These amazing apple cinnamon oatmeal cookies are crunchy at the edges and soft/chewy in the middle. They are packed with fresh apple chunks, oats, white chocolate, and smell wonderfully of cinnamon!
Ingredients
These cookies are based on my favorite ever cookie recipe – chocolate chip pecan cookies. Instead of chocolate chips / chunks and pecans, these cookies have fresh apple chunks, oats, white chocolate, and cinnamon in them.
What kind of apples are best: I used Gala apples for this recipe. They are sweet and soft kind of apples. You can also use other apple variety, any will work.
Sugar: I’m using half white and half brown granulated sugar. White sugar adds crispiness and brown sugar adds more flavor (note that the cookies will be crispy at the edges only 1-2 hours after baking them, then they will start to soften).
Oats: use rolled oats and do not substitute for quick or instant oats (well they can be added but the texture of the cookies wouldn’t be that good).
White chocolate: you can use either chopped white chocolate bar (this is what I prefer, as the chocolate melts beautifully and just tastes better) or white chocolate chips (or even cinnamon baking chips!). You can also omit the chocolate or add some chopped nuts (like walnuts or pecans) or raisins instead.
Cinnamon: You can use apple pie spice, pumpkin pie spice, or gingerbread spice mix instead!
Before you start
Room temperature butter – it’s important for baking cookies. Cold butter won’t properly combine with the other ingredients and butter that is too soft will make the cookies spread too much while baking.
What is room temperature butter: when you press it with your finger, it should make an indent, but your finger should not slide all the way down. It’s also slightly cold to the touch.
How to quickly soften butter: I usually cut butter into small cubes and leave it on the counter for 10 minutes while I prepare all the other ingredients for cookies and it’s usually enough. Another option is to cut the butter into small cubes then beat it using a mixer for about 1-2 minutes, then wait about 5 minutes.
How to measure flour: if you will use a kitchen scale to measure out all the ingredients, it all goes easy breezy! But if you’re using measuring cups, remember that 1 cup of flour can weigh 120-150g, depending on how you’re filling your cup. Don’t scoop the flour directly into the measuring cup, which can compact it! 1 cup of flour in my recipes weighs 125g.
To correctly measure the flour, you need to:
- Fluff the flour by stirring it in the bag/flour container with a spoon.
- Spoon the flour and sprinkle it into your measuring cup.
- Sweep off the excess flour with the back of a knife.
How to make apple cinnamon oatmeal cookies step by step
STEP 1: Add the soft butter and both types of sugar into the mixing bowl.
STEP 2: Mix at medium-low speed for about 3-5 minutes until light, fluffy, and well-combined. You can use a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle-shaped attachment.
STEP 3: Now add the egg and vanilla extract.
STEP 4: Mix at medium-low speed for 3-5 minutes until well combined.
STEP 5: Sift in the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
STEP 6: Mix until the flour is half combined with the other ingredients.
STEP 7: Add the chopped apples (they should be cut into very small cubes!), roughly chopped chocolate (or chocolate chips), and oats to the bowl.
STEP 8: Mix until all the ingredients are evenly distributed.
STEP 9: Scoop the dough with a 3-tablespoons ice cream scoop and roll the dough into balls between your hands (every ball should weigh about 40g/1.4oz). Don’t flatten the balls. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper about 2 inches (5 cm) apart.
Don’t form large cookie balls – the cookies will come out too large and flat. Smaller cookies come out thicker.
Now you can bake the cookies right away or put the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes – the cookies will be thicker. I would recommend chilling the dough but it’s not 100% necessary.
STEP 10: Bake the cookies at 350°F / 180°C for about 14-15 minutes if you’re baking the cookies straight away or for 15-16 minutes if the cookie dough has been in the fridge for 30 minutes. The baking time may slightly vary depending on the oven.
The cookies should look like on the photo above – they should have golden edges but will be completely soft. Leave them on the baking sheet until to cool, for about 5-10 minutes (they will continue baking on the baking sheet).
The baking time: will depend on the size of the cookies and on the oven as each oven bakes a little bit differently. The cookies are ready when they have golden edges, are pale at the top, and are soft.
Enjoy!
How to store cookie dough
How to store apple cinnamon oatmeal cookie dough? It needs to be stored in the refrigerator. Store it in a tightly closed container or in a bowl wrapped with plastic foil.
How long is it safe to keep raw cookie dough in the fridge? Store it for up to 24h in the fridge, but best would be to bake them immediately or after a couple of hours (the dough can’t be stored as long as for example chocolate chip cookies because it contains fresh apples).
I’ve baked these cookies from a dough that has been stored in the fridge for 24 hours and they turned out amazing. The dough will be more thick so after you form balls with your hands, flatten the balls a little bit and bake them the same as described in the recipe.
How to store the cookies
How long do homemade apple cinnamon oatmeal cookies last? These cookies are crunchy at the edges and soft/chewy in the middle for about 2 hours after baking them, then they will start to soften from the moisture of the apples. They also taste very good the next day but are very soft. Since they have fresh apples in them, I wouldn’t leave them for more than 2 days.
How to store the cookies? Store them in a tightly closed container – preferably in a cookie tin. Before putting the cookies in the cookie tin, make sure they are completely cooled. Store them at room temperature.
Freezing the cookie dough
This cookie dough is perfect for freezing. The cookies baked from a frozen dough taste exactly the same like freshly prepared ones!
How to freeze the cookie dough: Make the cookie dough and form balls with your hands (as described in the recipe), then flatten the balls a little. Place them apart (the balls shouldn’t touch each other, otherwise they will stick to each other) on a baking sheet or a chopping board in the freezer. Leave them in the freezer until frozen – it will take about 1-2 hours. After they are frozen you can transfer them into zip-lock bags or tupperware containers.
How long can you freeze cookie dough: For best results, keep the cookie dough in the freezer for up to 3 months. It will be probably fine though, if you keep it longer.
How to bake frozen cookie dough: Bake the cookies exactly like freshly-prepared cookies. You don’t need to thaw the dough, just bake the cookies straight from the freezer (follow the instructions for freezing the cookies that are above). Put them in the preheated oven and bake for 17 minutes.
More apple recipes you may like
- Apple crepes
- Sautéed Cinnamon Apples
- Mummy apple hand pies
- Apple cinnamon oatmeal
- Homemade spiced apple cider (Instant Pot or stove)
- Apple tart with meringue topping
- Apple walnut cake with honey
- Pumpkin pie apple ring pancakes
Did you make this recipe? RATE THE RECIPE or tell me in the COMMENTS how you liked it! You can also add a photo of your dish. It would make me very happy and will help other readers. Thank you!!
Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 stick (115g) butter at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1.5 cups (190g) flour spooned and leveled, not scooped
- 1.5 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (100g) rolled oats not instant/quick oats
- 1 cup chopped apples about 1.5 small apples
- 2 oz (60g) chopped white chocolate
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C / Gas Mark 4, no fan (if you have a convection oven reduce the temperature by about 20° or follow the manufacturer's instructions).
- Add both types of sugar and room temperature butter into a mixing bowl. Beat for about 1-2 minutes until well-combined. You can use a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle-shaped attachment.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract. Beat for 1-2 minutes or until well-combined (scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula).
- Sift the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt into the bowl. Mix over low speed until half-combined (the flour shouldn’t be fully incorporated at this point).
- Add the chopped apples (they should be cut into very small cubes!), roughly chopped chocolate (or chocolate chips), and oats to the bowl. Mix until all the ingredients are evenly distributed.
- You can bake the cookies immediately or put the cookie batter in the fridge for 30 minutes (cookies will be a little thicker and more chewy in the middle).
- Scoop the dough with a 3-tablespoons ice cream scoop and roll the dough into balls between your hands (every ball should weigh about 40g/1.4oz). Don’t flatten the balls. Don’t form large cookie balls – the cookies will come out too large and flat. Smaller cookies come out thicker. Place the cookie dough balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper about 2 inches (5 cm) apart.
- Bake for about 14-15 minutes if you’re baking the cookies straight away or for 15-16 minutes if the cookie dough has been in the fridge for 30 minutes. Bake the cookies in batches. The baking time may slightly vary depending on the oven. The cookies should have golden edges but will be completely soft.
- Take the baking tray out of the oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet (they will continue baking on the baking sheet).
- Enjoy!
Notes
- The baking time: will depend on the size of the cookies and on the oven as each oven bakes a little bit differently. The cookies are ready when they have golden edges, are pale at the top, and are completely soft.
- What if you forgot to soften the butter? Cut the butter into small cubes and add it into the bowl and mix it for 1-2 minutes until it is softened, then add the sugar and mix it with the butter.
- How to measure flour: If you’re using measuring cups, remember that 1 cup of flour can weigh 120-150g, depending on how you’re filling your cup. Don’t scoop the flour directly into the measuring cup, which can compact it! Use a scale for best and consistent results. To correctly measure the flour with a measuring cup, you need to: 1. Fluff the flour by stirring it in the bag/flour container with a spoon. 2. Spoon the flour and sprinkle it into your measuring cup. 3. Sweep off the excess flour with the back of a knife.
- What kind of apples are best: I used Gala apples for this recipe. They are sweet and soft kind of apples. You can also use other apple variety, any will work.
- White chocolate: you can use either chopped white chocolate bar (this is what I prefer, as the chocolate melts beautifully and just tastes better) or white chocolate chips (or even cinnamon baking chips!). You can also omit the chocolate or add some chopped nuts (like walnuts or pecans) or raisins instead.
- How to store the cookies: These cookies are crunchy at the edges and soft/chewy in the middle for about 2 hours after baking them, then they will start to soften from the moisture of the apples. They also taste very good the next day but are very soft. Since they have fresh apples in them, I wouldn’t leave them for more than 2-3 days. Cool them completely and store in a tightly-closed container (the best would be a cookie tin) at room temperature.
- How to freeze cookie dough: Make the cookie dough and form balls with your hands (as described in the recipe), then flatten the balls a little. Place them apart (the balls shouldn’t touch each other) on a baking sheet or a chopping board in the freezer. Leave them in the freezer until frozen – it will take about 1-2 hours. After they are frozen you can transfer them into zip-lock bags or tupperware containers. Keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- How to bake frozen cookie dough: Bake the cookies exactly like freshly-prepared cookies. You don’t need to thaw the dough, just bake the cookies straight from the. Put them in the preheated oven and bake for 17 minutes.
- Calories = 1 cookie (1/21 of the recipe). This is only an estimate!
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