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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!
Table of Contents
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.
so excited to make these. they look delicious!
if i am similar to you and not wanting too sweet a cookie – could i go without the sugar? or will it not come together/cook without? – if so could i use honey/maple syrup…if so how much would you think is necessary? THANKS SO MUCH 🙂
Hmmmmm… I haven’t tried it without that, but let me know if you do- I’m curious if it will turn out! 🙂
I made these yesterday as an impromptu breakfast for the kids. They came together quickly and were a huge hit, even for my little six-year old skeptic! I subbed apple butter for applesauce, used half brown sugar half Splenda (I know, it’s awful, but we’re slowly weaning off the artificial stuff…), and added the nut butter. I think that was the special touch that bound all the other flavors together. Thank you for this great recipe!
That sounds like the perfect special touch- Yum! No shame with the use of splenda 🙂 Thanks for the feedback, Stacey!
How do you think these would work with oatmeal flour? I have some I had already ground up but haven’t used and I’m wondering if that would be an even substitution?
Haha conversations with my younger sister are just as erratic yet organized. Siblings just get each other!
Right? Thanks Jess!
“I don’t send pumpkins, I just get them.” – Cegina Torge. (Cassie Tran + Regina George?)
Hahaha! Joking, but seriously, all the pumpkins are MINE! These applesauce cookies look amazing! They remind me of Karlie Kloss’s GF and vegan oatmeal cookies, which I LOVE! <3
Nice! 🙂
Ok I’m sorry I am with Niki on this one – the Batchelor was serious addicting TV! And now we have the Bachelorette which is just as addicting! I had never seen it until we moved here!
Oh no!!! All my friends back home are obsessed!!!!
Your sister sounds like a hoot! And why’s your mum hating on the pumpkin recipes? They’re kind of amazing. Like this one. You are the master of cookie sorcery!
Haha it is amazing-It’s just not her favourite, and it’s also eaten savory in Australia!
Healthy cookies… I’m IN! I could honestly finish off a batch on my own without coming up for air!
You and me both, Kate!
YOU ARE THE KING of simple yet friggin’ AMAZING recipes! Can I be your queen? Oh wait a second – WHY am I asking? I already am! DUH!
You are my dear 🙂
I love how simple these cookies are to make! I’m with you on adding almond or peanut butter. Nut butters make everything better.
Right? Just pass the jar with a spoon and I’m happy!
The Bachelor is huge in these parts haha people have brackets for throughout the season 🙂 now I just want a big bowl of applesauce.
Hahaha but but…our Kardashians!
Ha! That conversation was perfect. Your sister cracks me up. I definitely watch the bachelor. It’s total garbage, but I can’t help myself!
At least it’s not the Kardashians! 😀