Super Soft Applesauce Cookies
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These Applesauce Cookies are soft and chewy, with the perfect balance of sugar and spice. Made with old fashioned oats, crunchy pecans, and sweet raisins, there’s a little bit of everything in each bite! Make this easy applesauce cookie recipe for a sweet treat!
Table of Contents
Applesauce Cookies
If you want the comforting flavors of fresh apple pie without the work of rolling out dough or slicing a dozen apples, then this applesauce cookie recipe is for you!
Even though the ingredients are simple, each bite has a burst of fall flavor.
Plus, you can justify eating them first thing in the morning since there’s plenty of oatmeal mixed in as well.
Apple Cinnamon Muffins with Crumble Topping is another easy apple recipe using fresh fruit and pantry staples. They’re perfect for a grab-and-go breakfast or afternoon snack.
If you want a more decadent fall treat, try my Caramel Apple Poke Cake or Caramel Apple Pie Bombs. Both are bursting with flavor and a perfect alternative to pumpkin desserts!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Applesauce – Grab a jar of your favorite applesauce that’s labeled unsweetened or no sugar added. Or, make a batch of homemade applesauce to use instead.
The sugar and spices in this applesauce cookies recipe provide plenty of sweetness! - Brown Sugar – Adds a touch of caramel flavor and makes cookies extra soft.
Regular granulated sugar will work in a pinch, but your applesauce oatmeal cookies will come out a little more crisp. - Raisins – I love the sweetness these add to the dough! Use regular or golden raisins, or swap them for dried cranberries for a tart twist.
- Oats – Look for old-fashioned oats — sometimes labeled rolled oats — which are the same kind you’d cook on the stove for oatmeal.
The quick-cooking variety will work too, but you’ll get a different texture (more on that below). But avoid steel-cut oats entirely. - Unsalted Butter – If substituting salted butter, reduce the salt in this recipe to ¼ teaspoon.
- Spices – Cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice add loads of warmth and complement the fruity flavors in these oatmeal applesauce cookies.
Ground cloves are a good swap for allspice, or replace all 3 spices with 1 ½ teaspoons of apple pie spice blend! - Chopped Pecans – A little crunch adds even more texture to the dough. Feel free to swap with chopped walnuts or leave these out entirely if you prefer.
Old Fashioned vs. Quick Oats
Most baking recipes call for old-fashioned rolled oats to get that familiar chewy texture.
The larger pieces also provide more structure to your baked goods and give them a rustic, homemade feel.
Quick oats are simply rolled oats that have been chopped into smaller pieces, which allows them to cook faster.
These are a great option for when you want the flavor from the oatmeal but a prettier, more uniform-looking cookie.
Tips and Tricks For Making Perfect Oatmeal Applesauce Cookies
- Use room temperature ingredients.
Letting dairy and other cold items warm on the counter is the secret to successful baking.
Not only is it much easier to cream softened butter, but removing the chill from the egg results in fluffier applesauce cookies.
Just let them sit on the counter for no more than two hours.
- Make scooping easier.
While there’s nothing wrong with using a spoon, cookie scoops guarantee uniform-sized treats and keep your hands clean too.
A medium scoop, which is about 1.5 tablespoons, is perfect for most cookies!
- Avoid overbaking.
It’s important to remove your oatmeal applesauce cookies from the oven when they’re still a little soft in the center since they’ll continue to firm up as they cool.
Let them sit for a couple of minutes on the cookie sheet before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Prep Ahead
- Line baking sheet with parchment or silpat
- Preheat oven to 375°F
- Soften butter
- Chop pecans
Kitchen Tools You Will Need
- Stand Mixer or large mixing bowl with Hand Mixer for making your cookie dough.
- Baking Sheet – Used for anything from cookies to roasting, a good baking pan will last for years.
- Silpat Mat – There are so many uses! Roll out dough, cut out cookies and biscuits, or make other desserts. It even provides a non-slip surface for transporting pots and pans.
- Mixing Bowls – I like to have a variety of sizes on hand, and this set has them all.
- Wire Rack – Great for cooling all kinds of baked goods.
Storing and Freezing Applesauce Oatmeal Cookies
When stored in an airtight container or storage bag, applesauce cookies will keep at room temperature for up to a week!
This makes them a great option for holiday gifts, bake sales, or sending to loved ones in another state.
In fact, the flavor continues to develop the longer they sit. Make this applesauce cookies recipe a day or two before a party, and they’ll taste even better.
You can also freeze these before or after baking! Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap or place baked applesauce oatmeal cookies in an airtight container or freezer back.
Both will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer. Thaw cookie dough in the fridge before baking as directed, and let baked cookies soften on the counter before serving.
Applesauce Cookies Recipe FAQ
This ingredient pulls triple duty by adding moisture, flavor, and sweetness to the dough.
It’s also a healthy substitute for butter or oil if needed! Reduce the fat content in most cookie recipes by replacing half of the oil or butter with an equal amount of applesauce.
You bet! Swap the raisins for chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, extra nuts, or shredded coconut.
However, I do find that the raisins add a little extra moisture and chewy texture to each bite, so I’d try a different dried fruit first if raisins aren’t your thing.
My version is soft and chewy because I combine the applesauce with butter.
If you are making cookies with applesauce instead of butter or oil, then yes, they will have more of a cakey texture due to the extra moisture.
Enjoy!
With love, from our simple kitchen to yours.
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Super Soft Applesauce Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup raisins
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, 1 stick, room temperature
- 1 large egg
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
- 1 cup old fashioned oats
- 1/2 cup pecans, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silpat mat.
- In a small bowl, mix together the applesauce and raisins. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, using a hand or stand mixer, beat the brown sugar, butter, and egg until light and creamy, about 3 minutes. Fold in the applesauce and raisin mixture with a spatula. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. Add the flour mixture into the batter and beat until combined. Fold in the oatmeal and nuts with a spatula just until combined.
- Drop cookie dough by spoon, about 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the tops no longer look wet and the sides darken a little in color.
- Move the cookies to a rack to cool. Store covered at room temperature for best taste.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.
Originally published November 2020, updated and republished August 2024
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Weโre Donna and Chad, the dream team behind The Slow Roasted Italian. Our focus is on taking complicated OUT of the kitchen. Life is busy enough, making meals should be fast and easy, to help make your life as simple as possible. Read More >>
These cookies look amazing and delicious !!!
Looks delicious! I want to try using craisins and walnuts instead of raisins and pecans.
How can I make these using almond flour? I know you cannot just do a straight substitution and the amount and cooking times will change. I would love to see some of these recipes made diabetic friendly.
I wish I had information to give you on making the cookies with almond flour, but you are right – that requires a lot of changes to the existing recipe, which we haven’t tested. I’m sorry that I can’t be more helpful.
TSRI Team member,
Becca
These cookies were so good! They’re so nice and soft