Apple Walnut Oatmeal Cookies - Handle the Heat
Filed Under: Cookies | Dessert | Fall

Apple Walnut Oatmeal Cookies

  |  
November 18th, 2016
5 from 1 vote
5 from 1 vote

Apple Walnut Oatmeal Cookies are full of warm fall flavors and take just 30 minutes to make from start to finish. You don't even need an electric mixer!

Yield: 30 cookies

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook: 15 minutes

These are SO GOOD and SO EASY! No mixer needed, and they take just 30 minutes. Almost healthy, too!!

Tessa's Recipe Rundown...

Taste: Like the season of fall encapsulated into a cookie! Texture: Soft, chewy, chunky, and crunchy at the edges. Ease: Super easy because there's no electric mixer required and the entire recipe takes 30 minutes from start to finish. Pros: Perfect sweet snack for the fall season. Cons: Absolutely none! Would I make this again? 100% yes. I'm usually a chocolate chip cookie girl but could not stop munching on these, which is always a good sign!

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This post is sponsored by The California Walnut Board. All opinions provided are my own. Thanks for supporting me in working with brands I love to bring you new recipes!

Apple Walnut Oatmeal Cookies are full of warm fall flavors and take just 30 minutes to make from start to finish. You don't even need an electric mixer!

The holiday baking season is in full swing and I’m taking complete advantage of this last month of fall. The apples at the market are too good not to use in any way possible! Remember when I recently shared my recipe for Maple Walnut Coffee Cake? That was the first recipe of my new partnership with The California Walnut Board, and I’m happy to bring you another recipe from this partnership!

These cookies actually make a sneak appearance in my recent post on How to Host a Cookie Exchange. They’re perfect for any fall pot luck or party, or just for a special afternoon snack. Basically anytime you want something sweet stat, but don’t want anything too rich or complicated.

Apple Walnut Oatmeal Cookies are full of warm fall flavors and take just 30 minutes to make from start to finish. You don't even need an electric mixer!

This recipe is slightly more wholesome than most cookie recipes with its apples, applesauce, oats, and walnuts (which are heart healthy!). Of course there’s still butter, but much less than normal, and there’s still sugar. They are cookies after all! But you could also easily swap in white whole wheat flour for the all-purpose flour without negatively affecting the taste or texture.

Apple Walnut Oatmeal Cookies are full of warm fall flavors and take just 30 minutes to make from start to finish. You don't even need an electric mixer!

Another bonus? These Apple Walnut Oatmeal Cookies don’t even require an electric mixer and take just 30 minutes to make from start to finish. They also keep really well in an airtight container at room temperature, up to 5 days! Of course nothing beats a fresh cookie warm from the oven with a glass of cold milk, though.

Apple Walnut Oatmeal Cookies are full of warm fall flavors and take just 30 minutes to make from start to finish. You don't even need an electric mixer!

If you make these cookies, be sure to upload a photo to Instagram and tag #handletheheat and #walnuts so we can see your beautiful creations!

This post is sponsored by The California Walnut Board. All opinions provided are my own. Thanks for supporting me in working with brands I love to bring you new recipes!

5 from 1 vote

How to make
Apple Walnut Oatmeal Cookies

Yield: 30 cookies
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Apple Walnut Oatmeal Cookies are full of warm fall flavors and take just 30 minutes to make from start to finish. You don't even need an electric mixer!

Ingredients

For the cookies:

  • 1 1/2 cups (150 grams) old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 1 2/3 cups (212 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 4 tablespoons (57 grams) unsalted butter, melted
  • 3/4 cup (150 grams) packed light-brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
  • 1/2 cup (118 ml) applesauce
  • 1 cup (100 grams) peeled and chopped Granny Smith apple
  • 3/4 cup (90 grams) chopped California walnuts

For the glaze:

  • 3/4 cup (94 grams) powdered sugar
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon apple juice or water

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line large baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats.

Make the cookies:

  1. In a medium bowl combine the oats, flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.
  2. In a large bowl stir together the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Add the egg, egg yolk, and applesauce and stir until well combined. Gradually stir in the flour mixture until just combined. Stir in the chopped apple and walnuts.
  3. Drop 1 1/2 tablespoon sized balls of dough onto prepared baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart.
  4. Bake cookies until golden and just set, 13 to 15 minutes. Let cool on sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack set over parchment paper to cool completely.

Make the glaze:

  1. Whisk the powdered sugar, syrup, and juice until a thick yet pourable glaze forms. Add more sugar to make thicker, and more juice to make thinner if needed. Drizzle over cookies. Let stand at room temperature until the glaze is set before serving.
  2. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Course : Dessert
Cuisine : American

Tessa Arias
Author: Tessa Arias

I share trusted baking recipes your friends will LOVE alongside insights into the science of sweets. I'm a professionally trained chef, cookbook author, and cookie queen. I love to write about all things sweet, carb-y, and homemade. I live in Phoenix, Arizona (hence the blog name!)

Tessa Arias

About Tessa...

I share trusted baking recipes your friends will LOVE alongside insights into the science of sweets. I'm a professionally trained chef, cookbook author, and cookie queen. I love to write about all things sweet, carb-y, and homemade. I live in Phoenix, Arizona (hence the blog name!)

Find Tessa on  

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Recipe Rating




  1. #
    Margherita — October 20, 2021 at 5:01 pm

    I have made these cookies many times and they are soo good.This time however I couldn’t make them right away and put the mix in the fridge.. I started baking them but perhaps I needed to wait until the mix warmed up as they just flopped and were mush..did I ruin the mix..or should I wait until it’s room temperature

    • #
      Emily — October 21, 2021 at 11:56 am

      Hi Margherita! I’m so happy you’ve enjoyed this recipe in the past and am sorry you experienced issues with your most recent bake! “Marinating” the dough should actually have had the opposite effect, so our only thought is that maybe moisture from the apples leeched into the dough? Without having baked along with you, it’s tough to say! Fingers crossed the next batch you make will be perfect! Please let us know how it goes.

  2. #
    Bassi — December 14, 2016 at 11:56 am

    Thanks for another winner Tessa. I wanted these to be healthy enough to give the kids for breakfast, so I replaced most of the white flour with whole wheat, used oil instead of butter, cut the brown sugar to 1/2 a cup, and skipped the glaze. Despite the changes, these cookies were delicious – flavorful, with a fabulous texture, and very satisfying. I made a double recipe, and now I’m wishing I’d tripled it…

  3. #
    Rella — December 5, 2016 at 4:03 pm

    Hi Tessa,

    Could these also be made into muffins? Any adjustments you’d recommend?

    Thanks,
    Rella

  4. #
    Len — November 28, 2016 at 4:17 am

    Thanks, Tessa. So glad I subscribed. Have been looking for a great oatmeal cookie recipe and this definitely looks like a winner 🙂

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