Apple Oatmeal Cookies
Apple Oatmeal Cookies! Oatmeal cookies are even better when they’re loaded with chunks of fresh apple and iced with an apple glaze. I use a secret ingredient to amp up the apple flavor.
It took three rounds of recipe testing to get these cookies just right. Sure, I could’ve just put chopped apples into oatmeal cookie dough and called it a day. But I honestly try to create the best version of a recipe before I decide it is “blog worthy”.
The third time was the charm. These Iced Apple Oatmeal Cookies actually live up to their name, they taste like apples and oatmeal.
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
- Cubed Apples – For fresh apple flavor. The tiny cubes are about the size of a raisin.
- Apple Cider – Reducing apple cider to 1/4 of it’s original volume intensifies the apple flavor and eliminates extra moisture.
- Sugar – This recipe has less brown sugar and more white sugar because brown sugar makes cookies softer (thanks to the molasses) and granulated sugar makes cookies crisper. Because of the moisture from the apples and cider the extra white sugar keeps the cookies from becoming too cakey.
How to make Apple Oatmeal Cookies
See the recipe card for detailed measurements and instructions.
- Chop the apples to 1/4″ cubes.
- Whisk together the powdered sugar and reduced cider to make the icing.
- Make the oatmeal cookie dough.
- Finish stirring in the apples by hand to avoid breaking up the pieces
- Scoop the cookie balls and line them up on a sheet pan.
- At this point the cookie balls can be refrigerated or frozen and baked at a later time.
Tips for making the best Apple Oatmeal Cookies:
- Use a firm, tart apple (like Granny Smith) that won’t break down in the dough.
- If you like your cookies less sweet, you can omit the icing.
Storage and work ahead:
- The cookies will soften within a day. They’re best eaten the day they are baked. (Although I was happy to eat them for several days.)
- Make a big batch of dough and bake the cookies as desired. Unbaked cookie dough balls can be frozen. The dough balls can go straight into a preheated oven without defrosting.
Hey apple lover, try some of the my other recipes using fresh apples: Apple Maple Pie, Skillet Apple Cobbler, Apple Cinnamon Bread, Apple Cider Caramels, Apple Bourbon Pot Pie, Apple Frangipane Tart, Apple Upside Down Layer Cake, Apple Walnut Linzer Tart, Dutch Apple Tart
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Apple Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
- 16 oz apple cider (2 cups)
- 7 ½ oz all purpose flour (1 ½ cups, see note)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- 8 oz unsalted butter (room temperature but still firm)
- 8 oz granulated sugar (1 cup)
- 4 oz light brown sugar (½ cup, packed)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 10 oz old-fashioned rolled oats (3 cups)
- 1 large apple (peeled and cut into 1/4″ cubes)
- 2 oz confectioner sugar (½ cup)
Instructions
- Cook 16 oz apple cider over medium-low heat until it's reduced to 1/2 cup. Divide the reduced cider in half and set it aside to cool.
Make the Cookie Dough
- Preheat oven to 350 °F. Line 2 half sheet pans with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Sift together 7 ½ oz all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground ginger and ½ teaspoon table salt, set aside
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large mixing bowl, cream 8 oz unsalted butter with 8 oz granulated sugar and 4 oz light brown sugar on medium speed for about 2-3 minutes. Scrape the bowl and the beater.
- Add 2 large eggs, 1/4 cup of the reduced apple cider and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Mix until combined, scrape the bowl. With the mixer running on low speed, add the flour mixture. Add 10 oz old-fashioned rolled oats all at once and mix until almost combined. Add 1 large apple (¼" dice) and mix briefly to combine. You can finish mixing the dough off the mixer to avoid breaking up the apple cubes.
- Using a 1½ oz cookie scoop or a spoon, scoop the dough into 1½" balls. Set the cookies onto the prepared baking sheets at least 2" apart.
- Bake the cookies until golden brown around the edges and the center is set, about 8 minutes. While the cookies are baking, mix 2 oz confectioner sugar with the other 1/4 cup of reduced apple cider. The glaze should be the texture of pancake batter. Use a little water or sugar to adjust the glaze to the proper consistency.
- Remove the cookies from the oven. Allow them to cool enough so you can pick them up without breaking, but they are still slightly warm.
- Spread the glaze onto the cookies. As you glaze the cookies transfer them to a cooling rack. The glaze will set while the cookies finish cooling.
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