In 2011, I was curseddeveloped a gluten intolerance (aka an aversion to everything delicious), which means I haven't had an Oreo in nearly 10 years. During that time, I've become well acquainted with gluten-free copycats that, while delicious in their own way, don't live up to what my taste buds remember as the ultimate cookie to snag out of the pantry before dinner. At the end of 2020, the brand announced that they were (finally!) rolling out gluten-free Oreos, and now they've officially arrived.
On behalf of anyone who's ever experienced the frustration of having a gluten-free snack crumble before you even get it out of the package, I decided to try the new cookies for myself, and I'm doing my best to savor every last crumb. Currently available in stores nationwide, the cookies look and feel a lot like classic Oreos, but there are a few key differences to note if you're thinking of trying a pack yourself. See a full review of the chocolatey new cookies ahead.
At first glance, the high-def cookie on the packageing caught my eye, and I resisted just long enough to pour myself a glass of milk. The pack is notably smaller than I remember, which may just be because I haven't held a regular pack of Oreos in a while, but I definitely felt shortchanged a few cookies.
On the outside, the cookie itself is the same size as an ordinary Oreo, or so I was told by my non-gluten-free sister, who joined me for the taste test. But, after reading the ingredients, I found a few major differences. First of all, when it comes to regular Oreos, the main ingredients are: unbleached enriched wheat flour, riboflavin, sugar, and palm/rapeseed oil. The gluten-free version moves sugar up to the first ingredient on the list, followed by white rice flour, tapioca starch, and rapeseed oil.
Biting into the Oreo, I definitely had a mini Ratatouille moment where I was transported back to days when a cookie was just a cookie and I didn't have to think about what was in it. I did notice that the cookies themselves were crispier and crumbled more easily than I expected, but the spot-on taste definitely made up for any crumbs that accumulated along the way.
These were such a good copycat of the classic Oreo that I was almost afraid I'd eaten a real one (even though the packageing clearly said otherwise). But, upon closer inspection, I saw that the cookie itself says "gluten" and "free" right around the Oreo logo, so there's no mistaking these for the original. (See: cookie dunked in milk for contrast.)
Yep! There was even a Double Stuf version to try. Personally, I think I'm more of a fan of the classic Oreo-to-cream ratio, but these definitely lived up to my expectations. Now, the real question is, will they hold up to the dunking test?
Eating a dry Oreo and eating one that's been soaked in milk for just the right amount of time are to completely different experiences, and I decided it'd be irresponsible of me if I didn't try the gluten-free version both ways. After giving the cookie a decent soak, my opinion shot from a 10/10 to an 11/10. Needless to say, I will definitely be enjoying the rest of these with a cool glass of milk.
6 / 8
Thoughts From Someone Who Still Eats Classic Oreos
For research purposes, I asked my sister (who does eat gluten) to try the cookies along with me. As someone who would put Oreos on the top of her list of favourite snacks, she agreed that the gluten-free cookies solidly pass for the real thing.
Minor details aside, the gluten-free Oreos are just as delicious and satisfying as the regular Oreos that I remember. As someone who loves to bake, I'm already imagining all of the dessert possibilities: Oreo dump cake, Oreo churros, Oreo cream cheese balls, and more. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to think up more Oreo desserts while I snack on these straight out of the package.
