Gluten-Free Oatmeal Cookies
Published
These gluten-free oatmeal cookies are one of my favorite cookies of all time. They’re soft and chewy on the inside and have a crispy, lacy edge… just the way oatmeal cookies should be! Made with a handful of pantry staple ingredients, these homemade oatmeal cookies take just 20 minutes from start to finish. I love them with chocolate chips and raisins, but they’re so easy to make however you like them best.
Gluten-Free Oatmeal Cookies Recipe
This recipe for thick and chewy homemade gluten-free oatmeal cookies is one of my family’s favorites! My husband loves oatmeal cookies, especially with raisins, and my kids are camp chocolate chip. I usually make 2 batches so everyone is satisfied, and I never have to worry about having too many cookies since they stay fresh for days.
Ingredients
- Unsalted Butter: Makes these cookies rich and tender. For a dairy-free option, use Smart Balance butter.
- Sugar: I used a combination of granulated white sugar and brown sugar to create moist and sweet cookies.
- Pure Vanilla Extract: Enhances the sweetness of the cookies.
- Egg: Helps give the cookies structure.
- Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour with Xanthan Gum: I like Pillsbury gluten-free. Not all gluten-free flours are created equal. You may experience different baking results depending on the gluten-free flour blend you choose.
- Leavening: Baking soda and baking powder work together to help the cookies rise.
- Salt: Enhances the flavor of the cookies.
- Cinnamon: Adds a touch of warmth to the cookies.
- Gluten-Free Quick Oats: Give these cookies extra structure and chew. You could use gluten-free old-fashioned oats but they are larger so you may want to chop them up a bit.
- Mix-Ins: Chocolate chips or raisins add a pop of sweetness to the cookies. Use one or a combination of both. For a dairy-free option, use Enjoy Life Mini Chocolate Chips.
Tips and Suggestions
- Soften your butter. Take the butter out of the refrigerator and allow to soften on the counter for 10-15 minutes.
- It’s super important to measure the gluten-free flour correctly. Use a measuring cup made for dry ingredients (not a Pyrex liquid measuring cup), and use the spoon and level method.
- Always use a greased cookie scoop. I use a 1 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop. It was a game-changer for me!
- I also like to use Reynolds Kitchens Cookie Baking Sheets. It has a smart grid that makes it super easy to line up your cookies on your baking sheet. I buy it at Walmart.
Are Oats Gluten-Free?
Oats are naturally gluten-free, but most oats are processed in facilities that also process wheat, barley, and rye. Cross-contamination can even happen in fields where wheat, rye, or barley are also present.
It is safest to use oats that are certified gluten-free and from purity protocol oats. Certified gluten-free oats are tested for levels of gluten. Purity protocol oats are not only tested for gluten but are also grown in a dedicated gluten-free field.
Why Are My Oatmeal Cookies Hard?
If your cookies turned out hard once they cooled, you may have overbaked them. Reduce the bake time by 2 minutes next time.
Can I Freeze The Cookie Dough?
Yes, you can! The best way to freeze this cookie dough is to freeze the dough balls (just like you are making cookies). Place the dough balls on a lined cookie sheet and put them in the freezer to flash-freeze for 10 minutes.
Once the cookies are flash-frozen (a little frozen), place the cookie dough balls into a freezer bag. Frozen raw cookie dough can actually last 9 to 12 months in the freezer.
Storage Instructions
Store leftover homemade gluten-free oatmeal cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
More Gluten-Free Cookie Recipes to Try!
- Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cookies
- Gluten-Free Monster Cookies
- Gluten-Free Snickerdoodles
- Banana Oatmeal Cookies
- …Browse all our gluten-free cookie recipes!
Gluten-Free Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour with xanthan gum
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1½ cups gluten-free quick oats
- 1 cup chocolate chips or raisins
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, beat together butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on medium speed until smooth.
- Add vanilla extract and egg and mix until fully combined.
- Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, oats to the mixture and mix until fully combined.
- Mix in chocolate chips/raisins until fully combined.
- Scoop dough with a greased 1½-tablespoons cookie scoop and place cookies 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 10–12 minutes until cookies start to turn golden brown.
- Allow cookies to cool for 2–3 minutes before moving to a cooling rack.
Notes
- Soften your butter. Take the butter out of the refrigerator and allow to soften on the counter for 10-15 minutes.
- It’s super important to measure the gluten-free flour correctly. Use a measuring cup made for dry ingredients (not a Pyrex liquid measuring cup), and use the spoon and level method.
- Always use a greased cookie scoop. I use a 1 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop. It was a game-changer for me!
- I also like to use Reynolds Kitchens Cookie Baking Sheets. It has a smart grid that makes it super easy to line up your cookies on your baking sheet. I buy it at Walmart.
- To store: Place the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
- To freeze: Place the cookies in a single layer on a lined baking sheet until solid, about 1-2 hours. Transfer to an airtight container or Ziplock bag to store for up to 1 month.
- Mama says, “Check all of your labels.”
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How To Make Gluten-Free Oatmeal Cookies Step-by-Step
Preheat oven to 375°Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl, beat together ½ cup of softened butter, ½ cup of granulated sugar, and ½ cup of brown sugar on medium speed until smooth.
Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and 1 large egg and mix until fully combined.
Add 1 cup of gluten-free all-purpose flour with xanthan gum, ½ teaspoon of baking soda, ½ teaspoon of baking powder, ½ teaspoon of salt, ½ teaspoon of cinnamon, and 1½ cups of gluten-free quick oats to the mixture and mix until fully combined.
Mix in 1 cup of chocolate chips/raisins until fully combined.
Scoop dough with a greased 1½-tablespoons cookie scoop and place cookies 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 10–12 minutes until cookies start to turn golden brown. Allow cookies to cool for 2–3 minutes before moving to a cooling rack.
I have not made the cookies yet, I was wondering how they would do as just plain cookies. Would I still add the cinnamon? I used to love just plain oatmeal cookies.
Hi Diane, do you mean you would omit the chocolate chips?
Omit the chocolate chips and the raisins
You can omit both. I would keep the cinnamon!
I made these according to the recipe but for 1 change. And they were gobbled up by my non- gluten free family members too! Delicious, moist, held their shape well. The 1 change was soaking the raisins in 50/50 blend of dark rum and warm water for 30 minutes before adding to the dough. Drain them well but don’t squeeze the liquid out. The raisins become juicy and add a ton of flavor. After about 5 days they did start to become crumbly so eat them in the first few days.
Sounds delicious!
The BEST GF cookie I’ve made and eaten ! My daughter is gluten intolerant so I made them for her ; I doubled the recipe and shared with my neighbors and they all said best cookie they’ve had !! Thank you
Thank you Kathy!
Best oatmeal cookies I ever baked! My grandson rated them 10/10!
Thank you Susan! Love his rating 🙂
These are great, turned out perfectly, nice and crunchy and sweet enough, but not too sweet! 👌
Thank you Sue! Glad the gluten free oatmeal cookies were just the right amount of sweet!
They were yummy, but didn’t turn out how I expected. Probably my fault though because I reduced the sugar a little bit and I didn’t have any quick oats so I blitzed some old ones in the magic bullet which probably made too many little pieces and ended up acting like extra flour. They were very sweet even with a third of a cup of each. Next time I’m just going to reduce the flour a bit too
Was hoping to make ones that look like the photos, thin, chewy type but these ones puffed right up
Hi Mercedes, I’m sorry the cookies didn’t turn out as you expected! These gluten-free oatmeal cookies are meant to spread as they bake, so if yours puffed up and stayed thick, a few things could have contributed, including the specific gluten-free flour blend or how the flour was measured. Different blends can absorb moisture differently and affect how much the cookies spread. I’d recommend using the flour blend listed in the recipe and measuring it carefully, preferably by weight if that’s an option. I appreciate you giving the recipe a try, and I’m sorry they didn’t have the thin, chewy texture you were hoping for!
Thanks Amy. I posted that review before I realized it was probably my fault because I adjusted the oats and the sweetener which probably affected the outcome. Thank you very much for your recipe
Thanks Mercedes!
10/10 would recommend love the cookies thanks for the advise. crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside.
Love these! I halved the sugar and theycwere still plenty sweet—whole family enjoyed!
These are the best gluten free cookie I’ve ever had… and not just “good for gluten free”, but actually delicious! My husband agrees, and neither of us are even really huge oatmeal cookie fans. I make them with currants rather than raisins, so that the smaller fruits are evenly distributed throughout. The texture is chewy and crisp. They freeze well, and keep well, with no weird gritty/sandiness. Making a batch again today for a wedding cookie table. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!