After tasting the new Trios Gluten Free Girl Scout Cookies, I knew those who were not able to find them in their area would have to taste these amazing cookies. I got right on it today. After several tweaks on baking times, height of dough, amount of invert sugar and butter, I finally did it. I knew on the last 2 batches that I baked, that I had achieved a copycat recipe of the Gluten Free Girl Scout Cookies, Trios! Again, I was thinking, “OMG!” I’ve only used that term twice on this blog, but they are truly amazing. When my gluten-eating husband gets home, he’s going to flip out with joy as he loved the Trios we purchased and they were all gone.
Before I began, I knew I had to achieve a cookie that was crisp on the outside edges and on the bottom, yet chewy and moist. They also couldn’t taste like peanut butter cookies. (You know, a strong peanut butter flavor.) When I first tasted Trios, I didn’t even realize it contained peanut butter.
I had never baked with invert sugar before, but I think I’ll be using it more often in the future. (See the below link in the ingredients list on how to make invert sugar. It’s very easy to do.) It not only adds sweetness, but moisture; and unlike granulated sugar, it does not crystallize.
Meanwhile, my copycat Trios turned out just as in the above description, perfect. They just look darker in color compared to the real Trios. They contain the same exact ingredients. No starch. No flour. No gum. The only thing that can make these cookies better is some finely chopped nuts (walnuts are my fave).
The perfect trio of three cookie faves: oats, peanut butter, and chocolate chips. Roll them all into a flourless dough and you have yourself a copycat recipe of Trios Girl Scout Cookies.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups certified gluten free oats (Bob's Red Mill)
- 1/2 + 1/8 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/8 teaspoon salt (omit if using salted butter)
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup pure natural, salted, creamy peanut butter
- 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter* (or salted)
- 3 Tablespoons invert sugar, cooked 235ºF and completely cooled (or agave syrup)
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon water
- 6.5 oz. (appx. 1 cup) gluten free semi-sweet mini chocolate chips (Nestle's) (or Enjoy Life, for dairy-free)
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 375ºF. Gather two to three baking sheets and set aside.
- In a food processor, add oats, baking soda, and salt. Pulse until combined, about 5 times.
- Add both sugars and pulse until sugars break up and thoroughly combine with the oats, 15 - 20 times.
- Add the peanut butter, butter, and invert sugar; and mix on low speed thoroughly, scraping bottom, if needed.
- Add the egg and water, and pulse, just long enough to combine.
- Using a spring-action scooper, 1 3/4 teaspoon in size, scoop dough onto ungreased baking sheets, spacing them equally so that no more than 12 cookies are on one baking sheet. Do not flatten the dough, but you may shape them into high, rounded mounds.
- Bake 7 minutes on the center rack, until they become lightly golden brown around the edges.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes. Then transfer the them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Tips
*If you need to make these dairy-free, I suggest trying half oil and half Earth Balance spread. If the dough is too soft to mold, refrigerate it until it firms up. Using cold dough may require you to flatten the cookie dough prior to baking. Cold dough doesn't spread in the oven very easily. In addition, the baking time may need to be adjusted.
Feel free to top the cookies with additional chocolate chips and pat them into the dough.
Facebook Comment – May 15, 2015,
“Delicious !!!thanks for sharing ”
!H.N.W.
Facebook Comment – April 14, 2015,
“HI Carla, I made your copy cat Trios Girl Scout cookies and they were a hit!!!! The absolute best! Check it out on my Gluten Free Living page thanks a bunch”
~M.B.
Comment from Girl Scouts Giveaway page – March 26, 2015 –
“I have made your recipe for the cookies, and they received rave reviews from my (Celiac) husband, who is very picky to say the least.”
~ Carol
http://glutenfreerecipebox.com/gluten-free-girl-scout-trios-cookies-giveaway/
Facebook Comment – March 5, 2015,
“Just made these, and they’re delicious, but difficult to get off the pan in one piece. Yummy though!!”
~N.E.