This is my family’s all-time favorite cookie recipe. Even my husband, who doesn’t follow a gluten free diet, loves these! Alas, I have a sugar sensitivity issue and am not able to have these because of the sugar they contain, but at least I can share the goodness with the rest of the world. (Side note: I do have some extremely-low-sugar cookie recipes in the works for others who are also intolerant of sugar. Hang in there, I feel your pain!) I make just about every type of cookie starting with this dough as the base. Chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, cranberry coconut – you name it, you can make it by adding whatever you like to this yummy dough!

1/2 c. margarine (Land ‘O Lakes Plant Butter is my favorite!)

3/4 c. sugar

1/2 c. applesauce

1 Tbs. molasses

1 Tbs. vanilla

2 to 2 1/4 c. gluten free flour*

1 tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 F. Cream margarine and sugar in a large bowl, beating until mixture is light and fluffy. Add applesauce, molasses, and vanilla and mix well. Add flour, salt, and baking soda and mix on low until combined.

Mix any additions into your dough (see below for ideas), and drop by heaping tablespoons onto cookie sheet lined with a Silpat or parchment paper.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until just beginning to brown. Cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. These cookies keep well for up to 4 days in an airtight container at room temperature.

Yield: about 3 dozen cookies

Chocolate Chip: Stir in 1 c. milk chocolate or semisweet chocolate chips.

Oatmeal Raisin: Add 1 tsp. cinnamon with the flour. Stir in 3/4 c. gluten-free oats and 1/2 c. raisins.

Cranberry Coconut: Stir in 1/2 c. each dried cranberries and flaked coconut.

*Note: Different brands of gluten-free flours behave differently in baked goods due to the specific blends used by each company, so you will want to experiment to find the brand that you like best. This recipe was developed with Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour. However, I have made these cookies with a gluten free flour from our local Amish store and only needed 2 cups to get the right consistency. I would start with 2 cups of flour, then adjust 2 Tbs. at a time if your dough seems too wet.