Apple Oatmeal Cookies

Made with fresh apples and packed with sweet, cinnamon flavor these apple oatmeal cookies are a tasty autumn dessert. With a slightly chewy texture mixed with pieces of soft fruit and drizzled with a sugar glaze, these cookies have a bit of fall flavor in every bite.

These apple oatmeal cookies take your favorite comforting tastes and roll them into a delicious treat. Each cookie has a crisp outer texture and a soft, chewy inside that’s swirled with sweet apple filling.

Glazed with a cinnamon sugar frosting they come together in just 45 minutes. Use these oatmeal cookies when catching up with family or bring them to your next potluck. They’re the perfect way to use up any extra apples on the counter and always a crowd pleaser.

Ingredients: 

For the cookie dough: 

• 1/2 cup (115g) melted butter (1 stick) 
• 1 egg + 1 yolk 
• 1 cup (200g) brown sugar 
• 1 cup (90g) rolled oats 
• 1 1/4 cups (150g) all-purpose flour 
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg 
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 

For the apple filling: 

• 2 apples, peeled and diced 
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar 
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

For the glaze: 

• 1/2 cup (60g) powdered sugar 
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
• 1 teaspoon milk 

Preparation time: 

• Dough preparation: 15 minutes. 
• Forming Cookies: About 5 minutes 
• Baking time: 10 minutes. 
• Cooling and decorating: 10-15 minutes. 
• Total: Approximately 35-45 minutes in total. 
• Yield: The recipe makes about 20 cookies (using a medium-sized cookie scoop, approximately 1 1/2 tablespoons of dough per cookie). 

Instructions For the cookies: 

1. Prepare the wet ingredients: 

In a large bowl, mix the melted butter, brown sugar, egg, and egg yolk together until well combined. Stir in the vanilla extract. 

2. Add the dry ingredients: 

In the same bowl, add the rolled oats, all-purpose flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt. Mix until everything is fully incorporated, but be careful not to overmix. 

3. Prepare the apple filling: 

Peel and dice the apples into small cubes. In a separate small bowl, toss the apple cubes with 1 tablespoon of brown sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon until coated. 

4. Combine apples and dough: 

Gently fold the coated apple cubes into the cookie dough. Mix just enough to distribute the apples evenly without overworking the dough. 

5. Shape and bake: 

Using a #20 cookie scoop (or about 1 1/2 tablespoons per cookie), drop the dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Make sure to leave some space between the cookies. 

6. Bake: 

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden. This recipe yields about 20 cookies.

7. Cool the cookies: 

Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool completely on a wire rack before adding the glaze. 

Instructions For the glaze: 

1. Prepare the glaze: 

In a small bowl, mix the powdered sugar, cinnamon, and milk until smooth. The consistency should be slightly thick but pourable. 

2. Decorate: 

Once the cookies have cooled, drizzle the glaze over the top of each cookie using a spoon for an even distribution. 

Substitutions and Variations

Apples: The apples you choose will affect the taste and texture of the oatmeal cookies. You want apples that hold their shape when cooked and won’t lose all their crispness. You can vary the taste of the cookies with the types of apples you use. Honeycrisp will be sweeter whereas Granny Smith apples add a bit of tang to the cookies.

Crunch: Mixing in some chopped walnuts or pecans to the dry ingredients is a great way to play with the texture.

Maple: If you love a strong maple flavor, add in some maple extract to the cinnamon sugar glaze for a comforting taste.

Spices: You can adjust the warmth of the cookies by using more or less cinnamon and nutmeg. For pure fall flavor, you could also whip up some homemade apple pie spice to use as well.

Dried fruit: Adding in some raisins or dried cranberries will give a chewier texture to the apple cookies and a bit more sweetness. Plus, it’s a nice way to lightly adjust the flavor.

How To Make The Best Apple Oatmeal Cookies

Take the time to cut the apples into chunks that are mostly the same size. This way they cook evenly, and nothing becomes mushy.

You need melted butter for the cookie batter but give it time to cool a bit before you add it in. If the butter is too hot it will cause the eggs to start to cook.

If you want to scale back on the sugar you can cut a bit out. The taste will still be delicious as the sweetness from the apples and the glaze comes through quite a bit.

Don’t overmix the dough. Stir until just combined. Overmixed dough causes denser cookies.

For crispier cookies, bake them for an extra 2-3 minutes, taking care to watch them so that they don’t burn.

Store leftover cookies once completely cooled in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days. Don’t stack the cookies until the glaze is set.

You can also freeze the cookies once made and cooled in a plastic bag with the cookies separated by layers of parchment paper. Stored in the freezer they’ll stay fresh for up to 2 months. Let them come to room temperature before you plan to enjoy them.