Classic Gluten Free Oatmeal Cookies - Healthy Keto Recipes & Free Keto Meal Plans

This simple recipe for thick and chewy gluten free oatmeal cookies is crispy around the edges, soft and chewy the rest of the way through. In other words, perfect.

Table of Contents

Gluten free oatmeal cookies key ingredients

Gluten free flour blend – I like Better Batter best here, since it’s a solid all purpose gluten free flour blend with lots of structure; be sure to measure by weight, to avoid over measuring!
Baking soda – The rise in these cookies comes from the eggs, but we need a touch of baking soda to neutralize the acid in the brown sugar.
Sugar – Granulated sugar provides crispness and tenderness, not to mention sweetness, of course
Old fashioned rolled oats – Purity protocol gf oats provide all the chewy nuttiness of a great oatmeal cookie; in this recipe, we have lots of them!
Light brown sugar – The rich molasses flavor of brown sugar gives chocolate chip cookies of all kinds their telltale aroma.
Chocolate chips – We don’t use too many chips here so they don’t overpower the cookie; you can always replace them with soft, plump raisins for a somewhat more traditional gluten free oatmeal raisin cookies.
Butter – Butter adds richness and flavor, plus gives the cookies their spread and plenty of tenderness.
Eggs – The eggs are what give these cookies their rise; they also bind the cookies together.
Vanilla extract – Vanilla extract doesn’t make the cookies taste like vanilla! It just adds depth of flavor.

Tips for working with this very thick gluten free oatmeal cookie dough

Use the right gluten free flour blend

Like in most of my gluten free cookie recipes, especially the ones that are thick and chewy, Better Batter classic gf flour blend works best here (or my mock Better Batter blend, of course!). A high-starch blend like Cup 4Cup will make a considerably lighter cookie that browns less. And as always, measure by weight!

The balance of ingredients is perfect for making oatmeal cookies that are thick and have that delightful chew, and also have crisp, browned edges. The most effective way to integrate the ingredients fully into one another when making the cookie dough by hand is to alternate between mixing the dough and pressing down on the butter with the back of the spoon.

For the easiest way to make the dough, follow the instructions as written, whisking the dry ingredients as instructed. But use a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment everywhere the instructions direct you to “mix” rather than “whisk.”

Try a cookie scoop for easy portioning

A spring-loaded ice cream scoop makes it easy to divide the cookie dough up into uniform portions. It also begins to create the right shape for baking, and helps your

Chill the oatmeal cookie dough

Although the cookie dough is so thick, I prefer to chill it before baking the cookies. That ensures the proper texture every time.

You can make it without chilling the dough, though. The cookies will simply spread a bit more, so they won’t be quite as thick. But they’ll still be delicious.

Avoid over-baking these gluten free oatmeal cookies

Just before the edges of these cookies turn brown in the oven, the tops will still be glossy and look wet. Even when the cookies are done, though, they won’t be firm, particularly on top.

In fact, if you bake them until they’re firm on top to the touch, they’ll be overdone. If you’re concerned about over-baking, reduce the oven temperature to 325°F and bake them for 15 minutes. You’ll still get browning, but reduce the chance of baking out much of the chewiness of the cookies.

How to store chewy gluten free oatmeal cookies so they stay soft

These cookies are so good at maintaining their texture, whether they’re at room temperature, in the refrigerator, or frozen. Magic cookies!

Freezing baked gluten free oatmeal cookies

Once they’re baked and set at room temperature, you can freeze the cookies in a freezer-safe zip-top container. You don’t even need to freeze them first in a single layer on a baking sheet to protect them from breaking. Just squeeze as much of the air out of the bag as possible.

These cookies also freeze raw, and can be baked any time a craving hits. Just shape the raw dough as instructed in the recipe, then freeze it in a single layer on a baking sheet before piling it in a freezer-safe bag, squeezing out all the air.

Then, let the cookies defrost until they’re still firm, but aren’t frozen solid. Bake as usual, in small or large batches!

Gluten free dairy free oatmeal cookies

I’ve made this recipe with Melt brand vegan butter in place of butter, and it worked really well. The cookies didn’t brown quite as nicely, and they spread a bit more, but overall the substitution worked great. Miyoko’s Kitchen brand of vegan butter is also a great choice.

Gluten free egg-free oatmeal cookies

In place of each of the two eggs in this recipe, you can try one “chia egg” (1 tablespoon ground white chia seeds + 1 tablespoon lukewarm water, mixed and allowed to gel). I haven’t tried this substitution, though, so I’m afraid you’ll have to experiment.

Gluten free oatmeal cookies without oats

If you can’t have oats, you can replace the old fashioned oats in this recipe with flattened (or beaten) rice. If you can’t have oats, I recommend having a look at our full discussion about replacing oats in gluten free baking.

You’ll even find a photo in that post of a batch of these very oatmeal cookies made with beaten rice. They look perfect, and although the texture isn’t identical to oats, it’s closer than I ever thought I’d get for oat-free oatmeal cookies!

Gluten free oatmeal raisin cookies

Make these into arguably more traditional gf oatmeal raisin cookies by replacing the chocolate chips, by weight, with raisins. My favorite type of raisin for baking (and eating) is Thompson raisins, since they’re plump and big, but not oversized.

Other dried fruits

Replace some or all of the chocolate chips with chopped dried apricots, dried cranberries, or even pitted, chopped dates. Toss the dates in some flour first, though, since dates are super sticky!

Gluten free oatmeal chocolate chip cookies

This recipe calls for semi-sweet chocolate chips, so it’s already made with oats and chocolate chips. But you can make those chips any flavor you like. Some ideas: milk chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, or even chopped dark chocolate chunks.

Gluten free, oatmeal walnut cookies

Replace the chocolate chips in this recipe with whopped raw walnuts, by weight, and your cookies will taste transformed! The nuts bring out the nuttiness in the oats.

FAQs Gluten Free Oatmeal Cookies

Are oats gluten free?

Oats are naturally gluten free, even though some people who can’t have gluten are also sensitive to the distinct protein in oats. Follow the instructions above on how to replace the oats in this recipe if that describes you!

Are oatmeal cookies gluten free?

No! Unless, like these Gluten Free Oatmeal Cookies, they’re made with gluten-free ingredients, conventional oatmeal cookies are made with wheat flour, which contains gluten by nature.

Are these gluten free oatmeal cookies healthy?

Oats are a healthy whole grain, and these cookies have plenty of them, but I wouldn’t call these healthy cookies. For that, you need our oatmeal breakfast cookies, which are naturally sweetened and much heartier for your morning breakfast.

What are the best oats for this gf oatmeal cookie recipe?

The best oats for this recipe are purity protocol old fashioned rolled oats. Bob’s Red Mill makes safe gluten free oats—but just be sure to grab the bag that says “gluten free.”

Can I double this recipe for gluten free oatmeal cookies?

Yes! You can successfully double this recipe if you’re using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment to mix everything together fully. Otherwise, try making two recipes in two separate bowls to ensure all ingredients are combined properly.

Can I use dark brown sugar in this gluten free oatmeal chocolate chip cookies recipe?

Yes, you can use dark brown sugar in place of light brown sugar, if you’d like a richer, deeper molasses flavor. The cookies themselves will be a bit darker in color, too.

Can I freeze gf oatmeal cookie dough?

Yes! Try freezing the shaped cookie dough balls as disks in a freezer-safe bag, with as much air removed as possible. Let defrost until they’re firm but not frozen before baking.

Why are my Gluten Free Oatmeal Cookies cookies hard?

Did you overbake the cookies? Did you make ingredient substitutions, especially the flour blend, or measure by volume instead of weight and thereby overmeasure your flour? All of those can lead to hard cookies.

Course:Cookies, Dessert

Cuisine:American

Prep Time:10minutes minutes

Cook Time:12minutes minutes

Total Time: 22minutes

Yield: cookies

Ingredients Gluten Free Oatmeal Cookies

1 ½ cups (210 g) all purpose gluten free flour blend I used Better Batter
1 ¼ teaspoons xanthan gum omit if your blend already contains it
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
2 ½ cups (250 g) certified gluten free old fashioned rolled oats
1 cup (218 g) packed light brown sugar
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips (See Recipe Notes)
10 tablespoons (140 g) unsalted butter at room temperature
2 (100 g (weighed out of shell)) eggs at room temperature, beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions Gluten Free Oatmeal Cookies

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.
In a large bowl, place the flour, xanthan gum, baking soda and salt, and whisk to combine well. Add the granulated sugar and oats, and whisk again to combine.
Add the brown sugar and mix, breaking up any lumps in. Add the butter, and mix with a large spoon, pressing down with the back of the spoon to moisten the other ingredients.
Add the beaten eggs and vanilla, and mix until the dough comes together. It will be very thick, and a bit difficult to stir, but continue to alternately press the cookie dough with the back of the spoon and stir, until the dry ingredients are nearly absorbed.
Add the chocolate chips, and mix to distribute the chips evenly throughout and until the dough is completely integrated.
Divide the dough into 24 equal pieces, each about the size of a golf ball, on the prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart.
Press each piece of dough with the palm of your hand to flatten it into a disk of about 3/4-inch thick. Place the baking sheets in the freezer until firm, about 15 minutes.
Once chilled, place the baking sheet in the center of the preheated oven, and bake for about 12 minutes, or until lightly golden brown all over (and a bit browner around the edges).
The cookies will still be soft to the touch. Remove the baking sheet from the oven, and allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet until firm (about 10 minutes).
Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

The chocolate chips can be replaced by an equal amount by weight of raisins for a more traditional cookie.