Satisfy your sweet tooth with this soft and chewy apple cookie recipe with a three-ingredient cinnamon glaze. Perfect for any occasion, these cookies are a crowd-pleaser and easy to make.
They are sure to please all the cookie monsters in your life. I love to serve these at my fall social gatherings, along with pumpkin dump cake and apple crisp.
My favorite time of the year is fast approaching. Mother Nature has been kind enough to give us a little taste. These delicious cookies will put you into the fall spirit, with fresh apples in every bite. They are filled with my favorite fall spices, like cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
See the complete list of ingredients below on the recipe card.
- Spices: ground cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger. If desired, add a couple of pinches of allspice.
- Butter: unsalted or salted. If using salted butter, omit the added salt.
- Apple: Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Cosmic Crisp, or Fuji. Any good firm and crisp baking apple.
- Oats: for the best texture, use old-fashioned rolled oats
- Nuts: walnuts or pecans
- Raisins: regular or golden. If you don’t like raisins, omit them or substitute dried cranberries.
How to make Apple Cookies
This is the summary version; see the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients and the instructions.
Using a stand or handheld mixer, start by beating the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Whisk your flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, ground nutmeg, and ground ginger.
Turn the mixer to low and add the egg to the butter mixture, beating just until incorporated. Add the dry ingredients in about three increments, stirring just until combined.
Turn off the mixer and mix in the grated apple, walnuts, rolled oats, and raisins. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto baking sheets covered with silicone mats or parchment paper.
Bake for about 11 minutes or until lightly browned. After 5 minutes, carefully remove cookies to cookie cooling racks. When thoroughly cooled, stir together powdered sugar, cinnamon, and milk. Finally, drizzle over the thoroughly cooled cookies.
Preparation Tips and Storage
- Cover the baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Make the first batch a test run and bake one or two cookies. This will help establish baking time.
- I grate the apple for these cookies, but you can also finely dice it.
- The cinnamon drizzle needs to set for several hours on the cookies before they can be stacked.
- Store these cookies in an airtight container for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
More Cookie Recipes
Apple Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
Apple Cookies
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ cup butter softened
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- 1 egg room temperature
- 1 large apple peeled cored and shredded or finely diced
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- ½ cup old fashioned rolled oats
- ½ cup raisins
Cinnamon Glaze
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 ½- 3 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cover the baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger. Using a mixer on medium, cream butter, and sugar until light and fluffy. Turn the mixer to low and add the egg mixing just until incorporated. Blend in the flour mixture in 3 intervals mixing just until incorporated. Turn off the mixer and stir in apples, walnuts, oats, and raisins. Drop by rounded tablespoons about 1 1/2 – 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.
- Bake for 10-13 minutes or until baked through and lightly browned. After 5 minutes, remove to cookie cooling racks.
- Once the cookies are fully cooled, mix together the powdered sugar, cinnamon, and milk. Add the milk a little bit at a time until you have reached optimum consistency. Drizzle over fully-cooled cookies.
Notes
- Cover the baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Make the first batch a test run and bake one or two cookies. This will help establish baking time.
- I grate the apple for these cookies, but you can also finely dice it.
- The cinnamon drizzle needs to set for several hours on the cookies before they can be stacked.
- Store these cookies in an airtight container for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
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https://www.smalltownwoman.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Beth-1.pdf
Julie
I never heard of apple cookies but these are amazing! I have been looking for ways to use up all the apples, and we now have a favorite cookie recipe for fall!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Julie! So glad that you enjoyed them!
Sally B
These apple cookies were amazing! Perfect for fall gatherings, they’ll definitely satisfy any sweet tooth. Thanks for the recipe!
Beth Pierce
You are most welcome, Sally!
Kristine
YUM! Thank you for a refreshing new way to use apples Beth. I have a few to use up and can’t wait to try this Apple Cookie recipe!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Kristine! Enjoy!
Stephanie
Yum! Combining apples and cookies creates one delicious treat—and it’s a great way to get the kids to eat an apple! These cookies are nicely spiced, soft, and full of flavor.
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Stephanie! I am so glad that you enjoyed the apple cookies!
Punk Mozh
This is so yummy right out of the oven. It is a fluffy cookie, and they don’t drop and spread out on the sheet, so if you wanted them flat then you gotta do that yourself!
The cloves are so yummy and in just the right amount.
Beth Pierce
Thanks! So glad that you liked them!
Lubna
These apple cookies are looking so gorgeous and yum. Wish to grab one (read three or more) right off the screen. These look crunchy and the glaze recipe is so easy…thank you for sharing.
Shinta Simon
You read my mind. I was looking for a cookie recipe that my kid could make together and I didn’t have to worry about tons of sugar in them. Thank you for sharing this!
Jac
These cookies look so delicious packed full of apples and walnuts and spices! Thanks!
Dannii
I love any dessert with apples in it and these cookies look delicious!
Jeff Albom
I love the chewy consistency with the oats. The glaze is brilliant. Thanks
Beth Pierce
Thanks so much Jeff. So glad that you liked them!!
Cathy
I love all the delicious fall spices in these!
Kevin
The apple in these cookies are perfect! They smell so good when they bake up!
Beti | easyweeknightrecipes
These would disappear at our house! They are SO GOOD!!
katerina @ diethood.com
Oh my, these cookies are amazing!! That glaze…YUM!!!
Toni Dash
My kids wouldn’t be able to stop eating these!! So good and delish!
Erin | Dinners,Dishes and Dessert
These Apple Cookies are on my must-make list!
Sarah
I have a deadly nut allergy to all nuts including coconut.
Is there any thing I can replace the nuts with?
Beth Pierce
Maybe nut free granola or oatmeal.