These apple cookies are soft, moist and full of apple flavor. The cookies need just 4 ingredients and don’t require any eggs. The cookies take only a few minutes to prepare and store well.
A stack of five apple cookies

These apple cookies taste like soft apple cake in cookie form. The cookies take only a few minutes to prepare and you don’t even need a mixer to make them.

Ingredients

  • Self-rising flour
  • Cinnamon applesauce
  • Brown sugar
  • Butter

Self-rising flour: Self-rising flour is a flour blend that already has a leavening agent and sodium added to it. I like using self-rising flour because it saves a few extra steps. If you don’t have self-rising flour on hand, you can make a homemade blend using all purpose flour, baking powder and salt.

Unsweetened cinnamon applesauce: Unsweetened cinnamon applesauce adds cinnamon flavor and apple flavor to the cookies. You can use store bought or homemade applesauce. This recipe works best with unsweetened applesauce. Using sweetened applesauce may cause the cookies to spread more and the dough to be runnier.

Light brown sugar: Light brown sugar sweetens the cookies and adds a little caramel flavor to the cookies. You can adjust the amount of sugar if you want the cookies to be sweeter or less sweet.

Unsalted Butter:  Melted butter keeps the crumb soft and adds a bit of butter flavor to the cookies.

Optional mix-ins: You can keep the cookies plain or you can add in some mix-ins like chocolate chips, chopped nuts or chopped fresh apples. I added in 1/4 cup of finely diced apples (cut to approximately 1/4 inch pieces).

How to Make Apple Cookies

  • The applesauce, brown sugar and melted butter are mixed together. The flour is mixed in until fully incorporated. Let the dough sit for about 15 minutes to allow it to thicken further.Cookie dough in a bowl and then shaped with a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop
  • If adding any mix-ins, stir them in after the dough has thickened. Then use a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop the dough and release it onto your prepared baking sheet, spacing the cookies about 2 inches apart.
  • Bake the cookies for about 20-25 minutes or until they are puffed, golden brown and look set. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet before removing them.

Apple cookies on a cooling rack
A bite taken from a soft apple cookie

Expert Tips

  • You can adjust the sweetness of the cookies by adding more or less brown sugar. Keep in mind the cookies will spread less if you use less brown sugar and they will spread more if you increase the amount of brown sugar.
  • The dough will resemble a cake batter, but it should be thick enough that the individual scoops will not spread.
  • The cookies have a soft, cake-like texture.

An apple cookie cut in half showing the middle

More Apple Recipes

5 from 6 votes

4 Ingredient Apple Cookies

These soft, fluffy apple cookies come together with just 4 simple ingredients—no eggs and no mixer required! Made with applesauce for natural flavor and moisture, they’re lightly sweet, buttery, and perfect for a quick snack or dessert. Ready in under 30 minutes with pantry staples, they’re the easiest fall-inspired cookie you’ll bake.
Servings: 10 cookies
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
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Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup (129g) unsweetened cinnamon applesauce, room temperature
  • 2 tbsp (28g) unsalted butter, melted
  • 1/3 packed cup + 1 tbsp (61g) light brown sugar
  • 1 cup (133g) self-rising flour, see note before starting

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together applesauce, melted butter and sugar until smooth.
  • Stir in the self-rising flour with a spatula until the flour is fully incorporated and the dough resembles a thick cake batter that has some air pockets spread throughout. (See photo in post for reference). Let the dough sit for 15 minutes to further thicken.
  • If you are adding any mix-ins, stir them in now. I recommend about 1/4 cup of mix-ins. See notes for more details. Using a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop the dough and release it onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart. While the dough may look more like batter, it should be thick enough that the scoop holds its form and doesn't spread out on the baking sheet.
  • Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden, the surface is lightly browned, and the cookies look puffed and set.
  • Let cookies cool on the baking sheet before removing them. The cookies are ready to be enjoyed once they are cooled. Store any uneaten cookies in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.

Notes

  • Self-rising flour note: There are 2 main kinds of self-rising flour sold in the US. One that is a lower protein (2 grams per 1/4 cup serving) flour and one that has a regular amount of protein (3 grams per 1/4 cup (30g) serving). The amount of protein affects how much liquid is absorbed. For this recipe, I tested it with Gold Medal self-rising flour* (regular amount of protein). Please use a self-rising flour with a regular amount of protein (3 grams per 1/4 cup), or make your own self-rising flour with the recipe below.
  • Homemade self-rising flour: Whisk together 1 cup all purpose flour, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/4 tsp salt. Make sure your all purpose flour has a regular amount of protein (3 grams per 1/4 cup). Most brands in the US contain this amount but there are some brands with higher protein (4 grams per 1/4 cup) such as King Arthur Flour and Bob's Red Mill. You do not want a high protein flour for these cookies because it will make the dough too dry.
  • Applesauce: I used Whole Foods unsweetened cinnamon applesauce.* If you have unsweetened applesauce without cinnamon, you can add 1 tsp of cinnamon to the cookie batter for cinnamon flavor.
  • *These product links are affiliate links. This means I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
  • Optional mix-ins: You can add 1/4 cup of chopped nuts, chocolate chips or finely chopped fresh apples for added texture and flavor. I added 1/4 cup of finely chopped apples (cut into approximate 1/4 inch pieces) to the cookies in the photos. If you add optional mix-ins, you'll end up with more cookies-around 12-13 cookies instead of 10.
  • Estimated nutrition does not include optional mix-ins.
Serving: 1cookie, Calories: 91kcal, Carbohydrates: 17g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 2g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 144mg, Fiber: 0.3g, Sugar: 7g, NET CARBS: 17
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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