Gluten Free Chocolate Oatmeal Chip Cookies

I don’t have any problems eating gluten myself, but I do keep a few containers of gluten free flour blends on hand for those occasions when I need to do some gluten free baking for friends and family members who might prefer it. I also experiment with various recipes in between those occasions, so I know that whatever I’m serving is as good as it can be. These Gluten Free Chocolate Oatmeal Chip Cookies happen to be gluten free, but they’re delicious cookies that are well worth making regardless of what dietary restrictions you might be dealing with!

Like most oatmeal cookies, these start with butter, sugar and eggs. I used a gluten free flour blend (I’ve used both King Arthur and Trader Joe’s in this particular recipe) and added a generous amount of unsweetened cocoa powder to the dough, along with quick cooking oats and chocolate chips. I recommend using a gluten free flour blend that is designed to be substituted 1:1 for regular flour, as most of these blends produce cookies with a light, tender texture. I also know that not all oatmeal is certified gluten free, so be sure to check your packaging carefully if you’re baking for someone with dietary restrictions. You can also make your own quick cooking oatmeal with a little help from your blender or food processor. I find that quick cooking oats are the best choice for these cookies because they don’t take away from the chocolaty look of the cookies and blend in nicely with the other ingredients.

The cookies are crisp on the edge and chewy in the middle, with a great chocolate flavor and a slight nuttiness from the oatmeal.  They have a generous amount of chocolate chips (chocolate chunks would be a nice substitution for the chocolate chips), so you are sure to get some in every bite. As is usually the case with chocolate chip cookies, they are outstanding after they have just cooled and the chocolate chips are still slightly melty when you bite into them. They retain their texture when stored in an airtight container, however, so there is no need to worry if you can’t eat them all on the first day. The batch should keep well for at least 2-3 days after baking.

Gluten Free Chocolate Oatmeal Chip Cookies
1 1/4 cups gluten free all purpose flour blend
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups quick cooking oats (gluten free)
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, followed by cocoa powder and vanilla extract. Mix until all ingredients are very well combined. Stir in the flour mixture, followed by the oats and chocolate chips. Shape dough into 1-inch balls and arrange on prepared baking sheet, leaving about 3-inches between cookies to allow for spread.
Bake for 12-14 minutes, until cookies are set on the edges and do not appear wet in the center. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for 3-5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes about 3 1/2 dozen cookies