What do I mean by “naturally” gluten-free? I simply mean that this recipe is, and always has been, gluten-free… without any alterations, substitutions or weird ingredients.
I just realized that maybe not everyone knew that little tidbit already, and some of you may be excited to hear it.
Others of you may just be hearing about all this “gluten-free” stuff and might like having a little something in your arsenal for when a gluten-free baking opportunity or need presents itself.
We don’t eat gluten-free around here (although I have had to do a few gluten-free trials for my kids, so I am well aware of how difficult it can be!), but I have several friends and family members who can’t have gluten, and I love being able to spoil them just as much as everyone else.
Food allergies shouldn’t mean you can’t enjoy life’s little pleasures, you know?
I have been making these cookies for years. My entire family has been making them for years. All the way back to both of my grandma’s. This is a crowd-pleasing recipe. And it feeds a crowd!
I made little tiny two-bite cookies this time to take to church on Sunday for coffee time, and I ended up with over 10 dozen cookies.
Yes, I know that is a lot. But it never hurts to have a freezer-stash of cookies, does it?
I have shared this recipe here at Sweet Anna’s before. And I even have a smaller-batch version for those of you who just can’t imagine dealing with this many cookies.
I did leave out the m&m’s in the original recipe today, because I had these cute little orange and black chocolate chips to use and didn’t feel like using candy too.
Go ahead and sub the m&ms for half of the chocolate chips if you want!!
Ingredients
- 1 cup softened butter
- 2 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
- 2 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
- 2 cups white sugar
- 6 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 4 teaspoons baking soda
- 9 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 cup packed sweetened flaked coconut
- 2 cups chocolate & orange colored chips
Directions
Preheat your oven to 350ºF.
Cream together the butter, peanut butter and sugars. Mix in the eggs, vanilla and baking soda until smooth. Mix in the oats, and then the rest of the ingredients until combined. (You may need to use your hands to finish mixing this, if you don't have a very large mixer!)
Drop, with a small 1" scoop, onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until just set and barely golden brown around the edges.
(These cookies are best slightly under-done, so err on the side of taking them out too soon rather than letting them get overdone.)
As soon as the cookies come out of the oven transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Store in the freezer, in an airtight container, once they have cooled completely!
http://sweetannas.com/2013/10/naturally-gluten-free-mini-monster-cookies.html
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(Oh, and if you really want your cookies to turn out cute, top each one with a few candies or chocolate chips after they have been flattened and before they are baked. Makes for a much-prettier cookie!)
