Jelly Oat Cookies (gluten, dairy, and nut-free)

It's that time of year! Cookie baking time! I love to bake cookies and so December is my excuse to make cookies and share them, freeze them, and nibble on them with a cup of my new favorite hot cocoa (or this oldie, goodie recipe too!). 

I'm not going to lie though....these cookies have been a staple snack and treat in my house since this last June. So they are not a very *special* twinkly, glittery Christmas cookie. Just a simple and fabulous cookie that the young and old will alike enjoy. It is my 3 year old's most requested and favorite cookie. Which if I am honest is perfectly fine with me if he wants to eat this cookie more than once throughout the day. There is no sugar, and lots of fiber and protein from the oats....so basically a bowl of oatmeal in a cookie, right?! 

And, when you are gluten-free like me, darling, you need a cookie option like this one. One that you can make and actually enjoy and doesn't harm your sensitive body's eco system known as your gut. Don't cheat with toxic sugar and gluten and fake ingredients. It's just not worth it darling, and if you need me to come up with substitute cookies to appease the thought of cheating....I will, I will!

In the meantime, this recipe I have memorized because of the 20-up-times I have made it. Super dependable and delish. What are your plans for Christmas cookie baking this year? Are you discouraged about GF and trying to avoid ideas? Or are you trying to sub some ingredients in a favorite old recipe? I would love to hear what you have up your gluten-free cookie baking sleeve this year!

Jelly Oat Cookies Recipe
(gluten, dairy, nut, sugar and soy-free, vegan)

3 cups of freshly ground gluten-free oat flour (grind your own GF rolled oats in a grinder/blender)
1 cup of gluten-free rolled oats
1 ts. of sea salt
1 ts. of cinnamon (or ground ginger as a sub) (or a little of both )
1/2 cup of pure maple syrup
2/3 cup of soft organic coconut oil
1/3 cup of soft sunflower seed butter
1-2 TB of non-dairy milk of choice
1-2 ts. of pure vanilla
1/2 cup or so of favorite fruity jam (I have used organic strawberry, blueberry and a homemade peach)
All options are good for this cookie. Some yummy combos are ginger and peach, cinnamon and blueberry, and plain strawberry is a favorite around here too.

First in a high powered blender, blend 3 cups of GF rolled oats to make your own GF oat flour. Pour the heaping 3 cups of oat flour in a large mixing bowl, and then dump the rest of  the dry ingredients together. Then pour in all of the wet(syrup, oil and butter) at once and mix well with a wooden spoon or your hands. After mixed, it will be a tad sticky, let the batter sit for 5 minutes and it will meld together well.

Then take a TB of dough and roll into a ball and put on a parchment papered baking sheet pan. You can place these balls close to each other. Then after rolling out the balls, take a small spoon and press it down into the ball to flatten the ball and make a small hole in the middle of the cookie. Then take a small dose (around 1 ts. of fruit jelly and put it in the middle of the cookie. This recipe will make 3 dozen cookies and they can easily be fit all together on 2 large 11x15 pans. 

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 18 minutes. Let cool 10-15 minutes before eating. And they save great on the counter for a few days and freeze amazingly!

Here are a few of my other favorite Christmas cookie recipes 

that I will be making once AGAIN this year!!!

Chocolate Sunflower Seed Butter Thumbprint Cookies

Coconut Sugar Cut-Out Cookies

Stevia Sweetened Cut-Out Cookies

Stevia Sweetened Gingerbread Cut-Out Cookies

Ginger Molasses Cookies

Cranberry Oat Gingerbread Cookies

Double Chocolate Cranberry Cookies

New Year's Scottish Shortbread

Fruit and Maple Thumbprint Cookies

Sunshine and Lemon Shortbread Cookies

Other Cookies

ENJOY and happy baking!