Gluten-Free Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
It’s January… late January and I am sitting by the Christmas Tree, lit and lovely on the night before It will be packed away for another year. I just can’t let go of the sparkle of the ornaments bouncing off the glimmering lights. I know this may sound crazy, but I always feel the Christmas mood carry into the aftermath of Christmas. When the hustle and bustle of buying, wrapping, bow tying, partying, baking, and decorating are behind me, it is my time to just sit back and enjoy the feeling wrapped around me like a comfy blanket. It’s been a mild winter in New England so far, but today it snowed..big flakey snowflakes that look beautiful and don’t stick to the ground (even better). A snow day!! And what do we do on snow days? BAKE COOKIES!! Nothing says comfort on a snowy winter day like warm oatmeal raisin cookies…add chocolate chips and it’s pure bliss!
Before gluten-free living, oatmeal raisin chocolate chip cookies were our family favorite on a winter day! The boys would come home and a plate of warm cookies would greet them when they opened the door. I would taste test at least a half dozen before they even got off the baking sheets. Those were the best memories. I had to find a way to enjoy test-tasting home made cookies fresh out of the oven and share them with my family again. The store-bought cookies in a box were hard, crumbly (not in a good way), and tasteless. It was like living without the sparkle of Christmas ornaments!
Fast forward years of taste-testing various recipes and playing with different flours to finally find the right combination that brought back the flavors and textures I remember pre-gluten-free lifestyle. Below is our family's favorite cookie that everyone enjoys! (I even add them to our Christmas cookie baskets and no one knows the difference!)
These cookies whip up quickly and easily. Before you can say ’Snowflakes’ you can be enjoying a warm, comforting treat while snuggling up and watching the snowfall.
Make a batch or two (to freeze for later) and share with family… after they come in from shoveling or sitting by the fire making wonderful memories.
Enjoy! 💜
What You Need (Dry Ingredients):
3 Cups Gluten Free oats
1 Cup of 1 to 1 Bob’s Red Mill Flour (contains Xanthan Gum)
1 Tsp salt
What You Need (Wet Ingredients):
1/2 Cup sugar
3/4 Cup Shortening
3/4 Cup brown sugar
1 Egg
1/4 Cup Water
1 Tbs vanilla
1/4 Cup apple sauce (this keeps the cookies moist)
Prepping Instructions:
Whisk together all the dry ingredients in a bowl
Blend all the wet ingredients well until creamed completely
Cooking Instructions:
Add dry to the wet ingredients slowly and mix.
Add 1 cup of raisins that have been soaked in warm water and drained
Add 1 cup of chocolate chips (if you choose)
With a medium scoop, drop dough onto the cookie sheet
Bake for 12 to 15 mins until set (for chewy cookies)
For crisper cookies - omit the applesauce and bake until lightly tan
NOTE: as oven temperatures can vary, keep an eye on your cookies!