THE BEST GLUTEN FREE OATMEAL COOKIES - EASILY MADE VEGAN OR DAIRY FREE

Posted by Bryna Bear aka Gluten Free Baking Bear

     These Oatmeal Cookies are the best I’ve ever had.  Texture wise, they are a perfect balance between crispy and soft.  Flavor wise, they are irresistible. These cookies are easy to make and toddler approved.  I made them vegan so my son could eat them.  I can only imagine that they would taste even better made with butter and eggs.

     I converted a recipe that I found on line into a GF version, I also decreased the sugar a bit.  I used the quick oats instead of the old fashioned ones.  I find the GF Bob’s Red Mill brand of old fashioned oats (which is easily available where I live) to be rolled too thickly.  I love the taste of oats, but when they are rolled  very thick the oats do not cook enough in the allotted time of the recipe.  Then I feel the not quite cooked enough toughness of each individual rolled oat which detracts from my oatmeal cake and cookie eating experience, so I use the quick oats. I remember old fashioned oats as being rolled thinner and having a soft and undetectable texture wise when eating them in baked goods.  I just bought some Trader Joe’s GF Old Fashioned Oats.  I will see if these work better in baking.

     It is important to soak the raisins before baking with them so that they stay soft and moist after being baked.  I scooped out the batter and then flattened each scoop of dough with a fork, like you would with peanut butter cookies.

     I hope that you enjoy these wonderful cookies!

  THE BEST GLUTEN FREE OATMEAL COOKIES

Makes about 2 dozen cookies

INGREDIENTS 

½ cup	Raisins - unsulphured
¾ cup	Sorghum Flour
¼ cup	Tapioca Flour
2 Tbs.	Chickpea Flour
2 Tbs.	Coconut Flour (or chickpea flour)
½ tsp.	Xanthan Gum
½ tsp.	Himalayan Sea Salt
1 tsp.	Baking Soda
½ tsp.	Cinnamon
½ cup	Unsalted Butter For Dairy Free or Vegan use 4 Tbs. of Non-Hydrogenated Shortening (I used Spectrum) & 4 Tbs. of DF/Vegan Stick Margarine (I used Earthbalance)
6 Tbs.	Brown Sugar (I used organic)
6 Tbs.	Sugar (I used evaporated cane juice crystals.)
1 large + ¼ cup	Egg + Water ( 1 large egg + ¼ cup Water) Egg Free/Vegan - Combine 1  ½ Tbs. ground flax seed + 4 ½ Tbs. water and let sit a few minutes until it thickens.
1 tsp.	Vanilla Extract (When not using butter I use ½ tsp. Vanilla Extract + ½ tsp. Butter Vanilla Emulsion by LorAnn.)
1 cup	Oats - I used quick cooking oats.
6 Tbs.	Chopped Pecans or Walnuts (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1)    Preheat the oven to 350℉.  Prepare baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper or silpat liners.  Set aside.

2)    In a small bowl add raisins and cover with boiling water.  Set aside.

3)    In a medium bowl add the flours, bakings soda, salt, cinnamon and xanthan gum.  Mix well with a whisk and set aside.

4)    In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the sugars and butter or margarine/shortening until light.

5)    Add the eggs+water (or flax eggs) and vanilla and mix well.

6)    Add the flour mixture and combine well.

7)    Drain the excess water from the raisins and add the raisins to the dough.  Add the nuts and oats also.  Mix by hand until combined well.

Cookie Dough, ready to bake.

8)    Scoop out the dough by heaping teaspoons onto the prepared baking sheets.  Leave about 2” of space between cookies.

Dough scooped out in mounds onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet.

9)    With a fork, flatten the mounds of dough into rounds.

Mounds of dough after being flattened with a fork.

10) Bake for 10-12 minutes until lightly browned.

Bottoms of baked cookies.

THE BEST GLUTEN FREE OATMEAL COOKIES Makes about 2 dozen cookies GlutenFreeBakingBear.com INGREDIENTS ½ cup Raisins - unsulphured ¾ cup Sorghum Flour ¼ cup Tapioca Flour 2 Tbs. Chickpea Flour 2 Tbs. Coconut Flour (or chickpea flour) ½ tsp. Xanthan Gum ½ tsp. Himalayan Sea Salt 1 tsp. Baking Soda ½ tsp. Cinnamon ½ cup Unsalted Butter For Dairy Free or Vegan use 4 Tbs. of Non-Hydrogenated Shortening (I used Spectrum) & 4 Tbs. of DF/Vegan Stick Margarine (I used Earthbalance) 6 Tbs. Brown Sugar (I used organic) 6 Tbs. Sugar (I used evaporated cane juice crystals.) 1 large + ¼ cup Egg + Water ( 1 large egg + ¼ cup Water) Egg Free/Vegan - Combine 1 ½ Tbs. ground flax seed + 4 ½ Tbs. water and let sit a few minutes until it thickens. 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract (When not using butter I use ½ tsp. Vanilla Extract + ½ tsp. Butter Vanilla Emulsion by LorAnn.) 1 cup Oats - I used quick cooking oats. 6 Tbs. Chopped Pecans or Walnuts (optional) DIRECTIONS 1) Preheat the oven to 350℉. Prepare baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper or silpat liners. Set aside. 2) In a small bowl add raisins and cover with boiling water. Set aside. 3) In a medium bowl add the flours, bakings soda, salt, cinnamon and xanthan gum. Mix well with a whisk and set aside. 4) In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the sugars and butter or margarine/shortening until light. 5) Add the eggs+water (or flax eggs) and vanilla and mix well. 6) Add the flour mixture and combine well. 7) Drain the excess water from the raisins and add the raisins to the dough. Add the nuts and oats also. Mix by hand until combined well. 8) Scoop out the dough by heaping teaspoons onto the prepared baking sheets. Leave about 2” of space between cookies. 9) With a fork, flatten the mounds of dough into rounds. 10) Bake for 10-12 minutes until lightly browned.