Apple Butter Cookies Recipe
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.
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
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.
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.
How do I store the cookies?
An airtight container is best, or on a plate covered in plastic wrap works well too for up to three days.
Can I add nuts to these cookies?
Sure! Try a half-cup of toasted and chopped pecans mixed right into the batter when you add the apples.
How long does it take the icing to dry on the cookies?
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.
Apple Butter Cookies Recipe
These Apple Butter Cookies are soft, fragrant and absolutely delicious!
Course: Cookies
Servings: about 22
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.