Have you ever read the ingredient list of some of your favorite childhood treats? Honestly, it can be quite horrifying and Im sometimes thankful that we cant eat these things because it forces me to come up with my own versions using real food. I will admit that these childhood memories of our favorite delectable treats can be extraordinarily hard to recreate. Lets just say that a box of oatmeal cream pies may have been purchased, sniffed, and squeezed to get as close as we could to the real deal without actually eating any of them. To say this has been a labor of love would be a massive understatement. After five attempts, 10 sticks of butter, and more cups of sugar than I care to admit, I have come up with my best version of the classic oatmeal cream pie. Sadly for the boys friends at school, the trials are over in this recipe development adventure down memory lane. I have had an army of gluten eating taste testers giving me feedback on every batch of cookie I made. The great thing about developing so many batches of cookies is there wasnt a bad cookie among them. Every batch was a keeper recipe, though the last one was the one we all decided was the closest. Thank goodness because I am so ready to bake something different! These cookies are chewy, gooey, and so delicious, with oatmeal molasses spicy goodness. While the ingredient list is long, they are easy to make and worth the few extra minutes in the kitchen. These are better the next day so the filling has time to soften up the cookies, and it allows the flavors to really come together. Seeing how overjoyed my guys were eating these made me so incredibly happy! I hope your family enjoys these as much as we do!

Gluten and Dairy Free Oatmeal Cream Pies

Makes about 25 sandwich cookies

• 1 3/4 cup Bobs Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Flour
• 1 cup Bobs Red Mill Gluten Free Quick Oatmeal, processed slightly to make a coarse meal
• 3 Tbsp Cornstarch
• 1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
• 1 tsp Cocoa Powder
• 1 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
• 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/4 tsp Cinnamon
• 1/2 cup Butter or Stick Butter Alternative, melted
• 1/4 cup Coconut Oil, melted
• 1 cup Light Brown Sugar
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 1/2 cup Raisins, processed to form a puree
• 2 Tbsp Molasses
• 2 Eggs
• 1 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 Tbsp Vanilla

Cream Filling:

• 6 Tbsp Bobs Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Flour
• 1 cup Cashew Milk
• 1 cup Dairy Free Stick Butter, cold and cut into cubes
• 1 cup Sugar
• 2/3 cup Marshmallow Fluff
• 1 tsp Vanilla

Preheat oven to 350F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. In a bowl, combine the flour through cinnamon. Stir and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the butter, coconut oil, both sugars, raisin puree, and molasses. Mix until well combined. Next add the eggs, vinegar, and vanilla to the sugar mixture. After blending well, add the flour mixture to the mixer and mix just until everything is combined. Using a medium cookie scoop (about 2 tablespoons worth), scoop cookie dough onto the parchment lined baking sheet. I could fit eight on a pan. Make sure you have enough space between the cookies as they do spread to a flat cookie. Bake 13 minutes. Watch them because they need to be soft baked. Allow to cool on the baking sheet while the next batch bakes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. While the cookies are baking, combine the flour and milk for the frosting in a pot. Heat over medium heat stirring constantly and allow to thicken. The mixture cooks in about 5 to 10 minutes to form a thick paste. Allow this mixture to cool completely. In your stand mixer, combine the butter and sugar; whip until light and fluffy. Next add the flour mixture, marshmallow fluff, and vanilla to the butter mixture. Whip until well combined and fluffy. Frost cooled cookies and sandwich together to form the cream pies. Store in an airtight container. Sarena Shasteen has been an avid health food and fitness enthusiast from an early age. She holds a degree in Culinary Arts from The Art Institute of Atlanta, a certification in Fitness Nutrition, and is a certified Fitness Trainer from International Sport Science Association (ISSA). Becoming a Personal Trainer and Specialist in Fitness Nutrition has been a lifelong goal of hers. Sarena enjoys helping others reach their health goals by teaching them that health and fitness are not only achieved in the gym, but also through fun everyday activities. Now a food writer, recipe developer, personal chef, Personal Trainer, and Specialist in Fitness Nutrition, she enjoys sharing with others that healthy living can be fun and delicious. Keep up with her atThe Non-Dairy Queenand onFacebookandTwitter.