Apple Gingerbread Oatmeal Raisin Cookies (Print Version)
Warm, spiced cookies studded with oats, diced apple, raisins and molasses for cozy fall snacking.
# List of Ingredients:
→ Dry Ingredients
01 - 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
03 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
04 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
05 - 1 tablespoon ground ginger
06 - 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
07 - 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
08 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
→ Wet Ingredients
09 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
10 - 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
11 - 1/4 cup molasses
12 - 1 large egg
13 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
→ Add-ins
14 - 1 cup peeled and finely diced apple (about 1 medium apple)
15 - 3/4 cup raisins
# Step-by-step Instructions:
01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg until evenly distributed.
03 - In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and brown sugar together using a hand or stand mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
04 - Beat in the molasses, egg, and vanilla extract to the butter mixture until well combined and smooth.
05 - Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. Do not overmix.
06 - Gently fold the diced apple and raisins into the dough using a spatula until evenly distributed.
07 - Using a tablespoon or cookie scoop, drop rounded mounds of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart to allow for spreading.
08 - Bake for 11 to 13 minutes, or until the edges are set and the centers appear just slightly underbaked for a soft texture.
09 - Allow the cookies to rest on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely before serving or storing.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The molasses and spice combination makes your whole house smell like a candle shop in the best way possible.
- Those little pockets of soft apple and plump raisins turn an ordinary cookie into something people will actually remember and ask about.
02 -
- Overbaking is the enemy here because the cookies continue cooking on the hot sheet after you pull them, so take them out when the centers still look a touch wet.
- Dicing the apple too large was my biggest early mistake, and large chunks create soggy wet spots that cause the cookies to fall apart.
03 -
- Let the dough rest in the fridge for 30 minutes before scooping if your kitchen is warm, because chilled dough spreads less and bakes thicker, chewier cookies.
- A tiny pinch of black pepper added with the spices sounds strange but adds a subtle warmth that makes people ask what your secret ingredient is.