In a dry skillet, toast the walnuts over medium heat, stirring or tossing them frequently. Toast for 4-5 minutes or until they start to turn golden brown and become fragrant. Remove the walnuts from the pan immediately and transfer them into a food processor. Pulse until the walnuts form a fine crumb.
Add the following to the food processor: 1 cup of the oats, the flour, coconut sugar, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Pulse to combine until all ingredients are a fine crumb.
Add the maple syrup, nondairy milk, softened coconut oil, vanilla extract, and molasses if using, and process until the mixture is as smooth as you can get it, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed.
Transfer the dough to a mixing bowl and stir in the other 1 cup of rolled oats. You should expect the dough to be a little sticky, but if it's too sticky to handle add another tablespoon of flour. Finally, fold in the raisins.
Set the dough in the fridge to chill for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and lightly grease two baking sheets or line with parchment paper.
Take about 1.5 tbsp of dough at a time (or whatever size you'd like your cookies to be!) and roll it into a ball, then flatten it slightly and place it on the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough.
Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are just starting to turn golden. Do not overbake! The cookies will firm up when they cool. If using two baking sheets, switch their positions halfway through baking.
Let the cookies cool for a couple of minutes before carefully removing them and transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
GLUTEN-FREE: I tested this recipe with gluten-free all-purpose flour in place of the whole wheat pastry flour, for gluten-free vegan oatmeal raisin cookies! The substitution worked pretty well. You may also need to use oats that are certified gluten-free.HEMP SEEDS: An older version of this recipe used hemp seeds in place of 1/2 cup of walnuts. It's a great change-up if you have hemp seeds on hand, adding even more buttery texture and a little bit of earthy flavor.