Gluten Free Oatmeal Cookies… Happy 4th of July!

Trader Joes GF Oats and their Oatmeal Cookie Recipe

Happy 4th of July everyone! While shopping yesterday, I found a gem on the “Look What’s New” shelf at Trader Joes…  Gluten Free Rolled Oats!! A big 2lb bag… that’s 32 ounces folks!  At other grocery stores, you can find Bob’d Red Mill GF Oats for approximately $5.99 – $7.99 a 32 ounce bag or order online from the Gluten Free Oats Company for around $10.00 per 2 lb bag.  Wow! So, mornings will be happy with plenty of oatmeal for everyone around here.

You might be asking what is up with oats?  All over the store, people were talking about them… “why aren’t they gluten free?” was the big question.  Well, a few years back I asked this very question to a farmer friend of mine.  As it goes, the farming community uses oats as a rotation crop with other gluten containing crops (mostly wheat, barley and rye).  Therefore, oats are contaminated with gluten in the field. On their own, they contain no gluten proteins whatsoever (the two proteins most responsible for gluten intolerance are gliadins and glutenins).  But, when grown in fields that hosted say “wheat” the year before and then farmers harvest the raw oat groats with the same equipment used to harvest other gluten containing crops, there you have it… gluten in your oats.  There are farms that have dedicated their land and equipment to serve the gluten free community with oats that are now safe for us to consume.  (A note of caution here: it is always wise to check with your doctor regarding the use of oats in your diet if you have a medical condition that requires you to omit gluten.  Some individuals who are gluten intolerant are also sensitive to the protein found in oats.  Oats contain a distinct protein called Avenalin.)

To help make gluten free oats (or any oats for that matter) more digestible, it is best to soak them overnight.  All you need to do is measure out 1 cup of water and add a 1/2 tsp of salt and 1-2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar.  Then, add 1 cup of oats to the water.  Stir and then cover.  Leave this on your counter overnight for at least 7 hours or up to 24 hours.  This activates the enzyme phytase, which works to break down phytic acid in the bran of all grains.  Therefore, making it easier for the more sensitive stomach to digest the oats.  They are a great way to add fiber and valuable nutrients to your diet.  Once you are ready to have breakfast in the morning, just drain your oats and add them to one cup of boiling water in a saucepan on the stove.  Cook until desired consistency.  They will cook fairly fast after soaking, often within just 5 minutes!

Here is my version of the Gluten Free Oatmeal Cookie Recipe that I tried from the back of the bag of GF Oats from Trader Joes.  I loved that they had nut butter listed in the ingredients!  I did make a few adjustments and so this is not the exact recipe printed on their package.  These cookies turned out crispy and full of flavor!  Enjoy tonight with the  fireworks!

GF Oatmeal Cookies hot out of the oven!

GF Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, not packed
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/8 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp vanilla, gluten free
• 1 cup Sunbutter (sunflower seed butter can also be found at Trader Joes!)
• 1 cup gluten free oats, finely ground in a food processor
• 2 cups gluten free rolled oats
• 4 oz. raisins or chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar, brown sugar and butter.  Using the paddle attachment for stand mixers, cream the butter and sugars together until fluffy.  Add the eggs, baking soda, salt and vanilla.  Mix well until very creamy, about 1-2 minutes.  Add the Sunbutter and 1 cup of finely ground gluten free oats, mix well.
3. In a separate bowl, toss the remaining 2 cups of oats with the raisins/chocolate chips and sunflower seeds.  Stir the oats/raisins/seeds into the creamy mixture using a spatula or wooden spoon.
4. Place 1 ounce spoonfuls of the batter onto the prepared baking sheet approximately 2 inches apart as they will spread a bit.  Bake for 12-15 minutes until crispy around the edges and just browning slightly.  The longer you bake them, the crispier they will be.
5. Remove from the oven and cool for a few minutes on the tray before transferring the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.