These oatmeal cookies combine rolled oats with chopped dried apples and caramel pieces for a chewy, sweet treat with a little extra texture.
The original Natural Health Kingdom recipe was presented as a low-calorie snack and suggested limiting yourself to one or two cookies. We have removed that diet framing and kept the recipe focused on what it actually is: a homemade cookie with oats, dried apple and caramel.
The recipe makes a large batch, so it is useful for sharing or freezing some for later.
At a glance
- Prep time: About 20 minutes
- Bake time: About 9 minutes per batch
- Total time: About 30 minutes, plus additional time for multiple batches
- Makes: A large batch of cookies
Ingredients
- 3 cups plain flour
- 3 cups rolled oats
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 4 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups chopped dried apples
- 1 1/2 cups chopped caramel candies
How to make caramel apple oatmeal cookies
1. Preheat the oven
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. Mix the dry ingredients
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, rolled oats, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Stir until evenly mixed and set aside.
3. Cream the butter and sugars
In a large bowl, combine the softened butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar.
Beat with an electric mixer until creamy and well combined.
4. Add the eggs and vanilla
Continue mixing on medium speed.
Add the vanilla extract and eggs and beat until incorporated.
5. Add the dry ingredients
Add the flour and oat mixture about 1/2 cup at a time, mixing between additions until combined.
Avoid overmixing once the dry ingredients have been incorporated.
6. Fold in the apples and caramel
Use a rubber spatula to gently fold in the chopped dried apples and caramel pieces.
Mix just enough to distribute them evenly through the dough.
Shape the cookies
7. Prepare the baking sheets
Line your baking sheets with parchment paper.
The original recipe specifically recommends parchment rather than simply greasing the trays because the caramel can stick.
8. Portion the dough
Drop roughly 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie onto the prepared baking sheets.
Leave about 2 inches (5 cm) between cookies so they have room to spread.
Flatten each cookie slightly with the bottom of a glass.
Bake
9. Bake for about 9 minutes
Bake the cookies for approximately 9 minutes.
They should be set but still soft enough to stay chewy.
Leave them on the baking sheet for about 2 minutes, then carefully transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Handle freshly baked cookies with care, as the caramel pieces can remain extremely hot and may cause burns.
A few useful tips
Keep the caramel contained
Make sure the caramel pieces are mixed into the dough rather than sitting directly on the bottom of the cookie.
Caramel can become very hot and sticky during baking.
Don’t overcrowd the tray
Leaving around 2 inches between portions helps stop the cookies from spreading into one another.
Bake in batches
Because this recipe makes a large quantity, you will probably need more than one baking sheet or several batches.
Keep the remaining dough chilled if you plan to work through it gradually.
Can you use different dried fruit?
The original recipe uses dried apples, but you could experiment with other dried fruit.
Dried pears, cranberries or chopped dates would give the cookies a different flavour while keeping the same basic idea.
Keep in mind that changes in the fruit’s moisture and size can alter the texture of the finished cookies.
What kind of caramel works?
The original recipe calls for chopped caramel candies.
Cut them into small pieces before adding them to the dough so they are distributed throughout the cookies and melt more evenly during baking.
Make-ahead and storage
You can prepare the cookie dough ahead and refrigerate it before baking.
You can also freeze portions of dough for later baking, though you may need to adjust the baking time when using frozen dough.
Once baked and completely cool, store the cookies in an airtight container.
The bottom line
These caramel apple oatmeal cookies are chewy, sweet and packed with rolled oats, dried apple and little pieces of caramel.
They take a little time because the recipe makes a large batch, but that also makes them useful for sharing with family and friends.
Sometimes a good cookie is a must.