Gluten Free, Old School No Bake Nut Butter and Oat Cookies

Gluten Free, No Bake Nut Butter and Oat Cookies, originally uploaded by Kate Chan.

So I picked up a copy of an old cookbook that I have from “Up North” (You, Minnesotans know what I’m talking about…). I started to check out the index as I have just picked up these delicious blueberries that Zoe is crazy about. I thought I would see what things I might make with them and since there were always blueberry-somethings around when I was a kid – I thought this “Up North” book would do the trick.

Ay. Ay. Ay. Seriously. AY.

I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but it seems to me that cookbooks have certainly taken a turn for the better – as have the eating habits of most of the people I know. The cookbook I browsed has some great brunch recipes, but it is sadly lacking in any real fruit/vegetable entries. Those are mainly left to the canned, candied or pickled. The “Blueberry Salad” recipe that I spied in the index and thought “Mmmm.. that sounds good!” turned out to be a no-fruit jello + cream cheese + cool whip concoction that made me a tad…. well… ill. It rather grossed me out, to be honest. I thought at LEAST they could have thrown me a bone and whipped in some fresh blueberries in the end, right? RIGHT? Nope. None.

So, I gave up on the index. The recipe titles didn’t seem to help me as much as the actual ingredients list.

I found the cookie section to be a blast from the past too. OH! The sugar! Oh, for the love of all things SUGAR! Man, happy memories!

Since we were headed to a friends’ house for a BBQ and he is from the Midwest too, I thought I would make him a treat from his good old days too. So here is the “old school” recipe for this cookies. I made an updated, sugar-free, peanut-free cookie that roughly mimics these – only better – and I’ll post that recipe later this week.

For now… enjoy the Old School version. Just don’t tell your dentist where ya got the recipe, k? (And if I were making these all over again? I would cut the sugar back to 2/3 cup instead…. just a word of advice. LOL)

REMEMBER: To make this a gluten-free recipe, be sure to use all gluten free ingredients – including certified gluten-free oats.

This recipe is quick and easy to prepare.  It took me all of 15 minutes to have the cookies on the counter cooling.  Perfect for cooking with toddlers underfoot!

You can find a printable copy of this recipe here.

Gluten-Free, Old School, No Bake Nut Butter and Oat Cookies
Makes two dozen drop cookies
Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
3 1/2 tablespoons butter
4 Tablespoons milk
1 1/2 cups gluten free rolled oats
1/3 cup nut butter (I used peanut butter in these)
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/3 cup crushed walnuts
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

  1. Put oats, nut butter, cinnamon and walnuts in a heat resistant medium bowl. Set aside.
  2. Put butter, milk and sugar into a small saucepan. Melt together over medium-high heat while stirring frequently to avoid burning the sugar. Once the ingredients are all melted, bring to a boil and allow to boil for one minute.
  3. Pour the boiling liquids over the oat mixture.
  4. Add the vanilla extract.
  5. Stir very well. Make sure all of the oats, etc have been coated evenly.
  6. Set aside for 5 minutes to allow to cool slightly.
  7. Drop by the tablespoon on to parchment paper and allow to cool completely. The cookies will dry and set within 30 minutes or so, depending on your house temperature.
  8. Store in an airtight container, or eat off the counter with reckless abandon for your dental health.

Happy Cookies!
-Kate

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