Description

These Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookies offer a delightful blend of tender oats, warm cinnamon, and fresh diced Granny Smith apples, creating a soft, flavorful treat. Perfectly balanced with brown and white sugar, and enriched with butter and vanilla bean paste, these cookies bake to golden perfection with a chewy texture and a subtle fruity sweetness, making them a great choice for a cozy snack or dessert.

Ingredients

Dry 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 salt

Wet Ingredients

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 bean paste

Fruit

2 cups (213g) peeled, cored and diced Granny Smith apples

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C) and prepare baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper or silicone baking mats to prevent sticking.
Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium-sized bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, quick cook oats, baking soda, ground cinnamon, and salt. Set this mixture aside for later use.
Cream Butter and Sugars: In a large mixing bowl, use a mixer on medium speed to cream the unsalted butter with both the light brown sugar and sugar until the mixture turns light in color and becomes fluffy, indicating thorough aeration.
Add Eggs: Incorporate the eggs one at a time into the creamed mixture, mixing well after each addition to ensure even distribution.
Add Vanilla: Mix in the vanilla bean paste until it is fully combined with the wet ingredients.
Combine Dry and Wet Mixtures: Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing just until the dough comes together; avoid over mixing to maintain cookie texture.
Fold in Apples: Gently stir the peeled, cored, and diced Granny Smith apples into the cookie dough. The dough will be thick and slightly sticky at this stage.
Shape Cookies: Using about 2 tablespoons (approximately 30g) of dough for each cookie, form balls by scooping and dropping them onto the prepared baking sheets, or roll them into balls for a neater shape. If the dough is too sticky, chill it for 20-30 minutes before rolling. Avoid refrigerating for longer than 1-2 hours to prevent moisture issues from the apples.
Bake: Place the baking sheets in the preheated oven and bake for 9-12 minutes, or until the cookie edges turn lightly golden and the centers are just set. Take care not to over bake; cookies will be puffy on removal and will settle as they cool.
Cool: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 4-5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely, which helps them set properly.
Store and Serve: Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container. They are best enjoyed within 2-3 days, although they will soften over time due to moisture from the apples.

Notes

You can refrigerate the cookie dough for about 20-30 minutes to make rolling easier, but avoid refrigerating for longer than 1-2 hours to prevent moisture from the apples from affecting dough consistency.
Do not overbake the cookies; slightly golden edges and just-set centers indicate perfect doneness.
Allow cookies to cool on sheets briefly before transferring to wire racks for full cooling to maintain texture.
Cookies tend to soften after a day or two due to apple moisture, be sure to store them in airtight containers.
If desired, you can substitute Granny Smith apples with other firm apple varieties for a different flavor profile.