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Apple Oatmeal Cookies are soft and chewy oatmeal cookies with chopped apples and tons of warm cinnamon spices – like an apple pie in a cookie. They’re perfect for fall baking and are so easy to make!
Why This Recipe Works
I love soft oatmeal cookies and always look for ways to give them a seasonal twist. During the fall, there’s no better twist than a cinnamon apple one!
- It’s a tried and true recipe: I used my classic oatmeal cookie recipe for this recipe. I’ve tested it so many times, and they always bake up soft and chewy every time.
- They have just the right thickness. This is because the dough is chilled, so it doesn’t spread too much when baked. It’s the secret to great apple cinnamon oatmeal cookies!
- They keep well at room temperature – up to four days! They’re freezer-friendly, too, so you can make a big batch and keep them on hand.
Ingredients Needed
- Cinnamon & Nutmeg: Perfect spices to complement the apple flavor
- All-Purpose Flour: Be sure to measure it correctly. I do not suggest using whole wheat flour in this recipe.
- Light Brown Sugar: No granulated sugar in this – just tons of packed brown sugar!
- Quick-Cooking Oats: I prefer using quick oats in my oatmeal cookie recipes. If you only have rolled oats, you can make your own out of old fashioned.
- Apples: For these cookies I recommend using a sweeter apple, like Gala, Fuji or Honeycrisp. Be sure to chop them small so they are bite sized.
How to Make Apple Oatmeal Cookies
- Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl for one to two minutes.
- Mix in the eggs and vanilla, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.
- Then mix in the all purpose flour.
- Next, add the oats and mix until combined. Finally, stir in the chopped apples.
- Scoop two tablespoons of dough with a medium cookie scoop to form each cookie dough ball. Place them on a large baking sheet lined with parchment or silicone baking mats, cover them with plastic wrap, and chill them for at least 30 minutes.
- Once they are chilled, transfer the dough balls to a prepared cookie sheet and place them two inches apart. Bake them for 11 to 15 minutes at 350°F.
- Cool them on the cookie sheets for 10 minutes before transferring them to a baking rack.
Recipe Swaps
- Make Apple Oatmeal Raisin Cookies by adding 1/2 cup raisins
- You can even make Apple Cinnamon Cranberry Cookies by adding 1/2 cup dried cranberries!
- Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies with apples are so good too – add 1 cup chocolate chips or white chocolate chips.
- Turn these into Apple Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies easily!
FAQ
Can you freeze apple oatmeal cookies?
Yes, you can freeze them for up to two months.
What are the best apples for cookies?
I prefer Fuji, Gala, and Honeycrisp since they cook faster and don’t end up as chewy as granny smith apples.
Can I add raisins to apple cinnamon oatmeal cookies?
Yes, raisins will work great. You can also add one cup of nuts or white chocolate if you want to switch them up.
Why are my oatmeal cookies flat?
Did you chill the dough? Chilling the dough firms up the butter so the cookies don’t spread too much when they bake.
If oatmeal cookies are too dry, what ingredients should I add?
If the dough is too dry, try adding one tablespoon of milk.
Can I use old-fashioned oats?
No, they won’t work for this recipe, but you can make your quick oats if you only have old-fashioned oats on hand.
Apple Oatmeal Cookies Recipe
The BEST Apple Oatmeal Cookies are a classic soft and chewy oatmeal cookie recipe with apples baked in – the perfect apple cinnamon recipe for fall.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 14 minutes
Chill Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 4 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup (124g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup (150g) packed brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ⅔ cups (142g) quick cooking oats
- 1 cup (126g) finely chopped apples
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, baking soda, and flour. Set aside.
- Cream butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. (You can also use a large bowl and a hand mixer.) Cream until smooth, about 1-2 minutes. Mix in eggs, and vanilla and beat until smooth.
- Gradually mix in dry ingredients until smooth, being careful not to over mix. Add oats and mix until all combined.
- Peel, core, and chop your apples. Be sure to cut them small so they aren’t large chunks in your cookies. Stir apples into cookie dough.
- Scoop 2 tablespoon sized balls of dough and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment or wax paper. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes.
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350°F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or a silpat baking mat and place the cookie dough balls 2” apart.
- Bake for 11-15 minutes, until the bottom is slightly golden. Cool on cookie sheets for 10 minutes, then remove to a rack to cool completely.
- Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 4 days. They can also be frozen in an airtight container or ziploc bag for up to 2 months.
Recipe Notes
- Make your own quick cook oats if you don’t have old fashioned by pulsing them in a blender or food processor.
- Nuts: Add 1 cup chopped nuts to the batter with the apples. Walnuts or pecans would be delicious.
- The ingredients shot and video show the recipe doubled – you can double this recipe no problem.
Recipe Nutrition
Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 106kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 110mg | Potassium: 45mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 131IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate
I love all of my oatmeal cookies equally, but when September rolls around, you can bet these apple cinnamon oatmeal cookies are my go-to favorites. They are just perfect for fall. I hope you love them!
Hi Dorothy!
There’s a discrepancy between the “How to make…” narrative, and the recipe card. In the narrative, step 2, you’ve got us adding the cinnamon, baking soda, & salt (no mention of the nutmeg), in with the eggs & vanilla. I had a “Say what, now?”, moment, reread it several times, then scrolled to the recipe, to read the card.
This WAS going to be a “Why did you…” based on the narrative, but some days, the proof-reader in me comes to the forefront. 😕.
I can hardly wait to make these yummy looking cookies! With nights in the low to mid 40s, autumn is definitely on the way.
Thanks far all your hard work!
These cookies were awesome! I think they’ll be more than fall cookies. Excellent! Thank you! 😀
They were okay. I like old fashion oatmeal cookies. This is the first time I made cookies with quick oats. Don’t get me wrong we ate them.
All of you recipes I have made all got 5 stars, so I’m still bating 100%. Keep up the good work. Happy Autumn!
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