Mmm, caramel. This is one of my most favorite flavors. Back when I drank Starbucks I would go in for the Caramel Frappuccino and tell the barista to put extra caramel sauce on top. My friend would tell them that all I wanted was them to layer whip cream and tons of caramel sauce. So true! I didn’t care about the coffee! Here is my Gluten Free Caramel Cookies with Caramel Cashew Frosting.

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I was very proud of my first foray into cashew frosting. Trying to make something that is notoriously sweet and fundamentally bad for you, I really needed something that could compare. It really is super easy to make this frosting. All you do soak cashews overnight, then drop all your ingredients into a blender.  Yes blender.  I decided to use the ole standby blender that rarely sees the light of day, since the food processor was making oats into flour.  For the blender, after the first few digs with spoon to break up the cashews at the bottom all, it blended perfectly.

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The cookie recipe is from the lid to the Quaker Oats box – Vanishing Oatmeal Cookies.  I only used oats for the cookies, and a ton less sugar but a lot of caramel.  So good.  The cookies were not overly sweet, which was a blessing-they had just a hint of caramel flavor to them.  No guilt in eating these, even with the higher fat content from the cashews.  I would rather have super-thick healthy-fat frosting then sugar-high to the max frosting.

These cookies will not get you on a feeding frenzy which was perfect for the rest of my birthday eating festivities.  Yep my birthday…and yes I made my own cookies for my birthday.  No big deal-I knew what went in them and they were good.  And even better, everyone else liked them too!

*side note: these do need to be refrigerated

Caramel Cashew Frosting

2 C Cashews, soaked overnight and rinsed
1/2 C Soy Milk
1/4 Tsp Cinnamon
1 Tsp Vanilla Bean Paste
3 Tbsp Caramel Sauce
1. Measure and soak cashews. I did this before bed and put them in fridge overnight.
2. Drain and rinse cashews. Put everything in the blender and let it whirl.  Will need to dig out cashews once or twice with a spoon.
3. Refrigerate until ready for use.
4. Enjoy!!

Gluten Free Caramel Cookies, 48 cookies
1/2 C Tropical Traditions Virgin Coconut Oil
1/2 C No Cal Sweetener
2 Flax Egg
1 Tsp Vanilla Bean Paste
1 1/2 C Oat Flour
1 Tsp Baking Soda
1 Tsp Cinnamon
1/2 Tsp Salt
3 C Oats
3/4 C Water
2/3 C Caramel Sauce

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1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In large bowl combine coconut oil and sweetener in bowl-mix with hand mixer. Add flax and vanilla bean paste and mix. 3. In medium bowl combine flour, soda, cinnamon, salt, and mix.
4. Add flour mixture slowly to wet. Mix well. Add in oats and mix.  Add water after 2nd cup of oats.
5. Pour in caramel sauce and mix loosely. Don’t over mix.
6. Bake 12 minutes.
7. Let cookies cool completely.
8. Spread a thin layer of frosting over each cookie.
9. Enjoy! (place in container with tight lid to store.)