Description
These Iced Applesauce Cookies are a delightful treat featuring warm spices and a moist texture, sweetened with applesauce and topped with a simple powdered sugar icing. Perfectly balanced with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, these cookies are both comforting and flavorful, ideal for fall or any time you crave a cozy homemade cookie.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup Old Fashioned rolled oats
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated cane sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice (or ginger)
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1/2 cup applesauce
- 6 tablespoons neutral oil (such as vegetable or canola oil)
- 1 egg (or flax egg for vegan alternative)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Icing
- 2 x recipe of Powdered Sugar Icing (1 Minute Powdered Sugar Icing, recipe not included)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Pans: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking and allow even baking.
- Mix Dry and Wet Ingredients: In a medium bowl, combine all dry ingredients including flour, oats, sugars, and spices. In another medium bowl, whisk together applesauce, oil, egg (or flax egg), and vanilla extract. Gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, stirring until a sticky dough forms. Note that the dough will be wetter than typical cookie dough.
- Chill the Dough: Place the bowl of dough into the refrigerator and chill for 10 minutes to help the dough firm up slightly, which will make it easier to handle when forming cookies.
- Scoop and Arrange Cookies: Using a cookie scoop (size 40) or two spoons, form 1 1/2 tablespoon-sized balls of dough and drop them evenly spaced onto the prepared baking sheets. Avoid moving or adjusting the cookies once placed to maintain shape.
- Bake the Cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly browned around the edges. Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet before handling or icing.
- Ice the Cookies: Once cooled, create a criss-cross drizzle using the prepared powdered sugar icing and a fork, or decorate as desired.
- Storage: Store iced cookies at room temperature in an airtight container or cookie tin for up to 5 days. For longer storage, freeze un-iced cookies for up to 3 months and add icing after thawing.
Notes
- You can substitute allspice with ground ginger for a different but complementary spice flavor.
- Use a flax egg (1 tablespoon flaxseed meal + 2.5 tablespoons water, mixed and rested for 5-10 minutes) for a vegan option.
- The dough will be stickier and wetter than traditional cookie dough, so chilling is important to help with portioning.
- If you don’t have a size 40 cookie scoop, use a tablespoon measure (about 1 1/2 tablespoons) for consistent cookie size.
- Allow cookies to cool completely before icing to prevent melting and spreading of the glaze.
- Store cookies in an airtight container to keep them soft and moist.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Dessert, Snack
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 110
- Sugar: 7g
- Sodium: 110mg
- Fat: 5g
- Saturated Fat: 0.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 15g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 1.5g
- Cholesterol: 15mg
Keywords: applesauce cookies, iced cookies, spiced cookies, fall cookies, easy dessert, homemade cookies
