These days, whenever I have a new cookbook hit the shelves, I'm usually lucky enough to already be working on the next one. And that is 100% only because of your support. I don't have a television show (nor do I want one—honest!) and I'm not part of some Big Food Blogger Circle that pushes all my books. I don't have the sort of blog that is packed with comments from other food bloggers hoping to get you to click through to their blogs or to help me build my comment count. My Facebook page has real people on it, and I don't have much of a presence on Twitter since I mostly just talk about my cat and dogs there. I don't really think that's what I am meant to be doing there, but that's what I do. Oh, and I have exactly 2 photos on Instagram since I don't take any pictures with my smartphone except for the occasional picture of one of my kids or (you guessed it) my cat or my dogs. I figure you don't really care to see those, so I don't ‘share' them. I also don't go in for “big announcements” or do tons of sponsored posts. And I don't have a lot of friends, blogger-friends or otherwise. If it's not authentic, I'm not gonna do it or else I won't sleep much at night.
That's a long-winded way of saying this: I'm so glad you're here, and I feel like I really reach you a few times a week. More than anything, I want to shift the conversation surrounding gluten free food. I want it to be just plain good, and I want to continually surpass expectations (mostly because I find they are so low). I believe we have the power to put downward pressure on gluten free food prices and upward pressure on quality. It is in that spirit that I tell you that my next cookbook will be filled with recipes for Gluten Free Classic Snacks.* Recipes for Pop Tarts and Hostess Cupcakes, Weight Watchers brownies and Keebler Town House Crackers, all made gluten free, each a dead ringer for the original.
*ETA: The new cookbook is here!!
I'm telling you about this today because today's recipe will not be in the new book, but … it could have been. These gluten free oatmeal cookies are a copycat recipe for Starbucks' Outrageous Oatmeal Cookies. And the point is this: if you've ever wandered the packaged foods aisle or gone to the movies (a whole chapter on candies!) and felt sorry that you couldn't have Mallomars (the “best cookie ever invented” (reference anyone?)) or Devil Dogs, or had your the gluten free kid come home and feel terrible that he had never had a Hostess Apple Pie (especially before they went bankrupt and completely changed the recipe), this is gonna be the cookbook for you. Look for it about a year from now. But don't worry. I'll keep you posted. :)
The ingredient list for these cookies is a wee bit longer than you might expect, but they're unfussy and uncomplicated.
And they might just be a comfort as you scan the baked goods case at Starbucks, waiting to order your (overpriced) coffee. If you only make them once, or (*gasp*) even if you never actually make them, it might just be nice to know that you can make them. Buttery, chewy and (yes) outrageous, these are the gluten free oatmeal cookies to beat. And you? You're the reader of my dreams.
Starbucks-Style Outrageous Gluten Free Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups (210 g) all purpose gluten free flour (I used Better Batter)
3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if your blend already contains it)
1 cup (120 g) certified gluten free oat flour (I processed my own in a food processor from old fashioned whole grain oats)
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup (25 g) certified gluten free old fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
3/4 cup (164 g) packed light brown sugar
4 tablespoons (48 g) shortening, melted and cooled
5 tablespoons (70 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 eggs (120 g, out of shell) at room temperature, beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon (21 g) honey
1 tablespoon (21 g) unsulphured molasses
3 ounces dried sweetened cranberries
3 ounces dried apricots, diced
1 teaspoon cornstarch (or another starch)
Instructions
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 blend, xanthan gum, oat flour, baking soda and salt, and whisk to combine well. Add the oats, granulated sugar and brown sugar, and whisk to combine again, working to break up any lumps in the brown sugar. Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the shortening, butter, eggs, vanilla, honey and molasses, mixing to combine after each addition. The dough will be thick and you may have to knead it with your hands to get it to all come together. If it doesn’t come together, the ingredients specified to be at room temperature were likely not at room temperature. Toss the cranberries and apricots in the cornstarch, and add them to the dough. Mix until the dried fruit is evenly distributed throughout the dough.
With wet hands, shape the dough into 1 1/4-inch round balls, and then press flat into disks about 1/4 inch thick. Place about 1 1/2-inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Place in the center of the preheated oven and bake or until lightly golden brown all over and set in the center (about 12 minutes). Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet until set (about 5 minutes) before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Dee says
Could you sub choc chips for the fruit? I like the Enjoy Life brand:-) Also, sub butter for shortening? Thanks!
Angela says
Can I use maple syrup instead of molasses?
Nicole Hunn says
No, Angela, maple syrup is not a substitute for molasses.
paul says
hi nicole
I read your blog on a daily a daily basis, and quite enjoy it. my kids are long gone out of the house but I hope to be able to share these recipes with my 1 year old grandson, and when he is a little older bake some of your recipes with him, good food is the glue that binds families.
I tried your starbucks cookie recipe but being cheap in my non gf days and now not being able to eat anything at starbucks, i’m not sure if mine taste the same are they supposed to be firm and chewy. mine came out kind of light and fluffy and about 3/4″ thick and very good. I had a hard time getting them 1/4″ thick because of all the dried fruit. I didn’t have any dried apricots so I used raisins, oatmeal cookies should have raisins, with 3oz of dried cranberries and 3oz of raisins it came to about 1 1/2 cups of fruit, is that about the right amount. because they were thicker it took around 16 minutes to bake through. I really like the fell and texture when eating them.
thanks for all the time and effort you put in to allow me to screw them up and try again.
paul in edmonton
Nicole Hunn says
It sounds like your fruit was rather large, Paul. I’d try dicing the fruit next time.
Rae says
I am allergic to rice…. Any other combo of gluten frree flours you can suggest?
Nicole Hunn says
I’m afraid not, Rae.
Kelli says
I have used garfava bean flour and tapioca starch in recipes and they have turned out well.
Kelli says
I have used garfava bean flour and tapioca starch in recipes and they have turned out well.
Nicole Hunn says
I’m afraid that most likely would not work in this recipe, Kelli. but feel free to experiment!
TaylorMay says
Nicole, I love your blog and books and sense of humor. . And I should totally comment more often.
I use your ‘Better Than Cup 4 Cup’ flour blend for just about everything, I absolutely love your recipes, and wanted to say thanks. You make me laugh and share amazing recipes with me that I know you’ve put a lot of time an effort into..( havent had one turn out badly) and have truly changed my life and my husband’s too. :] thanks
Nicole Hunn says
Thanks so much, TaylorMay! I really appreciate your taking the time to write such a nice note. This can be a rough business! ;)
Brandy says
I may have made these cookies this evening after a disaster with my first bread recipe. I also may have eaten 4 or 5 of them for dinner after said disaster. Thank you for being both the source and the remedy for my frustrations today. (Said source is being taken with a grain of salt. Methinks it was underworking the dough.)
Nicole Hunn says
Don’t worry, Brandy, I’m not able to take responsibility for what happens in your kitchen—for better or for worse!
Brandy says
So true! Mostly, though, thank you for all of the work that you’ve put in so that I can have delicious adventures in the kitchen! Almost everything that I’ve made of yours has come out wonderfully on the very first try. <3 such an inspiration! -brandy
Lyn says
Love your blog! Can’t wait for the book. I do have one question about the recipe–do you think you can use coconut oil instead of shortening?
Nicole Hunn says
Coconut oil isn’t generally a great sub for shortening, Lyn, since it is much softer at room temperature than shortening. Give it a try, though, since it isn’t that much!
Donia Robinson says
Depends on the room, I think! In the summer, my coconut oil is very soft (though not liquid). In the winter, it is much harder than my Spectrum shortening! Lyn, if you don’t want to use partially hydrogenated shortening, Spectrum is 100% unhydrogenated palm oil. Nicole generally uses it, so I suspect the recipe would work with that, and it’s a bit more natural of a product.
Lyn says
Thanks Donia! I’ll give it a try.
Alexis S says
I made these cookies tonight. They were delicious! Thanks for another great recipe!
Nicole Hunn says
I love that you made them already, Alexis! You don’t mess around. I like that about you. :)
Heather says
Nicole, I love your blog and make your recipes all the time! I’ll be trying the cream puffs for V-Day. Any chance you’ll try making GF baklava??? I have a Turkish mother in law that has a very hard time with not being able to feed me (or my sweet husband who went GF for me) her homemade baklava. I’m trying to perfect the bread recipes to show her it is possible to make delicious bread GF but she would die of happiness to know that I can make her favorite dessert and be able to enjoy it with her.
Nicole Hunn says
Ah, the ever-elusive phyllo dough, Heather! I have tried it in the past and got close but it was so hard to get it just right that I couldn’t share the recipe since I didn’t have faith that it was truly replicable by readers. I haven’t tried it with the new components in my bread flour from Bakes Bread, though, so that might work. You want to be good to your mother-in-law, and clearly you love her a lot. I’m a sucker for all of that! ;) I will keep at it.
Heather says
I will try using the bread flour and see how it goes! Thanks for the reply :-) I do love my mother in law. After I met her she went GF (now gluten light) and actually lost some weight and cured her diabetes! Very proud of her :-)
Maria says
BTW… The Starbucks cookies look scrumptious. I’ve never had them either, but I will be making them.
Mare – whenever I get the ‘urge’ to make cookies, but know they’ll be too much I make them anyway and keep 1 or 2 for me and give them to friends & neighbors and make my husband take it to work to share. I’m not sure he hears the sharing part. :)
Nicole Hunn says
Oh, my husband brings tons of food into work! What he does with it once he gets there is none of my business. ;)
Maria says
Nicole…I agree with the other comments. Keep doing things the way you have been; straight, simple & to the point. Your tireless hard work is helping countless people live a healthy life. I have enjoyed (my family too) all the recipes I’ve made from your book so far and I have many more to go through and am looking forward to it. I recently bought your GF Bakes Bread book& I’ll confess I haven’t baked bread yet. Don’t know why I find bread baking intimidating, but I promise you I will get the nerve to do it soon and let u know how it went. I really miss having a good soft on the inside bread, so I’ll just have to make it myself! I bought the book because we’ve enjoyed your other one so much that I knew you wouldn’t steer me wrong. :)
Mare Masterson says
Maria, do it! I was petrified, but I did it. OMG, even though my bread did not get a high rise, it tastes fabulous. Now I look forward to it.
Maria says
Thanks Mare & Nicole. Sometimes we just need a swift kick in the you know what to get us going. I will attempt it this weekend since it looks like we’ll be home bound with lousy weather like most of the country. Stay warm ya’ll!!
Nicole Hunn says
You’re not alone in finding yeast bread baking intimidating, Maria. It seems, to many, to be ‘hit or miss.’ It really isn’t, though. It is, however, unlike any other sort of baking. Even though it takes practice, though, the rewards are truly substantial as the process, not just the end result, are thoroughly enjoyable once you get the hang of it!
MsGF says
Sounds like little round disks of heaven. I’m going to give it a try. I don’t go to Starbucks (gasp!) I make my own coffee at home, like a dinosaur right?! :0) And I’m not into Facebook or Twitter or Pintrest, it just sounds exhausting. So keep this blog going I’ll be here. Thanks for all the great yummy recipes, love them!
Nicole Hunn says
I rarely go to Starbucks, MsGF. Mostly when I’m in an airport and so so happy to see it. I make my own coffee every day, too. :)
WTFPinterest.com says
Cannot wait! C A N N O T W A I T! Yay, you!
Nicole Hunn says
Thanks, Allison!!
Jennifer S. says
I agree with Mare – this new book is going to be OUT OF THIS WORLD! I cannot wait for it. Can.not.wait. It will be the icing on the top of everything gluten free there is in this world and I’m beyond thrilled for you and us too!
About your other comments (no friends, ahem – me, lady, me!)… You don’t have to do all that other crap because your recipes, blog, and cookbooks stand on their own. I’ve read around and everyone knows you are the bestie, best, best in the GF world, hands down.
I adore when you post ‘copycat’ or ‘classic’ recipes like this – they make me swoon! Thanks for all you do!
Nicole Hunn says
Aw, thanks, Jennifer! I don’t mean I don’t have many friends like I’m off eating my lunch at a table all by myself, hiding behind my retainer and frizzy hair. I just mean that I’m not the type, especially as an adult, to have lots of friends just to be able to count ’em up and feel good about myself. You know?
Thanks so much for the kind words. You know they mean a lot to me!
Danelle says
Nicole…I really appreciated your first paragraph..as a mom of one and wife to a GF husband finding good recipies for all can be difficult. As a family we don’t believe in using facebook or twitter and it can be so frustrating when you find a site and they say…go to my facebook page, or “like me” and we’ll share more info with you. Never stop doing your blog!!!! Its fantastic, easy to read and your recipes are a savior to us busy families who don’t have enough time or funds…to keep re-trying recipes…we need something we’re confident in doing right the first time.
I used your angel food cake recipe at the holidays and it turned out great! I was given a copy of your first cook book for Christmas and already have marked a ton of pages to try.
Keep up the great work and I’ll be keeping my eye out for the next book!
Jennifer S. says
Get the other two cookbooks and you will be rolling in gluten free goodness!!!!
Nicole Hunn says
Thanks, Danelle! I see social media as a way to share what is already on the blog, but I don’t put exclusive content on there ever. I have used Facebook for live Question and Answer sessions after the bread book came out and that was extremely useful and something I just couldn’t duplicate elsewhere. But other than that, home is the blog!
Mare Masterson says
I cannot wait for that book, specifically for the coffee cake that I asked you to copy cat, to which you responded with “You have to wait until 2015 Mare.” I have been anticipating another amazing book since that comment! Do you have, or will you have, a Cheez-It copy cat? My most favorite cracker ever!
Now, I just scrolled up and actually read the rest of blog post and saw “Devil Dogs” Oh Nicole please tell me that a Devil Dogs copycat is part of the new book!
You truly are the blogger/author of my dreams!
I contacted local Tucson GF bakery, Gourmet Girls Go Gluten Free, to see if they had any tips for bread baking in Tucson. They responded to me this morning and told me that, coincidentally, they just purchased GFOAS Bakes Bread and when they test the recipes, they will get back to me.
Did I tell you that a co-worker tasted the lean crusty white bread and told me “you should open a bakery, Mare.” Not at all what I want to do. I just want to make and enjoy, and have my gluten eating family enjoy with me–which they absolutely do! You are the blogger/author of their dreams too!
Oh, regarding today’s recipe, I never had Starbucks Oatmeal cookies. Not sure I will make these because of the amount of sugar in them. You see, I would eat them, and I am sure too many of them. They look like a cookie I would have absolutely no control over. Being diabetic, that is dangerous for me.
Jennifer S. says
Ditto!
Stacey says
I haven’t read the entire blog post, but they’d probably freeze well. I normally end up alternating the sugar amount. Normally. Not always.
Nicole Hunn says
I didn’t realize you were diabetic, Mare. It can be rather hard to control oneself around these cookies, indeed! And so glad you’re really making a name for yourself with the bread!
Emily Howe says
Your last set of comments hit the nail on the head for me. I may not make many of these recipes… BUT I CAN – if I wanted to :D. That alone is almost as good as eating the prize parcel itself!
Nicole Hunn says
Amen to that, Emily!
Teresa says
To die for…….thanks they are my fav.