I have a particular fondness for gluten free chocolate chip cookies of every stripe. They're a classic, of course, for good reason. They're the first to go at a party, no matter how many fancy schmancy desserts are served. There's just something about that perfect balance of cookie and occasional chocolate, isn't there? Now, of course the most celebrated Little Debbie brand creme pie is the Oatmeal Creme Pie. My new book, Gluten Free Classic Snacks, has an already very popular recipe for those on page 115. Some of you have even posted photos on our Facebook page showing off your beautiful creme pies, and they nearly bring a tear to my eye in all their perfection (more photos! share more photos!). But then there's the Little Debbie Chocolate Chip Creme Pie. Somehow less celebrated, but frankly no less delectable. This recipe for Little Debbie-Style Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Creme Pies didn't make it into the book (I'm honestly not even sure if I even considered it!), but luckily we still meet here on the blog every week of the year. So let's get to it.
First, the obligatory just-like-the-box photo at the bottom of the step by steps had to happen. Right? But beyond that, these are easy peasy. You really just need to be sure to measure your ingredients by weight whenever possible (always by weight!), and not to overbake the cookies. We're going for a thick but uniform chewy chocolate chip cookie. It should yield to your bite, just like the “real thing.”
I submit this, though: these are better than the “real thing,” because you made them yourself—with love. Not to get all weepy on you, but when your kid opens up that lunch box and finds a copycat Little Debbie in there? They won't forget it. You're marrying your own childhood memories with the new ones you're creating. Think about how important your memories are of that one Little Debbie per week your grandmother bought you. Now imagine your child reminiscing about how they couldn't have the packaged ones, so mom or dad (or grandma or grandpa or that special aunt, uncle or neighbor!) made them from scratch. Never underestimate the power of a homemade snack cake. :)
Little Debbie-Style Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Creme Pies
Ingredients
2 1/4 cups (315 g) all purpose gluten free flour (I used Better Batter)
1 teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if your blend already contains it)
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
3/4 cup (164 g) packed light brown sugar
5 tablespoons (70 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 tablespoons (48 g) nonhydrogenated vegetable shortening, melted and cooled
1 egg (50 g, weighed out of shell) at room temperature, beaten
2 tablespoons (42 g) light corn syrup
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips, tossed with 1 teaspoon cornstarch
Stiff Sandwich Cookie Filling, plus an additional 1 to 2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
First, prepare the cookies. Preheat your oven to 325°F. Line rimmed baking sheets with unbleached parchment paper and set them aside.
In a large bowl, place the flour, xanthan gum, baking soda, salt and granulated sugar, and whisk to combine well. Add the brown sugar and whisk again, working out any lumps. Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the butter, shortening, egg, corn syrup and vanilla, and cornstarch-dusted chocolate chips, mixing to combine after each addition. The dough should be thick but not stiff. Divide it into 1 1/2-inch balls. Roll them into smooth balls between your palms and press into disks about 1/3-inch thick. Place about 2 inches apart from one another on the prepared baking sheets, and place in the freezer for about 10 minutes, or until firm. Remove from the freezer and place in the center of the preheated oven. Bake until the cookies are very lightly golden brown on the edges and set in the center, about 12 minutes. Do not overbake. Allow to cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the Stiff Sandwich Cookie Filling while the cookies are cooling, following the recipe instructions but adding more milk by the teaspoonful, beating well after each addition, until the filling is a bit softer but will still hold its shape. Transfer the filling to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain piping tip (or a large zip-top bag with a 1/2-inch hole cut in the corner) and invert half of the cookies. Once the cookies are cool, pipe about 3 tablespoons of filling on the inverted cookies and top with the other cookies to form a sandwich.
Adapted from the recipe for Little Debbie-Style Gluten Free Oatmeal Creme Pies on page 115 of Gluten Free Classic Snacks.
sameehbeh says
still working my way through Bakes Bread… i’ve got the starter for your Buckwheat Bread sitting in a warm, draft-free location now, just workin’ on its rise (to fame and fortune, I hope). as soon as my latest earned $5 Amazon gift card comes in, i will be ordering Classic Snacks. it is funny though, i noticed most of the recipes you have in there were junky deliacies i was never allowed to have when i was a wee Chicklet (as my Mama was a mean mean health freak and made most of our treats from scratch). so, it may not be a trip down memory lane for me, but more, a “finally being able to indulge in things, now that there are so many more things i am not allowed to have” thing. now, isn’t that a catchy phrase… i’m sure it will become a popular meme. anywhozit, your Twix-fix is the first on the list, but these filled choc-chip cookies may be close second. what is not to love?
Nicole Hunn says
Sounds like the perfect excuse for healthy-childhood revenge, sameehbeh!
Jeanette says
My pre ordered book came yesterday to Alberta. Glad to have it, The pictures are fantastic, now what to make first!
Nicole Hunn says
So glad you’re enjoying it, Jeanette, and I can’t wait to hear what you decide to make first!
Lauren says
I just got my BooooOOOOK! I’m so excited! Today is rainy and cold… a perfect day to fire up the oven. And awesome job on getting everything ready for all those beautiful drool-worthy photos! *high five*
Nicole Hunn says
Hey, thank you, Lauren! I really appreciate your support and the kind words. Can’t wait to hear what you make first!
Brenda says
The cookbook is awesome. Made one of the cookie recipes yesterday and it is SPOT ON. Thank you so much!!! Going to leave a review on Amazon as soon as I figure out how to do it (my first).
Also wondered if you were aware of the financial crisis Better Batter is having. I just got an email about it. You have such a broad reach, and I’m guessing many of your readers would purchase from them and/or donate to help them stay in business. So many of your recipes work best with their flour!
Ashley Minor says
Brenda,
Better Batters Facebook page has an update as of last night. But I agree they need some help!!
Brenda says
I checked it out, Ashley – thanks for the heads up! So glad they have met at least their first goal they needed to pay this week.
Nicole Hunn says
Hi, Brenda, So glad you’re enjoying the cookbook and yes, an amazon review would be so helpful. You just have to scroll to the bottom of the page and click on “write a customer review.” Nothing to it!
And yes, I was made aware just yesterday by readers just like you, actually, of the issues at Better Batter and reached out to Naomi Poe, the owner, and I’ve been speaking with her about helping her get past this hurdle, and then hopefully doing a kickstarter to presell her flour so she can thrive, not just survive!
Brenda says
I just got done leaving my Amazon review. It really was easy peasy! :) And I’m so glad to hear that you are helping Naomi… they have awesome flour and she’s so giving of her time, product and money to the g/f community. I did what I could by spreading the word on Facebook and Twitter, and will be placing an order to stock up on flour as well.
Jennifer S. says
OMG – these were next on my list! love them and I posted a review of this cookbook and all your wonderfully free recipes on my blog this week.
Also, I love this new filling recipe with the gelatin. Can’t wait to try it out!
Nicole Hunn says
Thank you, Jennifer!! I really think you’ll like the stabilized whipped cream filling. Easy and awesome!
youngbaker2002 says
hi Nicole! we got our book a while ago and i’m still not sure how i’m going to get through the list of things to make. my brother actually tried to write out the list. he ended up just handing me the book. LOL! but the book is beautiful! i thought Bakes Bread had a lot of breath taking photos.the new book is gorgeous! thank you Nicole!
Nicole Hunn says
I’m thrilled that you’re enjoying the book, and the fact that you’re having trouble deciding what to make means that I did my job. :)
youngbake2002 says
oh and speaking of classic snacks,have you ever thought of dong over the chewy Chips Ahoy fudge filled chocolate chip cookies? those look sooooo good!
youngbaker2002 says
sorry, ‘thought of *doing*’.
Nicole Hunn says
I’ll have to check those out. They sound decadent!
Lucy says
I’m still waiting for my book to arrive. Thanks Nicole, for the great recipes :)