These thick and soft apple oatmeal cookies are guaranteed to be your new favorite cookie for fall. These cookies are perfectly spiced and incredibly easy to make too!

An antique metal baking dish lined with parchment paper and filled with cookies.

When it comes to cookies, one of my favorites would have to be oatmeal cookies. There’s something so comforting about biting into one that they’re almost impossible to resist. So today I wanted to share a fall inspired version with this apple oatmeal cookie recipe!

Why You Will Love These Cookies

  • They’re super soft and delicious
  • You get chunks of apples in every bite
  • There’s no dough chilling required
  • These cookies are made with simple ingredients 

Not only are these cookies incredibly easy to make, but they taste incredible too. I’m also sharing everything you need to know for how to freeze this cookie dough and change up the recipe to make it your own!

How To Make Apple Oatmeal Cookies

To make these cookies, you’ll start by whisking together some flour, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, baking soda, and salt until well combined. Then, stir in some old-fashioned rolled oats. Set the mixture aside and prepare the wet ingredients.

For the wet ingredients, you’ll mix together a stick of butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar for one to two minutes or until they’re well combined. Then, you’ll mix in a room temperature egg and a teaspoon of pure vanilla extract. I suggest stopping and scraping down your bowl, then mixing again to ensure that all of the wet ingredients are well combined.

Next, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix the two together until just combined. Then, just peel, core, and chop a medium apple into bite-sized pieces (about 1 cup) and mix in into your cookie dough. 

Once the dough is ready, scoop it onto two baking sheets lined with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. I prefer to use a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop for these cookies because it’s the perfect size. The cookies will take about 12 to 15 minutes in the oven, you will know they are done when the tops of the cookies look set.

I prefer to let my cookies cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet before I transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. But let’s be honest, these cookies are really delicious while they’re still warm too!

A close up image of cookies in an antique metal baking dish.

Freezing Instructions

I get a lot of questions about whether or not it’s okay to freeze the cookie dough or baked cookies since these have chopped apples in them. These answer is yes!

How To Freeze The Cookie Dough: 

Once the cookie dough is ready, line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, and scoop the cookie dough onto it. Slightly flatten each ball of cookie dough, then place the baking sheet with the cookie dough in the freezer. Once the dough is frozen, store it in a freezer bag or container in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to bake the cookie dough, you can bake it from frozen and just add 1 to 2 extra minutes of baking time if needed.

How To Freeze The Baked Cookies: 

Once the cookies have cooled completely, store the cookies in a freezer bag. For extra reassurance that they don’t stick to each other, you can place a piece of parchment paper between each layer of cookies. When you’re ready to enjoy the cookies, place them on the counter for a few hours and allow them to come to room temperature. 

Recipe Variations

While these apple oatmeal cookies are fantastic just the way that they are, there are a few ways that you can change them up! Here are some of my favorite variations:

A stack of apple oatmeal cookies resting in a metal baking dish. A container of milk and a couple of apples rest in the background.

Baking Tips

  • When measuring your flour, make sure to spoon and level it into your measuring cup. Too much flour can lead to super thick cookies that won’t spread very much in the oven. 
  • Any kind of baking apple is fine in these cookies! My favorite options are Honeycrisp, Fuji, or Granny Smith.
  • I suggest peeling and coring your apple first, then chopping it into smaller bite-sized pieces.
  • Don’t have any nutmeg on hand? You can omit it from the recipe or replace it with another 1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon.
  • Keep in mind that the chopped apples add moisture to these cookies, so they’re best eaten the same day you make them. However, you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. 

More Cookie Recipes To Try!

An overhead image of cookies in a metal baking dish surrounded by apples and cinnamon.

Apple Oatmeal Cookies

4.90 from 64 ratings
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
These thick and soft apple oatmeal cookies are guaranteed to be your new favorite cookie for fall. These cookies are perfectly spiced and incredibly easy to make too!
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Ingredients

Servings: 24 cookies
  • 1 cup (125 grams) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 and 3/4 cups (175 grams) old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup (115 grams) unsalted butter softened
  • 1/2 cup (100 grams) light brown sugar packed
  • 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (120 grams) chopped apple

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt until well combined. Stir in the old-fashioned rolled oats and set aside.
  • Using a handheld mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together for 1 to 2 minutes or until fully combined. Mix in the egg and vanilla extract, making sure to stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
  • Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Gently fold in the chopped apple until fully incorporated into the cookie dough.
  • Using a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop balls of the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheets, making sure to leave a little room between each one.
  • Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until the tops of the cookies are set.
  • Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet for 5 to 10 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

Storage Instructions: These cookies are best eaten the same day they are baked, but you may store them in an airtight container on the counter for 2 to 3 days.
To Freeze The Cookie Dough: Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, and scoop the cookie dough onto it. Slightly flatten each ball of cookie dough, then place the baking sheet with the cookie dough in the freezer. Once the dough is frozen, store it in a freezer bag or container in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to bake the cookie dough, you can bake it from frozen and just add 1 to 2 extra minutes to the baking time.
To Freeze The Baked Cookies: Once the cookies have cooled completely, you may store them in a freezer bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. For extra reassurance that they don’t stick to each other, place a piece of parchment paper between each layer of cookies. When you’re ready to enjoy the cookies, place them on the counter for a few hours and allow them to come to room temperature. 
Nutmeg: If you don't have any ground nutmeg on hand, you may replace it with an extra 1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon or omit it from the recipe.
Egg: It's best to use a room temperature egg in this cookie dough. You can bring your egg to room temperature quickly by placing it in a bowl of warm water for 5 to 10 minutes.
Apple: 1 medium apple will yield about 1 cup of chopped apples. You may use any kind of baking apple in these cookies, my favorite options are Honeycrisp, Fuji, or Granny Smith.
Cuisine: American
Course: Dessert
Author: Danielle
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