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Chewy Iced Apple Cider Caramel Oatmeal Cookies. These homemade brown sugar cookies are made with browned butter, oatmeal, homemade apple cider caramels, and Honeycrisp apples. Theyโre the best fall cookies! And while theyโre amazing on their own, the secret ingredient that makes these cookies better than the rest is an over-the-top vanilla glaze thatโs sweet, thick, and creamy. Itโs the yummiest and makes these cookies melt in your mouth!
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The first day of fall is this coming Sunday. As you can all tell, Iโm excited. It will be a busy but fun autumn and holiday season, and I just canโt wait!
Iโve been brainstorming my fall recipes for weeks. These cookies have been at the top of my list since day one. I mean, come on, how delicious do they sound?
Inspired by our new apple cider candle, I wanted to bring those crisp, cozy autumn scents to life in cookie form!
Batch after batch, I worked endlessly on these cookies to make them just right. I lost count, but dozens of cookies have been coming in and out of my oven for the last week.
Iโm so happy I stuck with my idea because these might just be one of my best fall cookies yet!
Theyโre the ideal crisp-around-the-edges cookie, with a gooey caramel apple swirled center, and topped with a sweet vanilla glaze.
These are the details
Step 1: make the cider caramel
With just three ingredients, this is a pretty no-fuss caramel. All you need to do is boil apple cider with brown sugar and butter.
Boil for about 10 minutes for a soft, chewy caramel. The longer you boil the caramel, the harder it will become. Ideally, you want a soft, chewy caramel, so stick to around 10 minutes on the stove.
The sauce will bubble and thicken. Then, add sea salt and pour the caramel onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Let it set.
Step 2: dry out the apples
This is optional; you can add apples, or you can leave the apples out of your cookie.
If you decide you want bits of apple, thinly slice Honeycrisp apples, dice them, and spread them out in an even layer on a baking sheet.
Bake for 10 minutes. Drying the apples first will prevent the cookies from having too much moisture.
Step 3: brown the butter for the cookies
Next, brown the butter in a medium skillet. Just let the butter cook until it bubbles up and foams on top. This is when I turn the heat off and continue to allow the butter to cook in the pan.
Little brown bits will form on the bottom of the pan. Those are the nutty little bits that will make your recipes extra delicious.
Step 4: mix together the wet ingredients
Once the butter is browned, the rest goes pretty much as you would think. I donโt use a mixer for these, just a good old-fashioned spatula will do the trick. Mix the butter with brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla.
Step 5: the dry ingredients
After youโve added your wet ingredients, add the dry ingredients: flour, oats, baking soda, and a small pinch of salt.
Then mix in the bits of caramel and the dried apples โ and bake.
Step 6: finally the vanilla glaze
The glaze really melts in your mouth. Itโs not needed, but if youโre looking for something special, this glaze is beyond delicious and easy to make. Itโs made with powdered sugar, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt.
Drizzle the glaze over each cookie, then eat them warm and gooey. You can also let them cool and store them. With or without the glaze, these cookies are certainly great either way!
Looking for cookie recipes? Here are a few ideas:ย
Glazed Brown Sugar Maple Cookies
Pumpkin Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Brown Sugar Maple Ginger Cookies
Chewy Brown Sugar Maple Cookies
Lastly, if you make these Iced Apple cider Caramel Oatmeal Cookies, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And, of course, if you do make this recipe, donโt forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Iced Apple Cider Caramel Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredientsย
Caramel
- 2 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup apple cider
- 1 teaspoon salt
Cookies
- 1 honeycrisp apple, sliced thin, then diced, (optional)
- 2 sticks (1 cup) salted butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups old fashioned oats
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Icing
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- flaky sea salt
Instructionsย
- 1. To make the caramel. Add the butter and brown sugar to a large pot set over medium heat. Let the butter melt, and add the cider. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring constantly, until the sugar has melted and the mixture is dark, bubbling, and thickened, about 10 minutes. Stir in the salt. Carefully pour the caramel out onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Let it set, then cut/tear it into pieces. The longer you cook the caramel, the harder it will become when cooled. 2. To make the cookies. Preheat the oven to 350ยฐ F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.3. If using, arrange the apples on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes to dry the apples out. 2. Add the butter to a skillet set over medium heat. Cook until the butter begins to brown, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer to a heatproof bowl. Let cool for 5 minutes or so.3. To the brown butter, mix in the brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Add the flour, oats, baking soda, and salt. Stir in the caramel chunks and dried apples. 4. Roll the dough into rounded tablespoon-size balls and place 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 8 minutes. Rotate the baking sheet. Bake another 3-4 minutes or until the cookies are just beginning to set on the edges.5. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet. They will continue to cook slightly as they sit on the baking sheet.6. Meanwhile, if desired, make the glaze. Whisk together the powdered sugar, maple syrup, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Thin with water if needed. Drizzle the glaze over the cookies! Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.ย
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Mudderfudger I wanted these to work. Itโs not you. Itโs totally me. I donโt bake. I used to when I was a kid, but I donโt anymore. However, these cool crisp fall Arkansas mornings have me craving all the things apple and cinnamon so I figured I would try these. I made your chili Mac last night and thought these would be the chefโs kiss to the end of the weekend. Alas, I was wrong. My fiance loved them but to me, mine turned out too salty and not gooey enough. Again, this is a me error and not your recipe so please donโt apologize ๐น for my inability to bake. Also, my sister said โit looks like horse food, respectfully.โ Sigh. I will try another time bc that caramel is sooo good!
PS you should visit Arkansas sometime. Itโs about that time of year itโs magical.
Awww, thanks so much! I appreciate you trying these cookies:) Let me know if you make them again, they are pretty yummy! Glad to hear the chili Mac was a hit! Have the best week!
I think the amount of powdered sugar in the glaze is off- way too little as it was very runny. I had to add another cup of powdered sugar to get it the right consistency.
Hi Margery,
So very sorry to hear this! Thanks for sharing your feedback. I hope everything tasted great!
Little salt bombs! Overall a fun recipe to try but way too much salt in the caramel for my liking. Definitely need to reduce. I wasnt going to ice them but needed the extra sweetness to tame down the caramel. Couldnโt taste the apple or cider at all.
Good dessert for tonightโs company but probably wonโt make again.
Hi Kelley,
I appreciate you trying these cookies and sharing your feedback. So sorry to hear these were so salty. I hope everyone still enjoys them!
When I poured the vinegar to make the caramel the smell was so strong I was like โoh my this is never going to work outโ but turns out the caramel tastes zero bit vinegary, only a strong apple flavor that is amazing ! Next time I will cook it a bit longer cos it had trouble setting and was still like toffee so it was a mess adding it to the dough but I was still pleased with the result and they were super popular ! Thanks for the original recipe !
Hey Poppy,
Fantastic! Love to hear this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for making it! Have the best week:) xxT
Did you use apple cider vinegar? I think the recipe calls for apple cider . . .
I made these tonight to take to a friend. I didn’t have apple cider for the caramel, so I substituted with apple juice. I cooked the caramel for close to 15 minutes, however it never hardened after I spread it out. I ended up incorporating it into the dough. They still taste great, but did I make a mistake with my substitution? I’m usually a total rule follower, and this is why!
Love your recipes! Made your picnic pesto Turkey bacon avocado sandwiches last night … THE BEST!!
Hi Susan,
Thanks so much for making this recipe and so many others! Sorry to hear you had issues with the caramel, I do not think it was because you used apple juice. My guess is that it needed to boil a bit longer. So sorry about that! xx
Can you freeze this dough?
Hi Sonya,
You bet, that will work nicely for you! I hope you love this recipe! xx
These cookies were a labor of love. When my husband tasted them, he said, “Where have these been all my life.” Our dinner guest said, “These are filling me with joy.”
So an absolute hit! Thanks!
Aww, thanks so much, Pammy! I’m so glad to hear these cookies were enjoyed, I appreciate you making them! Happy Friday! xx
These turned out so yummy! Definitely worth the extra steps to make the caramel and dry the apples, which only took about 20 min then you just stir everything else together-super easy! I do think it would be helpful to add photos or a video of the caramel making and consistency it should be when tearing/snipping into pieces, thatโs the most challenging part. Thanks for another winner!
Hey Kate,
Happy Monday!! I appreciate you trying this recipe and your feedback, so glad to hear it was enjoyed! XxT
Question – can I make the cookie dough the day before baking?? Or is that not really possible with this cookie ?
Hey Georgiana,
Sure, that would be just fine for you to do! I hope you love these cookies, please let me know if you give them a try! xx
Not sure where to even begin. I guess Iโll start on a positive note.. these cookies are INSANELY delicious. Okay, now for the hard truth. As an executive chef, who went to culinary school and made these cookies in a professional kitchen, these are THE MOST labor intensive cookies I have ever and most definitely will ever, come across. 25 minute prep time? It took me 3 hours, start to finish, with some light cleaning in between, to bake these cookies. I did adjust the yield to 45 cookies, which definitely adds some time.. but not 2 hours and 35 minutes worth of time. Also, mine look absolutely nothing like the ones in the photos.. more cakey than oaty for sure, either way they (thank god) turned out delicious. But letโs all be honest here.. making these cookies ainโt for the faint of heart.
Hi Chelsea,
Thanks so much for making these cookies and sharing your feedback! So glad they were enjoyed:) I appreciate your insight on how labor intensive these cookies were for you, I’m so sorry for that! Have a great Friday! xx
These cookies are so much work. I did not have apple cider, so used homemade applesauce (apples from my own tree!). That worked great. I cooked the caramel for 10 minutes per instructions, but wish I had cooked it longer because it was too soft. The caramel pieces ended up dissolving during baking and thus there were no caramel cases in the cookies (so disappointing!). I am not a fan of apple chunks in my food so cut the apple pieces very small (think mini chocolate chips) but that was too small. I thought the flavor was a bit flat, so sprinkled nutmeg over the top of the glaze, which tasted great and also looked pretty. All in all these tasted fine, but were a lot of work and not the over-the-top for cookie I was expecting. If I practiced a few more times they could be better, but they are too much work to try again.
Hey Angie,
Thanks for trying these cookies and sharing your feedback, so very sorry to hear you did not love them! If there is anything that I can help with please let me know! x
These were absolutely delicious. Everyone in my family loved them!
Hey Josie,
Awesome! So glad to hear this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for making it! Have a great weekend! xT