeal raisin cookies (or oatmeal chocolate chip 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:
Emily’s Recipe Notes:
- 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
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.
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
Provides a rich flavor and moisture. You can learn more about which vegan butter brands are the best for baking here! This recipe calls for a combination of melted butter and softened butter. The melted butter helps the cookies spread and the softened butter helps the cookies retain a softer texture.
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.
Light Brown Sugar
Adds sweetness and helps give the cookies that chewy texture.
Baking Soda
A little baking soda helps the cookies spread and brown.
All Purpose Flour
The base that gives structure to the cookies. Whole wheat flour can be substituted but may result in a denser cookie.
Raisins or Dark Chocolate Chips
These add a touch of sweetness or richness. Feel free to use chocolate chunks or chopped dark chocolate to make chocolate chunk oat cookies.
The cookies with raisins ⤵️
Helpful Equipment
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Cookie Scoop
- Baking Sheet + Parchment Paper
- Wire Cooling Rack
Step By Step Guide
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.
In a large bowl, combine the melted and softened vegan butter as well as the light brown sugar.
Cream the butter and sugar together until lighter in color and fluffy.
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.
Fold in the steel cut oats.
Then add your choice of raisins or dark chocolate chips.
Use a cookie scoop to place dough balls onto the baking sheet, spacing them about 2″ apart. Flatten the dough balls so they’re about 1/2″ thick.
Bake for 13-15 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Serving & storage
Once your 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.
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.
Tips from Emily’s Kitchen
- 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.
these create the best flavor & texture!
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.
Steel Cut Oat Cookies
Rate this RecipeIngredients
- ½ cup uncooked steel cut oats, 85g (see step 1 of the instructions below)
- ¼ cup melted salted vegan butter, 60g – or butter of choice
- ¼ cup softened salted vegan butter, 60g- or butter of choice
- ¾ cup light brown sugar, 150g – packed
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 180 grams all-purpose flour, about 1 ½ cups (however I highly recommend using grams for accuracy)
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 4g
- ⅛ tsp salt
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips, or ⅓ cup dark Thompson raisins
Instructions
- *For the best result, please use gram measurements and a digital scale to make these cookies. Opting for cup measurements, especially when measuring flour will lead to inconsistent results.
Soak the Steel Cut Oats:
- Cover the uncooked slow cooking steel cut oats with 1 ¼ cup room temperature water and soak for 30 minutes – 40 minutes. Soaking for the full time provides a softer texture. If using quick cooking steel cut oats, soak them for 15 minutes.½ cup uncooked steel cut oats
- Drain the oats well and pat them dry with a paper towel or tea towel. Try to remove as much moisture as possible. After soaking and draining you should have 115g of oats.
Prep the Dough:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, add the melted butter, 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.¼ cup melted salted vegan butter, ¾ cup light brown sugar, 1 tsp pure vanilla extract, ¼ cup softened salted vegan butter
- 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.180 grams all-purpose flour, ¼ tsp baking soda, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, ⅛ tsp salt
- 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.½ cup dark chocolate chips, ½ cup uncooked steel cut oats
- With a cookie scoop, drop the dough onto the parchment lined baking sheet, leaving 2 inches between each cookie. Gently flatten the dough balls so they’re about ½” thick.
- Bake for 13-15 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. If the cookies are puffier than you'd like, tap the tray a few times on the counter to help deflate them.
- Let cool on the tray for 2-3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
Recipe notes
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I used GF flour and they came out absolutely divine! Thank you so much for the recipe
Do you measure your oats before or after soaking?
Hi there, I measured them before soaking.
Tried these, and they came out fantastic! Thank you for a great recipe!!👍🏽👍🏽
Tried these, and they came out fantastic! Used chocolate chips, and they were delicious!😋 👍🏽👍🏽
Hi there 🙂 thanks for posting a steel cut oatmeal cookie recipe. Question.. what size cookie scoop do u recommend? I have small, med & large. Am in the process of making these now. So far so good! P.s. love that u use grams in your recipe. It’s the only way to go dmfor consistent results every time. I’m a firm believer in scales for baking.
Thanks so much!
Hi. Can i use walnuts in this recipe in addition to the raisins? Also, what size cookie scoop?
Sorry, i didnt see the comment section & left a review asking a question.
Love your website! And thank you in advance.
Hi there, you can certainly add walnuts to this recipe. This recipe makes 9-12 cookies (depending on size). Each dough ball should be about 1 1/2 – 2 tablespoons. Larger cookies will need to be baked a few minutes longer. I recommend starting to check them around the 11 minute mark.
I hope you enjoy!
Absolutely perfect following the recipe to the gram. I added Guittard chocolate chips. If one doesn’t like cinnamon, it seems like it could be omitted.
Hi Jamie, I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
This the first cookie recipe I’ve ever made without eggs. They came out delicious! I used wheat flour and a cheese cloth to squeeze the water out of the oats, Lol, I may have went overboard because the cookies remained thick and chewy after baking! Will make these again. Thank you for sharing!
Hi Amy! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
This was a bust for me.
Followed the recipe exactly (used a scale), except I only had unsalted butter, so added 1/8 tsp extra salt. Used a hand mixer, and the dough was dry. Cookies didn’t look anything like your pictures, never really flattened or browned, even after 16 minutes, and are definitely under baked.
Hi Jerry, thanks so much for the thoughtful feedback—and I’m really sorry the cookies didn’t turn out as expected. From what you shared, I suspect the butter temperature or baking soda amount may have played a role. Firmer, cooler butter can lead to a drier dough, and too little baking soda can affect both browning and spread.
A few others mentioned their cookies came out thicker than expected, so I went back and stress tested the recipe using different butter brands, temperatures, and methods. I’ve since updated it to use a mix of melted and softened vegan butter for more consistent results, and added a note to gently flatten the dough before baking to help with spread.
The post also has a few new photos now—featuring both chocolate chip and raisin versions for reference. I really appreciate you sharing your experience—it helped make the recipe more foolproof for others!