Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookies
These Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookies blend chewy oats with fresh apple chunks and warm cinnamon spice for a perfectly balanced treat. Easy to make yet impressive in flavor, they’re ideal for fall baking but delicious year-round.
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats not quick oats for better texture
- 1½ cups fresh apple peeled and diced small (about 2 medium apples, Honeycrisp or Granny Smith work best)
- ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans optional
- ½ cup dried cranberries or raisins optional
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking and ensure easy cleanup.
- Cream together the butter and sugars in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. This creates air pockets for a better texture, so don’t rush this step.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla extract, mixing well after each addition until completely incorporated.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt until evenly combined.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring just until combined. Over-mixing can make your cookies tough.
- Fold in the oats first, making sure they’re evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- Gently fold in the diced apples and any optional add-ins (nuts or dried fruit) until just incorporated. The moisture from the apples will soften the dough slightly.
- Drop rounded tablespoons of dough about 2 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheets. The cookies will spread a bit during baking.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes until the edges are lightly golden but the centers still look slightly soft. They’ll continue cooking on the hot baking sheet.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- For extra flavor, try toasting the nuts before adding them to the dough.
- The cookie dough can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 24 hours before baking.
- The small dice on the apples is important – pieces that are too large will release too much moisture during baking.
- These cookies freeze beautifully for up to 3 months in an airtight container.
- For a more pronounced apple flavor, you can add ¼ teaspoon of apple pie spice along with the cinnamon.
- The cookies will be soft when first removed from the oven but will firm up as they cool.