Gluten Free Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

I had zero intentions of blogging about these cookies.  The expectations were pretty low because, although I needed a treat to take to the wineries (along with the chicken salad I posted about yesterday - if you didn't read that one, you should totally go back and do so.  Yum!)  There were 2 requirements for these cookies.

1.  They had to be gluten free because my GFF (gluten free friend) was coming to the wineries with us.
2.  I had to use whatever I had on hand because I refused to go to the grocery store.

Well... these cookies were a pleasant surprise.  I heart them.  Whether they have glutens or not, they're one thing... good.   In fact, I didn't even make any other treats to take with us because these are good enough for gluten eating and non-gluten eating people alike.


I have a theory about making GF desserts and that is to add as much stuff to them as possible.  That way, if there is a texture issue due to the different kind of flour you're using, you're so distracted by all the other goodness in there you don't even notice.  Not that anything I put in here is odd or shouldn't be in a cookie... it all belongs in cookies.  Peanut butter, oatmeal, coconut, walnuts and chocolate chips.... Mmmm.  Plus, I had it all sitting around my kitchen.  Yeah for me!!

These cookies are nice and chewy, just how I like 'em.  No crispy cookies for this girl.  The coconut flavor is pretty subtle because I used unsweetened, ground coconut so it's practically invisible and you don't get the big coconut strings in the batter.   Walnuts and chocolate chips are a no brainer.  I also love peanut butter cookies and oatmeal cookies so I figured combining the two together couldn't be bad.  It wasn't.

Feel free to make these cookies with regular, all purpose flour instead of the gluten free all purpose blend if you want to.  Particularly if it means you don't have to go to the grocery store.  Also feel free to change up the chocolate and nuts if you like something a bit different... or if you don't want to go to the grocery store.


Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies (Gluten Free!)
3 dozen cookies

Ingredients
1/2 cup Butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup Peanut Butter (I used crunchy, but creamy is fine too)
1/2 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 Egg
1 cup Gluten Free All Purpose Flour (or regular)
1/4 tsp Xantham Gum (omit if using regular flour)
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 cup Oats
1/2 cup unsweetened, dried Coconut, toasted
1/3 cup chopped Walnuts
1 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, cream the butter, peanut butter and sugars on medium speed until fluffy, 2-3 minutes.  Add the vanilla and egg and mix on low speed until just combined.  Add the flour, xantham, baking soda, baking powder and salt and mix on low speed until just combined.  Mix in the oats and dried coconut and mix until just combined.  Stir the walnuts and chocolate chips in by hand.

Drop onto a cookie sheet lined with a silpat or sprayed with non-stick spray.  Bake for approximately 12 minutes or until light golden brown.


Enjoy!
Julie