These Healthy 4 Ingredient Applesauce Cookies are soft, and chewy, and take less than 15 minutes to whip up! They are an easy snack or breakfast option.
Oatmeal cookies are one of the easiest and healthiest cookies to make! Flourless oatmeal cookies, zucchini oatmeal cookies, and these applesauce oatmeal cookies are my favorites!
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Applesauce Cookies Recipe
These cookies are a simple, delicious, and easy fix to satisfy your cookie cravings in a ridiculously healthy way. They are soft, chewy, and perfect to have as a quick and easy snack but also work well as a wholesome breakfast.
You’ll love this recipe, too because:
- Perfect texture and flavor. The texture of the cookies are thick, soft, and perfectly chewy. They have a pleasant apple flavor with hints of cinnamon throughout.
- Ready in 12 minutes. Because these need just 4 ingredients to make, the cooking time is minimal.
- No eggs or butter. Besides the light apple flavor, using applesauce in cookies helps replace the butter and eggs completely. Although they won’t have a super-rich flavor butter will provide, we add some peanut butter to compensate. It also helps bind the cookies together.
- Vegan and gluten-free. And also dairy-free!
What we love about this recipe is how easy they are to customize. I can easily it nut-free if needed or add some fun mix- ins (like chocolate chips) when I’m serving these to little ones.
Ingredients needed
- Rolled oats: Rolled oats yield a super chewy and hearty texture. These also work with quick-cooking oats. If you’d prefer a flour-based cookie, you can use whole wheat flour.
- Applesauce: Because we aren’t adding any liquid or granulated sugar to these cookies, you must use sweetened applesauce. If you can only find the unsweetened kind, add 1/4 cup of either maple syrup or coconut sugar/brown sugar.
- Peanut butter: Adds some richness and a buttery texture without needing actual butter. You can substitute this for any nut or seed butter of choice (I love using almond butter or tahini).
- Cinnamon: A must for any recipe that uses applesauce.
- Vanilla extract: Completely optional, but if you love a subtle hint of vanilla, add a drop into the batter.
How to make applesauce oatmeal cookies
Step 1: Prep
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Line a large baking sheet or cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Step 2: Make the batter
In a large bowl, combine all your ingredients until a thick batter remains.
Step 3: Shape into cookies
Using your hands, form 12-15 small balls of dough and place on the lined tray. Press each ball into a cookie shape.
Step 4: Bake
Bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes, until slightly golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the pan completely.
Recipe tips and variations
- Do not overbake the cookies. They will continue to cook as they are cooling down. They also won’t become super crunchy either.
- Taste the mixture. These cookies rely on the sweetness of the applesauce. Taste the mixture before shaping into balls (no eggs, so no worries!), and if needed, add some sugar or maple syrup.
- Change the spices. Nutmeg, ginger, allspice, and ground cloves are warming spices that work well with applesauce or even some vanilla powder.
- Add mix-ins. If you love cookies with some texture in them, add some dark chocolate chips, chopped walnuts, raisins, or even coconut flakes.
Storing Applesauce Oatmeal Cookies
To store: Place leftover cookies in an airtight container and store them in the fridge for up to five days.
To freeze: Once the cookies have cooled, place them in a ziplock bag and store them in the freezer for up to 6 months.
More delicious recipes using applesauce
Frequently asked questions
Yes! If you prefer to make your own sauce, you can use it for these cookies. Again, remember to adjust the sweetness if your sauce is unsweetened.
Swap out the oats for quinoa flakes, buckwheat flakes, or all-purpose flour.
Applesauce Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
- 1 cup applesauce sweetened
- 1 cup peanut butter or any nut or seed butter
- 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F, lightly grease a baking sheet, and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix well.
- Using your hands, form 12 balls, and place them on the lined sheet, and press each ball into a cookie shape. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until firm around the edges.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
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This is nice, but how can one make apple sauce.
My recipe made more than 12 good size cookies. I used unsweetened applesauce because I don’t use refined sugar. I added 1/2C of allulose brown sweetener & next time I’ll add 3/4C. I threw in some walnut pieces and raisins too. I’ll add some apple pieces next time too or use chunky applesauce if I can find it unsweetened.
They are easy and delicious. Thanks for the recipe!
Excellent cookies. My granddaughter and grandson loves them.
Even our dog likes the cookie for a healthy snack.
Do you think these would work with Splenda instead of sugar?
Of course! 🙂
Wow, these are amazing! I followed the recipe exactly, but didn’t use the nut butter. I’m having cookies for dessert tonight! Who am kidding? I’m eating one NOW! Thank you so much!
D Love it! Hope you enjoy them 🙂
Wondering whether a suuuuuuuper ripe banana would be a good substitute for some of the sweetener. (Add more oats if that makes it gloopy, but also curious that these have no leavening like a traditional cookie.)
Hi Dew- You’d like this recipe here- https://thebigmansworld.com/3-ingredient-breakfast-cookies/
Any chance you could make these without sugar? Would I need to add something else to make up the lack of 1/4 of something?
Hi Kim! You could add 1/4 cup granulated sweetener of choice 🙂