These soft, cake-like cookies are full of chunks of fresh apple, oatmeal and warm spices and have a drizzle of icing to top them off.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
The smell of warm cookies right out of the oven has to be the very best smell there is, right? This wonderful cookie recipe really delivers, and all the apple lovers in your house will be so happy with this great recipe.
Here’s why I love it and think you will too:
- These cookies are almost like a little bite of fresh apple cake. Soft and fragrant, with just the right amount of icing.
- Chunks of fresh apple really send these cookies over the top.
- Apple butter gives them a deep, satisfying apple flavor.
- They’d be perfect to take to your co-workers or to include on a holiday cookie tray.
Ingredients You’ll Need
For the full recipe and list of ingredients and instructions, please scroll down to the recipe card below.
- Apple: Just one apple cut into small pieces. Gala is what I used.
- Apple Butter: Flavorful apple butter is a key ingredient in this recipe.
- Oatmeal: Old-fashioned works best.
- Vanilla: Use pure vanilla extract.
- Butter: Room temperature, unsalted butter.
- Cinnamon & Nutmeg: For incredible flavor.
- Brown Sugar: Helps keep the cookies soft. I like dark brown sugar in these cookies, but light brown is fine too.
- Egg: Just one large egg.
- Flour: Regular all purpose flour.
- Powdered Sugar: To use with a little milk or cream.
- Milk or Cream: For the icing drizzle on top.
Step-By Step Instructions
- Start by peeling an apple and chopping it into tiny pieces, about a quarter inch in size.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, combine all the dry ingredients together – flour, oats, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and baking powder.
3. In a separate bowl, cream butter and the brown sugar together over medium speed with an electric hand mixer (or stand mixer) then add the egg, the apple butter and the vanilla extract.
4. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, stir to combine.
5. Scoop the dough and transfer to a cookie sheet. Cook for about fourteen (14) minutes, then let the cookies cool on a wire rack.
6. Make a simple icing with powdered sugar, vanilla and milk or cream to drizzle over the cookies.
Tips and Possible Variations
- These cookies don’t need to chill before baking.
- Use a small cookie scoop or tablespoon to have a consistent size of the cookie dough balls. These cookies don’t spread much.
- Add nuts to the batter if you’d like. See my serving ideas.
- Use store-bought apple butter. Half cup is all you need. Most grocery stores have this located where the jam and jelly is.
Serving Ideas
- Add a half cup of toasted and chopped pecans to the batter before baking if you’d like.
- You can opt to leave the icing off the cookies if you’d like too, but they are very good with a big drizzle, so I’d encourage it.
- Bring out a plate of these cookies after a cozy dinner of skillet meatballs in marinara sauce this creamy chicken pasta bake, or a bowl of authentic Pasta Fagioli.
- Make a salad too! Try this simple, fresh, crunchy one, this pretty goat cheese and hazelnut wonder, or this very delicious Pear Salad with Goat Cheese.
- These cookies are nice to include on a holiday tray for gifting with these snowflake cookies, some Butterscotch Shortbread dunked in chocolate, or these thick, soft Lemon Shortbread Cookies.
Frequently Asked Questions
An airtight container is best, or on a plate covered in plastic wrap works well too for up to three days.
Sure! Try a half-cup of toasted and chopped pecans mixed right into the batter when you add the apples.
All said and done, about 2 hours. But you can certainly eat them before this. Just make sure the icing has set up if you are using these on a cookie tray as an example.
More Recipes to Try
- Shortbread Lemon Cookies: A thick, soft shortbread with icing that’s amazing.
- Chocolate Chunk Cookies with Pecans: Triple Chocolate, totally delish.
- How to Make Banana Bread without Butter: A really tasty version of this favorite.
- Waffles with Apples: Such a delicious weekend treat.
- Apple Hand Pies with Pillsbury Pie Crust: These are so, so good!
- Strawberry Cheesecake in a Jar: A cute recipe, and easy to transport.
- Mini Caramel Apple Pies: These are just the best.
- Best Cider Apples: Warm baked apples are the ultimate cozy food. Web Story here.
- Chicken Salad with Grapes and Almonds: A refreshing salad that’s just delicious.
- Jam Pies: Little pies made with your favorite jam.
- Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies: Tasty little cookies, and a lot of them!
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Apple Butter Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 1¼ cup Flour, all-purpose
- 1½ cups Oatmeal, old-fashioned, not instant
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon, ground
- ¼ teaspoon Nutmeg
- ½ Cup Butter, unsalted, softened
- ¾ Cup Brown Sugar, packed
- ½ Cup Apple Butter
- 1 large Egg
- 1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
- 1 Apple, cut into small pieces (¼ inch) Gala apple, about 6 ounces (½ cup)
- ICING
- 1 cup Powdered Sugar
- ½ teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
- 3 tablespoons Milk or Heavy Cream
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350F degrees. Prepare a large baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper. Set the oven rack to the lower middle (one down from the middle).
- In a medium-sized bowl, add the flour, oats, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Whisk or stir with a spoon until combined. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, add the softened butter and the brown sugar. Using an electric hand-held blender, mix the two until combined and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the apple butter, egg and vanilla and mix to combine for another minute.
- Add half the dry ingredients, then mix to combine with a large spoon. Add the rest of the dry ingredients, and just mix a few times until everything is incorporated. Add in the cut apples, and stir to combine.
- Portion the dough into 1 and a half (1½) tablespoon balls using a small scoop or spoon, at least 2 inches apart. Bake for 13-15 minutes (in my oven it's 14 minutes) then remove from oven and let sit them cool for 10 minutes. Remove the cookies from the baking sheet and place them on a wire baking rack. Make the icing by mixing the powdered sugar, vanilla and milk or cream together in a small bowl, then generously drizzle over the cookies when they are cool. Makes 20-22 cookies.
Notes
- Add a half-cup of toasted chopped pecans to the batter if you like cookies with nuts.
- You can leave the icing off these cookies if you’d like, but they are very delicious with it.
Nutrition
- Super important to read the whole recipe before you begin
- Pay attention to the ingredient list and photos for the recipe
- If possible, prep your ingredients a little before you start
- Always use a sharp knife for safety
- Use the size of pan called for in the recipe
- For savory recipes, taste and season as you go
- Buy fresh, organic ingredients, locally sourced whenever possible
This post was updated with improved text and instructions October, 2024.
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