Gluten free oatmeal cookies swap the flour for oat flour and load the dough with chocolate chips, so they turn out soft and chewy without any gluten. They are a healthier take on a classic that still tastes like a treat.
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Ingredients
- Butter - Melted. I've used unsalted butter, so I can control the salt content myself. Salt is necessary as it elevates the chocolate and sugar intensity in the recipe.
- Vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract - both can be used interchangeably in gluten free baking. I just find that paste has a stronger vanilla flavor.
- White sugar - The white sugar provides sweetness and helps to create crispy edges on these cookies.
- Brown sugar - The brown sugar adds depth of flavor and moisture for a chewy texture. I love using brown sugar in cookies for its caramel flavor and chewy texture that it adds to cookies. Raw sugars can be used as a substitute to brown sugar.
- Egg - Bring your egg to room temperature before combining it with the rest of the cookie batter ingredients.
- Oat flour - I've used fine oat flour. You can easily make your own by grinding the oats in a blender or coffee/spice grinder. All you need is whole rolled oats (not steel-cut or quick oats). Blend until they form a fine powder, stopping to stir occasionally. Use certified GF oats and flour.
- Baking soda - Check the expiry date to prevent the cookies from spreading too much. Naturally, baking soda does not contain gluten.
- Chocolate chips - You can use semi-sweet chocolate chips, dark, milk, or white chocolate chips. Chocolate chunks are a good alternative and that's what I used here. Most chocolate chips are gluten-free, but always make sure to go through the label. Chocolate is often manufactured in facilities with the possibility of cross-contamination with gluten.
- Flaky sea salt - For serving. While this isn't necessary, it intensifies the chocolate flavor even more in those chewy cookies.
Instructions
In a large bowl, with an electric mixer beat together melted butter and egg until just combined. Add the sugars and beat on low again until all combined.
Mix the dry ingredients (oat flour, salt, soda) and add them to the wet ingredients. Stir in vanilla and fold in chocolate chips.
Cover the cookie dough bowl and refrigerate for at least one hour. You can see the dough texture in the pictures below.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare a large cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
Use a large ice cream scoop to make 14 cookie dough balls. Spread them out onto the baking sheet leaving 2-3 inches apart from each other to expand.
Bake cookies for 10-11 minutes. The edges will become golden brown, and the center will still be jiggly.
Cool on a baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring these onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
- Related: Healthy Oatmeal Cookies
How to make the best gluten free oatmeal cookies?
The key to perfect gluten free oatmeal cookies is to follow the recipe instructions and measure your ingredients correctly.
And a few main tips from me:
- Do not overbake the cookies, if not sure rather underbake these. The middle should be soft and a little jiggly once you take them out of the oven to cool.
- Don't substitute the sugars if possible. Using both brown and white sugar in classical chocolate chip cookies gives the best results and give the cookies their chewiness and the right texture.
- It is possible to substitute the melted butter but there is no other ingredient that comes close to the buttery creamy flavor of dairy butter. At least I haven't found one yet.
- Chill the dough for a minimum of 1 hour, ideally overnight. You can bake them right from the fridge. If you don't do chilling, your cookies will be thin and spread out too much which will also make them taste dry.
Tip For Perfectly Round Cookies
When cookies are baked and still on the baking sheet, take a small bowl, rounded glass, or a mug, and swirl multiple times over still-warm cookies. Do it until they are nicely rounded and in uniform sizes.
Freezing And Storing Instructions
- To store. Let the cookies cool completely and store them in an airtight container, jar, or ziplock bag at room temperature.
- To freeze gluten-free oatmeal cookies, let them cool first and transfer them to freezer safe container or ziplock bag (just make sure to squeeze all the excess air out first) and freeze for up to 3 months. Let the cookies thaw on the kitchen counter for 1 hour. However, I highly recommend freezing the cookie dough instead. For this, follow the steps as instructed but don't bake the cookie balls. Let the cookie balls flash freeze first on a plate or baking sheet and then transfer them to a zip lock bag.
- These cookies can be baked right from the freezer, just add 1-2 minutes to the baking time. If you have time, I recommend thawing them a bit on the counter first so they can spread out nicely.
- To make ahead. Make the homemade cookie dough and cover it with plastic wrap or a lid. Keep refrigerated for up to 2 days.
More Recipes with Oats
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Before You Head Out
If you gave this recipe a try, I'd be so thankful if you could leave a ★★★★★ rating and review below. It helps other readers, supports my work, and means the world to me. Thank you for being part of The Yummy Bowl family. Happy cooking! ❤️
If you are on a baking kick, this one made my list of the best cookie recipes.
Gluten Free Oatmeal Cookies FAQs
Can you use rolled oats instead of oat flour?
Blend rolled oats in a food processor or blender until they reach a fine, flour-like texture, then measure as you would oat flour.
Are these cookies also dairy free?
Swap the butter for a dairy free alternative and use dairy free chocolate chips to make them fully dairy free.
Recipe Card
The Healthier Chocolate Chip Cookies My Family Loves
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
-
In a large bowl, with an electric mixer beat together melted butter and egg until just combined. Add the sugars and beat on low again until all combined.
-
Mix the dry ingredients (oat flour, salt, soda) and add them to the wet ingredients. Stir in vanilla and fold in chocolate chips.
-
Cover the cookie dough bowl and refrigerate for at least one hour. You can see the dough texture in the blog post.
-
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare a large cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
-
Use a large ice cream scoop to make 14 cookie dough balls. Spread them out onto the baking sheet leaving 2-3 inches apart from each other to expand.
-
Bake cookies for 10-11 minutes. The edges will become golden brown, and the center will still be jiggly.
-
Cool on a baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring these onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Nutrition
Notes
- Flavor & Texture - these cookies have a crisp exterior with a little softness inside, but these are not chewy cookies. The flavor is buttery, a little nutty, and full of chocolate, oat flavor with a hint of vanilla. They are not the thickest but you can make them thick by doubling the cookie balls in size.
- For small batch, I used a large ice cream scoop to measure the cookie dough balls, making 14 cookies. You could use a large cookie scoop instead to make slightly smaller cookies.
- Don't be tempted to substitute the sugars in this recipe. They are both needed to create the perfect cookie. While you could technically make these oatmeal cookies only with white sugar, there definitely will be a difference even though they will still taste good.
- If you are GF, choose gluten free certified oat flour or oats.
- Avoid overbaking gluten free oatmeal cookies.
- The cookies are ready when the edges are becoming golden brown but the center a little jiggly.
- If the cookies are too firm to touch, you have probably overbaked them.
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Note: Nutrition information is estimated and varies based on the products used.
Full Nutrition Disclaimer can be found here.
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Rita
I've had many GF oat cookies but these are our favorite!
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
foolproof delicious buttery oat cookies