Gluten-Free Chia Seed Peanut Butter Oat Cookies

I don't know much about gluten-free baking. It's one of those "one day I should figure this out" kind of things...I just haven't figured out which day yet. So, when Carrington Farms asked me if I'd be interested in sharing their delicious and healthy cookie recipe that also happens to be gluten-free, I thought it was something I should try out for myself first (and then share the results with you if I liked it).

Guess what? I liked it. I liked it alot, actually. I stayed pretty true to their recipe, which can be found on the back of the current packaging for their chia seeds, I did add a little salt to the recipe (as I do 99% of the time in sweet baked goods) because it enhances the flavors. Their recipe calls for optional chocolate chips, which I considered leaving out entirely since I'm not usually one to add chocolate to my peanut butter cookies...but I figured I was already adding oats and chia seeds, so why not give it a go. But I also wanted to try them without, so I added mini chocolate chips to half of the batch.

Blackberry Chia Agua Fresca

Why yes, yes I did strain the seeds from my blackberries only to add other seeds back in. I'm crazy like that. But the thing is, blackberry seeds are annoying. They're hard and annoying and they get stuck in your teeth. Chia seeds, on the other hand, are suspended in their own gel orb - that makes them fun and the opposite of annoying. Endearing? Enchanting? Pleasing! Okay, they also occasionally get stuck in your teeth...but they're much easier to wiggle out.

If you follow me on Instagram, you probably know my affinity for chia. I have affectionately dubbed it my #DailyChia, but I stopped sharing it all the time, because I'm sure people were fairly irked at seeing my bottle filled with various hued liquids with those pleasing little bubbles suspended inside. You know - daily.

Now, my "regular" daily chia is a mix of the seeds, coconut water (with or without pulp), and a random juice or tea. It's easy. I shake it up in a bottle in the evening and stick it in the fridge. Come the next day, my omega-3/calcium/fiber-rich beverage is at my fingertips. It's said that chia seeds boost both endurance and energy, and I totally agree. Whether real or psychological, I drag on the days when I forget it.