gfe--gluten free easily

Living gluten free easily by eating real food and a few gf processed foods

 MENU
 SUBSCRIBE
  • Home
    • Home
    • Archives
  • About
    • About
  • Recipes
    • All Recipes
    • Most Popular
    • Best GF Bread
    • Pizza
    • Desserts
    • All Bread
    • Main Dishes
    • Appetizers, Soups, Vegetables, and Side Dishes
    • Breakfasts
    • Beverages
  • Most Popular
  • gfe Printables

Forgotten Cookies (Naturally Gluten Free)

Shirley Braden

Share on FacebookShare on PinterestShare on TwitterShare on Email
For affiliate links and as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

These naturally gluten-free Forgotten Cookies are truly delightful cookies that my family has been making for many years. These are meringue-type cookies, which means they’re primarily made from egg whites and white granulated sugar. These cookies are naturally gluten free as no gluten-free specialty ingredients are required to make them.

Naturally Gluten-Free Forgotten Cookies on a Lichfield china plate next to a Tupperware bread container of more cookies.

Simply a handful of everyday baking ingredients are needed to make these bite-sized cookies. Ingredients that most of you already have in your kitchen. In this case, the egg whites, granulated sugar, salt, and vanilla extract. The chopped nuts and chocolate chips are not required but adding them results in really delicious cookies so we always add them.

Eating Naturally Gluten Free

Here’s my periodic reminder—a public service announcement, PSA, if you will—that making meals and recipes that are naturally gluten free is the main focus of gfe living. It’s the easiest, healthiest, and most economical way to live gluten free in my opinion. Another major bonus of eating this way is that your dishes and recipes won’t taste any different to either the gluten-free or gluten-full family members because they are actually not different.

Such recipes are the same recipes you’ve always made. Except that now you’re ensuring that the ingredients are gluten free and stay gluten free (i.e., that no gluten is being introduced via cross-contact with gluten in your home—if you have a shared household).

You will find lots of naturally gluten-free recipes here on gfe. Dessert recipes like Classic Freezer Fudge, Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies, Coconut Meringues, Easy Crustless Pecan Pie, and main dish recipes like Easy Mexican Casserole, Pizza Dip, Crustless Spinach Quiche, and Flourless Pizza, to give you just a handful of examples.

Note the flourless recipes included in that list. Longtime readers know how much I love flourless recipes and Forgotten Cookies also happen to be flourless. Flourless recipes let the ingredients shine; no flour of any kind to get in their way.

Read more on the gfe approach at Stop the Madness and The Top 10 Reasons To Live gfe.

More About Forgotten Cookies

Forgotten Cookies make their appearance at most of our family get-togethers, not just at Christmas. These little white cookies are lovely on any table, they’re easy to make, and they’re really yummy.

Naturally gluten-free Forgotten Cookies on a Lichfield china plate sitting on a holiday tablecloth.

Cookies that you won’t ever forget after you sample one, despite their name. Plus, the “forgotten” factor makes them so much fun to make.

That’s because these cookies actually get their name from the fact that you stick them in your preheated oven and then turn off the oven and forget about them until the next morning. At least that’s the way my family has always made them. I mean who doesn’t want to wake up the next day and have cookies ready to go?

I don’t often eat cookies for breakfast unless they’re on the healthy side (a slice of pie the morning after a holiday is a different story but I digress). However, I always have to test one Forgotten Cookie when I open the oven first thing the next morning! Children love not only dropping the batter onto the foil-lined baking sheets; they also love discovering the ready-to-eat cookies when they arise.

I’ve heard some bakers say that you need to leave Forgotten Cookies in a closed oven for only 2 hours. In theory, that does make sense as after that amount of time, you would expect that all the heat would have dissipated and you’d have a cold oven but I’ve actually never removed Forgotten Cookies from the oven that soon. However, I have made these cookies first thing in the morning and left them in the oven until the afternoon. So, there’s not really much difference between the two approaches.

I do recommend that you leave these cookies in the oven for 3 or more hours or ideally overnight while you’re sleeping so you don’t even have to count the hours. The sugar in these cookies will absorb moisture from the air, which will result in sticky Forgotten Cookies. To be clear, sticky Forgotten Cookies are not what you want.

Leaving the cookies undisturbed in the preheated, turned-off, and then closed oven ensures that you get perfect, non-sticky Forgotten Cookies. To keep them that way, you’ll want to store them in an airtight container, as you can see my mom did when she gave us some for Christmas.

Naturally gluten-free Forgotten Cookies nestled in green plastic wrap in a Tupperware bread container sitting on a holiday tablecloth.

I started making these naturally gluten-free Forgotten Cookies long ago. Long before I went gluten free in 2003. I believe that I was given the recipe back in high school when I was participating in a cookie exchange with friends.

My mom ended up loving these cookies—and how they’re made—so much that she mostly took over baking them for the whole family. And she has made them for holidays and special occasions ever since. She’s made them for lots of families as part of a gifted meal and shared them with personal friends to show that she’s thinking of them. The recipients are always so grateful and most marvel when they learn how these cookies are made.

Mom has even made Forgotten Cookies for me to take to tea events with my girlfriends. My friends have always been delighted to see these cookies included on the requisite beautiful tiered tray of treats! And none of those friends need to eat gluten free.

My sister and I also make these cookies for special occasions at our own homes and share them with our personal friends. So, it’s really surprising that as the 12th anniversary of gfe approaches on New Year’s Eve, this recipe isn’t already on my site. But now that oversight is fixed. Yay! Enjoy and Happy New Year!

A Few More Gluten-Free Cookies That You Will Make Your Holidays Bright

~ 30 Gluten-Free Christmas Cookies That You’ll Want To Make Right Now!

~ Bourbon Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies

~ Chocolate Oatmeal Florentine Cookies (be sure to use rolled oats that are both certified gluten free and purity protocol oats)

~ Coconut Cashew Clove Balls

~ Lemon Bars

Naturally Gluten-Free Forgotten Cookies Recipe

Naturally gluten-free Forgotten Cookies nestled in green plastic wrap in a Tupperware bread container sitting on a holiday tablecloth.

Yield: About 24 cookies

Forgotten Cookies (Naturally Gluten Free)

Naturally gluten-free Forgotten Cookies on a Lichfield china plate sitting on a holiday tablecloth.

These naturally gluten-free Forgotten Cookies are pretty on the plate and delicious to eat. You'll love the novelty of how you're made. So will the little ones in your family!

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 egg whites
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup chopped nuts (we prefer pecans); optional
  • 1 cup gluten-free chocolate chips (I used chocolate chips that are also dairy free); optional

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Line two baking sheets with foil.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, beat egg whites until frothy using a hand mixer (or stand mixer).
  3. Add sugar gradually and beat the mixture until stiff peaks form.
  4. Gently fold in salt, vanilla extract, nuts, and chocolate chips to prevent whipped mixture from deflating.
  5. Drop mixture by the spoonful onto prepared baking sheets. (I use a spoon that is about tablespoon size.)
  6. Place baking sheets on the middle rack (in the second rack slot from the bottom) and TURN OFF THE OVEN. Immediately CLOSE the oven and leave cookies in the closed oven overnight (or for several hours---three hours or more).
  7. After removing cookies from the oven, store them in an airtight container.

Notes

One baker shared that she makes these cookies whenever she has two egg whites left over after making a recipe that calls for egg yolks only. If she has four egg whites, she doubles the recipe. I love her way of getting two delicious recipes out of one!

I’ve accidentally left out the vanilla extract before and the cookies still turned out well.

© Shirley Braden
Cuisine: American / Category: Cookies and Bars

Originally published December 29, 2020.

Free Email Updates to gfe

Please wait...
Please enter all required fields Click to hide
Correct invalid entries Click to hide
Share on FacebookShare on PinterestShare on TwitterShare on Email

Filed Under: Christmas, Cookies and Bars, Easter, Thanksgiving, Valentine's DayTagged With: Christmas, Easter, flourless, flourless recipes, holidays, naturally gluten free6 Comments

« Gluten-Free Blueberry Gingerbread
Gluten-Free King Cakes for Mardi Gras and More »

Comments

  1. Arleen says

    December 31, 2020 at 11:47 am

    Love that plate!!

    Reply
    • Shirley Braden says

      January 1, 2021 at 5:11 pm

      Thanks, Arleen! I am glad I pulled it out of my china cabinet for these cookies. It’s a salad plate in the holiday version of the Royal Doulton Lichfield pattern. I gave it to my late mother-in-law many years ago because she grew up on lived on Litchfield (with a “t”) farm all her life. I also gifted her a salad plate from the everyday version of that pattern. Both are beautiful but now discontinued, so I’m grateful I inherited them after she passed.

      Thanks so much for taking the time to comment. 🙂 Happy New Year!
      Shirley

      Reply
  2. April Harris says

    January 10, 2021 at 8:46 am

    My late Mother-in-law used to make a similar recipe every Christmas morning, and it always reminds me of her when I make them. Your forgotten cookies look wonderful, Shirley! Thank you for sharing and for being a part of the Hearth and Soul Link Party Community. Take care.

    Reply
    • Shirley Braden says

      January 11, 2021 at 12:52 am

      Thanks, April! I think it is very special when recipes bring back memories of our dear loved ones.

      Thanks so much for hosting Hearth and Soul. Hope you have a good week!
      Shirley

      Reply
  3. Ina Gawne says

    January 12, 2021 at 9:58 pm

    Hello Shirley! So glad to see you are still posting and doing well. I have been away for quite some time with various things life does throw at us, but now in these most surreal times we find ourselves in, there has been much time on my hands and I am hoping to re join the blogging world. Much has changed these last few years that is for sure. When I saw this recipe, oh my goodness, it brought me back to yesteryear. I can remember making cookies very similar to these and they have long long been forgotten about! This was such a lovely reminder of a different world, of different days. Thanks for sharing, Ina

    Reply
    • Shirley Braden says

      January 12, 2021 at 10:21 pm

      Hi Ina–It’s so great to see you! You’re not going to believe this but I clicked over to check on your site today to see if you had any new posts that I had missed. I was reading comments on an old post and saw one from you so I clicked over. Anyway, I’m absolutely thrilled to hear from you, dear! And to hear that you’re going to be blogging again—although I wish it was not under the surreal circumstances we are all now in. I’ve certainly missed you and your delicious recipes! I’m glad this recipe brought back some sweet memories for you. I love the recipes that we’ve been making for years, that we can still make and enjoy without any changes at all. You have always excelled at sharing those types of recipes. 🙂

      Shirley

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  • Subscribe
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • Email Shirley

Trending

  • Homemade gluten-free bread made in the bread machine compared to the popular store-bought brand. [featured on GlutenFreeEasily.com] Top 20 Best Gluten-Free Bread Machine Recipes Plus More Info on Bread Machines
  • How to Recover After Being Glutened Tips and Strategies for Quick Recovery on GlutenFreeEasily.com HONOR Your Body: How to Recover After Being “Glutened” (i.e., Gluten Exposure)
  • Extra Cheesy Gluten-Free Macaron and Cheese Close-up Photo Extra Cheesy Gluten-Free Macaroni and Cheese (Dairy-Free Option)
  • Gluten-Free Bread Pudding Gluten-Free Old-Fashioned Bread Pudding
  • Gluten-Free Zesty Marinated Pork Chops. You don't have to marinate these pork chops too long to ensure amazing flavor. Totally delicious pork chops! [from GlutenFreeEasily.com] Zesty Marinated Pork Chops (Gluten Free)
  • Green smoothie shake in large round stemmed glass on bright green placemats. Healthy Homemade Shamrock Shake (Paleo, Vegan)
  • Top 20 Best Gluten-Free Bread Recipes (Loaves)–No Bread Machine Needed
Subscribe by Email
Copyright © 2008-2021 • All Rights Reserved · Gluten Free Easily • Privacy Policy • Disclaimers and Disclosures • Makeworthy Media