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These apple oatmeal cookies are chewy and soft-baked with oats, sweet shredded apples, and cozy fall spice. They’re one of my favorite holiday cookies, but I’ll bake them all year!
Officially petitioning to make soft oatmeal cookies a National Treasure. Who’s with me? And while you’re at it, try these banana oatmeal chocolate chip cookies and my carmelitas oatmeal cookie bars, next.
My apple oatmeal cookies will forever be a favorite on my holiday cookie tray. As you’ll see, they’re super easy to make. Each cookie is loaded with chewy oats, with buttery edges and a soft-baked middle filled with shredded apples and walnuts. I drizzle the tops with a simple glaze to bump up the sweetness (just a little).
These cookies make the whole house smell like a European Christmas market while they bake. It’s a mix of warm cinnamon spice and baked apples that takes me straight back to the Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna. The only thing missing is a cup of mulled wine!
Why I Love These Apple Oatmeal Cookies
- Cozy fall and winter flavors. I just love the sweet spice, wholesome oats, and satisfying walnut crunch in this apple cookie recipe. They’re perfect for fall and winter baking.
- One bowl. All it takes to make the apple oatmeal cookie dough is one bowl. You don’t even need a mixer! There’s no chilling required, either, so these cookies are scooped and in the oven in minutes. It’s my kind of cookie.
- The perfect “anytime” cookie. Outside of the holidays, I make these apple and oatmeal cookies throughout the year as a quick, on-the-go breakfast or sweet snack. They’re hearty and filling, and I love them dunked into a cortado or cinnamon dolce latte.
Ingredients You’ll Need
What goes into a perfectly soft and chewy apple oatmeal cookie? Not much, actually. The ingredients in these cookies are super simple and pantry-friendly. I’ll start things off with some notes, and you’ll find the printable ingredients list in the recipe card along with the full recipe details.
- Butter – Softened to room temperature.
- Brown Sugar – I love the deep flavor of brown sugar in these cookies. Feel free to substitute granulated sugar, or go half-and-half if you’d like.
- Eggs and Vanilla – For the best flavor, make sure it’s real vanilla extract.
- Dry Ingredients – All-purpose four and baking soda. Check the expiration date on the baking soda packaging to make sure it’s fresh.
- Oats – Old-fashioned, rolled oats are best here. Instant and quick oats absorb more liquid, and the cookies won’t be as chewy or spread as nicely in the oven.
- Apple – Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, and Braeburn apples are all good baking apples. Core and then shred the apple using a box grater before you start.
- Spices – I use a mix of ground cinnamon and nutmeg. You could also use apple pie spice.
- Walnuts – Chopped up, for crunch! Other good choices are chopped pecans, almonds, or cashews. If needed, skip the nuts to make these cookies nut-free.
- Glaze – I drizzle these cookies with a simple glaze made from powdered sugar and milk. Easy! You can also change up the glaze by adding ground cinnamon.
How to Make Apple Oatmeal Cookies
I have zero patience for chilling cookie dough, so I’m all about a drop cookie recipe like these apple oatmeal cookies! Gather your ingredients, one bowl, and a wooden spoon. Here’s how to make them:
- Mix the cookie dough. First, cream butter and sugar together, and beat in the eggs and vanilla. Fold in the oats, apples, and remaining ingredients with a wooden spoon.
- Bake. Drop the cookie dough by the spoonful onto a greased cookie sheet, then bake at 375ºF for 10-12 minutes. Afterward, let your apple oatmeal cookies cool before you glaze them.
- Add the glaze. Whisk powdered sugar with water or milk and drizzle it over the oatmeal cookies.
Tips and Variations
- Avoid pancake cookies. If your oatmeal cookies turn out flat, there’s a good chance that your oven temperature is too hot. Too much heat makes the butter in the cookies melt faster than the cookies can set, causing them to overspread.
- Don’t overbake. The key to soft, chewy apple oatmeal cookies is to take them out of the oven when they’re still a little underbaked. Even an extra couple of minutes in the oven can cause the cookies to turn out hard and crispy. Be sure to check the cookies often so that they bake to your liking.
- Check the cookies for doneness. On the subject of checking these cookies for doneness… For me, oatmeal cookies are baked when they’re golden brown at the edges and just set in the centers. That’s when I know it’s time to pull them from the oven!
- Add chocolate chips. Stir your choice of semisweet, dark, or white chocolate chips into the cookie dough. Butterscotch chips or toffee bits would also taste amazing with the apples and cinnamon.
- More mix-ins. Try adding dried cranberries, raisins (apple oatmeal raisin cookies? Yum!), and different nuts like chopped pecans or almonds.
- Different glaze. I’ve been dreaming of a batch of apple oatmeal cookies topped with the salted caramel glaze from my pumpkin donuts recipe. You could also frost them with the cream cheese frosting from these cinnamon roll sugar cookies.
How to Store
- On the counter. To keep these apple oatmeal cookies soft, store them in an airtight container or resealable bag at room temperature. They’ll last for 3-4 days, in theory. These cookies are so irresistible, that they barely make it past a day in our house before they’re GONE.
- Freeze. Luckily, I always have a second batch in the freezer! To freeze these oatmeal cookies, store them airtight and stash them in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature, and enjoy.
More Easy Cookies Recipes
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Apple Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
For The Cookies:
- ½ cup butter, softened
- ¾ cup packed brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 1 apple, peeled, cored and shredded
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
For The Glaze:
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- ½ tablespoon water, you can also use milk
Instructions
- Prep. Preheat oven to 375ºF. Lightly grease a cookie sheet with cooking spray and set aside.
- Mix the wet ingredients. In your mixer's bowl, combine butter and brown sugar; mix until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla.
- Add the dry ingredients. With a wooden spoon, mix in the remaining ingredients (apart from the powdered sugar and milk). Stir until just blended.
- Bake. Drop rounded tablespoonfuls of dough about 2 inches apart onto prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until set. Remove from oven and transfer the cookies to a cooling rack.
- Make the glaze. Meanwhile, mix powdered sugar and water (or milk) in a small mixing bowl for the glaze. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled oatmeal cookies.
Equipment
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
This recipe sounds fantastic . And I can’t wait to try it out . Would it be ok to use Finely Chopped apples instead of shredding them ? Also can we use Quick oats instead of Rolled oats ? If Yes then does the quantity of 2 cups oats remain the same ?
I just made these and we love them! It would be really helpful though to have some idea of how much shredded apple “1 apple” should be. I used apples from my tree which are smaller than apples I see at the store. I think I used 5. By the time I core and peel them not much is left, but maybe it was still too much. I got about 4 dozen cookies, and ended up baking them for about 15 minutes. How do you store them and how long do they keep? Can I freeze them?
These are easily my favorite cookie! I use 2 apples instead of 1. This time I made them with peaches instead of apples and they are just as good. I just had to add a little extra flour because peaches are juicier. Thanks for the recipe!
That’s great! I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
My cookies wouldn’t keep their shape. Any suggestions? Maybe add more flour?
These cookies are so delicious!!! Pretty simple to make and oh soooo good!! I ate 4 straight from the oven. Will be making these again and again. Thank you for this recipe!!
Hi! I have to say i have made a lot of cookies for fall (because it is my most favorite season of all!) and these are by far the BEST cookies ever!! with the apple, i cut it in half and did half shredded and half cut into small cubes just cuz i like to bite into a bit of apple (kinda like replacing raisins for apples). But this recipe could not be more perfect! and not as bad as other recipes out there so THANK YOU!! will definitely be making more for family and friends! gotta keep them away from the hubby he cant stop eating them he loves them so much!!!
How about using apple sauce instead of shredded apple? How much apple sauce should one put in to substitute?
Ooo! Sounds like a fun (and chilly) trip! These cookies look so good! I like my cookies thick and these suit me perfectly!