Gluten Free Oatmeal Cookies

Gluten Free Oatmeal Cookies are soft and chewy, made with old fashioned oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and raisins, ready in under 50 minutes!

We love making a batch of cookies to pack in lunches or enjoy as a sweet treat after dinner in this house. If you need some more ideas, check out my Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies and Chewy Almond Paste Cookies!

This gluten free oatmeal cookie recipe is a big hit at my house! These cookies have slightly crispy edges while being soft and chewy on the inside, with a really nice cinnamon oatmeal flavor.

Plus, they need minimal prep time and come together really quickly. Most of the time is just waiting for the cookie dough to chill! You can use your favorite gluten free flour blend, but remember that the flour blend you’re using will have a big impact on the finished product. 

Ingredients You’ll Need

Oats. Oats are the base of this recipe, adding a really nice chewy texture to the cookie. Make sure you choose certified gluten free oats that come from a company that uses purity protocol (more on that below).

If you’re celiac, remember to check with your doctor to make sure you can tolerate oats well, as some people still react to them. 

Gluten Free Flour. I use gluten free cup-for-cup flour for this recipe. Whichever gluten free flour blend you choose, make sure it contains xanthan gum, which replaces the gluten and helps hold everything together. Choosing a good flour blend is important, and can impact the flavor of your gluten free cookies. 

The more well-known brands like King Arthur and Bob’s Red Mill gluten free 1-to-1 flour blends already have xanthan gum in them.

Butter. Butter gives the cookies flavor and also fat, which makes them soft. I always choose unsalted butter, because I want to control how much salt is going into the recipe. 

It’s important to refrigerate your dough for at least 30 minutes before baking, because it prevents the butter from melting too quickly in the oven. This helps keep the cookies from spreading too much, making them crispy instead of chewy.

Shortening. Shortening helps the cookies hold their structure, preventing them from spreading out while baking and becoming too thin. If you want chewy oatmeal cookies, use some shortening in your recipe. 

Usually, you can substitute shortening and butter interchangeably. But butter adds some flavor, which you lose when you remove it from the recipe entirely.

Eggs. Eggs are a binder that helps hold everything together. 

Sugar. We’re using a mixture of brown sugar and white granulated sugar for these cookies. You can use all white sugar if that’s what you have on hand. 

The white sugar helps add sweetness and structure. The brown sugar has some molasses notes, and also adds some moisture to the cookie. 

Baking Soda and Baking Powder. Both leavening agents help the cookie rise and become slightly chewy. A mixture of both works very well in most gluten free baking. 

Spices. You can use any of the fall baking spices here. I like to use a simple combo of ground nutmeg and ground cinnamon. Also consider trying pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice. 

We’re also using 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt to balance out some of the sweetness. 

Vanilla Extract. Gluten free baking usually needs a little more vanilla than regular recipes, so we’re using two instead of one teaspoon vanilla. 

Raisins. Raisins are a classic choice for oatmeal cookies! You can also try dried cranberries or chocolate chips. 

How to Make Gluten Free Oatmeal Cookies

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together your dry ingredients, except for the sugar. 
2. Cream butter and shortening together in a stand mixer on low speed, using the paddle attachment. Add the white sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract and mix until just combined. 
3. Add the dry mixture and eggs to the mixing bowl, increasing the speed to medium until everything is well combined. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and refrigerate the cookie dough for at least 30 minutes. 
4. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Use an ice cream scoop to make cookie dough balls and place them onto the cookie sheet, leaving a few inches of room between each one. The size of the cookie will depend on how large of an ice cream scoop you use. 
5. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the cookies are golden brown around the edges and set in the middle. Increase the time for larger cookies. Once done, let cookies cool for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 

Frequently Asked Questions

More Cookie Recipes

• Flourless Oatmeal Cookies
• Easy Peppermint Chocolate Cookies
• White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
• Breakfast Oatmeal Craisin Cookies

Storage

Store leftover oatmeal raisin cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. Place a paper towel in the container to help absorb any moisture that may be in the environment. This prevents the baked cookies from getting soggy.

If you want to make these oatmeal raisin cookies ahead of time, scoop the dough into balls and freeze the unbaked cookies on a prepared baking sheet.

Once frozen, move the raw cookie dough balls to an airtight container and freeze for 2-3 months. Defrost your oatmeal cookie dough in the refrigerator the night before, then bake for freshly made cookies. 

Recipe Variations

• Try using a cup chocolate chips or white chocolate chips instead of raisins for gluten free oatmeal chocolate chip cookies!
• Instead of vanilla extract, a small amount of almond extract will add another flavor profile to the normal gluten free oatmeal raisin cookies experience. 
• You can use pumpkin pie spice instead of the cinnamon and nutmeg combo. Other fall spices like ginger, allspice, or clove would also work (in small amounts). 
• If you need a dairy free option, use all shortening instead of butter. 
• Top with a small amount of flaky salt and a drizzle of chocolate for a sweet and salty flavor profile. 

Cooking Tips

• This recipe makes about 16 larger cookies, or about 24 smaller cookies. 
• The baking time depends on how large your cookies are. I used a larger cookie scoop for these photos, and it took about 15-18 minutes to finish (I like mine slightly crispy, so I baked them for a little bit longer). A medium to smaller size would have a baking time of 10-12 minutes. 
• These cookies will turn golden brown around the edges and set on the top when they’re done. If you wait for the entire cookie to be golden brown, you’ll have over-baked cookies. Watch them closely and adjust the baking time as-needed.
• If your cookies are burning on the bottoms before the tops are done, it may be the quality of your baking sheet. Different types of metal heat differently, and will cook your food differently as well. 
• Another good troubleshoot is to make sure your oven is cooking at the right temperature. This is a really common issue with baking. Use an oven thermometer and set the oven, then check after 20-30 minutes to make sure the thermometer matches what the oven is set for. 
• If you don’t have a cookie scoop, use rounded tablespoonfuls and just drop dough onto the prepared baking sheet. 

If you loved this recipe, be sure to leave a 5 Star review below, and tag me with a photo of your finished recipe on Instagram @Jacqui_DishingDelish!

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