These Applesauce Cookies are simple cookies, crunchy on top and soft inside like muffins, the perfect cookies to celebrate apple season with no refined sugar, no eggs, and no dairy!
While the whole recipe is just below, don’t miss all my tips further down, including ingredient swaps, my cooking tips, and step-by-step shots!
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Applesauce Cookies
These Applesauce Cookies are simple cookies, crunchy on top and soft inside like muffins, the perfect cookie to celebrate apple season with no refined sugar, no eggs, and no dairy!
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Servings: 8 cookies
Calories: 158.1 kcal
Ingredients
- ½ cup Applesauce - (note 1)
- 2 tablespoons Mild-Flavor Olive Oil - (note 2)
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ½ cup Unrefined Cane Sugar - (note 3)
- 1 ⅓ cups Self-Rising Flour - (note 4)
- 1 ½ teaspoons Cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon Allspice - (note 5)
- ¾ cup Apple - peeled, finely chopped in cubes of 0.2 inches (1/2cm) – equivalent 1 small apple (note 6)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a baking tray with parchment paper, and lightly oil the paper with oil. Set aside.
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, add applesauce, oil, vanilla extract, and sugar. Stir with a fork to combine.
- Fold in self-rising flour, cinnamon, and allspice. Use a rubber spatula to stir the ingredients together until they form a sticky cookie dough that looks like muffin batter.
- Fold in the finely chopped apple and stir to evenly combine.
- Scoop out dollops of dough on the prepared baking sheet to form 8 cookies (note 7), leaving one inch of space between the cookies. The cookies will expand in the oven, so give them space, or use 2 baking sheets.
- Tap the baking sheet twice on the countertop to spread the batter and flatten the cookies nicely.
- Bake the cookies for 20-24 minutes at 350°F (180°C) until nicely golden on the top.
- Let them cool down on the baking sheet at room temperature for 30 minutes. Do not remove them from the baking sheet to let them firm up.
- Cool them down for an extra hour on a cooling rack.
Notes
Note 1: I am using unsweetened applesauce. You can use homemade applesauce.
Note 2: Or any low-flavor oil you like, or melted plant-based butter.
Note 3: You can reduce sugar to 1/3 cup, but the cookies will stay very soft. Any granulated sugar works like coconut sugar, brown sugar.
Note 4: 1 1/3 cups of self-rising flour is equivalent to 1 1/3 cups of all-purpose flour + 1 3/4 teaspoons of baking powder. For a gluten-free version, follow my Gluten-Free Conversion Guide. The recipe doesn’t work with oat flour or almond flour.
Note 5: or ginger, or nutmeg.
Note 6: Make sure you use firm apples that hold shape in the oven, like Granny Smith, Braeburn, or Fuji.
Note 7: I made 6 cookies in the pictures, but I recommend making 8 for the best texture.
Oven Mode: I use the fan-forced (convection) mode. If you have to use conventional mode, I recommend increasing the temperature by 25°F (15 °C). The baking time should be the same, but it might take a few more minutes.
Storage: You can store the cookies in the fridge in an airtight box for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 158.1kcal | Carbohydrates: 30.4g | Protein: 2.4g | Fat: 3.9g | Saturated Fat: 0.5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2.6g | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 50.5mg | Fiber: 1.1g | Sugar: 15.3g | Vitamin A: 12.6IU | Vitamin C: 0.7mg | Calcium: 8.5mg | Iron: 0.3mg | Magnesium: 6.3mg | Phosphorus: 21.3mg | Zinc: 0.2mg
Ingredients and Substitutions
This paragraph gives you all my tips about picking the right ingredients. For the full recipe with measurements, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the post!Go to Full Recipe
You only need a few simple ingredients to make this recipe. Here’s how to pick and swap them.
- Applesauce – This provides moisture, natural sweetness, and helps bind the cookie dough without using eggs. You can use either store-bought or homemade unsweetened applesauce for this recipe.
- Light Olive Oil – This adds moisture and a tender crumb to the cookies. Any other mild-flavored oil or melted plant-based butter would also work well.
- Vanilla Extract – This brings a subtle sweetness and flavor to the cookies.
- Unrefined Cane Sugar – This adds sweetness to the cookies. If you prefer them less sweet, you can reduce the amount to a third of a cup, but keep in mind that this will make for a softer cookie.
- Self-Rising Flour – This gives the cookies their structure and helps them rise. If you do not have this on hand, you can create a similar mix with all-purpose flour and baking powder. I do not recommend oat or almond flour for this recipe.
- Cinnamon – This adds a warm spice flavor that complements the apple.
- Allspice – This gives a warm, aromatic note that enhances the other flavors. You can also use ginger or nutmeg for a similar effect.
- Apple – The finely chopped apple adds little bites of juicy fruit throughout the cookies. It is important to use a firm apple variety like Granny Smith, Braeburn, or Fuji to ensure it holds its shape during baking.
How to Make Applesauce Cookies
These cookies are super simple to whip up. Here’s how.
Dice the apples into small cubes.
Combine the dough ingredients and incorporate the cubes.
Stir the batter until if forms a sticky dough and form cookies on a baking sheet.
Bake the cookies for 20-24 minutes at 350°F (180°C).
Carine’s Baking Tips
Let me share a few more tips for perfect cookies.
- Firm Apples are Key – Use a firm apple variety like Granny Smith, Braeburn, or Fuji. This will ensure the apple pieces hold their shape in the oven and don’t turn to mush inside the cookies.
- More Fall Flavors – To make these cookies even cozier, stir in a quarter teaspoon of ginger or a pumpkin pie spice blend.
- Crunchy Add-In – For an extra layer of texture, you can fold in a quarter cup of chopped nuts like pecans or walnuts.
- Give Them Space – The cookie dough will expand in the oven, so make sure you leave about an inch of space between each cookie on the baking sheet. If you don’t have enough room, use a second baking sheet.
- For the Best Texture – While I made six cookies for the pictures, I found that making eight cookies gives you the best texture. The cookies will be a little smaller, but they’ll be perfectly crunchy on top and soft in the middle.
- Gentle Folding – When combining the wet and dry ingredients, use a rubber spatula and fold them together just until they are combined. Overmixing can lead to tough cookies.
Have you used whole wheat flour for this recipe?
Not yet, but usually you can use wholewheat instead of flour, using a little more liquid ingredients to balance the fibers in wholewheat, The result is always a bit more dense.
Can’t wait to try this recipe! I am always looking for no butter cookie recipes, and no egg is a bonus! I have one question. In the recipe, you call for 1 1/3 cups self rising flour, but in the notes, you mention 1 1/4 cups. I just want to make sure I get the amount of flour right.
Thanks for noticing my mistake in the note! I updated the note, the amount is 1 1/3 cup of self-rising flour.
delicious
Thanks! I am so happy you love them.
Can I use coconut sugar or brown sugar?
You can use any sugar you like. Enjoy!