These soft and chewy oatmeal cookies are packed with fresh tart apples, sweet dried cranberries, and crunchy walnuts. Using applesauce in the dough keeps the texture incredibly moist while cutting back on butter. Warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg give the cookies a comforting, bakery-style aroma. A quick orange juice glaze adds a bright citrus finish to every bite. They are a great choice for an afternoon snack or a casual holiday dessert spread.
Total
35 min
Course
Dessert
Ingredients
2 cups uncooked old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. kosher salt
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
1 cup packed light brown sugar
¼ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
1 large egg
½ cup finely chopped, peeled Granny Smith apple (from 1 small [6-oz.] apple)
½ cup sweetened dried cranberries
½ cup chopped walnuts
1 cup powdered sugar
2 Tbsp. fresh orange juice (from 1 orange)
Instructions
1Preheat the oven to 350°F and arrange the oven racks in the upper and lower thirds. Line two large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
2Combine the oats, flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg in a large bowl and whisk until evenly mixed.
3Whisk the brown sugar, melted butter, applesauce, and egg together in a medium bowl. Pour this wet mixture into the dry flour mixture and stir just until the dough comes together.
4Fold the chopped apple, dried cranberries, and walnuts into the dough. Drop one and a half tablespoon scoops of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving two inches of space between each cookie.
5Grease your palms lightly and press down on each scoop of dough to flatten the tops.
6Bake both sheets in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the pans from top to bottom halfway through the cooking time. The cookies are done when the edges are lightly set and browned. Let them cool on the pans for about 30 minutes.
7Whisk the powdered sugar and fresh orange juice in a small bowl until completely smooth. Drizzle the sweet glaze over the cooled cookies before serving.