These soft and chewy apple oatmeal cookies are loaded with fresh apples, cinnamon, and nutmeg. They’re a perfect sweet treat this fall season!
We’re rolling into the best season of the year this week. Fall means apple picking, pumpkin spice everything, cooler temperatures, leaves changing colors, and so much more! It’s by far my favorite time of the year.
I wanted to come up with a recipe to use for those who go apple picking and come back with an abundance of apples. So, today I’m sharing a fall inspired apple oatmeal cookie! Traditional oatmeal cookies are filled with raisins and sometimes walnuts. This recipe adds a different texture with fresh diced apples, then we kick up the flavor with autumn spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. Everyone will be craving these cookies this Fall!
If you love this apple recipe, I know you’ll love my Apple Streusel Muffins and Apple Crisp!
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Baking Is A Science
When it comes to making a pasta dish, tossing a salad together, or frying chicken- for the most part any home cook can wing it. You can taste the dish as you go and add more flavor with seasonings or adjust the cooking time accordingly. However, when it comes to baking, it’s a completely different story.
With baking, the ingredient amounts truly matter. Flour, eggs, sugar, fat, salt, and leavening ingredients all play key functions, and the smallest change in any could affect the outcome in a big way. Even the method of mixing the ingredients together and baking temperature/time all play a role in the finished product.
Role Of Each Main Ingredient In A Cookie Recipe
- Flour- the main function of flour in baking is to provide structure. Gluten is formed when the flour becomes hydrated by the liquid ingredients. Gluten forms a matrix which helps hold in the melted fat and sugar as it’s baking to prevent it from spreading too far. Depending on the ratio of dry ingredients to liquid, flour can be responsible for making the cookies chewy, dry, crumbly, or cakey.
- Fat- in this case butter, not only contributes a rich flavor, but also helps bind the ingredients together.
- Sugar- adds sweetness but also contributes to the texture. Granulated white sugar makes cookies spread more and get crispy. Brown sugar adds more moisture because it contains molasses, which makes the cookies chewier. I used a mixture of both which is ideal for cookies.
- Eggs- hydrates flour and helps the sugar dissolve. They also add protein which gives the cookie structure.
- Leavening- baking soda and baking powder (which is a combination of baking soda plus an acid) are added to help the dough rise and to set the cookies’ shape.
- Salt- enhances and brings out the flavor in the cookie
- Optional add-ins – like vanilla extract or spices add warmth and a balanced complexity to the flavor
Method Of Adding All The Ingredients Together Matters Too!
When I was coming up with these apple cinnamon cookies, I trialed multiple variations. I even trialed melting butter versus creaming softened butter to see how the cookie changed. The lesson: different temperatures of butter will produce different types of cookies. I suggest paying attention to whatever butter temperature your specific recipe calls for, in addition to the order of adding the ingredients, chill time, temperature and more. As noted before, any slight variation in baking can give you a completely different outcome.
The Winner Of My Apple Oatmeal Cookie Trial
This apple oatmeal cookie was the final result of all my trials. They have a slight crispy edge and a soft, chewy middle. They have a subtle sweetness, and an abundance of apple and fall spice flavors in every bite. My family and co-workers had rave reviews even saying it could be eaten as a breakfast cookie.
Tips For Making These Apple Oatmeal Cookies
- Use rolled old fashioned oats instead of quick oats in this recipe. Rolled oats offer the best texture and perfect chewy consistency.
- Any apple variety will work fine because the cook time isn’t very long. Some great options include: fuji, granny smith, golden delicious, or honey crisp.
- Dice the apple very small so that they will bake and become tender but also lend apple flavor in each bite.
- Don’t skip the chill time! If you skip the 30-minute chill time the cookie will spread too much in the oven, leaving you with a larger, thinner cookie with a crispier texture.
These apple oatmeal cookies are a great addition to your fall baking! They pack a lot of wholesome ingredients and can be enjoyed as a snack, dessert, or even breakfast.
Looking for more fall inspired recipes? Here are some of my favorites:
- Brie Cheese Crostini with Pear
- Butternut Squash Soup
- Pumpkin Bolognese
- Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Garlic Parmesan Spaghetti Squash
- Butternut Squash Ravioli
Apple Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon allspice optional
- ½ cup unsalted butter equiv. to 1 stick, softened to room temperature
- ½ cup dark brown sugar can substitute light brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated white sugar
- 1 egg room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup Apples peeled, cored, and ¼ inch diced
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, mix together the oats, flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and all spice (if using). Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl add the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Using an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until well combined.
- Add the egg and vanilla to the mixing the bowl. Continue to mix until well combined.
- Slowly add the flour mixture on low speed and mix until just combined and no more flour streaks. Stir in the diced apples with a spoon or spatula and mix until well incorporated.
- Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Remove dough from the refrigerator. Prepare two baking pans with parchment paper.
- Scoop dough using a medium cookie scoop, or ~2 tablespoons at a time. Roll into a ball and drop onto the prepared baking pans. Gently press down with your hand to flatten each ball of cookie dough slightly. If the apples start to come out, just gently press them back in.
- Bake in the oven for 14-15 minutes until top is lightly golden. Remove from the oven and let cool on baking pan for five minutes. Then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Once cooled completely, store the cookies in an airtight container.
Nutrition Facts
- I suggest waiting to cut the apple until you have separately mixed the dry and wet ingredients in different bowls. This way it will prevent it from turning brown. - Use rolled old fashioned oats instead of quick oats in this recipe. Rolled oats will offer the best texture and perfect chewy consistency. - Any apple variety will work fine because the cook time isn’t very long for them to become too mushy. Some great options include: fuji, granny smith, honey crisp, gala - Dice the apple very small so that they will bake and become tender but also lend apple flavor in each bite. - Don’t skip the chill time! If you skip the 30-minute chill time the cookie will spread too much in the oven leaving you with a larger, thinner cookie with a crispier texture.
Save this recipe now, make it later!
What’s your favorite fall baking recipe you can’t wait to make this year? Share in the comments below. I love to try out your recommendations, and maybe other readers will love your ideas, too! Also, be sure to stay in touch and follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest
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