Gluten-free? Check.  Dairy-free? Check.

Yesterday, we had some guests over that have some dietary restrictions.  I don’t mind cooking this way as it is not entirely new to me. My dairy-free girl’s diet is, well, dairy free.   She has a very sensitive tummy and we have tried to determine the underlying issues with the SCD (specific carbohydrate diet) plan with some success. It is very strict and not easy for a teen girl to follow, but she is quite disciplined.  We learned of this diet from my cb girl whose husband suffers from Crohn’s.

I have no idea how people with food allergies and sensitivities managed in days gone by.  Of course, it is easier when you are used to eating whole foods and few processed items. What a blessing to have all of these wonderful recipes at our fingertips and easy access to such a variety of substitutes for dairy (yay for coconut oil, coconut milk and almond milk!) and flour (coconut and almond flour are our favourites), as well as the availability of food items that were once only obtainable seasonally. As you can see from my photos, many of our pantry items come from Costco.  Oh, I do miss having a nearby Costco.  We stock up on favourite Costco items whenever we are in the ‘big city.’  “What kind of items?” you may ask.   Here’s the short list:  coconut oil, olive oil, cocoa, pure vanilla, sea salt, COFFEE (we love Zavida Organica whole bean), Mary’s crackers, Nana’s croutons, natural peanut butter, almond butter, bacon bits (Hormel only, otherwise we just cook our own bacon…but the package is so convenient), quinoa and other specialty grains, and our vice–Chicago Mix (which is a mix of cheese and caramel popcorn). I told you before that we try to eat healthy foods most of the time, but we do enjoy our treats, too!

While this recipe is not SCD legal, it is dairy and gluten free (although I did not use certified oats).  I also used brown sugar as I didn’t have raw sugar as called for in the recipe. I would have tried it with honey, but I am running low.  When we get another bucket, perhaps I’ll try it. I used almond milk instead of cashew, as well.

This quick recipe for Coconut Oil No Bake Cookies is from the Golden Barrel website.

Gather the few simple ingredients: coconut oil, cocoa, peanut butter, sugar, almond milk, salt, vanilla and oats.

Once your chocolatey goodness has cooked the indicated time, add vanilla and oats.

I used my handy, dandy cookie scoop to make lovely little bite-sized morsels, but you can spoon it out if you prefer them flatter.  I got my first cookie scoop from pampered chef many years ago.  At the time, I don’t think you could find them in stores.  It was so indispensable that I had to replace it when it fell apart.  Since then, they have become more widely available.  I would definitely add this to my gotta have gadget list.

I refrigerated my cookies.  It’s been quite warm here, and I don’t have a/c.  These cookies are sooooo good.  Rich and chocolatey, slightly gooey.  Sigh.  Try not to eat the whole batch at once!

Check out my special diet Pinterest boards: