I’ve been on a bit of a cookie kick lately. I think we’re all in search of the perfect cookie, right? And right now, this is the perfect cookie. It happens to be a gluten-free, dairy-free, and egg-free cookie.
I received two issues of Cooks Illustrated for Christmas (thanks to my Mom). I’d never read it before and wanted to test it out before going for a full on subscription. Well, I am hooked.
I’ve already learned so much from just two issues! Each article is FULL of tidbits and techniques. I love it. It doesn’t matter if the article is called The Perfect Roast (I don’t eat meat); there are still one or two things for me to learn about cooking or baking in every article.
One of the issues I received had an article inside called “Secrets to Perfect Cookies”. Naturally I got some great tips about cookies – I’m a self-taught, grandmother-taught, mother-taught baker who did NOT enjoy science class. So I have a lot to learn about the science behind baking. And did you know that Cooks Illustrated has a Food Science Editor? So cool (I am such a foodie geek).
Here are some tips I used for my Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe:
1. Preheating your oven is important, don’t stick your cookies in early. It’s important to expose cookies to a sudden blast of heat.
2. Don’t just drop your cookies on the sheet. Roll them in your hands first so you have uniformly shaped cookies.
3. Store cookies with a piece of gluten-free bread to maintain their chewy texture.
I know, these tips are nothing new but it’s good to be reminded! I can be in such a rush sometimes that I don’t want to wait for my oven to heat up and I just throw the cookies on the sheet! Slow down, breathe, and enjoy what you’re doing each and every moment, right? And if you want a chewy cookie, well now you know!
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
We’re about to get “the snow storm of the century” way up here in Canada. These cookies are the perfect accompaniment to a cup of tea while you watch the snow fall and stay bundled up inside with your cute ones.
1 ½ cups almond flour
1 ¼ cup certified gluten-free oats (I use Cream Hill Estates)
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp sea salt
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup maple syrup (or agave or honey)
1/3 coconut oil, liquefied
½ cup chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a baking tray.
Combine almond flour, oats (if you can’t tolerate oats, use quinoa flakes), baking powder, and sea salt in the bowl of your KitchenAid mixer (or a large bowl).
In a smaller bowl mix vanilla, maple syrup and coconut oil. Add to dry ingredients and combine. Stir in chocolate chips.
Scoop dough using a 1 tbsp measuring spoon. Roll into balls and place on baking tray. Press gently with hand.
Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on tray for 1-2 minutes. Place on cooling rack and let cool completely. Store in an air-tight container (with a piece of gluten-free bread).
Have you pre-ordered Amy’s cookbook
Nicola’s January Detox event has wrapped up. Check out her blog where you can find a great yoga video and a chance to win one of two great books!
This post is linked to:
Simply Sugar and Gluten-Free’s Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays.
Gluten-Free Wednesdays.
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{ 40 comments… read them below or add one }
Mmmm….we have a snow day here tomorrow and will be baking something. I could see it being these.
Hi Deanna – Seriously, they’re delish and they would be a great treat for you guys! Hope you have a fun day!
Have you had any success using other flours besides almond? Tree nut allergy but these sound so good.
Hi Cathy – Definitely try sorghum flour. It’s my favourite cookie flour. I think any gluten-free flour would work though. Cookies are pretty easy going that way. Please come back and let us know how your cookies turned out!
I never knew that you could stick a piece of bread in with the cookies to help keep them chewy. Maybe because cookies generally don’t last that long around me.
Hi Christine – I’m with you on that one. Two days is the max around here
OMG, these look and sound so good! I need to go and buy some almond flour…
Yes Andrea you do!
I came on your blog to get your cracker recipe this morning and ended up making these puppies instead! I was having a friend and her son over and all four of us loved them. I made them nice and little so they would be the perfect size for the wee ones. I had to end up hiding the plate because Quincy wanted to gobble them all up. Thanks Maggie!
Yay Annie! Thanks so much. Aren’t they the best? I think it’s the combo of almond flour and maple syrup. Glad Mr Q has good taste, my kinda man. xo
Fabulous recipe Maggie, and thanks so much for passing on these tips. Very helpful
Thanks Alisa and you are welcome
Yummy!!! Can’t wait to try these Maggie…thinking chocolate will need to be the first thing we add back in our diet once the elimination part is over, I can handle anything as long as I have chocolate!!
It’s 1 degree here in the desert of New Mexico and we have about 6 inches of snow under a sheet of ice so we can’t even play in it! It’s still pretty to look at while sipping some hot tea, a great day for calm reflection (yeah, right…it’s a snow day from school and I’m in coffee withdrawal, LOL!).
Hey Heidi! Oh I hope your elimination diet goes soooooo well! It will be worth it when you get to feel better and enjoy food again! We couldn’t even play in our snow either! Too snowy and blowy for a two-year old girl! xo
Those certainly look perfect, Maggie! So easy, too. If I had some gf oats, I’d make these right away. Darn it … or am I saved? LOL Seems like these would go quickly! Thanks for sharing your tips, too.
We do sometimes forget the little things like those that can make all the difference. 
xo,
Shirley
Thanks Shirley! They are easy, just your style
Easily made 
and easily eaten!
Yum. I made very similar cookies last night. Almond flour based chocolate chip cookies with maple syrup. I love cookies. I may or may not have had three. Whoops.
Alta – I am with you. I have at least 3 cookies when I bake them. I can’t resist a freshly baked cookie, well, 3 freshly baked cookies…
The recipe looks delish! I subscribe to Cooks Illustrated and also watch the two cooking shows from the organization, America’s Test Kitchen and Cook’s Country. My boyfriend and I swear by the tips and guidance they provide. They really do try things out and get the recipes to work. The steps might sound strange, but their explanations of why it works make sense and I haven’t made one of their recipes yet that didn’t work and end up tasting just perfect. My boyfriend has also made a lot of their recipes. We both also swear by the product reviews; they do a thorough analysis and when in doubt that’s where we look before making a purchase for the kitchen anymore. (And I don’t work for them either, but I am plannign on drafting a message asking them to do some work with gluten free!)
Lisa! Yay a fellow Cooks lover! I am in need of a new food processor and they reviewed them in one of the issues! I was so excited to read that article – and it was so thorough. Now I know exactly which one to buy (surprisingly a KitchenAid, thought I’d for sure go Cusinart). I’ll have to look for their cooking shows. And please let me know how the email goes! I would LOVE to see an article on the science of gluten-free baking! Maybe we need to get Shauna Ahern to write them too!
I can’t find gluten free oats so I’ve just been avoiding them, which isn’t a big hardship. I make a similar recipe but with grated carrots.
Hey Kristin – Grated carrots! BOLD. I might have to give that a shot.
Maggie, I love Cooks Illustrated TOO (thanks to my Mom also)! I always get such good info from them and get so excited when I learn a new trick or two! These cookies look so simple and perfect! Will definitely be trying these soon!!
Hi Kim – I know, Cooks Illustrated is the best! We’re lucky to have such awesome Moms! Let me know how your boys like the cookies.
I just made oatmeal chocolate chip cookies the other day, and was working on the recipe post. I like that yours uses almond flour. I really need to give that a try.
Hi Linda – The almond flour gave the cookies an amazing flavor! Looking forward to seeing your post!
These look absolutely perfect, Maggie! I wonder if coconut nectar/yacon will do as a sub for maple syrup? I think I’m going to have to try. . .!
Thanks Ricki. I would love to try yacon! Let me know if you try it! Where do you get yours?
I live in Ontario(Waterloo Region) and the almond flour is too coarse to use in recipes as is, and I don’t have a vitamix. Any suggestions on which almond flour to buy here?The one used by Elana of Elana’s Gluten Free Pantry doesn’t ship to Canada. Thanks for your help. These cookies look amazing.
Hi Judie – Thanks for the note. I buy almond flour through my bulk store – and it’s pretty coarse too. I don’t grind mine but you could try grinding it in a coffee grinder – just be careful not to turn it into almond butter. I have also investigated Elana’s flour! My parents are going to the States in March and I think I’ll get a bag shipped to their condo so I can try it out! These cookies were made with almond flour that’s pretty coarse (sometimes I use a sifter to get rid of the big pieces). Hope that helps!
How did I not comment on these cookies? They look fantastic! Despite all my recent chocolate chip cookies adventures – not to mention endeavours – I’ve yet to make an oatmeal one, which I always love when I get to eat one. The almond flour is perfect for these, keeping the cookies moist and chewy along with the oats, right?
I am so going to make these, Maggie!
We are a no almond, egg, dairy, refined sugar or gluten family. I tried making these cookies tonight with coconut flour, but the dough was so crumbly I couldn’t get it to stick together worth a hill of beans. I added more agave and some water in hopes it would stick. No such luck. We opted to smash the dough into a baking dish and try cookie bars instead. It still came out crumbly. I’m fairly new to this whole gluten-free baking. What could I do differently next time?
Hi April – Sorry they didn’t turn out for you guys! Cookie crumbs for ice cream perhaps
It’s likely due to the coconut flour. It really sucks up moisture so you’d have to try them with less flour than the recipe actually calls for. Using coconut flour would make them an entirely different cookie. Could you use another flour? Like sorghum or something?
Hello maggie!
I have made a batch of these tasty chewy cookies & my husband & I loved them to bits! He also adores your recipes! MMMMM,…!
Yay Sophie! I am so happy to hear that you both loved them. Thanks for sharing.
This recipe looks delish, but I’m wondering what I can use in place of coconut oil?
Thanks Jessica. You could use butter, if you can tolerate it/eat it. But you could also try grapeseed oil, sunflower oil, or olive oil. Let me know how yours turn out!
I tried this recipe for the first time yesterday and was pleasantly pleased! I don’t have almond flour (haven’t been able to get my hands on it just yet – I live in Ireland and it seems a bit harder to track down). Today they were a bit more dry, but still tasty.
oh dear, I just re-read your post and see the item about adding a slice of gluten free bread in with the cookies to keep them moist. I’ll make a mental note to do this next time! Thanks
Thanks Dana – I’m glad you’ll be ready next time
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