Oats is a controversial grain in the celiac disease community. Along with the controversy, there has been a good measure of politics – Finnish studies support its safety; Swedish studies do the opposite, and now the Canadians endorse “Pure” oats. At last viewing, the European Codex (codex alimentarius) specifically identified oats for exclusion from gluten-free diets (Note 1). However, a number of people with celiac disease report that they can tolerate oats that are pure and not contaminated with wheat, barley or rye.
Please note that as of their updated book "The Ultimate Guide to Gluten-free Living" published in August, 2009 the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University only recommends gluten-free oats as being safe on the gluten-free diet. There are companies producing gluten-free oats including Cream Hill Estates, Bob's Red Mill Gluten-free Oats, etc.
With this long introduction over, here are two recipes for oatmeal cookies
For dry measured ingredients, spoon contents into measuring cups. Don’t scoop. You get too much product according to Carol Fenster.
| Amount | Measure | Ingredient |
| 1 | Cup | Gluten-free flour (Carol Fenster’s Sorghum Mix, Bette Hagman’s 4-bean flour mix or Bob’s red mill all purpose baking mix. |
| 1/2 | Cup | White sugar (could be less) |
| 1/2 | Cup | Brown sugar – not packed |
| 1-1/2 | Cups | Gluten-Free oatmeal flakes |
| 1/4 | teaspoon | Salt |
| 3/4 | teaspoon | Baking soda |
| 1/4 | teaspoon | Each of Xanthan and Guar gum or 1/2 teaspoon of either one if you don’t have both in stock |
| 1/2 | Cup | Melted margarine Some people advocate olive oil, but this really changes the texture. If using oil, use only 80% and replace 20% with your favorite liquid |
| 1/8 – 1/4 | teaspoon | Cloves |
| 1/2 | teaspoon | Saigon cinnamon (optional - strong cinnamon) Costco has this |
| 1 – 2 | teaspoons | Cinnamon |
| 1/2 | teaspoon | Allspice |
| 1 | large | Egg |
| 2 | Tablespoons | Milk or your favorite liquid |
| 1/2 | Cup | Each of raisins and chopped walnuts (optional) |
Preparation
Mix dry ingredients except for oatmeal flakes, raisins and walnuts. Now add melted shorting and egg. Blend to a smooth paste. Add oatmeal, raisins and walnuts. Mix only to incorporate. Drop by the teaspoon onto a baking pan lined with parchment paper. Bake for 10 – 15 minutes in a 375 F degree oven. Check the bottoms for proper browning before removing from the oven. You can also create a softer cookie by baking at 350 degree F and/or adjusting the time. Remove cookies from the pan with a spatula, and cool cookies on a cooling rack.
| Amount | Measure | Ingredient |
| 1 | Cup | McCann’s Quick Cooking Oatmeal flakes, placed in a blender or food processor and converted to a flour. Or 3/4 Cup Pure Oats gluten free oat flour |
| 1/2 | Cup | Buckwheat flour |
| 1/2 | Cup | White sugar (could be less) |
| 1/2 | Cup | Brown sugar – not packed |
| 1-1/2 | Cups | Gluten-Free oatmeal flakes (Cream Hill Estate or Country Choice – these have the best texture. McCann’s is a bit soft.) |
| 1/4 | teaspoon | Salt |
| 3/4 | teaspoon | Baking powder |
| 1/4 | teaspoon | Each of Xanthan and Guar gum or 1/2 teaspoon of either one if you don’t have both in stock |
| 1/2 | Cup | Melted margarine |
| 1/8 – 1/4 | teaspoon | Cloves |
| 1/2 | teaspoon | Saigon cinnamon (optional - strong cinnamon) |
| 1 – 2 | teaspoons | Cinnamon |
| 1/2 | teaspoon | Allspice |
| 1 | large | Egg |
| 2 | Tablespoons | Maple syrup (optional – improves texture) but you can use your favorite liquid |
| 1/2 | Cup | Each of raisins and chopped walnuts (optional) |
Preparation
Mix dry ingredients except for oatmeal flakes, raisins and walnuts. Now add melted shorting and egg. Blend to a smooth paste. Add oatmeal, raisins and walnuts. Mix only to incorporate. Drop by the teaspoon onto a baking pan lined with parchment paper. Bake for 10 – 15 minutes in a 375° F degree oven. You can also create a softer cookie by baking at 350 degree F and/or adjusting the time. Remove from the pan and cool on a cooling rack.