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These soft apple spice cookies are fruity, nutty, and perfectly spiced. They’re like little bites of apple crisp in cookie form. Thanks to an oat base, they are also naturally gluten free!
Apple crisp is one of the best fall desserts. I don’t make the rules, I just state the facts! Tart apples, oats, brown sugar, warm spices…it’s the perfect combination of fall flavors.
This means that any dessert that reminds me of apple crisp is also at the top of my fall dessert list. I’m talking apple crisp bars, apple pear crisp, and these apple spice cookies.
This recipe for apple spice cookies comes from my friend Erin over at Texanerin Baking. She shared the recipe with us several years ago and I thought it was time to remind you about these delicious little cookies.
They’re soft, a little bit chewy, and totally remind me of little bites of apple crisp in cookie form.
Oat-filled apple spice cookies
Every once in a while, it’s nice to change up the normal cookie routine with something a little different.
There’s nothing wrong with our favorite chocolate chip cookies or classic snickerdoodles, ok? But sometimes it’s fun to make something like potato chip cookies or salted caramel pretzel cookies to change things up.
This time of year, these apple spice cookies are the perfect option.
This recipe uses a combination of rolled oats and oat flour, so these apple cookies are 100% whole grain in addition to being gluten free. While oats are naturally gluten free, they’re often contaminated in the field or during production, so it’s necessary to buy certified gluten-free oats if you are feeding these to someone with a gluten allergy or sensitivity.
The batter also includes nut butter for a bit of a nutty flavor. I love using almond butter, but peanut butter is also delicious, especially if you already love apple peanut butter cookies.
While these apple spice cookies aren’t quite as chewy as oatmeal raisin cookies, they’re wonderfully soft and just a little chewy. I found also that rolling the cookie dough in sugar adds a thin, crisp sugary crust that makes these cookies all the more irresistible.
How to make my apple spice cookies
Ingredients you’ll need
To make these apple spice cookies, you will need:
- 1 1/2 cups oat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon apple pie spice
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¾ cup melted coconut oil
- ½ cup almond butter or creamy peanut butter
- 1 1/4 cups lightly packed light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 large room-temperature eggs
- 2 3/4 cups rolled oats
- 1 1/2 cups diced granny smith apple (about 1/4″ in size)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (for rolling)
Oat flour is simply ground up oats, but it can sometimes be a bit expensive or hard to find depending on where you live. Luckily, you can make your own by finely grinding quick or rolled oats in a food processor or coffee grinder.
Coconut oil helps give these cookies a chewier texture. I like to use refined coconut oil, which does not have any coconut flavor, but unrefined works great if you don’t mind a slight coconut flavor to the cookies.
If you are allergic to coconut, you can easily use melted butter instead. Just keep in mind that the cookies will have a slightly cakier texture.
The nut butter in this recipe serves as a binder, since we don’t have any gluten. Feel free to use creamy almond butter or peanut butter, depending on what you like best.
I suggest using room-temperature eggs for the best result. If you forget to set yours out ahead of time, check out my tips on how to bring eggs to room temperature.
Tart granny smith apples are my favorite in this recipe. Other tart, crisp baking apples such as honeycrisp, golden delicious, and pink lady apples will also work.
Making these cookies
Start by whisking the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl: oat flour, baking soda, baking powder, apple pie spice, and salt.
In a separate large bowl, stir together the melted coconut oil, almond butter, brown sugar, and vanilla. You can do this by hand with a whisk or spatula or use an electric mixer.
Beat in the eggs until well combined. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring until just combined.
Add the oats. Stir until they are almost completely combined, then stir in the apples. The dough will be sticky—that’s ok!
Cover the dough and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours, or until the dough is firm enough to roll into balls.
Place the granulated sugar in a small bowl for rolling the dough balls.
Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and roll each one in the sugar. Place 3 inches apart on lined baking sheets, then use the bottom of a glass to gently press the balls down, flattening them slightly.
Bake at 350°F for 13-15 minutes, or until the tops of the cookies no longer appear wet on the surface.
Let the apple spice cookies cool on the baking sheets before removing them to a cooling rack.
Storage
Store apple spice cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. By day 4 they may start to fall apart a bit, especially if the tops of the cookies weren’t fully dry when you pulled them out of the oven, but they still taste great.
Frequently asked questions
Quick oats will work great in this recipe. Use the same amount of quick oats as rolled oats. Do not use instant oats.
Depending on your grocery store, oat flour will either be in the baking aisle or with the specialty/gluten-free baking ingredients.
If you can’t find any or it is a bit pricey, you can make your own by finely grinding rolled or quick oats in a food processor or coffee grinder.
Apple spice is a blend of warm spices that perfectly complements the fresh, tart apple in these cookies. If you are out, you can use ground cinnamon with a pinch of nutmeg and ground ginger. Pumpkin pie spice will also work.
Unfortunately this recipe won’t work without the nut butter, since it helps to hold together the batter. For gluten-free and nut-free cookies full of fall flavors, check out pumpkin pie cookies.
Apple Spice Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups oat flour certified gluten-free
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon apple pie spice
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¾ cup coconut oil melted (see notes)
- ½ cup almond butter or creamy peanut butter (see notes)
- 1 ¼ cups lightly packed light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 ¾ cups rolled oats certified gluten-free
- 1 ½ cup diced granny smith apple about 1/4" in size
- ¼ cup granulated sugar for rolling
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the oat flour, baking soda, baking powder, apple pie spice, and salt. Set aside.1 ½ cups oat flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon fine sea salt, 1 tablespoon apple pie spice
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together the melted coconut oil, almond butter, brown sugar, and vanilla extract. Beat in the eggs.¾ cup coconut oil, ½ cup almond butter or creamy peanut butter, 1 ¼ cups lightly packed light brown sugar, 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract, 2 large eggs
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir until just combined.
- Stir in the oats until almost combined and then stir in the apples. The dough will be quite sticky.2 ¾ cups rolled oats, 1 ½ cup diced granny smith apple
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours or until the dough is firm enough to be rolled into balls.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the granulated sugar in a small bowl.¼ cup granulated sugar
- Roll the dough into 1″ balls and roll in the sugar. Place the dough balls 3″ apart on the prepared baking sheet. Use the bottom of a glass to gently press the dough balls down, slightly flattening them. Bake for 13-15 minutes or until the tops of the cookies no longer appear wet on the surface. They will be quite soft but will set as they cool.
- Let cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Notes
- Melted unsalted butter will also work in this recipe, but the cookies are chewier with coconut oil. If using coconut oil, I prefer refined coconut oil, which has no coconut taste. If you don’t mind a slight to mild coconut taste, unrefined coconut oil also works.
- My favorite version of these cookies uses almond butter. If you love the combination of apples and peanut butter, however, feel free to use creamy peanut butter in place of the almond butter.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I can’t WAIT to make these cookies! I love the simplicity of the ingredients – oat flour is one of my favorite gluten-free flours to bake with. And that crispy sugar on the outside? Sounds addicting!
I hope you’ll enjoy them, Sarah! And I agree – oat flour is awesome. Wholesome and not at all funky tasting! ;)
Hello! I’m so excited about this recipe as I was just ordered to go gluten-free. However, we have a nut allergy in our house as well. What would you consider a good substitute for almond butter? I’m not familiar with taste or consistency and I’m afraid to compare it to peanut butter.
Hi, Kim! You could use SunButter, which is made from sunflower seeds. I’ve never used it myself, and I can’t guarantee that it’d work in these, but I know a lot of nut-free households use that instead of nut butters. Just be warned that it can turn your treats green! I hope that you and your family will enjoy the cookies. :)
Thank you and I hope you’re having a nice Halloween!
Erin
I think I will try substituting sorghum flour for the oat flour. I do have to eat gluten free and I love using sorghum flour in breads and other baked goods. Looking forward to trying these!!
Angela-
Thanks so much for stopping by.
-Jamie
Erin, I loooove the look of these apple spice cookies! Can’t wait to try your recipe!! I love oats so this will be a nice project for my next baking adventure :)
Rose-
Thanks so much for stopping by!
-Jamie
love these cookies!! I’ve been so surprised lately with the delicious taste of gluten-free cookies and baked treats. . pinning this one and will totally give this one a try!
Thanks, Alice! That’s what I love about oats and oat flour – they don’t taste weird or produce funky textures, which is hard to say about some of the other GF flours. I hope you’ll enjoy the cookies if you do try them and thanks for pinning!
These look great for fall. I love anything baked with apples, and will give these a try for my gluten-free daughter. Thanks!
Thank you, Karen! I hope that you and your daughter will both enjoy the cookies. I’d love to hear how they come out!
These cookies look so good! I could eat a dozen! Well done, Erin!
Thanks, Anna! A dozen sounds good but if you could make it 18, you’d get all your fiber in for the day. You can do it! ;)
These look divine! I can smell them already, and since they’re made with oats and oat flour…you can eat them for breakfast, right? ;)
But of course! They’ve got apples, too. Perhaps I should have called these breakfast cookies. ;)
How yummy do these look?! So fun to see Erin on here. These are definitely going on my “to bake” list.
Hi, Katrina! I hope you’ll like the cookies if you try them. :)
These sounds so good, I love oat flour and use it all the time, even though I don’t need to eat gluten free — the flavor and texture is fabulous!
Thanks, Sue! I also don’t eat gluten-free (though I do a lot of GF baking!) but still use oat flour every now and then. I love that it doesn’t give sweets that gritty and unpleasant taste that you get with a lot of other GF flours.