These 3-Ingredient Oatmeal Raisin Cookies are the easiest, healthy oatmeal raisin cookies, and they taste absolutely delicious. Plus, these oatmeal cookies are also egg-free, low in calories, and contain no added sugar.
I love creating easy cookie recipes, especially nourishing ones made from oats, like my Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Cookies, Protein Oatmeal Cookies, or Coconut Flour Oatmeal Cookies. This is another easy oatmeal raisin cookies recipe with few ingredients, perfect for kids’ lunchboxes or a quick pick-me-up sweet snack in the afternoon.
You’ll find more than 20 oatmeal cookie recipes available, so I’ve managed to develop absolutely fool-proof recipes. This one is no exception. It’s super easy for a perfect taste and texture.
Ingredients and Substitutions
All you need to whip a batch of these 3-ingredient oatmeal cookies are:
- Quick Oats – It has a finer texture than old-fashioned rolled oats, so the cookies hold their shape better with it. I don’t recommend rolled oats, the batter won’t hold together, and the cookies are fragile and fall apart easily.
- Unsweetened Applesauce – Feel free to swap for mashed banana or pumpkin puree if preferred.
- Raisins – Dried grapes add a lot of sweetness to the cookies. You can also use dried cranberries if you prefer.
How To Make 3-Ingredient Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
This is the most simple cookie recipe ever, with no sugar, eggs, or flour, just simple wholesome ingredients.
The key to making perfect 3-ingredient cookies is to measure the ingredients with precision.
- Pack the oats and apple sauce in a measuring cup to make sure you use the exact amount, preventing too dry or too moist cookies.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper and lightly oil the paper with cooking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir quick oats and apple sauce until it comes together into a moist batter that holds together. Fold in dried raisins.
- Stir in any additional spices like cinnamon, allspice, pumpkin spices, or any sweetener you love. Stir the 3-Ingredient Oatmeal Raisin Cookie batter to combine it evenly.
- Use a small cookie scoop to scoop out golf size ball of dough. Press firmly in the scoop, then release on the baking sheet. Otherwise, use a spoon and roll the cookie dough between oiled hands to form a ball.
- Press with your fingertips to gently flatten each cookie dough ball into cookies. Keep them a bit thick so they don’t come out too dry from the oven.
- Bake them for 15 to 17 minutes at 350°F (180°C). Don’t overbake them, or they get dry and hard.
- Let the cookies cool down on a wire rack before serving.
Storage Instructions
Store the cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the fridge or at room temperature.
You can also place leftover cookies in the freezer bag and freeze them for up to one month. Thaw at room temperature for a few hours before serving as a healthy snack or treat.
Flavor Variations
You can use this recipe as a base to create many chewy oatmeal raisin cookies. For example, stir in:
- Add ground cinnamon or pumpkin pie spices.
- Swap the apple sauce for homemade pumpkin puree or mashed ripe banana.
- Swap the raisins for chocolate chips or chopped nuts like walnuts, pecans, or almonds.
- Add 1/4 cup of coconut sugar or brown sugar.
- Add 2-3 tablespoons of peanut butter or almond butter for a boost of protein. You will need more quick oats to make the dough less moist.
- Vanilla extract (1 tablespoon)
- A pinch of salt.
Allergy Swaps
Below are some options if you need ingredient substitution ideas.
- Raisin – You can use dried cranberries, chocolate chips, or finely chopped dried dates.
- Applesauce – Try mashed banana, pumpkin puree, or sweet potato puree.
- Gluten-Free – Use gluten-free oats
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are my answers to your most common questions about these vegan oatmeal raisins cookies
You cookie can be dry if the quantity of oats is too great compared to the applesauce. This can happen if you overpack the oats in the measuring cup.
The healthiest oatmeal raisin cookies are made with no flour and no added sugar, like the recipe in this post.
These oatmeal cookies are the proof that cookies can be healthy with only 50 calories per cookie!
More Oatmeal Cookie Recipes
If you like this recipe, you’ll love all these oatmeal cookie recipes.
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3-Ingredient Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 ⅓ cup Quick Oats - NOT rolled oats
- ⅔ cup Unsweetened Applesauce - or mashed banana
- ⅓ cup Raisins
Optional flavors
- 1 teaspoo Cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ¼ cup Coconut Sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper and lightly oil with cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add quick oats and applesauce and stir until well combined, moist, not dry. The dough should stick together very well. If too dry, add more apple sauce, one tablespoon at a time. If too soft, add more quick oats.
- Fold in dried raisins and any optional ingredients if you like. Stir to evenly incorporate.
- Use a scoop or cookie scoop to scoop out a gold size ball of cookie dough. Roll into a ball between oiled hands and release on the baking sheet.
- Leave a thumb space between each cookie, they won't expand while baking, but it makes it easier to remove them from the baking sheet.
- Press the top of each cookie dough ball gently, you want the cookie a bit thick, or they dry too fast in the oven.
- Bake the cookies at 350°F (180°C) for 13 to 17 minutes, until lightly golden on the side.
Storage
- Cool on a wire rack, then store the cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the fridge or freeze them for up to one month in zip-lock bags.
I am on Noom, and although I can have “anything”, their recipes are lacking for cookies, cakes, etc. This recipe, at 50 calories is a winner! I did plump my raisins and took excess water from them before adding to the mix. Very tasty!