The best part about being gluten-free in this decade is the endless supply of new products available(not to mention whole restaurant menus and online websites). Chex just came out with two new products to add to that list: Honey Nut Granola and Mixed Berry Granola, made with gluten-free oats and clusters of Chex cereal.

I got to try both and the honey nut was definitely my favorite–just the right amount of sweetness to go with any flavored yogurt and chunks of almonds and real Chex baked together. After eating half the bag, I made these cookies with the rest to make the granola more portable. These snackers are the perfect fix for an afternoon snack or along with breakfast.

I used almond butter for these because it goes perfectly with the almond slivers in the granola but you could also use peanut butter or even sunflower seed butter.

Almond Butter Granola Snackers

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 18 Snackers):

• 3/4 cup almond butter
• 2 Tablespoons honey
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 cup Honey Nut Chex granola

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the almond butter, honey, sugar, egg, salt, and baking powder until well mixed.
3. Add in the granola and fold it in completely.
4. Roll the dough into 1 1/2-inch balls and flatten slightly between the palms of your hands. Put each round of dough on a non-stick baking surface.
5. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven when the outside starts to turn brown and is slightly firm to the touch.
6. Let cool slightly before moving. Store in an air-tight container.

Chocolate chip cookies can be as polarizing as politics. Some like chewy while others like crisp. Should they have nuts in them? Are raisins even a question? Everyone has an opinion.

After Pinterest did a Q&A with me my coworkers were interested to try something gluten-free. One of them asked me if I knew any good cookie recipes for his cousin and it seemed like as good a place to start as any. 

Lucky for me, when I brought them into work they didn’t stir up any chewy vs. crispy debates and they were all gone by lunch time–a success! They’re more chewy than crispy, not too sweet, and just rich enough to hit all the right notes. It’s hard to argue with chocolate chips and shredded coconut.

Probably the best thing to keep on hand for gluten-free baking is a bag of gluten-free all purpose flour you can use in recipes without having to mix ten different flours you’re not familiar with. I like Bob’s Red Mill’s but there are tons of different brands out there; try them out and find your favorite.

Gluten-Free Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 2 dozen cookies):

• 1 1/2 cup gluten-free all purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1/4 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Method:

1. In a large bowl, mix together your flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar.
2. Add in the eggs, vanilla, peanut butter and melted butter and mix.
3. Add in the shredded coconut and chocolate chips and continue mixing until it forms a thick dough. If your dough is too dry add milk by the tablespoon until it’s just wet enough to stick together.
4. Put the dough in your refrigerator and preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
5. After 15 minutes of chilling, roll the dough into 1-inch balls.
6. Put the doughballs onto a non-stick baking tray and bake for 10-12 minutes until the edges brown.
7. Remove from the oven and let sit for 20 minutes before trying to move.
8. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Bananas get a worse rap than any other fruit. You never hear of people who refuse to eat blueberries or mangoes; what makes the banana so loathable?

If you do love bananas then this is the right cookie recipe. They aren’t overly cakey or fruity–they’re just right.

The flour I used was Betty Crocker’s gluten free baking flour. It’s mostly rice based which keeps the cookies light and airy. If you use wheat flour I’d suggest all-purpose or cake flour.

I made mine with coconut oil and the flavor was even better. If you don’t have coconut oil, try adding shredded coconut.

Banana White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 12 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 18 cookies):

• 1 banana, mashed
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup oil(coconut oil works well here)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup white chocolate chips 

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. 
2. In a large bowl, mix together the banana, eggs, oil, and vanilla. 
3. Add in the baking powder, sugar, flour, and salt and mix well until it makes a soft dough.
4. Fold in the white chocolate chips evenly. 
5. Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and flatten them to about 1/2 inch thickness before putting them on a nonstick baking tray. 
6. Bake for 12-15 minutes until the bottoms begin to brown and the top is crispy. 
7. Remove from the oven and let cool. Store in an airtight container for up to a week. 

It’s a good think I never made a resolution to eat less sugar because if I did I’d be doing horribly at it.

I always like to have something sweet after dinner, whether it’s part of a chocolate bar or just a handful of chocolate chips. That’s probably why I buy a bag and end up finishing it before actually making a recipe. Oops.

These cookies are simple because all I had this weekend in my pantry was simple ingredients. But simple can be all you need.

Loaded Peanut Butter Cookies

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 18 cookies):

• 1 cup peanut butter
• 3/4 cup cane sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/3 cup chocolate chips
• 1/3 cup peanut butter chips

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, beat together the peanut butter, sugar, egg, vanilla and baking soda.
3. Fold in the chocolate and peanut butter chips evenly.
4. Roll the dough into 1-ounce balls. Lightly press down on the balls with a fork in a criss-cross pattern to flatten it to about 3/4-inch thickness.
5. Bake for 12-14 minutes until the tops are firm to the touch and the edges begin to brown.
6. Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool before moving to a separate plate.

While cookies aren’t my favorite dessert, there are a few that I have a soft spot for. Soft, delicate lemon cookies covered in a powdered sugar glaze are definitely one of those few.

Even though there’s no chocolate in these, I find them just as addicting as if there were. The outside is sweet and glazed while the inside is chewy and slightly tart from the lemon. They’re perfect in the morning or after dinner with a cup of tea. And while fresh lemon juice surely would make these cookies taste amazing, using the plastic lemon juice is just as good, too.

The hardest part of making these cookies(which aren’t really hard at all) is getting the consistency of the dough right to shape them. When they’re too dry, the dough crumbles; adding a little bit of lemon juice to get them to the texture of Play-Doh makes them just right for shaping into cookies.

Gluten-Free Lemon Crinkle Cookies

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 18 minutes

Ingredients(Makes about 16 cookies):

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose gluten-free flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon lemon extract
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice + extra
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, and baking powder until evenly mixed.
3. Add in the oil, egg, extracts and lemon juice and mix the dough together by hand.
4. Mold the dough into 1-inch balls and then flatten them gently into a cookie shape in your hands. If the dough is too dry and crumbles, add a little more lemon juice to wet it and bring it to the right consistency.
5. With clean hands, pour the powdered sugar into a shallow bowl or dish.
6. Drop the cookies on both sides onto the powdered sugar to coat the outside.
7. Put the sugar-covered cookies onto a non-stick baking tray and repeat until all of the dough is used up.
8. Bake for 18 minutes.
9. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool completely before moving them.
10. Store in an air-tight container at room temperature when not enjoying.