Soft and chewy with delicious, fresh diced apples and a sweet maple syrup glaze, these Oatmeal Apple Cookies are quick and easy to make. If you're looking for a treat during your coffee time on a cool fall morning, THIS IS IT!
Say hello to the perfect fall cookie! These cookies are soft and chewy with an optional maple glaze that is so tasty.
You can enjoy them, plain as well. or with the maple glaze. If you're not a fan of maple, change out the maple syrup for milk and make a plain glaze.
If you love iced cookies then you will have to check out my iced oatmeal cookies and frosted carrot cookies. They're both delicious!
Why You'll Love These Cookies
- simple recipe, no fancy ingredients or equipment needed
- they stay delicious for days and can be frozen
- similar to my iced oatmeal cookies but a bit softer and more moist with the apples chopped in them. A soft, chewy texture that remaining soft for days and they do not harden once stored.
ingredients and substitutions
For full ingredients list, see recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- rolled oats - I like to use quick oats in this recipe. If you're using the old-fashioned oats, pulse them a few times in the food processor first to break them down a little. If you don't break the down, the texture will results in more chewy apple oatmeal cookies.
- pecan - you can substitute walnuts in these cookies for a delicious change
- apples - I used Honey Crisp apples or you can use your favourite baking apple such as Granny Smith apples and Golden Delicious. We prefer them diced and tested them with grated apples as well which were tasty but we preferred to dice the apples.
- butter - soften butter at room temperature before starting the recipe.
- eggs - large eggs should be at room temperature. Take them out of the refrigerator 30 to 60 minutes before starting the recipe.
- vanilla extract - use pure vanilla extract for the best flavor
- brown sugar - I use light brown sugar in most of my baking recipes but you can all use dark brown sugar
- all purpose flour
- baking powder
- baking soda
- salt
- cinnamon
Step by Step Instructions
Oatmeal cookies are the perfect breakfast snack and you'll see below how quick and easy they are to make!
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, or bowl from stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and both sugars until they're light and fluffy.
Add in eggs and vanilla and mix until they're completely mixed into the batter.
In a small bowl or medium bowl, combine all dry ingredients and the finely chopped pecans.
Gradually, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed.
Next stir in the rolled oats on low speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl often.
If using a stand mixer, drop the bowl and remove the mixing blade. Stir in the chopped apples by hand.
Now, you're ready to scoop and shape into balls. A cookie scoop or ice cream scoop makes this easy and not so messy.
Using an ice cream scoops makes the cookies more uniform. Place them on the prepared baking sheets, then roll them each into a ball and flatten slightly. They will be approximately three inches across when flattened.
Bake 8 to a sheet, leaving a few inches in between as they will spread during baking.
Bake cookies, one sheet at a time in a 350°F oven for 12 to 14 minutes. The cookies will be browned on the edges and still a bit soft in the middle.
If you over bake the cookies they will not be soft and chewy. You might like a crispier cookies. If so, leave them in a few minutes longer.
Cool the cookies completely on a wire rack.
Prepare the glaze by mixing together powdered sugar with maple syrup. Start with two tablespoons of syrup, then add the third. If you need a fourth tablespoon for a smoother, consistency, go ahead and add it in. Add the final amount using a teaspoon at a time.
The cookies must be cooled completely before dipping them into the icing. In a rush? Give them thirty minutes to cool and go for it!
I find it a bit easier to work with the glaze on a flat dinner plate.
Turn the cookies upside down and dip them into the glaze, holding for a moment in the glaze.
Allow the glaze to drip, holding the over the plate of icing. The drippings can go back into the remaining icing.
You can use a knife to spread it out a little if your glaze is on the thicker side.
Alternatively, you can use a knife and ice the cookies that way instead of using the dip-and-drip method.
FAQ's
Store cooled apple cookies in a covered airtight container at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. They will last a few extra days if you place them in the refrigerator.
Quick oats will results in a softer cookie . Old fashioned oats will be more chewy and the cookie will be thicker. If a recipe calls for quick oats and you do not have them on hand, simply process old fashioned oats for 2 to 3 pulses in the food processor to break them down a little.
Most apple varieties will taste delicious in apple cookies. Favourite include Honeycrisp, Fuji and Granny Smith.
My Top Tips
- when measuring flour, spoon and level flour into the measuring cup. Using too much flour can change the consistency of the cookies.
- I like to peel and dice the apple right before I'm ready to use it to avoid browning of the apple pieces.
you might also enjoy these cookie recipes
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Oatmeal Apple Cookies
- Total Time: 29 minutes
- Yield: 24 cookies
Description
Soft and chewy with delicious, fresh diced apples and a sweet maple syrup glaze, these Oatmeal Apple Cookies are quick and easy to make. If you're looking for a treat during your coffee time on a cool fall morning, THIS IS IT!
Ingredients
Cookies
½ cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup butter, softened at room temperature
2 cups rolled oats
2 eggs, room temperature (I use large eggs)
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. salt
¼ cup finely chopped pecans (or walnuts)
1 cup chopped apples (finely chopped)
Glaze
2 cups powdered icing sugar
3 to 4 tbsp. maple syrup
Instructions
Cookies
- In a large mixing bowl, or stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add in eggs and vanilla and beat until well combined.
- In a small bowl, combine all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and pecans.
- Gradually add dry ingredients to butter mixture and mix on low speed just until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add in oatmeal and blend on low speed just until combined. The mixture will be a bit thick. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides and mix again once or twice by hand.
- Add the chopped apples by hand using a spoon and stir just until combined.
- Using a heaping tablespoon or cookie scoop, shape and roll into balls, press down to flatten slightly, then place on parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. (No parchment paper? No problem. Set the cookies on an ungreased baking sheet).
- Bake in 350°F oven for 12 to 14 minutes. Cookies will still be soft in the middle.
9. Cool on baking sheet for two minutes, then transfer to wire cooling rack. (cookies must be cooled completely before icing) At least 30 minutes.
Glaze
10. In a small mixing bowl, combine powdered sugar and two tablespoons of maple syrup. Add the third tablespoon and check the consistency. If mixture is still thick, add more maple syrup, one teaspoon at a time until the consistency is a little runny.
11. Take cooled cookies one at a time and dip the top of the cookie into the icing. Tilt the cookie from side to side and top to bottom to even out the icing. Hold upside down until the excess icing has dripped back into the bowl. Set on wire rack. (clean up will be easier if you place a piece of plastic wrap or paper towelling underneath the wire rack).
Allow the icing to set completely before stacking the cookies for storage.
Notes
- Substitutions: walnuts can be used instead of pecans
- Glaze: You can substitute milk for the maple syrup for a plain glaze.
- Storage instructions: Cool cookies completely, then store in a covered container at room temperature.
- Freezing instructions: Store cooled cookies between sheets of parchment or waxed paper in a freezer-safe container for up to two months. Thaw at room temperature before eating.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 14 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven Baked
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 243
- Sugar: 24.3 g
- Sodium: 85.7 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 5.1 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 1.3 g
- Protein: 2.7 g
- Cholesterol: 35.8 mg
Keywords: Oatmeal Apple Cookies
Sandra
The maple icing is so tasty on these apple cookie. We also enjoyed them plain without the icing. This is such an easy oatmeal cookie recipe!
★★★★★
Carol
The cookies were delicioussss and maybe it’s user error but when I tried making the icing, it clumped up and I had to use wayyy more than 4 tbsps of maple syrup. Next time I’ll probably use a mixture of powdered sugar and maple syrup and milk to thin it out 🙂 . But these cookies are to die for and are the epitome of autumn.
★★★★★
LiZA
Oatmeal cookies are my favorite. They have reputaion as boring but I love them the best. This recipe moves the Oatmeal cookie right out of the 'boring' file and puts them into the DANG, THESE ARE SPECIAL file. DeLish!!
★★★★★
Sandra Flegg
We agree :)!!
Tim
Love the oatmeal icing on these delicious apple oatmeal cookies. One of our favourite fall cookies now!
★★★★★