Gluten-Free Monster Cookies

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by April the Gluten Free Girl Jun 27th, 2011 // Desserts, Gluten Free

Gluten-Free Monster Cookies

Gluten Free Monster Cookies

One of the saddest things about being a celiac gal is giving up your favorite cookies. Pre-diagnosis, my daughter and I used to make these peanut butter, chocolate chip, oatmeal, M&M, monster cookies about once a month. But like pies, cakes, and everything sweet in the world, I thought I’d have to ditch my monster cookie Jones.

Lo and behold! As I was flipping through The Amish Cook’s Baking Book (for nostalgia, I seriously can’t eat much in there anymore), I gazed lovingly at the monster cookie recipe within its sugar crusted pages. Something I hadn’t realized, but was now freaking out about, was there was NO FLOUR in this recipe. Score one for the gluten-free girl! However, before I got too psyched, there was a gluten’ish hurdle in this delicious treat: oats.

Gluten Free Monster Cookies

These are gluten-free oats from Bob’s Red Mill. One wouldn’t think that oats would fall under the wheat, barley, rye deadly trifecta for a celiac, but it happens. In fact, it happens a lot that oats are either cut with flour, or processed in a facility that processes wheat, and therefore cross-contaminated. So when you’re buying your oats, it MUST have a gluten-free designation, otherwise you’re poisoning the gluten-free well.

I used an electric mixer to beat the butter and sugars — shhh, don’t tell the Amish!

Gluten Free Monster CookiesGluten Free Monster Cookies

Gluten Free Monster Cookies

As you can see, I finally found a recipe my two-year-old wants to help out with, as long as he can take some nibbles for himself. Unless his sister beats him to it. Which she does.


Gluten-Free Monster Cookies
adapted from The Amish Cook’s Baking Book

Prep time: 15 mins  Cooking Time: 10 mins

Ingredients:
2 sticks butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon corn syrup
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
4 1/2 cups gluten-free rolled oats
2 cups chocolate chips
2 cups plain M&Ms

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars. Add the eggs, one at a time and mixing between each addition, the vanilla, corn syrup, baking soda, and peanut butter. Mix well until smooth.
3. Add the oats and mix well, scraping the sides of the bowl. Add the chocolate chips and mix until they are evenly distributed throughout the batter. Then add the M&Ms and mix well.
4. Roll the batter into balls about 1 tablespoon each, and place 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets.
5. Bake until the edges are golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes.
6. Let cool on baking sheets for about 2 minutes before transferring to cooling racks. Cool cookies on a wire rack or a plate and then put into sealed containers. Cookies will stay fresh for up to 5 days.

Makes: 6 dozen cookies

Gluten Free Monster Cookies

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7 Comments on “Gluten-Free Monster Cookies”

  1. 1.) Timmi
    June 28th, 2011

    This is awesome! Love monster cookies as well! I only have a sensitivity to gluten so if I slip up and want real cake or pizza I can, but avoid it as much as possible. Thanks a bunch!

  2. 2.) Julia B
    June 28th, 2011

    These look awesome! What kind of peanut butter did you use? I keep natural in the pantry, but it doesn’t always work well in cookies. Thanks!

  3. 3.) Tasha @ ToLexiWithLove
    June 28th, 2011

    That is too cute….my daughter is 2 and 1/2 and she would do the same thing! In fact, I’d probably only have 4 M&Ms left for my whole recipe lol.

  4. My brother’s baby has food allergies and I get so excited when I find a recipe that will easily work to accommodate his needs.

    I am glad you were able to make a favorite treat.

    Enjoy,

    elena

  5. 5.) April the Gluten Free Girl
    June 28th, 2011

    Julia, I also use a natural peanut butter from Arrowhead Mills. I did notice this time I needed to roll the cookie dough into a ball otherwise it spread out too much. So that probably is the more “oily” natural texture making them spread!

  6. Those must have been so fun to make! – and they looks so colorful for kids. Bet my grandkids would love them!

  7. 7.) Michelle
    July 5th, 2011

    OM NOMNOMNOM!!

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