Crispy on the edges and impossibly chewy in the center, these oatmeal cookies balance tart fresh apples with sweet dried cranberries and toasted walnuts. Swapping some of the butter for applesauce keeps the dough incredibly moist while letting the warm cinnamon and nutmeg shine. A quick fresh orange glaze over the top ties all the fall flavors together. You'll want to keep a batch of these on the counter all week.
Prep
25 min
Cook
12 min
Total
1 hr 10 min
Servings
12
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. Overmixing develops the gluten and makes cookies tough.
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. These cookies don't spread much on their own, so flattening them ensures they bake evenly.
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 glaze over the cooled cookies.
Notes
Storage: Keep these in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerate for up to a week.
Make ahead: You can scoop and freeze the unbaked cookie dough balls for up to 3 months. Bake straight from frozen, adding 1 to 2 minutes to the cooking time.
Swap: Pecans work beautifully if you don't have walnuts on hand.