Name: Apple Cider Oatmeal Cookies
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 18
Ingredients: 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour; 1 1/4 cups rolled old fashioned oats (not quick or instant oats); 2, 7.4 ounce packets instant apple cider mix, such as Alpine Spiced Apple Cider; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg; 1/2 tsp baking soda; 1/4 tsp salt; 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature; 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar; 1 large egg; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 cup apples, diced very small, such as Granny Smith or Honeycrisp; 1/2 cup butterscotch chips (optional)

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These apple cider oatmeal cookies are soft & cake-like in the middle with slightly crispy edges. Made with real apples and hints of cinnamon and nutmeg, they're the perfect fall treat with a glass of hot apple cider!

5 apple oatmeal cookies on a wooden surface. There's two cinnamon sticks next to the cookies. A red apple and a mason jar glass of hot apple cider are in the background

These apple cider oatmeal cookies really hit the spot with a hot cup of tea on a cool fall afternoon.

I probably should have given away half the batch so that I didn't continue to eat them but I can't stop, won't stop ;).

I found the trick to getting that apple cider flavor is by using apple cider drink mix instead of liquid apple cider. The flavor is much more concentrated, giving these oatmeal cookies their apple cider flavor.

This past weekend I went apple picking so I have an (over)abundance of fresh apples to use.

I've already made my apple crostata and apple cider pork tenderloin so I needed a new apple recipe to test out.

These apple cider cookies are soft and cake like on the inside, with slightly crispy edges making them the perfect cookie texture.

I love the addition of butterscotch chips in these cookies, but you could also use white chocolate chips, walnuts, pecans or omit them all together.

Enjoy a few of these cookies cozied up on the couch with a hot apple cider or tea :).

A baking sheet lined with brown parchment paper with apple cider cookies on it. There's a blue and white striped napkin next to it with a small spatula. There's an apple cider drink packet, red whole apple and cinnamon sticks in the background in the background

Ingredients for Apple Cider Oatmeal Cookies:

all-purpose flour
old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick oats!)
cinnamon & nutmeg
instant apple cider drink mix
baking soda
salt
butter
brown sugar
egg
vanilla extract
apples
butterscotch chips

As mentioned above, you can omit the butterscotch chips all together or try one of these delicious add-ins:

white chocolate chips
pecans
walnuts
cinnamon baking chips
baking caramels, cut into small pieces.

A stack of oatmeal cookies tied together with string. There's two cinnamon sticks next to it and a glass of hot apple cider in the background with a red apple

How to make apple cider cookies:

Preheat oven to 350 F and line baking sheets.
In a medium mixing bowl combine flour, oats, apple cider mix, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt.
In a bowl of your stand mixer cream together butter and sugar. Add in egg and vanilla.
Add flour mixture to butter mixture and stir just until combined.
Slowly stir in apples and butterscotch chips.
Scoop 2 tablespoons of batter and roll into balls. Place on baking sheet and gently flatten slightly with fingertips. Space cookies 2" apart.
Bake 14-16 minutes or until edges are slightly browned.

Tips for baking apple oatmeal cookies:

Be sure to use old-fashioned rolled oats. Quick oats or instant oats won't give you the right texture in this recipe.
I like using Granny Smith apples because they are tart and firm. Other apples you could use are Honeycrisp, Gala or Courtland. You don't want anything too sweet or soft like Macintosh.
Cut the apples into very small pieces. If the pieces are too big, they won't softened when baked. Small pieces are best to get a bite of apple in every cookie!
You can find the apple cider drink mix online (linked in recipe) or at the grocery store. I've always found it at my local Walmart too.

A sheet pan withbaked apple cider oatmeal cookies on it. There's some oats and butterscotch chips on the pan. In the background there's a red apple, glass of hot apple cider and an apple cider drink packet

For more cookie recipes try: