Gluten, egg, and dairy-free Lemon Blackberry Breakfast Cookies are perfect for busy mornings!
This post has been about a month in the making, and when I have news to share I don’t beat around the bush. Like the time I had this whole story ready for my former boss (whom I love and adore) when I was leaving my desk job to blog full time. I marched into her office ready to wax poetic about following my dreams and such, then immediately broke down crying and blabbed, I’m quitting! Nice.
Ok, ok – bush lightly beaten around. Here I go. As the title of this post implies, I am going gluten-free. (See 50+ Gluten-Free Recipes here! >>)
Specifically, I was recently diagnosed with Celiac Disease which means I cannot eat gluten found in wheat, barley, nor rye as it damages the lining of the small intestine, preventing it from absorbing vital nutrients. Simply put, celiac disease can cause malnutrition if left untreated. The disease was likely triggered by the birth of my son who was delivered via emergency c-section after a very long and very painful labor.
Many people have asked if I’m “going gluten free” over the past month after noticing me sharing gluten free recipes and products on Instagram and Facebook. I’ve prolonged posting about it here on IGE because it’s out of the norm for me to share health news on this site and also, I don’t want to turn people off from this food blog. So, hear me out (and sorry if this is kind of all over the place!)
I’m still learning about celiac disease but from what I’ve researched and my doctor has agreed to is that the disease can lay dormant in some people only to be triggered or “awakened” by traumatic events to your body – think a car crash or unplanned emergency c-section. After Lincoln’s birth I felt very sick for 6 months. I weighed less than I did pre-pregnancy (which was cool for like, a second,) felt like a zombie even after Lincoln started sleeping through the night, and basically just felt like hell. I had an inkling that gluten might be the culprit and after undergoing a few procedures to get the final diagnosis, and cutting gluten from my diet, I feel like a new woman.
Clear head, a healthy weight, and energy through the roof.
At first all I could do was laugh at the irony of a food blogger being diagnosed with celiac disease. I seriously wondered how I’d go on posting knowing I’d be limited to cooking foods that do not contain wheat (I don’t cook much with either barley or rye.) Then I started analyzing my diet and realized that 90% of the foods I already ate were naturally gluten free. As I scrolled through past posts here on IGE, I was tickled to find that many of them were centered around meat, beans, cheeses, rice, potatoes, fruits, nuts, seeds, and vegetables – all of which do not contain gluten. In short, eating gluten free at home has not been difficult.
I could go on and on – talking about what I’ve missed so far (pizza! BEER! Not loving GF beer so far…) my feelings about eating out at restaurants (apprehensive – contamination is a huge issue,) and how gluten is hiding in a bajillion products at the grocery store (bitter, though I’ve been finding some great GF products,) but I’ll wrap it up and talk to you real quick about what this means for IGE.
I will not be posting recipes with gluten. Ben and I eat the food I cook for the blog and it would be wasteful to cook foods that I cannot consume. Furthermore, how can I write about something I can’t taste? I will also not be posting notes alongside ingredients like worcestershire sauce or soy sauce, which sometimes contain gluten, that say make sure you check for gluten! because that would get redundant, and if you have celiac disease or a gluten intolerance then you know to check for things like that.
What I can promise you is that the recipes posted here will remain easy, seasonal, family-friendly, and most importantly, delicious. If you’ve enjoyed the past month’s recipes (all of which are gluten free!) then you will continue to enjoy my recipes moving forward.
I’ve quickly learned that gluten free does NOT mean taste free, nor full of weird, hard to find ingredients. On the contrary, it means fresh and flavorful food! Like I said, my diet was already largely based around gluten free foods anyway, and I bet yours might be too.
So if you’ve made it this far, thank you! And I’ve also got a humdinger of a recipe for you today. I’m going absolutely bananas for Lemon Blackberry Breakfast Cookies which are egg free, dairy free and, yes, gluten free. With all those restrictions you might think these babies taste like cardboard, but I literally can. not. stop. eating them.
I mean, healthy, great-tasting cookies for breakfast! Who can’t get down with that?
Old fashioned oats are mixed with honey instead of refined sugar, applesauce instead of oil, banana instead of egg (though they do not taste banana-y) fresh blackberries, lemon zest, and lemon juice then baked. These breakfast cookies are chewy, perfectly sweet, dense and absolutely delicious. Good for the heart, taste buds and soul!
Bake these cookies then pair with a piece of fruit or yogurt for breakfast, or serve to the kids as an after-school snack. They’ll love ’em (and you’ll love serving them!) I can’t even confess to you how many I’ve eaten over the past week. I had to freeze the leftovers to stop myself! Which, by the way, is another awesome perk of this recipe. Freeze the extra cookies then microwave for just 20 seconds for an insta-delish breakfast.
Ooo, oo, it’s also made in just one bowl so clean up is nearly nil!
Start with 3-3/4 cups old fashioned oats. I know I said I wouldn’t do this, but it’s important to note that if you have celiac disease or a gluten intolerance you’ll want to buy certified gluten free oats. Oats are naturally gluten free but are usually processed in facilities that also process wheat which means they can be contaminated with gluten. Even GF oats might trigger a reaction in severe cases of celiac disease, but so far I’ve been fine with them.
Anyway, I’ve found these GF Bob’s Red Mill Old Fashioned Oats at every single grocery store in town!
Add 1-3/4 cups of the oats to a food processor then process until the oats have turned into flour, about 3-4 minutes.
Dump the flour into a large bowl then add the remaining 2 cups oats, 1 Tablespoons lemon zest (about 1 lemon worth,) 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/4 cup ground flaxseed and mix everything all up. That’s a wrap for the dry ingredients.
Time for the wet ingredients. That includes 1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons honey, 1/2 cup mashed VERY RIPE banana (about 1 medium-sized banana,) 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon,) and 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce (2 of those single serving cups.)
Finally, add 1/4 cup + 1 Tablespoon coconut oil that’s been zapped in the microwave for about 20 seconds to melt.
Mix the wet and dry ingredients together then fold in blackberries. Blackberries are selling for next to nothing right now at the grocery store so stock up for the freezer, and for these cookies of course! I’ve also used blueberries in here and they are awesome.
Let the batter sit and thicken for 10 minutes then scoop 1/4 cup of the batter (I used an ice cream scoop) onto a baking sheet lined with a silpat or parchment paper. Wet your fingers with water then press down slightly on the tops of the cookies, as they won’t spread much if at all in the oven.
Bake for 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees or until the edges are golden brown and the top is set, then cool completely. S
tore the cookies in an airtight container on the counter for 2 days, in the fridge for up to 4 days, or pop into a freezer bag and freeze. Like I said, just 20 seconds or so to reheat in the microwave – whee!
I tell you what – the taste of fresh lemon with sweet blackberries is simply scrumptious. The flavors taste like a fancy dessert – you’ll just love them. Enjoy!
Oh, gluten-y recipes are still fair game for Friday Favorites. A girl can still dream!
Ingredients
- 3-3/4 cups certified gluten free old fashioned oats, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup ground flaxseed
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/2 cup mashed very ripe banana, ~1 medium banana
- 1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons honey
- 1/4 cup + 1 Tablespoons coconut oil, melted
- 1 Tablespoon lemon zest
- 1/4 cup lemon juice, about 1 lemon
- 1 pint blackberries or blueberries, rinsed then patted dry
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees then line a baking sheet with a silpat or parchment paper and set aside. Add 1-3/4 cups oats to a food processor then process for 3-4 minutes or until very fine to make oat flour.
- Add oat flour, remaining 2 cups oats, baking soda, salt, and ground flaxseed to a large bowl then mix to combine. Add applesauce, banana, honey, coconut oil, lemon zest, and lemon juice then mix until just combined. Carefully fold in blackberries then let batter sit for 10 minutes to thicken.
- Scoop 1/4 cup batter (I used an ice cream scoop) onto prepared baking sheet then wet hand with water and press down to flatten slightly (cookies will not spread.) Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until cookies are golden brown around the edges and set on top. Cool completely then store in an airtight container for up to 2 days, in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or wrap individually in plastic wrap then freeze in a freezer bag. Wrap in a paper towel then microwave for 20 seconds to thaw.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
Kristin, I just discovered your blog while looking for breakfast cookie recipes. It’s too hot to cook or eat a big breakfast and having cookies in the freezer would be just the thing. Even better, your recipes are gluten free. I was also diagnosed with celiac disease after the birth of my son (my second), but that was in 1989, WAY before there were so many gluten free products on the market. Granted, most of those are so processed as to be almost nutrition free as well, which is why I’m so happy to have discovered your site. I look forward to exploring it.
My husband is going to be thrilled I found ALL these delicious GF recipes! I am out of lemon but can use lemon oil. I really hope I have a banana. These sound yummy!
Thanks so much for this information Kristin. Always good to find Gluten Free celiac friendly recipes!
Kristin – I’m so excited to try this recipe! Question – do you think chopped/sliced strawberries would work, too? They’re SUPER cheap right now and I’d love to give it a try.
IF you are not gluten free can you use regular flour instead of making oat flour and vegetable oil instead of coconut? Just trying to use stuff I already have at home. I am asking in terms of this recipe and also the carrot cake ones. thank you!
Hi Val! I haven’t tested the recipe using those ingredients but I think it could work. Let me know if you give it a try!
Many people think they have Celiac Disease when they do not. I’m not saying you don’t but I don’t want readers confused into thinking they gave it cuz they feel better after removing wheat/gluten from their diet. What most people have is a sensitivity to it, like I do. Removing wheat/gluten immediately stopped my bloating and gas pains, constant hunger and thirst and I’m sleeping again. In order to know if you have Celiac Disease you need to have a blood test done and from there the dr removes a small piece of your small intestines to confirm the diagnosis. Another suggestion is to read the book Wheat Belly, very good!
Jen – if you follow Kristin’s blog on a regular basis – you would know that she was officially diagnosed with Celiac Disease almost a year ago. She announced it on her blog March 14, 2014. I love her blog because she focuses on healthy, delicious, kitchen-tested, beautiful recipes! She introduces her readers to a variety of dishes and has gotten me to try foods I never thought I would – such as brussels sprouts! I hope you become a regular reader – you won’t regret it!!!
What would you recommend to substitute the honey with? (I am allergic to honey)
Hey Jessie! Unfortunately I haven’t tried this recipe with anything but honey. If you’ve used a different replacement for honey in baking in the past I’d try that again!
I’m not going to process the oats as I don’t have a processor but I do use oat flour itself. So what is the equivalent measure of oat flour for the 1 3/4 c.processed amount in the recipe. I’m looking for healthier snack options for my girls & this looks awesome! Thanks!
Hi Stacy! My oats ground to about 1-1/3 cup oat flour, which isn’t as fine as all purpose.
I am mixing up the recipe now and just wanted to share that SOME of those individual serving cups of applesauce are 4oz (1/2 cup) so to use two of them would not be correct.
Can’t wait to see how they turn out tonight!
Also, are you using Bob’s Red Mill Gluten free baking soda now that you are gluten free or another gluten free brand of baking soda?
Good question! I use Clabber Girl baking soda which is gluten free.
Any ideas for recipes for those who have Celiac, diabetes, and are lactose and soy protein intolerant?
Thanks! Love your blog!
Hi there! I’m so sorry you were diagnosed celiac, but I have happy news in the beer department. Many of my celiac friends can drink Coors Light. Weird, I know. They have started off small and just trying a tiny bit and increased it, but it has worked for all of them! Which is great when we’re on the lake or on those hot days where you just want a beer!
Do you think it would work with quinoa flakes? I can’t eat oats even if they are gf.
Hi Lisa! I’ve never used quinoa flakes so I can’t be for sure, but you could easily make 1/2 batch of these to test it out. Let me know how it goes!