Soft and chewy gluten-free oatmeal cookies with molasses and warm spices. Delicious as-is or topped with icing. Easily make nut-free or dairy-free, or add in raisins or chocolate chips.

This post is brought to you by Bob’s Red Mill, a long-term partner of Snixy Kitchen

When given the choice between a slice of leftover 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, even to my kids who don't have nostalgia for an old-fashioned lunchbox cookie.

These cookies are scoring me lots of mom points with my kids. The other day, Zoella (5) told me I was one of her favorite moms. Yes, ONE OF. Apparently she "has a lot of mom friends." And the competition is stiff. So with that, I went back to the kitchen to bake more bribes. 

We make a lot of oatmeal cookies in our house, but somehow I've yet to share my classic gluten-free oatmeal cookie recipe. The recipe that's as versatile as a little black dress. Enjoy as-is or topped simply with flaky salt. Dress them up with a wisp of icing or mix in dried fruit, nuts, or chocolate chips. Or divide up the dough and do a little of each. 

These gluten-free spiced oatmeal cookies are my sixth recipe in a year-long partnership with Bob’s Red Mill. Here’s a list of all the recipes I’ve made in partnership with Bob’s Red Mill over the years. 

What kind of Oats for Gluten-Free Oatmeal Cookies?

The perfect oatmeal cookie depends on the oats. For these cookies, you need old-fashioned rolled oats, not instant oats. And to ensure there's no cross-contamination, I use Bob's Red Mill gluten-free old-fashioned rolled oats, which are made in a dedicated facility. Their oats are high quality and consistent in texture and flavor.

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 the 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.

What Flour for Chewy Gluten-Free Cookies

While I'm partial to the slight nuttiness almond flour adds to cookies, I also developed a nut-free version using oat flour. Unless tasting side-by-side, they're almost indistinguishable. Either way, you'll love these cookies!

Both versions pair either super-fine blanched almond flour or gluten-free oat flour with tapioca flour and sweet rice flour to create a cookie that bakes up soft, chewy, and moist with crisp edges.

• 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.  
  • Sub in by weight: While I haven't tested it, I would recommend substituting by weight with arrowroot starch. 
• 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, and as such, it also contributes to the chewiness of the cookie center. 
  • Sub in by weight: additional tapioca flour. The results will be a bit less chewy, but still delicious.

I recommend only Bob's Red Mill brand flours, which are consistent in quality, with a fine grind that is never gritty. Subbing in a different brand of flour is the most common reason a recipe doesn't turn out as expected. Consistent flour texture is especially important for cookies that should be crisp, moist, soft, and chewy all at once. 

Almond Flour Variation

The subtle sweet nuttiness of almond flour is the most neutral gluten-free flour to capture that classic cookie flavor and texture. Almond flour does not make the baked cookie taste like almonds but adds subtle warm and cozy flavor notes that pair beautifully with oatmeal and spices. Because of the higher fat and moisture content in almond flour, you'll need more flour than in the oat flour version, which creates a couple of extra bonus cookies.

• Substitution: If you cannot tolerate nuts, use the oat flour version below. 

Nut-Free Oat Flour Variation

If using the oat flour variation, be sure to look for Bob's Red Mill gluten-free oat flour if you want to be sure your cookies are 100% gluten-free.

When used alone, oat flour is a soft and light flour that's almost cakey. When combined with tapioca flour and sweet rice flour, it acts as the structure of the cookie, imparting a warm wholesome flavor, that, well, tastes just as an oatmeal cookie should. 

• Option: grind up gluten-free old-fashioned rolled oats in a food processor or blender, then sift out any big pieces. Make sure to measure this by weight as homemade gluten-free oat flour is less finely ground so the volume per weight will be different.
• Sub in by weight: Teff Flour or Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour. 

How to Make chewy and soft gluten-free oatmeal cookies

Here are my steps and tips for making the best soft and chewy gluten-free oatmeal cookies. 

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. 
2. Pulse oats. For iced gluten-free oatmeal cookies or if you prefer a thicker softer cookie, pulse the oats 10-15 times in a food processor or blender before using. Set aside.
3. Sift dry ingredients. 
4. Cream butter and sugars. The butter should be softened almost to room temperature, but not melted. I recommend organic light brown sugar as it is more moist with a more assertive molasses flavor than conventional and thus creates a chewier more flavorful cookie.
5. Mix in egg, molasses, and vanilla. Adding molasses increases the brown sugar notes and helps keep the cookies soft and chewy. 
6. Add dry ingredients. Slowly add the dry ingredients until combined. 
7. Mix in pulsed oats and any add-ins. Mix just until thoroughly combined. 
8. Roll and chill cookie dough. Use a cookie scoop to roll the cookie dough into even balls and chill.
9. Bake. Bake 11-13 minutes until the edges are just set, but the center still looks underbaked. Take care not to overbake, as they'll continue cooking on the baking sheet and the oats will soak up more moisture as they cool. 
10. Cool. Let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before icing. 
11. Prepare icing. Whisk together the icing ingredients into a very thick, smooth icing. 
12. Dip in icing. Once the cookies have cooled completely, very lightly dip the tops of the cookies in the icing as desired. After an hour or so, the icing will harden so the cookies can be stacked. 

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.

Iced 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. 

With the thick icing, lightly tap the tops of the completely cooled cookies in the icing a few times until you've got the desired coverage. 

Can you make these cookies Dairy-Free?

Looking for gluten-free dairy-free oatmeal cookies? Just sub out the butter for a plant-based stick butter and the milk for your favorite plant-based milk!

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.

How to store this gluten-free cookie dough?

If you don't want to bake all the cookies at once, you can bake some now and store the rest for later!

Use a cookie scoop to roll the cookie dough into even balls and chill on a baking sheet in the fridge for an hour or freezer for 15 minutes. Once firm, transfer the cookie dough balls to a gallon freezer bag and store in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months. 

If you've stored the cookie dough in the freezer for longer than 30 minutes, you'll also need 1-2 additional minutes of the baking time. When baking the cookies directly from long freezer storage, they will bake up thicker than pictured here. 

Alternatively, let the dough sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking if you don't want your cookies to bake up thicker. 

How to store gluten-free oatmeal cookies

Store these oatmeal cookies in an airtight container for up to 4 days. 

Oatmeal soaks up moisture the longer it sits, which can make oatmeal cookies taste dry and stale quickly. With brown sugar and molasses, these gluten-free oatmeal cookies retain their moisture when stored. 

Additionally, the icing continues to soften the cookies over time, adding and trapping in moisture.

Gluten-Free Christmas Cookies

Deliver the most festive gluten-free Christmas cookie platter to your friends and neighbors. Here are a few of my favorite recipes. 

• Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies with Icing
• Gluten-Free Coconut Macaroons
• Gluten-Free Thumbprint Cookies
• Gluten-Free Snickerdoodles
• Matcha Macarons
• Chocolate Hazelnut Gluten-Free Slice and Bake Cookies
• Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Cookies
• Gluten-Free Chocolate Cookies
• Gluten-Free Chocolate Pecan Shortbread Cookies
• Homemade Gluten-Free Oreos
• Gluten-Free White Chocolate Matcha Shortbread Cookies

If you're feeling overwhelmed by buying different gluten-free flours, you can also use my recipe filter to sort recipes by gluten-free flour type to use up what you've got.