Gluten Free Oatmeal Raisin & Chocolate Chip Cookies

Tired of the same old cookies, this week we decided to bake Gluten Free Oatmeal Raisin Cookies (with some extra added chocolate chips to make them even tastier!)  Oatmeal is typically not a gluten free food - so don't buy the regular oatmeal when making this recipe.  Typically, oats are grown in the same fields as wheat and therefore contain gluten. However, there are some farmers that are diligent in raising gluten free oats where the oats cannot be contaminated by wheat. Bob's Red Mill sells a variety that I used for this recipe. Some folks, who are extremely sensitive to gluten, may also have a reaction to these oats - so bake with care!

I have adapted this recipe from an old Crisco package.

Gluten Free Oatmeal Raisin & Chocolate Chip Cookies

3/4 Cup Shortening (not butter flavored)
3/4 Cup Packed Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup Agave Nectar
2    tsp Gluten Free Vanilla

1    Egg
1/3 Cup Almond Milk (or other Dairy Free Milk)
1 1/4 Cups Sweet Rice Flour
3    Cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Oats
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Xanthan Gum
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 Package Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips
1    Cup Raisins

1. Beat together Shortening, Egg, Sugar, Agave Nectar, Vanilla, and Almond Milk until smooth.
2. Add Flour, Baking Soda, Salt, Xanthan Gum, and Cinnamon. Mix together until smooth.
3. Stir in Gluten Free Oats, Raisins, and Chocolate Chips.
4. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
5. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Drop by teaspoon full of dough on greased cookie sheet.
6. Bake for 9-10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on cookie sheet for 1-2 minutes. Remove to cooling rack to cool completely.



These tasted wonderful fresh out of the oven with a glass of Almond Milk. Here comes Doodle now, asking if she can have some - better go before she eats them all!

Holiday Baking

The holiday season seems to have snuck up on me this year and I feel like I am under-prepared and over-whelmed. Usually, by this time, I have my Christmas cards completed and am preparing them to mail. I am well on my way to holiday baking, and much of my Christmas shopping is complete. This year, I've done none of the above. Fortunately, the weather turned frightful tonight - as there are blizzard like conditions outside. What a perfect opportunity to snuggle in and get some holiday baking done. Never mind that the house is a pigsty -there are cookies to bake! Company isn't coming for 3 weeks - plenty of time to clean before they arrive!


Tonight I made one of my favorite cookie recipes from childhood and adapted it to be gluten/dairy free. The recipe calls for Oats - typically people who are gluten sensitive need to steer clear of oats, as they are not considered gluten free. I recently learned that oats are not considered gluten free because farmers often rotate oats and wheat in the same fields. Gluten Free oats, however, are grown under strict circumstances nowhere near a wheat field. So I purchased these GF oats from Bob's Red Mill tonight and made some Chocolate Drop Cookies, just like I remember from my childhood.


Chocolate Drop Cookies

2 Cups Sugar
1/2 Cup Dairy Free Butter
1/2 Cup Dairy Free Milk Substitute
1/2 Cup Dairy Free Cocoa Powder
3 Cups Gluten Free Oats
1/2 Cup Coconut

1. In a large saucepan, combine Sugar, Butter Substitute, Milk Substitute, and Cocoa Powder.

2. Over high heat, stir together and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and boil 5 - 10 minutes or until a small amount of chocolate mixture forms a soft ball when dripped into ice water.

3. Add GF Oats and Coconut. Stir together.

4. Drop by spoonful onto waxed paper or parchment paper. Let cool. Enjoy!

The best part of this recipe is that it's quick, easy, and you don't even have to turn on the oven! If you don't like coconut, just add extra oats into the chocolate mixture.

Next up for my holiday baking...Sugar Cookies and Dairy Free Truffles. Can't wait to try out the truffles soon!