These soft and chewy gluten-free oatmeal cookies made with almond flour, molasses and warm spices are a bite of nostalgia. Delicious as-is or topped with icing, which makes the prettiest pattern and also keeps the cookies super moist!
When given the choice between a slice of leftover pumpkin pie and one of these iced gluten-free oatmeal cookies, both of my children chose the cookie. With their craggy snowy mountain tops of icing, these cookies have the allure factor.
We often make my chewy gooey gluten-free oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, but sometimes I want these classically chewy oatmeal cookies that are as versatile as a little black dress. Enjoy as-is, with icing, or topped simply with flaky salt.
The perfect oatmeal cookie depends on the oats. For these cookies, you need old-fashioned rolled oats, not instant oats.
I do not recommend substituting quick-cooking oats or instant oats, as they are rolled thinner and thus soak up moisture quicker, which can leave your cookie tasting dry without the proper texture.
Pulsing the oats for softer texture
- To get the perfect soft, but chewy texture for iced gluten-free cookies, pulse the old-fashioned rolled oats in a food processor or blender until you've got a mix of some finely ground oat flour and some whole oats (see picture above). Pulsing creates a softer and fluffier cookie than using whole oats and leaves a smoother texture on top that's ideal for the crackly icing.
- For a classically chewy oatmeal cookie with crisp edges and no icing, you can skip the pulsing and add a minute to the baking time. Below is a texture comparison between cookies baked with whole rolled oats versus with pulsed rolled oats.
Almond Flour Makes the Best Oatmeal Cookies
The subtle sweet nuttiness of almond flour is the most neutral gluten-free flour to capture that classic cookie flavor and texture. It adds subtle warm and cozy flavor notes that pair beautifully with oatmeal and spices.
- Tapioca flour: Tapioca flour offers chewiness and adds to the fluffiness and crisp edges of the cookies. It's what keeps the cookies from being too dense.
- Sweet Rice Flour: sweet rice flour is distinctively different than white rice or brown rice flour. Sweet rice flour is the same flour used to make mochi cake, and as such, it also contributes to the chewiness of the cookie center.
Why I Love Icing on Oatmeal Cookies
Adding icing to these cookies gives them a nostalgic look and flavor just like mother's. The icing also helps to add and lock in the moisture, keeping the cookies soft and tender for longer.
The key to gluten-free oatmeal cookies with craggy icing is to ensure the icing is super thick. Add just enough milk to create a completely smooth icing that isn't runny. This will keep it from dripping into the nooks or off the edges.
Thick v. Thin Oatmeal Cookies
Whether you prefer a thicker cookie or a thinner cookie is a matter of personal preference. I personally prefer these oatmeal cookies thicker, soft, and chewier over thin and crisp. Your preference will determine whether or not you chill the dough.
If you bake the cookies without chilling, cut the bake time down by 1 minute. Your cookies will bake up thinner with crispier edges. Note: if you like them extra thin, try my Gluten-Free Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Chilling, on the other hand, produces a slightly loftier cookie that's soft and chewy with slightly crisp edges.
Recipe
Chewy Iced Gluten-Free Oatmeal Cookies (with Almond Flour)
Ingredients
- 165 g (1⅔ cups) Bob's Red Mill gluten-free old-fashioned rolled oats
- 91 g (¾ cup + 1 tablespoon) Bob's Red Mill super-fine blanched almond flour
- 56 g (½ cup) Bob's Red Mill tapioca flour
- 50 g (¼ cup + 1 tablespoon) Bob's Red Mill sweet rice flour, Also called mochiko, different from "white rice flour" or "brown rice flour"
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 100 g (½ cup) organic light brown sugar
- 52 g (¼ cup) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- ½ tablespoon molasses
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar, sifted
- ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1-2 tablespoons milk
- Pinch kosher salt
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- If making the iced oatmeal cookies, pulse the rolled oats in the food processor 10-15 times until some of the oats are finely ground and some are just coarsely chopped. This will give the cookie a fluffier texture that is only moderately textured on top, making it ideal for dipping in the icing. If you're not going to ice the cookies, skip this step. Set the oats aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the almond flour, tapioca flour, sweet rice flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer, cream the butter and sugars together starting on low speed and increasing to medium-high speed, until light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes. Scrape down the sides and add the egg, molasses, and vanilla extract and beat until just combined, scraping down the sides as needed.
- With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the sifted flours until just combined. Add the rolled oats and beat for a few seconds until evenly distributed.
- Scoop the dough into 1½ tablespoon-sized balls onto a baking sheet (I use the OXO medium cookie scoop and it makes exactly 18-21 cookies, depending on oat v almond variations).
- Bake immediately or for thicker cookies, chill the cookie dough in the fridge for 1 hour or in the freezer for 15 minutes, until firm. Working in batches, place the chilled cookie dough balls 2 inches apart on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Skip chilling and space cookie dough directly on the parchment-lined baking sheet for thinner cookies.
- Bake chilled cookies for 13 minutes or room temperature cookies for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are set, but the center still looks slightly underbaked. If you did not pulse the oats in step 1, add 1 minute to the baking time. Let cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a cooling rack with a thin spatula to cool completely before icing.
- When the cookies are completely cooled, prepare the icing.
- In a small bowl, mix together the powdered sugar, vanilla, salt, and ½ tablespoon of milk. Add more milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, just until the icing is smooth but very thick. When drizzled back onto itself, the icing should hold its shape for a few seconds before settling back into the bowl. Take a cooled cookie and very lightly dip the top of it in the bowl of icing a few times until it has the desired amount of icing. Imagine gently tapping the cookie on the icing letting any excess drip off before turning it over. This will produce the crackly top. Serve immediately or return to the wire rack to let the icing set for an hour before stacking cookies.
Notes
- 81 g (¾ cup) Bob's Red Mill gluten-free oat flour
- 30 g (3 tablespoons) Bob's Red Mill sweet rice flour
- 28 g (¼ cup) Bob's Red Mill tapioca flour
Gluten-Free Oatmeal Cookie Recipe Variations
This base gluten-free oatmeal cookie recipe is endlessly customizable. With this beloved classic cookie recipe in hand, you can go wild with add-ins to suit your fancy!
- Raisins or dried cranberries: For gluten-free oatmeal raisin or cranberry cookies, add ½ - ¾ cup raisins or dried cranberries. Use dried fruit that is soft and plump rather than too withered and dry.
- Nuts: Add ½ - ¾ cup chopped walnuts or pecans to the dough. Toast the nuts before adding them to the cookie dough for the best flavor and texture.
- Chocolate chips: Add 4 ounces of chocolate chips or chopped chocolate to the dough. Press a few pieces of chocolate into the top of each cookie dough ball for puddles of chocolate. I also highly recommend this thinner recipe for Gluten-Free Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Cachaé -
Hi Sarah! I just wanted to drop a comment to let you know I’ve made this recipe over a dozen times and it is an absolute hit!! I follow the Oat-Flour version and the only subs I make is using lactose-free butter in the dough and oat milk for the icing! They are so delicious and nostalgic!! Thank you for this wonderful recipe!! My boyfriend actually requested I make these for his birthday instead of a cake! ☺️
Vanessa -
What else could I sub for the powdered sugar? These look soooooooo delicious and remind me of one of my all-time childhood favorites! I’m also considering doing maple and coconut sugar in the cookies, as sadly I can’t tolerate any refined white sugars…Any thoughts or suggestions? Love your blog!💓
Sarah Menanix -
I think maple syrup in the glaze will work great! You'll just need to reduce the amount of milk. Just drizzle in a little bit, mix, and check the consistency. I also think swapping both sugars for coconut sugar, measured by weight, will work great too!
Holly -
These are soooo delicious! They taste like an oatmeal cinnamon roll. I know you advised against using quick oats but that's all I had on hand and they turned out ok for me. I couldn't find Bob's Sweet Rice Flour so I went to an Asian store and found glutinous rice flour. Next time, I may try with brown butter. I hope they would turn out ok?
Cj -
This recipe is DELICIOUS!! I made the oat flour version and it was such a hit with everyone! We all felt transported back to our childhood, thank you for sharing this recipe!
Tegan -
I just wanted to say I love your recipes. I can always count on them being delicious and not taste gluten free. I have a binder full of your recipes, but would love to purchase a cookbook. Any chance you will be publishing one in the near future?
Sarah Menanix -
This comment made my morning - thank you! I'm struggling to balance just life with two young kids right now, so I don't have any plans for a cookbook in the near future, but if I do, I'll be sure to make sure folks know!
DessertForTwo -
These are so delicious!
Claire -
These are delicious and just what I have been looking for in an oatmeal cookie. I made the version with the oat flour, and still pulsed the oats - just for fun. I did use arrowroot and they turned out fine (of course, I don't know what they are "supposed" to be with the tapioca.)
Mostly I love that they are soft in the middle (when you don't over bake them) and not too sweet at all. The molasses is subtle but gives a little bite.
I split the dough and made half with currants (no raisins) and pecans and the other half with chocolate chips and pecans. Great either way.
Thanks for a wonderful recipe.
Holly -
Would a flax egg work?
Sarah Menanix -
Hmm - I haven't tested this with a flax egg, but I do have this recipe that's gluten-free and vegan!