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These Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookies are a soft, tender cookie that’s loaded with cinnamon and chunks of apples! They are delicious year-round, but especially in the fall!
- Fresh apple taste. These cookies have real pieces of sweet-tart apple in every bite. I used Granny Smith apples and loved how they complimented the spices and oats.
- Super moist. Those bits of apples do an amazing thing to the texture of the cookies. They make them SUPER moist. The cookies also develop a crisp outer edge with the perfect balance between soft and chewy.
- No chilling required. You can refrigerate the cookie dough for maybe 20 minutes so that the dough is easier to work with, but chilling it longer isn’t recommended. The moisture from the apples as it sits would make the cookie dough even harder to work with.
- Good all year long. Although admittedly a fall treat, these apple cookies are delicious any time of the year. They even make a great breakfast on-the-go or after school snack.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Curious about the ingredients? Read through these notes. Scroll down to the recipe card below for exact measurements.
- Flour. You’ll need all-purpose flour for the base of the cookie dough. It’s super important to measure this accurately.
- Quick cook oats. I prefer to use uncooked quick cook oats for these cookies. You can also use old fashioned oats, but keep in mind that since the oats are firmer, the cookies will also be a bit firmer and chewier.
- Baking soda. This has so many functions in cookies. It gives the cookies a little rise, helps with spreading, makes the cookies super tender and aids in their browning.
- Spices. I used ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg for flavoring. They compliment apple flavors so well. If you don’t love nutmeg, it’s okay to leave it out.
- Unsalted butter and salt. In order to control the salt content, I use unsalted butter. If you want to use salted butter, just omit the added salt.
- Brown sugar and white sugar. The combination gives the cookies the best flavor.
- Eggs. These bind the ingredients together and add to their chewiness. Make sure to use large eggs (not medium or extra large).
- Vanilla extract.
- Diced apples. I recommend using Granny Smith apples, but other firm baking apples will also work. Generally, a tart, firm apple will do best. Honeycrisp would be a great call as well.
Ready to get started? Check out these step-by-step photos and directions. Scroll down to the recipe card below for the detailed printable instructions.
Make the Cookie Dough
- Prepare to bake. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Combine dry ingredients. Combine the flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a medium sized bowl. Set aside.
- Combine wet ingredients. Cream the butter and sugars together, then add the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract.
- Mix in dry ingredients and apples. Add the dry ingredients and mix until the dough is just combined. Stir in the diced apples.
Bake the Cookies
- Make cookie dough balls. Create 2 tablespoon sized balls of cookie dough.
- Bake. Bake cookies for 9-12 minutes.
- Cool. Remove cookies from the oven and allow to cool.
Tips for Success
- Smaller is better. Peel, core and dice the apples into small pieces so that they distribute throughout the cookie dough. Large chunks won’t spread throughout the cookies as well, and then you won’t have them in every bite.
- Don’t overmix the dough. If the cookie dough is mixed for too long, it will overactive the gluten in the flour and your cookies will lose their soft, chewy texture.
- Don’t chill for too long. This cookie dough is quite messy, due to the moisture in the apples. Using a cookie scoop can help. You can refrigerate the dough for about 20 minutes, to make it a little easier to work with, but any longer than that and it will actually get worse. As the apples sit in the cookie dough, they release more moisture.
- Make them pretty. Rolling the cookie dough, rather than just scooping it will give the cookies a nicer shape, if that matters to you. If it does, you can scoop them onto a plate, chill for 20 minutes, then roll them. But work quickly because they warm up quickly. I will also sometime brings some of the apple chunks to the top of the cookie.
- Don’t over bake Bake the cookies until the edges are lightly golden and the centers look just done. The cookies will be a little puffy when you take them out of the oven and settle into a flatter shape as they cool.
Proper Storage
Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookies are best when eaten within 2-3 days. Due to the moisture in the apples, the cookies are even moister on the second and third day! Store the cookies in an airtight container and place a piece of parchment paper between layers to prevent the cookies from sticking together. They can be stored at room temperature or in the fridge.
This recipe was update 9/7/2024. For the original version, download this PDF of the recipe.
More Apple Recipes
- Caramel Apple Cookie Cups
- Apple Crumb Cake Cookies
- Apple Snickerdoodle Cookies
- Easy Apple Crisp
- Easy Apple Cobbler
- Apple Cinnamon Streusel Muffins
Watch How to Make Them
This recipe was updated September 2024. For the old version of these cookies, download the recipe PDF.
Print
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 9 minutes
- Total Time: 54 minutes
- Yield: 25-30 cookies
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
These Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookies are a soft, tender cookie that’s loaded with cinnamon and chunks of apples! They are a classic fall cookie with flavors that are amazing year-round!
Ingredients
- 2 cups (260g) all-purpose flour
- 2 cups (175g) uncooked quick cook oats
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 1 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup (168g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3/4 cup (168g) packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (104g) sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups (213g) peeled, cored and diced Granny Smith apples
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Combine the flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a medium sized bowl and set aside.
- Cream the butter and sugars together in a large mixer bowl on medium speed until light in color and fluffy. You should be able to see the change in color and texture happen and know it’s ready.
- Add the eggs one at a time and mix until well combined after each.
- Add the vanilla extract and mix until well combined.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix until the dough is just combined. Do not over mix.
- Stir in the apples. Dough will be thick, but sticky.
- Create 2 tablespoon (about 30g) sized balls of cookie dough until all the cookie dough has been used. You can just scoop them and drop them onto the cookie sheet, or roll them into balls. If you roll them, they have a nicer shape after baking. The dough will stick to your hands a little as you roll it, so you can refrigerate the dough for about 20-30 minutes, then roll the balls, if you’d like. I don’t recommend refrigerating the dough for more than an hour or two, as the moisture from the apples can make the dough harder to work with if it sits for too long.
- Bake cookies for 9-12 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden and the centers are just done. Don’t over bake. The cookies will be a little puffy when you take them out of the oven but will fall a bit as they cool. For tips and troubleshooting help, check out the post above.
- Remove cookies from the oven and allow to cool on baking sheets for 4-5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Store cookies in an air tight container.
- Cookies are best eaten within 2-3 days. They get softer over time, from the moisture in the apples.
Notes
Storage Instructions: Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookies are best when eaten within 2-3 days. Due to the moisture in the apples, the cookies are even moister on the second and third day! Store the cookies in an airtight container and place a piece of parchment paper between layers to prevent the cookies from sticking together.
Oats: You can use quick cook oats or old fashioned oats. The old fashioned oats are just a little firmer and chewier.
Apples: You’ll need 1-2 large apples. I used Granny Smith, but others such as Honeycrisp or Fuji would also work.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Cookie
- Calories: 165
- Sugar: 10.9 g
- Sodium: 92.8 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Carbohydrates: 24.2 g
- Protein: 2.6 g
- Cholesterol: 29.5 mg
Can you freeze this recipe for the apple cinnamon oatmeal cookie. I do alot of baking for christmas ahead of time. Will this cookie be OK if frozen?
I would think it’d be fine. The apples may be a little softer after thawing, but otherwise shouldn’t be an issue.
I would like to add some chopped pecans to this recipe for “kind of” a apple crisp vibe. What measurement of pecans would you suggest or would you not recommend putting any pecans in this recipe? I LOVE your recipes and my family has LOVED every one of your recipes I’ve made!!! Thank you so much.
I’m so glad to hear you’ve enjoyed the recipes! 🙂
You could add pecans. Just keep in mind that it’s a pretty light cookie. It’s not as dense as a regular oatmeal cookie. As far as how much to add, it depends on how nutty you want them. You could add 1/2 cup or up to 1 cup. Maybe add 1/2 cup and see what you think and add more, if it doesn’t look like enough.
These sound so good! The perfect fall cookie!
Those cinnamon chips are total crack. Every time I bake with them, I eat all of whatever I baked.
These cookies look like so much fun! Just like a power outage, as long as it’s a short one. Fun times!