Cora's Cottage

Fall is upon us, and it is officially the season of everything pumpkin … but I would argue it is also the season of apples, and I have a controversial take that apples are the superior fall flavor. Please don’t tell my pumpkin spice loving friends 😉

It is no secret among my friends and family that pie is not my favorite dessert, so I have been on the hunt for alternative desserts that incorporate the abundance of apples we have in the fall.

After a conversation with a friend and some trial and error, I came up with an apple crisp cookie that my husband could not stop eating.  I kept finding him with his hand in the cookie jar every time he was in the kitchen.

These will be a staple through fall and likely even into winter at any gatherings we attend because they are fast and easy to make.  They also mirror the season so well so they are sure to be a crowd pleaser! 

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Fall Inspired: This recipe is inspired by the surplus of apples that can often be found in the fall. We often hear about seasonal and local eating and this is the perfect way to add more of that to our rotation of cooking and baking!

Simple: Using simple ingredients, this recipe doesn’t have any complicated steps.  No fancy equipment needed either! Perfect for the beginner or if you need to whip up a dessert but life is hectic with lots of distractions.

Quick: No need to have lots of time to make these cookies.  The dough only takes about 10 minutes to mix up and can rest on the counter while you bake the cookies.  Perfect for baking with littles or when you need a dessert in a pinch!

Chewy & Sweet: These cookies are intended to be a little bit chewy, giving them the perfect combination of texture and flavor.

Tips & Tricks

Diced Apples: I find dicing the apples easiest by first slicing them with this 3-in-one slicer tool before using this chopper to get small even cubes quickly! However, it can be done by hand as well.

Cinnamon: Our family prefers a more understated cinnamon flavor, but the amount of cinnamon can be scaled up or down to fit the flavor profile that your family prefers.

Ingredients: Set out all your ingredients before you begin and move them to another counter or put them away as you add each ingredient.  This prevents you from missing an ingredient, especially if you get interrupted often.

Tools

• Large Mixing Bowl (or Stand Mixer)
• Mixing Spoon (or Stand Mixer)
• Measuring Cups
• Measuring Spoons
• Spoons
• Cookie Sheets
• Hot Pads
• Spatula
• Cooling Rack and/or Tea Towel
• Air-Tight Storage Container

Ingredients

• Butter, melted
• Eggs
• Vanilla
• Oats
• Baking Soda
• Baking Powder
• Salt
• Cinnamon
• Sugar
• Flour
• Apples, diced

How to Make Apple Crisp Cookies

I like to start all baking recipes by setting out all my ingredients and tools.  This prevents me from forgetting an ingredient as I go, especially these days as I get interrupted often.

Once you have all your ingredients and tools laid out, cream together the melted butter, eggs, vanilla, and cinnamon.  When all these ingredients are creamed together well, add in the baking soda, baking powder, salt, sugar, flour, and oats. 

After all the ingredients are well mixed, add in the diced apple.  It is best to wait until this point to add in the diced apple especially if using a stand mixer because it can mush the apples up instead of leaving them in the small chunks if they are mixed for too long or on too high of a speed. I recommend the first or second setting on a KitchenAid stand mixer or the equivalent.

Using two spoons, scoop a ping-pong ball sized amount onto a cookie sheet, allowing space for the cookies to spread.   I find that 12 fits about perfectly on a normal-sized cookie sheet. Bake at 350°F for 18 minutes.

After the cookies are finished baking, allow them to cool on the cookie sheet for 5-10 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack or tea towel to finish cooling.  If you remove the cookies too soon they will still be a bit soft and will break much easier when transferring them to the cooling rack or tea towel.

When the cookies have cooled completely, they can be stored in an air-tight container for 7-10 days. These cookies are excellent both fresh from the oven and cooled completely!

Frequently Asked Questions

How small do the apples need to be diced?

You can dice them whatever size you choose, but if you don’t want the apple chunks to be as noticeable you will need to dice them pretty small.  The tool I referenced early has an option to dice them as small as a quarter-inch which I find makes them pretty unnoticeable in the cookies aside from flavor.

About how many apples do I need to make 1 1/2 cups of diced apples?

This will depend in part on what size you want to dice the apples as apples that are diced more fine will pack together more tightly than course diced apples.  However, as a general rule about 2 apples will be the right amount to make 1 1/2 cups.

How long will these cookies store?

These apple crisp cookies will store for 7-10 days in an airtight container.  I have always stored them on the counter, but if it makes you more comfortable or you live in a hot and humid climate you can store them in the refrigerator.