Who can resist gluten free fried Oreos, made with the real deal chocolate sandwich cookies dipped in just-right batter and gently fried to crisp-tender heaven? It's about time!
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What makes this recipe for gf fried Oreos different?
Which gf chocolate sandwich cookies are the best?
Companies like Glutino and Kinnikinnick have been making gluten free chocolate sandwich cookies that look like Oreos for years. They're expensive but no longer that hard to find, and they scratch that itchโbut they're no Oreos.
Nabisco now makes its own gluten free Oreo chocolate sandwich cookies, and they really taste like actual Oreos. They're a tiny bit different, but not enough to matter, so we've literally been buying them by the case (especially the Double Stuf ones).
As usual, my opinion of Nabisco's product isn't sponsored in any way. They didn't send me their press kit, any free product, or even whisper in my ear. If they know who I am at all, they respected my no-free-product ethos.
Why this recipe is special
File this recipe squarely under if-they-can-make-it-with-gluten-we-can-make-it-without. It's the crispy fried treats, sure. But it's also the sense of possibility, which means to me that this recipe is useful even if you never, ever make it.
Fried Oreos weren't a thing in NY when I was growing up, so I had only heard of them as Midwest county fair food. But according to my children, they're sold at the town pool snack stand, so they're everywhere now.
Now my teenage gluten free son is very self-conscious of his dietary restriction (don't worry he never reads the blog). So when he asks me if I can make gluten free fried Oreos, you'd better believe I'm going to deliver.
It turns out that the crisp outside, tender inside and melty chocolate sandwich cookie inside in a fried Oreo is not half bad. And that's important, too.
Keep in mind that the sandwich cookies will melt inside during frying. If you'd like a firmer cookie, just allow the treats to cool for about 10 minutes after frying, and they'll firm back upโbut try at least one fresh out of the fryer.
Can you make them in the Air Fryer?
I haven't tried making them in an Air Fryer, so I'm not entirely sure. I'm admittedly not the biggest fan of air frying as a concept, since I think it creates unrealistic expectations of true fried taste.
An Air Fryer, I never seem to tire of saying, is just a small, powerful convection oven. In other words, it's a hot oven with a really good oven fan, known to cook foods to crispness very efficiently.
Since an Air Fryer doesn't actually fry foods, you wouldn't have real fried Oreos if you use one. Plus, the batter would inevitably run through the holes in the frying basket or shelf.
If you line the basket in your Air Fryer, then the hot air can't fully circulate around the food on all sides as efficiently. If you'd really like to make air-fried Oreos, I recommend wrapping Oreos in gluten free pie crust, rather than coating them in batter.
How thick should the pancake batter be?
The most important logistical issue in making gluten free fried Oreos successfully is getting the texture of the pancake batter just right. The frying oil temperature is important, too, but you can measure that objectively at 350ยฐF.
Watching the how-to video is probably the best way for you to experience the appropriate thickness of the batter. The photos above can also help illustrate the thickness, too, which should be slightly thicker than heavy whipping cream.
The batter must be thick enough to continue to stick to the Oreos, but not so thick that the excess doesn't drip off. It should fall off the whisk in ribbons, but not run off like water.
Ingredients and substitutions
Dairy
You can use your favorite non-dairy cow's milk alternative for in the batter, but I recommend against anything nonfat. My favorite nondairy milk is unsweetened almond milk.
If your milk doesn't contain any fat, it will water down the pancake batter more than milk that contains fat. I'd recommend starting with much less milk, and only continuing to add it as necessary to reach the right consistency.
Egg
There's only one egg in the batter. You should be able to replace it with 1 “chia egg” (1 tablespoon ground white chia seeds + 1 tablespoon lukewarm water, mixed and allowed to gel).
Oats
The new gluten free Oreos from Nabisco contain oat flour in the ingredient list. Maybe try Kinnikinnick or Glutino brand gluten free chocolate sandwich cookies if you're sensitive to oats or are concerned at all about the providence of the oat flour in the Nabisco cookies.
If you'd prefer, you can always use our recipe for homemade gluten free Oreos in place of the packaged GF Oreos. Imagine how good that would be?
Gluten Free Fried Oreos
Ingredients
- 8.5 ounces dry gluten free pancake mix (See Recipe Notes for DIY recipe)
- 1 tablespoon (14 g) neutral oil (like canola, peanut, grapeseed, or vegetable oil)
- 1 (50 g (weighed out of shell)) egg at room temperature, beaten
- 1 โ cups (9 fluid ounces) milk at room temperature, plus more as needed
- 15 gluten free chocolate cream-filled sandwich cookies like gluten free Oreos
- Oil for frying (I like a combination of half Spectrum nonhydrogenated vegetable shortening + half canola or peanut oil)
- Confectionersโ sugar for sprinkling (optional)
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, place the gluten free pancake mix and whisk to loosen.
- Add the oil, beaten egg, and about half of the milk and whisk to combine.
- Continue whisking and add a full 1 1/8 cups of the milk. You want the mixture to fall off the whisk in ribbons, but not run off like water.
- It should be slightly thicker than heavy whipping cream. Set the mixture aside briefly.
- Place the frying oil in a medium-sized heavy-bottom saucepan, with an instant read, heat-safe candy thermometer on the side (or use a small electric deep fryer, like I have).
- Slowly bring the oil to 350ยฐF (over medium heat, if on the stovetop). Reduce the heat enough to maintain the temperature of the oil without allowing it to increase.
- Place the pancake batter alongside the hot frying oil, and whisk the mixture to ensure that itโs still the proper thickness.
- Whisk in more milk by the drop as necessary to recreate the proper thickness.
- Line a large plate or tray with paper towels and set that next to the fryer, too.
- Place the sandwich cookies, one at a time, on top of the pancake mixture in the bowl.
- Using a fork or dipping utensil, flip the cookie until itโs completely covered in batter. Using the utensil, pull the cookie out and allow the excess to drip off.
- Lower the batter-covered cookie in the hot oil and shake the container a bit to loosen it from the bottom, if necessary.
- Repeat with only as many cookies as you can fit very comfortably in the oil, with plenty of space for them to float around.
- Allow the cookies to fry for 60 to 90 seconds, and gently flip them over to fry on the other side.
- Flip back and forth, allowing to fry in between, until golden brown all over (about 2 1/2 minutes total).
- Using a strainer or tongs, gently remove the fried cookies from the hot oil and place on the towel-lined plate or tray.
- Allow to cool briefly, then dust lightly with confectionersโ sugar (mostly for looks) before serving.
- If you dust them while theyโre very hot, the sugar will melt and seem to disapper.
Serving suggestion
- If you like the fried treats melty, enjoy right away. If youโd like the cook inside to begin to firm back up, allow them to cool for about 10 to 15 minutes first.
Notes
There are plenty of packaged gluten free pancake mixes available for purchase, and some are even quite good. To make your own 8.5 ounces of gf pancake mix, please combine the following ingredients and whisk together well: 1 1/2 cups (210 g) basic gum-free gluten free flour blend (140 grams superfine white rice flour + 45 grams potato starch + 25 grams tapioca starch/flour) 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 2 tablespoons (24 g) granulated sugar
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Gluten Free Fried Oreos
Ingredients
- 8.5 ounces dry gluten free pancake mix (See Recipe Notes for DIY recipe)
- 1 tablespoon (14 g) neutral oil (like canola, peanut, grapeseed, or vegetable oil)
- 1 (50 g (weighed out of shell)) egg at room temperature, beaten
- 1 โ cups (9 fluid ounces) milk at room temperature, plus more as needed
- 15 gluten free chocolate cream-filled sandwich cookies like gluten free Oreos
- Oil for frying (I like a combination of half Spectrum nonhydrogenated vegetable shortening + half canola or peanut oil)
- Confectionersโ sugar for sprinkling (optional)
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, place the gluten free pancake mix and whisk to loosen.
- Add the oil, beaten egg, and about half of the milk and whisk to combine.
- Continue whisking and add a full 1 1/8 cups of the milk. You want the mixture to fall off the whisk in ribbons, but not run off like water.
- It should be slightly thicker than heavy whipping cream. Set the mixture aside briefly.
- Place the frying oil in a medium-sized heavy-bottom saucepan, with an instant read, heat-safe candy thermometer on the side (or use a small electric deep fryer, like I have).
- Slowly bring the oil to 350ยฐF (over medium heat, if on the stovetop). Reduce the heat enough to maintain the temperature of the oil without allowing it to increase.
- Place the pancake batter alongside the hot frying oil, and whisk the mixture to ensure that itโs still the proper thickness.
- Whisk in more milk by the drop as necessary to recreate the proper thickness.
- Line a large plate or tray with paper towels and set that next to the fryer, too.
- Place the sandwich cookies, one at a time, on top of the pancake mixture in the bowl.
- Using a fork or dipping utensil, flip the cookie until itโs completely covered in batter. Using the utensil, pull the cookie out and allow the excess to drip off.
- Lower the batter-covered cookie in the hot oil and shake the container a bit to loosen it from the bottom, if necessary.
- Repeat with only as many cookies as you can fit very comfortably in the oil, with plenty of space for them to float around.
- Allow the cookies to fry for 60 to 90 seconds, and gently flip them over to fry on the other side.
- Flip back and forth, allowing to fry in between, until golden brown all over (about 2 1/2 minutes total).
- Using a strainer or tongs, gently remove the fried cookies from the hot oil and place on the towel-lined plate or tray.
- Allow to cool briefly, then dust lightly with confectionersโ sugar (mostly for looks) before serving.
- If you dust them while theyโre very hot, the sugar will melt and seem to disapper.
Serving suggestion
- If you like the fried treats melty, enjoy right away. If youโd like the cook inside to begin to firm back up, allow them to cool for about 10 to 15 minutes first.
Notes
There are plenty of packaged gluten free pancake mixes available for purchase, and some are even quite good. To make your own 8.5 ounces of gf pancake mix, please combine the following ingredients and whisk together well: 1 1/2 cups (210 g) basic gum-free gluten free flour blend (140 grams superfine white rice flour + 45 grams potato starch + 25 grams tapioca starch/flour) 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 2 tablespoons (24 g) granulated sugar
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Thanks for stopping by!
Hi, Iโm Nicole. I create gluten free recipes that really work and taste as good as you remember. No more making separate meals when someone is GF, or buying packaged foods that arenโt good enough to justify the price. At Gluten Free on a Shoestring, โgood, for gluten freeโ just isnโt good enough! Come visit my bio!
Linda Ward says
Thank you for all your yummy recipes! These deep fried treats are the best! I had left over batter ( because I doubled the recipe ๐ ) so I just fried it up and made powdered sugar doughnut holes. Thanks again for make my life easier.
Nicole Hunn says
You’re so welcome, Linda. When I was experimenting with the batter and the recipe as I developed it, there were a bunch of odd-looking fried dough bits. They were delicious! Glad you had fun with that.
Grace R says
The new double stuffs are exactly how I remember oreos tasting. (Better if I’m being honest, but it has been a LONG time and GF Joe Joes are … fine. Really, they’re fine… They only taste like sadness after the first two…)
I am SOOOO excited to make these! I didn’t have a chance to try them before my diagnosis and I had resigned myself to watching others eat them wistfully. Thank you Nicole!
Nicole Hunn says
Oh my gosh, Grace, GF Joe Joe’s do taste like sadness after the first two! It’s like the uncanny valley effect, but with GF/non-GF food. You are my spot-on target audience for this recipe, then. We’re nearly there with actual Oreos. We gotta at least contemplate going all the way!
Esther Siegel says
Have you tried them with homemade oreo cookies? You have a recipe gluten free oreo cakesters and I am wondering how they would be with this cookie, or any other homemade cookie.
Nicole Hunn says
Hi, Esther, I haven’t, but I’m sure it would work as long as the cookies were crispy. I have recipes for homemade chocolate and vanilla sandwich cookies in one of my cookbooks, Gluten Free Classic Snacks. I would definitely not use the Cakesters recipe, which has the texture of a whoopie pie (cakey).
Sandy says
Nicole, my dear, you continue to be an inspiration! I love your writing as much as I love your recipes (and that’s a lot) Thank you for your FOOD for THOUGHT!
Nicole Hunn says
Thank you so much for the kind words, Sandy! That means so much. Not everyone out there takes the time to write something kind. :)
Karen M. says
Just wanted to let you know that Oreo’s is making gluten free now. I bought some and they are really good!! Just saying!
Nicole Hunn says
I discuss that throughout the post, Karen! It’s very exciting. :)