Gluten-Free Oreos Made Me Cry

When Nabisco announced they were coming out with a certified Gluten-Free Oreo, I thought it was too good to be true. There was no way in my mind that they’d stand up to the original. The cookie that I wouldn’t say I needed to have in my life, but would enjoy if it was available. Eventually, as the years went on I ventured into alternative cookies as I looked for a good gluten-free pre-made cookie that was also free of dairy. I found one too. And I had just eaten the last one in the box on a cold day Tuesday in February, celebrating having finished my classes for the day, when my mom walked into my makeshift office (my bedroom) with a surprise: a package of Gluten-Free Oreos.

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I was shocked, but nothing could have prepared me for what happened next. My mom suggested I give one of the Gluten-Free Oreo’s a try before I had lunch in order to draw a more direct comparison to the chocolate sandwich cookie I had most recently consumed. It definitely felt like the way to go, so I agreed. I even decided to film my first taste of the new cookie, because I had just been talking to a friend about them the day before. At the time, it seemed like a fun idea to make the video and send her my live reaction. I am so, so glad I did.

My first impression of the Gluten-Free Oreos was of course not the Oreo itself but the packaging. I admired the white and light blue colors, triple-checked that the Oreos were, in fact, certified gluten-free and didn’t contain any of my allergens, and proceeded to open the package. Well, attempted to. It was hard! I ended up getting worried after it sounded like a cookie had broken from the way the tray was bending as the top refused to pull back and release, using my fingers to break the material holding the resealable packaging together.

The cookies themselves? They smelled like Oreos. I noticed it as soon as the package was open, the sweet fragrance wafting through the air. The Oreos were definitely crammed into the package so I went for the one in the middle of the middle row first, the easiest to get my fingers around. Upon inspection, I was a bit surprised by how little cream was in the sandwich cookies. I know it’s been a while, but the amount felt piddly in comparison to the alternative cookie I had consumed earlier that morning.

My first bite of the cookie brought a crunch and clean break with few crumbs – much less than I expected. I immediately was hit with that signature Oreo flavor that words just cannot describe. Not quite sweet, but so unique that I immediately felt as though my life was flashing before my eyes. I always thought that was just a means of hyperbole, but one taste of a Gluten-Free Oreo proved me wrong. Images of trying a new type of Oreos with my siblings in our kitchen, lunchtimes full of laughter in the middle school cafeteria, enjoying post-game snacks with teammates after winning a rec game; the sights and sounds of my childhood flashed before me with memories I had no idea I would have had associated with the taste of Oreos.

And as I sat there, overwhelmed with the feeling of happiness and nostalgia that was completely unexpected, I started to cry. Happy tears. I had to set my Oreo down, just to take a second to sit blissfully in this moment.

The cookie itself, despite having that unique, indescribable, Oreo flavor, didn’t strike me as anything that special. It got stuck in my teeth, didn’t have a notable amount of cream, and the cream itself didn’t seem to really contribute to the overall flavor in the way I had anticipated. When my mom asked what I thought about it, I told her I preferred the other chocolate sandwich cookie I’d had that morning, if I could choose between the two. If it came down to a “which is a better cookie” sort of question, I wouldn’t say the Gluten-Free Oreo. It’s just not superior for me.

But I can’t discount the fact that the Gluten-Free Oreo gave me an experience, an experience I certainly was not expecting. This makes me think that as cool as it is that there are Gluten-Free Oreos at my disposal now, I never really was an Oreo person. You know the ones, the people who will do just about anything to get their hands on an Oreo? That was never me. While I really appreciate that Oreo now has an allergy-friendly option that’s safe for my consumption, and the consumption of everyone else who didn’t have access to Oreos before, I don’t think I’ll be picking them up again anytime soon.

Maybe, that’s a good thing. Maybe next time I take a bite into a Gluten-Free Oreo, I’ll get to have that magical, life flashing before my eyes experience one more time (in a totally non-life-threatening way). In the meantime, I’ll stick to my other brands when I feel like having a chocolate sandwich cookie. I’m sure there are more people out there patiently waiting to get their hands on some Gluten-Free Oreos (they may not be available at your local store, but you can still order them for delivery from Target), and maybe they’ll get to have the experience I did. I don’t mind waiting for it again.