Soft-baked SunButter oatmeal cookies made with rolled oats, dried cranberries, and chocolate chips. Perfect for an easy snack or lunchbox treat!

As we soak up the last few weeks of summer and start looking ahead to fall, I have some news that I’ve been holding close for a while.

If you’ve noticed that things have been a little quieter or different around here lately, there’s a very good reason: I’m pregnant!

Yes, M and I are expecting a baby boy this winter, and Flora is about the be a big sister.

It feels right that I share this information with you, first, my readers who have been with me for a decade of life changes and plant-y recipes.

So, I’ll be honest with you.

The past few months have been some of the happiest and most humbling of my life, and food has looked very different along the way.

For someone who has spent so many years creating recipes and thinking about food for a living, pregnancy has been a forced exercise in letting go of expectations.

There were weeks when my usual favorites sounded completely impossible and dinner was whatever simple, comforting food I could manage.

I couldn’t look at vegetables and the thought of tofu was the most repulsive of all, which is strange because tofu is so…innocuous, right?

So I ate a lot of toast with butter, bagels with cream cheese, and plain pasta with parm.

I was rocking the brown and beige diet to a tee.

My appetite, cravings, aversions, and even the way I think about nourishing myself have shifted from week to week.

I pulled away from Instagram and my recipes to focus on nourishing myself and future baby.

Much to my demise, I also became a napper.

A daily nap was about the only way to make it through the day in my first trimester, and I despise naps!

For me, it took until month 4/5 (I’m 5 months now), to be a functioning human again, when I was sure I’d wake up the first day of the second trimester as superwoman.

Now, as summer winds down and I’m feeling more like myself again, it feels especially sweet to be back in the kitchen creating and sharing recipes with you.

I don’t know what the future holds for Flora & Vino, but I’m very grateful to have you in my community and my village as my family grows.

But before I start crying…let’s make cookies, OK?!

These Soft-Baked SunButter Oatmeal Cookies feel perfect for this season of life: cozy but not quite fall, easy to make, and packed with familiar ingredients.

It’s also the kind of snack I’m very happy to have waiting for me when hunger strikes.

The kind of snack I hope to one day pack in my son’s lunchbox.

What You Need to Make Soft-Baked SunButter Oatmeal Cookies

These soft-baked oatmeal cookies come together with simple pantry staples and plenty of texture from rolled oats and mix-ins. Here’s what you need:

Organic SunButter – The star of the recipe! SunButter gives these cookies a rich, creamy texture and roasted sunflower seed flavor.
Rolled oats – Old-fashioned rolled oats give the cookies their hearty, chewy texture.
Oat flour – Helps bind the cookies while keeping them soft and tender.
Ground flaxseed – Combined with water to make a flax egg that helps hold everything together.
Pure maple syrup – Adds natural sweetness and a little extra moisture.
Coconut sugar – Adds sweetness and helps create a soft, chewy cookie.
Unsweetened applesauce – Keeps the cookies moist and soft after baking.
Vanilla extract – Adds a little extra warmth and sweetness.
Cinnamon – The perfect complement to oats, cranberries, and chocolate.
Baking soda + apple cider vinegar – Help the cookies bake up properly while the acidity helps minimize the natural green reaction that can sometimes happen when baking with SunButter.
Dried cranberries – For chewy bursts of tart sweetness.
Chocolate chips – Because oatmeal cookies are even better with a little chocolate!

How to Make Soft-Baked SunButter Oatmeal Cookies

These cookies are easy to make in one bowl with no complicated equipment required.

Start by preparing your flax egg and allowing it to sit for about 5 minutes to thicken.

Mix the SunButter, maple syrup, coconut sugar, applesauce, flax egg, and vanilla until smooth and creamy.

Add the dry ingredients and stir until everything is well combined.

Fold in the dried cranberries and chocolate chips, then allow the dough to rest for about 10 minutes.

This gives the oats a chance to absorb some of the moisture.

Scoop the dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and gently flatten each cookie before baking.

Since these are soft-baked cookies, you want to pull them from the oven when the edges are set but the centers are still soft.

They’ll continue to firm up as they cool.

About SunButter

SunButter is made from roasted sunflower seeds and has a wonderfully creamy consistency that’s perfect for baking.

I love using it anywhere you might typically reach for a nut butter!

It’s also free from the top major food allergens, making it an especially convenient option for school-friendly snacks and lunchbox recipes.

In these oatmeal cookies, SunButter acts as both a flavor component and an important part of the texture, helping create cookies that are rich, soft, and satisfying.

Swaps and Substitutions

This recipe is easy to customize depending on what you have in your pantry.

You can swap the dried cranberries for raisins, chopped dates, or another favorite dried fruit.

For a more classic oatmeal cookie, raisins are an especially good choice.

Feel free to use dark, semi-sweet, or dairy-free chocolate chips depending on your preference.

You can also leave out the chocolate entirely and add additional dried fruit instead.

If you don’t have oat flour, you can make your own by blending rolled oats in a high-speed blender until they reach a fine, flour-like consistency.

For additional texture, try adding pumpkin seeds, hemp hearts, or shredded coconut.

Notes on Meal Prep

Soft-Baked SunButter Oatmeal Cookies are a great recipe to make ahead for busy weeks.

Bake a batch over the weekend and you’ll have an easy grab-and-go snack ready for the week ahead.

Once completely cool, store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for several days.

For longer storage, transfer them to the refrigerator or freezer.

To freeze, place the cooled cookies in a freezer-safe container or bag with parchment paper between layers.

Thaw individual cookies at room temperature whenever you need one.

You can also make a double batch and freeze half for later!

How to Serve SunButter Oatmeal Cookies

Enjoy these cookies straight from the cooling rack, pack them into lunchboxes, or grab a couple for an easy afternoon snack.

For a more substantial snack, pair a cookie with fresh fruit and your favorite yogurt or a glass of plant-based milk.

They’re also delicious slightly warmed so the chocolate gets soft and melty.

Try enjoying one alongside coffee or tea for a cozy afternoon treat.

And, of course, you can add an extra drizzle of creamy SunButter on top for even more sunflower seed goodness.

Enjoy!

More Snack Cookies

I Want to Hear From You

If you make this Soft-Baked SunButter Oatmeal Cookies recipe, let me know!

Be sure to leave me a comment, rating, and review so I can use your feedback to create more yums.

Give me a shout on Instagram and use #floraandvino to show me your creations.

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XO Lauren