While I normally try to adopt a Paleo diet (grain free, soy free, dairy free, legume free), it’s hard to maintain when you’re on the run and craving something sweet. Sure, there are incredible recipes out there but most require a food processor, time, grocery shopping, and a non-lazy person to prepare them. And, I hate to say it, between my 50+ hour week job and being a full-time (on campus) grad student, there isn’t a lot of motivation left over to mince, dice, kneed, and whip something sweet just so I can inhale it in 45 seconds.

As a compromise to myself, I normally avoid wheat, soy, and legumes (easiest to spot and avoid, from what I’ve experienced), but allow myself the occasional grain (aka, sorghum, brown rice flour, etc) and dairy in moderation for my sweets cravings. Still, this normally limits my options to Udi’s and Rudi’s brand muffins – which, don’t get me wrong, are TOTALLY delicious – and leaves much to be desired for moist, chewy cookies.

UNTIL NOW.

Browsing Whole Foods with a growling stomach, I stalked through the cookie aisle looking for a package I could rip open and indulge in while I shopped. I planned to just grab the first gluten-free option I saw, acquiesced to the fact that it would likely be dry/crunchy and not really satisfy the craving I had for a warm cookie out of the oven.

That’s when I spotted Enjoy Life’s Soft Baked No-Oats “Oatmeal” Cookies on the shelf.

I was skeptical (really… “soft baked,” eh?), but I have been an avid connoisseur of the Enjoy Life brand chocolate chips (soy, dairy, and nut free!), so I decided to give them a shot. Plus, they were on clearance for just $2 a box, as the company had just come out with new packaging/logos (seems to happen a lot lately), so I really couldn’t say no.

And boy, am I glad I didn’t.

These things are DELICIOUS. Moist, chewy, and the exact flavor of an oatmeal raising cookie, just like your grandmother used to make. They’re a little small (each cookie is about the size of a half dollar coin), but they pack a ton of flavor.

One serving (2 heaven-nuggets, as I like to call them) consists of 120 calories, 3.5g fat (0 saturated or trans fats), 21g carbs (only 10g is sugar, so not horrible), and 1g protein.

All of the ingredients can be pronounced and the list is short: sorghum flour; brown pure cane sugar; grape, apple, and pear juice concentrates; brown rice flakes; safflower and/or suflower oil; currants; natural rice dextrin; cinnamon; vanilla; xanthum gum; baking soda; rosemary extract.

I’m glad I took a risk on these cookies. Once I tried them in the store, I shoved five more boxes in my cart. I’ve contemplated crumbling them up over coconut ice cream, but as for lately, I just pop 1 or 2 after a meal to satisfy that nagging sweet tooth.

If you’re Celiac, gluten-sensitive, or have a major allergy (soy, dairy, nuts, egg, etc), I strongly suggest checking out the Enjoy Life brand and these cookies in particular. They’re awesome!

So, what are you waiting for? Go get a box (or twelve)!

Bon appetit, my friends!

~ Tori