Thank you all so much for your thoughtful comments and emails in response to my last post. It’s been a stressful week, but things are turning around and Aaron and I were truly touched by the outpouring of support and well-wishes. Blogging has allowed me to be a part of such an incredible community of people, and for that, I am so thankful.
So, are you ready for that cookie recipe?
My kitchen is definitely a happy place for me, and when I’m feeling overwhelmed, I’ll often carve out half an hour to just go make something. Usually that something is bread or dessert because, let’s face it, carbs are comforting. The energizing, nutritious salad can come later.
With these cookies, however, I wanted to fuse comfort and nutrition. Oatmeal raisin cookies are one of my favorites and the recipe I posted a while back is usually my go-to when the craving strikes. It’s by no means unhealthy, but it’s more indulgent in terms of the vegan butter, sugar, and use of all-purpose flour.
I knew I wanted to make a gluten-free cookie that everyone could enjoy, and using that oatmeal raisin recipe as inspiration, I was able to replace the butter with coconut oil, the white and brown sugars with lower-glycemic coconut sugar and a little maple syrup, and the raisins for antioxidant-rich goji berries. I used significantly less sugar and cut down on the oil by several tablespoons, and still the texture is seriously good (no small feat for gluten-free!).
What’s great about this recipe is that not only does it satisfy that need for a cookie without weighing you down, but it’s also easily adaptable to whatever you have on hand. No goji berries? Use the more traditional raisins, or try dried cherries or cranberries. And if you’re not looking to make a gluten-free cookie, spelt or whole wheat pastry flour would be wonderful.
I’m thinking next time I might try replacing the applesauce and a little more of the oil with pumpkin and throwing in some pumpkin pie spice and maybe pumpkin seeds to create a more seasonal cookie…dried fruit yet to be determined. Maybe chocolate chips?
- 1 C. Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour
- 1 C. Gluten-Free Rolled Oats
- 1½ Tsp. Baking Soda
- ¼ Tsp. Xanthan Gum
- ⅛ Tsp. Fine Sea Salt
- ½ Tsp. Cinnamon
- ⅓ C. Coconut Oil (Solid, Not Melted)
- ⅓ C. Unsweetened Applesauce
- ¼ C. Coconut Sugar
- 2 Tbs. Maple Syrup
- 1 Tsp. Vanilla
- ½ C. Goji Berries
- Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Using a stand or hand mixer, cream together the coconut oil, coconut sugar, and maple syrup until light and fluffy.
- Add the applesauce and vanilla and mix to combine.
- Sift in the gluten-free flour, baking soda, xanthan gum, salt, and cinnamon. Add the rolled oats and mix until well-incorporated.
- Fold in the goji berries.
- Scoop dough onto a lined or greased cookie sheet, 2 inches apart, using a heaping tablespoon or cookie dough scoop. Lightly flatten the dough with a spatula before baking. If the dough sticks, dip the spatula in a little water between flattening cookies.
- Bake for 10 minutes, or until golden brown on the bottom.
- Allow to cool before serving.
Cheers to cookies and a hopefully stress-free weekend!
xo
Amanda
Katie @ Soulshine and Sassafras says
I’ve had a bunch of goji berries for awhile and couldn’t figure out what to do with them – this is a great idea!
Ceil says
Hi Amanda!
I’m glad that you’re keeping the faith and taking things in stride. 🙂 Oatmeal raisin cookies are one of my faves, so I look forward to trying your recipe when I return to the US. Continue to stay positive!
Best wishes always,
Ceil
Amanda says
Thanks, Ceil! 🙂
Laura S. says
Thanks for the gluten-free recipe! What are your thoughts on xanthan gum? I’m guessing positive since I see you use it often. I don’t know why but it just weirds me out and I prefer not to use it. Can it be left out or subbed? I feel like I’ve seen psyllium husk powder as a sub but maybe I dreamt that.
Amanda says
I regularly use xanthan gum in my gluten-free recipes. I know some people have trouble digesting it, but I’ve yet to experience any issues. I’m not sure how the cookies will hold together without it – they may be fine, or they could be a little crumbly. You could try adding in something like a chia seed egg instead (I like to grind the chia seeds before I combine them with water) to act as a binder. I’ll have to try that next time! 🙂
Laura S says
I’m a fan of chia and flax eggs. I will try that and let you know how it goes or I’ll be on the lookout if you get to it first! 🙂
Dixya @ Food, Pleasure and Health says
Kitchen is my happy space too and helps me unwind and keeps my mind off from all the stress in life. Add cookies to that- it will solve almost all your problems 🙂 these cookies look very delicious and loved how you have made several healthier changes. I am always on the look out for healthy cookies 🙂 this is one
Lauren @ Oatmeal after Spinning says
I love how low sugar these are.. I will definitely have to try this recipe!
I’m a big fan of goji berries, but I’ve found that people have very strong opinions about them- it’s love or hate (i love!)
Amanda says
Yeah, I can see why some people aren’t a fan. The texture is a little softer after you bake them in the cookies, so I think that might help to change some people’s minds. 🙂
Carollani says
Nice work! I demo goji berries (and other stuff) for Rich Nature and am always looking for great recipes to try. Have you ever tried cooking with golden berries? They’re a challenge for the epicurious among us because they’re so tart–would love to see what you did with those.
Also, mulberries make an amazing gluten free raw crust for tarts and pies. (very sweet and weirdly low on the glycemic index)
I’d like to give you and your readers 10% off anything in the Rich Nature store with coupon code CLSAND80. I hope this isn’t too spammy a comment!
Rossi @ A Baking Girl says
I hadn’t even heard of goji berries before this, but they sound great! I love how healthy this recipe is, especially without a ton of sugar in them.
Amanda says
You have to try goji berries! I actually wasn’t a huge fan when I first tried them (they’re a little earthy and not nearly as sweet as raisins), but they grew on me and now I can’t get enough. 🙂
bernard says
Hi there Amanda,
great recipe, just wondering if you would mind me translating your recipe to romanian and publishing it on our goji berry cultivation forums.
Thank You in advance, keep up the great work!
bernard
bernard says
of course needless to say, I would add the original link to your recipe and all credits go to You 🙂
Thank You
Amanda says
Hi Bernard, Yes – feel free to translate the recipe into Romanian. Thanks for asking! 🙂
bernard says
Thanks a lot Amanda!
The to the post is:
http://gojilandromania.eu/forum/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=23
check us out on Facebook at:
https://www.facebook.com/gojilandromania
https://www.facebook.com/gojilandromania.ciuperceni
Analida says
Sounds really good. I will have to give these a try. I do need to omit the xanthan gum as it does not agree with me at all.
Nina Javez says
The goji berries add such an interesting color and flavor, not to mention the health benefits!