These caramel apple oatmeal cookies are soft, chewy, and packed with apple and caramel flavor. You only need 3 ingredients – applesauce, oats, and caramel – and the cookies are quick and easy to make. It’s a great cookie recipe for fall.
A stack of caramel apple oatmeal cookies

I am definitely ready for fall desserts like these caramel apple cookies. These are so fun to eat and full of fall flavors. They really do taste like caramel apples in cookie form.

Ingredients

  • Quick Oats (Or Instant Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal)
  • Cinnamon Applesauce
  • Dulce de Leche (or Salted Caramel Topping)

Quick oats: These oatmeal cookies use quick oats as their base. If you want to increase the apple flavor for the cookies, you can also use instant apple and cinnamon flavored oatmeal.

Cinnamon applesauce: I used sweetened cinnamon applesauce but you can also use unsweetened since the cookies are also sweetened with the dulce de leche.

Dulce de Leche: Dulce de leche is a milk based caramel sold in cans similar to sweetened condensed milk cans. I used dulce de leche to give these cookies their caramel flavor. Dulce de leche is a thick caramel which makes it easier to incorporate into the cookie dough without the dough becoming too wet. Some of the caramel is mixed into the cookie dough and more is drizzled on top.

Why We Love This Recipe

  • You only need three ingredients and you don’t need any flour or eggs.
  • The cookies are easy to make in less than 30 minutes.
  • You can make them as an everyday snack or they’re a great option for last-minute holiday baking.
  • The texture is not like classic oatmeal cookies, but the cookies are soft and a little chewy. If you like baked oats, these cookies have a similar texture.

How to Make Caramel Apple Oatmeal Cookies

Make the Cookie Dough

Combine the oats and applesauce in a mixing bowl. Warm up the dulce de leche in the microwave for a few seconds and then mix it into the oatmeal and applesauce.

Bake the Cookies

  • Use a cookie scoop to scoop the dough and release it onto your prepared baking sheet. Flatten the cookies with the back of a metal spoon.
  • Bake cookies for about 15 minutes. You’ll know when they’re done when you can easily remove them from the baking sheet without them sticking.

Drizzle

Once they are out of the oven, you can drizzle additional dulce de leche over the cookies.

Caramel apple oatmeal cookies with a caramel drizzle

Cookie Texture

These cookies have a soft and chewy texture. They do not have the same texture as classic oatmeal cookies. Instead, these cookies have a texture more like baked oats in cookie form.

Variations

  • If you prefer a melted gooey caramel center, you can add half of a soft chewy caramel candy to the center of the cookie dough.Caramel apple oatmeal cookies with a caramel center
  • Use instant apple cinnamon oatmeal instead of quick oats to have an even strong apple oatmeal flavor.
  • Use salted caramel topping or sprinkle some sea salt on top of the cookies for a salted caramel finish.

Caramel apple cookies with a caramel drizzle and sea salt

More Oatmeal Cookie Recipes

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5 from 1 vote

3 Ingredient Caramel Apple Oatmeal Cookies

These 3-Ingredient Caramel Apple Cookies are a quick and easy treat that captures the cozy flavors of fall. These soft and chewy cookies are an ideal for a quick snack or a fun dessert and are sure to be a hit with everyone!
Servings: 10 cookies
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
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Ingredients

  • 1 cup (88 g) quick oats, or instant apple cinnamon oatmeal
  • 1/2 cup (119 g) sweetened cinnamon applesauce, can use unsweetened and can also use plain applesauce without cinnamon
  • 2 tbsp (34 g) dulce de leche, slightly heated until easy to stir, plus more for drizzling on top of the cookies

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
  • In a large bowl, stir together the oats (or oatmeal) and applesauce until evenly combined. Stir in the heated dulce de leche until evenly mixed. If you are not planning on drizzling more dulce de leche at the end you may want to add 2 more tablespoons of dulce de leche to the cookie dough. You can taste and adjust as needed. I didn't add that much caramel to the dough since I drizzled more on top.
  • Use a 1.5 tbsp cookie scoop and scoop dough balls, placing them onto prepared baking sheet, spaced 2 inches apart. Using the back of a metal spoon, press down on dough balls to form thick round disks (about 3/8 inch thick). The cookies will not spread or change shape during baking so shape them as needed until they are how you want them to be. If your dough is too sticky you can lightly wet the spoon before shaping.
  • Bake cookies about 15 minutes or until they are done. If you are unsure if the cookies are set, use a cookie spatula and try to lift a cookie off of the baking sheet. You should be able to lift the cookie off of the sheet without the center sticking to the baking sheet. When cookies are cooled, you can drizzle with additional dulce de leche on top for decoration. You will want to heat the dulce de leche (I heated in my microwave for a few seconds) so that it becomes a thinner consistency that you can drizzle easily.

Notes

  • If you are using instant apple cinnamon oatmeal you will need 3 individual packets to equal 1 cup, about 105 grams.
  • If you are using instant apple oatmeal, you don't need to use cinnamon applesauce, you can use plain applesauce. 
  • I recommend drizzling the dulce de leche on top if you really want to taste the caramel flavor. The caramel flavor isn't as strong in the cookie dough.
  • If you want a molten gooey caramel center, add half of a chewy caramel candy (I used Werther's chewy caramel candy) to the center of each cookie, pressing down lightly so that part of the candy goes into the oatmeal dough.
  • You can also use salted caramel topping instead of dulce de leche. Salted caramel topping refers to the thick caramel topping that is usually sold as an ice cream topping and must be heated just like dulce de leche to get a runny consistency. 
  • Nutrition information is for the cookie only before the additional drizzle of caramel on top.
Serving: 1cookie, Calories: 50kcal, Carbohydrates: 9g, Protein: 0.3g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 0.3g, Sodium: 5mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 4g, NET CARBS: 8
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. This is not a comprehensive list of all the nutrients in the recipe (i.e., does not include vitamins, cholesterol, etc). I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
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