Easy Apple Oatmeal Cookies

As soon as fall hits, I want every pumpkin or apple-based dessert there is. From pumpkin snickerdoodles to Dutch apple pie, I just can't seem to get enough.

I was in the mood for something with apples and plenty of chewy oats and got the idea for these tender oatmeal cookies. They're truly the perfect fall dessert, especially since they are quick and easy to make.

🥘 Ingredients

• Butter - Let your butter soften to room temperature before getting started.
• Brown Sugar - I used light brown sugar for these cookies, but dark brown sugar would work, too.
• Sugar - Regular granulated sugar.
• Egg - Same as the butter, you'll want the egg to be at room temperature.
• Apple Pie Spice - I have a recipe for homemade apple pie spice that I absolutely love. It has a few added spices over your typical store-bought apple pie spice (which would work as well). If you don't have any apple pie spice, you could swap it out for 1½ teaspoons of cinnamon mixed with ¼ teaspoon of nutmeg (or another apple pie spice substitute).
• Vanilla - Pure vanilla extract will always give you the best flavor.
• Baking Soda - Some baking soda will help the cookies to rise in the oven.
• Salt - I always use a small amount of salt in my baked goods to help cut the sweetness.
• Flour - Regular, all-purpose flour is all you need. To make these cookies gluten-free, you can swap this in a 1:1 exchange for your favorite gluten-free flour.
• Oats - Make sure you use old-fashioned oats instead of quick oats.
• Apple - This version is made using a freshly chopped apple, however, dried apples or rehydrated freeze-dried apple chunks can be used too. Read all about apple calories and nutrition here.
• Walnuts (optional) - For some added texture and flavor, consider tossing in some chopped walnuts.

👩🏻‍🍳 How To Make Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookies

These oatmeal cookies are especially beginner-friendly. You will only need your stand mixer or hand mixer, a baking sheet, measuring cups, and a knife for chopping apples.

This recipe yields approximately 18 cookies. Use 3 tablespoons of cookie dough for 12 jumbo (monster-cookie size) cookies.

Step 1. Prep. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C/Gas Mark 4) and line a couple of baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

Mix The Wet Ingredients

Step 2. Cream the butter and sugars. Using a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, add ½ cup (113.5 grams) of butter, ½ cup (110 grams) of light brown sugar, and ¼ cup (50 grams) sugar (photo 1). Mix at medium speed until smooth and fluffy.

Step 3. Add wet ingredients. Add 1 large (50 grams) egg, 2 teaspoons apple pie spice, 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon baking soda, and ¼ teaspoon salt (photo 2) and mix until evenly distributed.

Add Dry Ingredients & Apple

Step 4. Mix in flour. Pour in 1 cup (125 grams) all-purpose flour (photo 3) and mix only until just combined.

Step 5. Mix in oats. Add 1¾ cups (141.89 grams) of old-fashioned oats (photo 4) and mix on low speed for about 10 seconds or until the oats have been well incorporated.

Step 6. Fold in apples. (Photo 5) Use a silicone spatula to gently fold in 1 medium (182 grams) apple and the optional ½ cup (58.5 grams) walnuts (photo 6).

Portion & Bake

Step 7. Portion out the cookie dough. Using a large cookie scoop (about 2 tablespoons), scoop the dough from the bowl and drop it onto your prepared cookie sheets (photo 7).

Step 8. Flatten the dough. Press the cookies down slightly, as they won't spread much in the oven.

Step 9. Bake until golden. Cook on the middle rack in your preheated oven at 350°F (175°C/Gas Mark 4) for 11-13 minutes or until set (photo 8).

Cool & Serve or Store

Step 10. Cool and share. Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for a couple of minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

💭 Tips & Notes

• Apple size and peeled or not? You will need about 1 cup of diced apples or approximately one medium-sized apple. It can be a peeled or unpeeled apple. It is up to your preference. 
• Best size of apple pieces. Small or finely diced apples are best for evenly distributing throughout the dough. 
• Great baking apples. I recommend using any baking apple variety for these cookies. Some good options are Honeycrisp, Braeburn, Golden Delicious, Gala, Fuji, and Granny Smith. See more great info on baking apples in my guide to the best apples for apple crisps.
• Gluten-free modification. Make these cookies gluten-free by swapping the flour for your favorite gluten-free flour in a 1:1 exchange. 
• Shaping the dough. These cookies do not spread very much in the oven, so I like to flatten them by hand or using the bottom of a glass just a little bit before baking. Use butter or water to keep the cookie dough from sticking to your fingers or your glass.

🥡 Storing

Fresh cookies can be stored in a sealed container at room temperature for 2-3 days or refrigerated for up to 5-6 days.

Freezing

You can freeze the unbaked cookie dough by portioning the dough into balls and spacing them out on a cookie sheet. Place the cookie sheet into the freezer for 1-2 hours.

Once solid, transfer the frozen dough balls into a storage bag. They can be frozen for up to 3 months and baked directly from frozen by adding a couple of extra minutes in the oven.

Baked cookies can also be frozen once they have cooled. Separate them with parchment paper so they don't stick together and freeze them for up to 3 months. When ready, let them thaw on the counter before serving. 

🍎🍪 Apple Oatmeal Cookies Recipe FAQs

📖 Recipe Card