My best apple oatmeal cookies are chewy, delicious, and bursting with cinnamon apple pie spice and tender pieces of fresh apple. They are a perfect not-too-sweet treat for the entire fall season that you’re sure to love. Grab your favorite variety of apple and get ready to enjoy these popular fall harvest cookies.
Make my apple crisp next, then try some of my apple cake recipes or apple dessert recipes too.
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.
Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!
👩🏻🍳 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.
❗ Top Tip: Best Temp For Room Temperature Butter
When instructions reference room temperature butter, butter that is slightly softened is best. The temperature should be between 67-72°F (19-22°C).
What this means is that if you can press your finger into the stick of butter easily, it is probably too softened for a great cookie structure. There should be just an indent from your finger when the temp is ideal.
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.
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💭 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
Sure. To make these cookies with no added sugar, swap out the white and brown sugar (for a total of ¾ cup) for applesauce or your preferred sugar-free sweetener. Granulated monk fruit or allulose are good granulated sugar alternatives that would work well in this recipe.
Of course. An added maple glaze will really bring out all of the warm flavors in these cookies.
You can make a simple and quick maple glaze by whisking together 4 tablespoons of melted butter, ½ cup of confectioners sugar (more as needed to reach your desired consistency), 3 tablespoons of pure maple syrup, and a pinch of salt. Add a drizzle of maple extract to take this glaze to the next level.
I don't recommend using quick oats in these cookies because they will absorb more moisture. This results in dry cookies.
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📖 Recipe Card
Best Apple Oatmeal Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter (softened, at room temperature)
- ½ cup light brown sugar (packed)
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 large egg (at room temperature)
- 2 teaspoon apple pie spice
- 1½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
- 1¾ cup old-fashioned oats
- 1 medium apple (diced)
- ½ cup walnuts (optional, chopped)
Instructions
- 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.
Prepare the Cookie Dough
- Using a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, cream together ½ cup butter, ½ cup light brown sugar, and ¼ cup sugar at medium speed until smooth and fluffy.
- Add 1 large egg, 2 teaspoon apple pie spice, 1½ teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon baking soda, and ¼ teaspoon salt and mix again until evenly distributed.
- Pour in 1 cup all-purpose flour and mix only until just combined.
- Add 1¾ cup old-fashioned oats and mix on low speed for about 10 seconds, or until the oats have been well incorporated.
- Use a silicone spatula to gently fold in 1 medium apple and the optional ½ cup walnuts.
Portion & Bake
- Using a large cookie scoop (about 2 tablespoons), scoop the dough from the bowl and drop it onto your prepared cookie sheets.
- Press the cookies down slightly, as they won't spread much in the oven.
- Bake in the preheated oven at 350°F (175°C/Gas Mark 4) for 11-13 minutes, or until set.
- 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.
Notes
- You will need about 1 cup of diced apples or approximately one medium-sized apple. The apple can be peeled or unpeeled based on your preference.
- Small or finely diced apples are best for evenly distributing throughout the dough.
- 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.
- You can make these cookies gluten-free by swapping the flour for your favorite gluten-free flour in a 1:1 exchange.
- 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.
- 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 straight 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.
- Fresh cookies can be stored in a sealed container at room temperature for 2-3 days, or refrigerated for up to 5-6 days.
Angela Latimer says
I combine my love for oatmeal cookies and crisp, fresh apples in these cinnamon apple oatmeal cookies that are just delicious. If you're a molasses oatmeal cookie fan like me, be sure to add a drizzle with your wet ingredients here too! ~ Angela