Try a twist on the original oatmeal raisin cookie and transform it into these Gluten Free White Chocolate Cherry Oatmeal Cookies. They’re sweet and chewy with a little bit of tang.
I have been on a full on oatmeal cookie kick lately. They’re so good, and it’s a great way to incorporate whole grains into my kids’ diets…by mixing them into a batch of cookie dough. That’s healthy, right???
Okay, I’m not even going to justify that argument. But look, if you’re going to eat a treat…a delicious, full fat, full sugar, full carb treat…why not throw in some whole grain, thick old fashioned rolled oats? It just makes that sweet thang you’re about to eat even better.
After my Maui trip with my girls, mom, sister-in-laws, and nieces, we returned back to Oahu and my family stayed at our house for a few extra days. Because a girls’ trip to Maui isn’t enough. It’s essential to continue to wear out your mainland guests by dragging them around an entire other island. It’s especially fun with 5 kids six and under. Bahahaha!!!
No, in all reality, even though I was exhausted from head to toe, I had a complete blast playing tour guide by showing off some of my favorite views in this paradise I call home.
I do get a little stressed hosting visitors, though, making sure that everyone is comfortable and well taken care of while residing in my home. I try to have the pantry stocked with a variety of items, fresh sheets and towels on the beds and in bathrooms, fans in every room so my guests don’t feel like they’re visiting a sauna, and a packed itinerary each day so nobody gets bored.
Although, I’m now known as the hostess that causes her guests to barf. I guess I packed a little too much activity into one day and my uncle (we met up with him and his wife for two days) actually threw up in the ocean after snorkeling, which was only at the second out of the three beaches planned for that day. And yes, we still did go surfing at the third beach afterward. What a day!
Anyway, I know most people, just like myself, enjoy nibbling on a treat sometime in the evening after dinner. Problem is, I never buy treats since I’m baking them all the time. And since we had been in Maui the previous week, I hadn’t been baking one bit. We came home to a house vacant of sweets. Catastrophe!!!
So, as my house was being torn apart by 5 silly girls and bodies and beds were scurrying everywhere attempting to figure out sleeping arrangements, I was in the kitchen whipping up a batch of cookies. Yes, we NEEDED cookies.
Although I ended up making basic chocolate chip oatmeal cookies, I used the base recipe for these Gluten Free White Chocolate Cherry Oatmeal Cookies that I had created the week before. They are superb!
They have that perfect oatmeal cookie texture; soft and chewy on the inside with a slightly crispy crust. Just darn delicious.
What made these oatmeal cookies extra special were the mix-ins. I was in the mood for something a little sweet and tangy, which is quite different than my usual chocolate craving. After scouring the pantry, I landed on a bag of white chocolate chips, some dry roasted macadamia pieces, and a handful of dried tart Montgomery cherries. What a combo! Paired with thick rolled oats, this was a winning group of mix-ins.
Not only did I switch up the mix-ins for a typical oatmeal cookie, but I also added a bit of cream cheese to the cookie dough for something different. This creamy addition gives these cookies a bit more richness and ensures a soft texture. I would definitely recommend trying a slight amount of cream cheese with your next cookie batter if you’re into soft and chewy cookies.
Make sure to bake these cookies enough that they hold together once they cool, but not so much that the centers become fully cooked. Ain’t nobody ever like an over baked cookie. At least that’s what my mama says, and I ALWAYS listen to my mama. Okay, that’s a big fat lie, but in this case it’s completely true. I get all my baking techniques from my good old mother dearest.
And that’s a wrap ya’ll. If you’re itching for a new and improved oatmeal cookie that bakes it’s way out of the ordinary box of oatmeal cookies, these are for you. You will enjoy every last bite, and I mean it.
Do you enjoy hosting visitors?
- 2 sticks butter
- 1½ cups organic cane sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 2 oz. cream cheese
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla
- 2 large eggs
- 1¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup brown rice flour
- ¾ cup sweet sorghum flour
- ½ cup fine white rice flour
- ½ cup potato starch
- ¼ cup tapioca starch
- 1¾ cups old fashioned gluten free oats (not quick cooking)
- ⅓ cup chopped dried cherries
- ¼ cup macadamia, walnut, or pecan pieces
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
- In a large microwavable mixing bowl, combine butter, cane sugar, and brown sugar. Microwave on high heat for 1 minute. Remove and stir. Return to microwave and heat on high for an additional minute until bubbly. Remove and stir. Add cream cheese and stir until melted. Add almond and vanilla extracts and stir until smooth.
- Let mixture sit for at least 5 minutes until no longer scorching hot. Crack eggs on top and slowly stir into mixture with a wooden spoon. Stir until smooth and incorporated.
- In a separate smaller mixing bowl, sift together salt, xanthan gum, baking soda, brown rice flour, sorghum flour, white rice flour, potato starch, and tapioca starch. Add sifted ingredients into wet mixture and stir until well incorporated and dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
- Add rolled oats, chopped dried cherries, and nuts and mix until evenly distributed. Chill dough in the fridge for about 30 minutes until no longer warm, but still slightly soft. Stir in white chocolate chips and return to fridge to chill for an additional 30 minutes to an hour.
- Once ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Drop tablespoon size pieces of dough 2" apart on cookie sheet and bake for 12-14 minutes until edges are golden brown and cookies look almost set.
- Remove cookies from oven and allow to cool on pan for 5 minutes. Slide parchment paper, with cookies, onto a cooling rack and allow cookies to completely cool.
- Store leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
