Iced Apple Oatmeal Cookies
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There’s nothing sweeter than a chewy oatmeal cookie filled with sweet, ripe apples! This easy to make oatmeal cookie recipe is the perfect cozy fall dessert. Every bite tastes like autumn!
What are Apple Oatmeal Cookies?
This oatmeal cookie recipe is truly unique! I wanted to create an oatmeal cookie that tasted like your favorite apple and cinnamon breakfast oatmeal. I think that was achieved with these super sweet and chewy oatmeal cookies! Each bite is filled with cinnamon and nutmeg, chewy oats, and juicy apples. The little bit of icing on top ties everything together!
Choosing the Perfect Apples:
For this recipe, you will want to use a crisp and sweet apple variety! The apple soften considerably in the oven, so choosing a firmer apple can be helpful to avoid soggy cookies.
To make these chewy oatmeal cookies, I like to use a sweet apple like Honeycrisp, Jonathan, Fuji, Jonagold, or Golden Delicious.
Gathering Ingredients:
To make these apple oatmeal cookies, you will need to gather up some key ingredients! Read below for my ingredient recommendations and substitutions.
Butter. I prefer to use salted butter in my recipes, but you can use unsalted butter if that is what you prefer. Increase the salt in the recipe by 1/4 teaspoon if you are using unsalted butter.
Sugar. This recipe uses both granulated and light brown sugar.
Eggs. You will need one large egg at room temperature.
Apple Cider Reduction. This ingredient really brings some unique flavor to these oatmeal cookies! If you do not have apple cider to make a reduction, you can replace this ingredient with honey or maple syrup.
Vanilla.
Rolled Oats. You will need old-fashioned rolled oats for this recipe, though most of them will be turned into a coarse oat flour. You can replace the rolled oats with oat flour if you have that on hand already!
Flour. This recipe works best with all-purpose flour.
Cornstarch. You can replace the cornstarch with another baking starch such as tapioca starch or potato starch, if necessary.
Leaveners. You will need baking powder and baking soda.
Salt. I prefer to use kosher salt in my recipes, so adjust accordingly.
Spices. You will need ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg.
Apples. Any sweet apple will do. Be sure to cut them up into small chunks, about 1/2-inch.
Powdered Sugar. For the icing.
Milk. If you do not want to use milk, water or even cream can be used instead.
How to Make Apple Oatmeal Cookies:
Step One: Begin by creaming the butter and sugars. On medium speed, beat the butter and sugars together for about 3 minutes, or until it has formed clumps the size of a pea, and become softened and lighter in color. Add the egg, beating it in completely before adding the apple cider reduction* and vanilla.
Step Two: Next, you will need to make some quick oat flour. With a blender, food processor, or coffee grinder blend 1 cup (90 g) of the oats until it resembles quick oats, or a coarse flour.
Step Three: In a medium bowl, whisk together the oat flour you just made, the all-purpose flour, the remaining 1/2 cup (45 g) of rolled oats, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add this dry mixture to the wet ingredients and mix on medium speed until the dough comes together and pulls itself away from the bowl slightly, about 3 to 5 minutes. Finally, fold in the apple chunks until well distributed throughout the batter, another 1 minute.
Step Four: Drop the cookies onto the baking sheets, about the size of 2 tablespoons worth of dough, and arrange them about 2-inches (5-cm) apart. Bake the cookies for about 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the centers look a bit doughy. Remove the cookies from the oven and leave them to rest on the baking sheets for 5 more minutes.
Step Five: While the cookies are cooling, make the Powdered Sugar Icing. In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and milk. Transfer the icing to a piping bag or plastic sandwich bag. Cut off a small opening at the tip or in one of the corners of the bag. Pipe the icing onto the cooled cookies and leave it to set, about 5 minutes.
Recipe Notes:
Apple Cider Reduction. If you have never made apple cider reduction before, it's really easy! To reduce, pour 1 cup (240 ml) of apple cider into a small saucepan. Bring the cider to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Continue to simmer and stir the cider occasionally, letting it reduce to about 2 to 3 tablespoons (30 to 45 ml) worth. It should be a dark amber color, thick, and syrupy. This usually takes about 15 to 20 minutes. Once reduced, let the apple cider reduction cool to room temperature before using in your cookies.
Butter Temperature. To make ideal cookies that are chewy in the middle and crispy around the edges, your ingredients need to be at the right ratios and temperature. For cookies, butter should be at around 60° F (15° F) for “room temperature” to cream properly with the butter.
Weigh Your Ingredients! My recipes are tested by weight. I highly suggest that you try weighing your ingredients with a kitchen scale if you have not before, as this can really alter your final cookies! Everyone’s “cup” measures differently.
Final Thoughts:
I love these apple oatmeal cookies to enjoy on a chilly autumn afternoon with a cup of hot coffee or chai latte. You will absolutely love sharing this easy recipe for chewy oatmeal cookies with your loved ones on these gorgeous fall days. Pack them along for your trip to the apple orchard or pumpkin patch!
xoxo Kayla
Iced Apple Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (116 g) salted butter, softened to room temperature or 60° F (15° C)
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (100 g) light brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) apple cider reduction*
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups (135 g) old-fashioned rolled oats, divided
- 1 1/2 cups (188 g) all purpose flour
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 cup (60 g) fresh apples, peeled and diced into small chunks
- 1 cup (118 g) powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 to 2 tbsp (15 to 30 ml) milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F (177° C). Set aside 2 large baking sheets.
- In the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add the butter and sugars. Cream the butter and sugar together for about 3 minutes, or until it has formed clumps the size of a pea, and become softened and lighter in color. Add the egg, beating it in completely before adding the apple cider reduction* and vanilla.
- Next, you will need to make some quick oat flour. With a blender, food processor, or coffee grinder blend 1 cup (90 g) of the oats until it resembles quick oats, or a coarse flour.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the oat flour you just made, the all-purpose flour, the remaining 1/2 cup (45 g) of rolled oats, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add this dry mixture to the wet ingredients and mix on medium speed until the dough comes together and pulls itself away from the bowl slightly, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Finally, fold in the apple chunks until well distributed throughout the batter, another 1 minute.
- Drop the cookies onto the baking sheets, about the size of 2 tablespoons worth of dough, and arrange them about 2-inches (5-cm) apart. Bake the cookies for about 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the centers look a bit doughy. Remove the cookies from the oven and leave them to rest on the baking sheets for 5 more minutes.
- Transfer the finished cookies to a wire cooling rack to finish cooling fully.
- While the cookies are cooling, make the Powdered Sugar Icing. In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and milk.
- Transfer the icing to a piping bag or plastic sandwich bag. Cut off a small opening at the tip or in one of the corners of the bag. Pipe the icing onto the cooled cookies and leave it to set, about 5 minutes.
- Serve the cookies at room temperature. To store the cookies, leave them in an airtight container at room temperature for about 6 to 7 days. Otherwise, they can be frozen for extended storage.
Notes
*If you have never made apple cider reduction before, it's really easy! To reduce, pour 1 cup (240 ml) of apple cider into a small saucepan. Bring the cider to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Continue to simmer and stir the cider occasionally, letting it reduce to about 2 to 3 tablespoons (30 to 45 ml) worth. It should be a dark amber color, thick, and syrupy. This usually takes about 15 to 20 minutes. Once reduced, let the apple cider reduction cool to room temperature before using in your cookies.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
142Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
