Apple Streusel Cookies

These apple cookies, with a spicy oat streusel and a cinnamon glaze, are moist and filled with chunks of fresh apple. They are a great for a snack or dessert. The apple flavor is enhanced by the flavors of fall, including cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and brown sugar. 

These cookies are easy to make. The hardest part is waiting for them to cool and then for the glaze to set. Everyone who tried these loved them and immediately asked for the recipe. 

I will admit to having these cookies for breakfast. I mean, they are practically fruit, right? And they are topped with oats! 

These cookies are similar to my Iced Apple Drop Cookies, but these are much simpler to make (no peeling), with a much shorter ingredient list. Plus, these have streusel on top. Both are delicious. It might be fun to have a bake off! 

Ingredients in These Cookies:

Apples: You will need 1 1/4 cups of small dice apple (140 grams, about one apple). Use a very crisp sweet or sweet tart apple. There is no need to peel the apple. I saved the task of dicing the apple to just before adding them to the cookie batter so that they wouldn't turn brown. I had a five-pack of lunch box-sized apples from Melissa's Produce. One of them was an Envy apple, which was sweet, juicy, and crisp. 

From the Fridge: Unsalted butter and eggs. 

From the Pantry: Granulated sugar, light brown sugar, all-purpose flour, baking soda, kosher salt, and vanilla extract. 

Spices: Cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg. 

For the Streusel: Oats, flour, light brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and butter. 

For the Glaze: Confectioners' sugar, whole milk, and cinnamon. 

To Make These Cookies:

First, beat the butter and sugars with a stand mixer until everything is fluffy and light. Then, add the eggs, one at a time, and then the vanilla. 

Next, in another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices. Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture until just combined. Then mix in the apples. 

After that, scoop the dough onto parchment lined baking sheets and par-bake them for four minutes. At this point, sprinkle the prepared streusel over the cookies and place them back into the oven for another six to eight minutes. 

I like to bake these cookies one sheet at a time so I don't have to move the sheets around in the oven. 

Finally, remove them from the oven and let cool on the pan and then drizzle with the glaze. The cookies will puff up quite a bit in the oven but then flatten a bit when removed. They are very soft. 

To Prep the Streusel:

Combine the dry ingredents together in a medium bowl, and then blend the cold butter into the oat mixture with a pastry blender or a "grandma" fork. Freeze it for 10 minutes before using. 

To Prep the Glaze:

Whisk together all of the ingredients until smooth. Use right away. 

Storage: 

These cookies will keep in an airtight container for at least three days. Line your container with paper towels and place a paper towel in top. This will help prevent the cookies from becoming too damp. 

Welcome to Fall Flavors Week, hosted by Jolene's Recipe Journal. Our group will be sharing over thirty recipes Monday, Wednesday, and Friday of this week to usher in the season. 

• Caramelized Onion Savory Scones by The Spiffy Cookie
• Sweet Potato and Ham Quiche with Dill & Nutmeg by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Apple Streusel Cookies by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Spiced Pear Vanilla Quick Bread by A Little Fish in the Kitchen
• Apple Cider Donut Cake by Hezzi-D's Recipe Box
• Maple Pumpkin Creme Brulee by Art of Natural Living
• Apple Cheddar Rosemary Bread by Blogghetti
• Apple Cinnamon Steel Cut Oats by Magical Ingredients
• Fig Salad by A Day in the Life on the Farm 
• Apple Cider Snickerdoodles by Jolene's Recipe Journal
• Miso Glazed Kabocha Squash by A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures

 

Apple-Streusel Cookies

Yield: 24 cookies

Author: Karen Kerr

Prep time: 40 MinCook time: 12 MinTotal time: 52 Min

These apple streusel cookies, with an oat streusel and a cinnamon glaze are moist and filled with chunks of fresh apple.

Ingredients

For the Cookies

• 113 grams (1/2 cup) softened unsalted butter
• 200 grams (1 cup) granulated sugar
• 110 grams (1/2 cup packed) light brown sugar
• 2 large room temperature eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspsoons vanilla extract
• 375 grams (3 cups) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3 grams (1 teaspoon) kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 140 grams (1 1/4 cups) 1/4 inch diced crisp apple (I used Envy)
• Oat Streusel
• Cinnamon glaze

For the Streusel

• 40 grams (1/2 cup) rolled/old fashioned oats
• 31 grams (1/4 cup) all-purpose flour
• 42 grams (3 packed tablespoons) light brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon allspice
• 2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into cubes

For the Glaze

• 120 grams (1 cup) confectioners' sugar
• 2 tablespoons whole milk
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

To Make the Cookies

1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees and line three baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the butter and sugars and beat with the paddle attachment on medium speed until light an fluffy, about four minutes.
3. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until combined. Beat in the vanilla.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add to the butter mixture and mix until just comined. Beat in the apples until just combined.
5. Using a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop the batter onto the baking sheets, 2 inches apart. Place them in the oven, one sheet at a time, for 4 minutes. Remove the sheet from the oven, sprinkle the cookies with the streusel, and place the baking sheet back in the oven. Bake for another 6 to 8 minutes, util the edges just begin to brown.
6. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet.
7. When the cookies are cooled, drizzle with the glaze.

To Make the Streusel

1. In a medium bowl, mix together the dry ingredients. Using a pastry blender or large fork, cut the butter into the mixture. Finish by pinching everything together with you fingers to create a crumbly mixture. Freeze the mixture for ten minutes right before using. 

To Make the Glaze

1. Whisk all of the ingredients together until smooth. Drizzle over the cooled cookies.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

198

Fat (grams)

6 g

Sat. Fat (grams)

3 g

Carbs (grams)

35 g

Fiber (grams)

1 g

Net carbs

34 g

Sugar (grams)

21 g

Protein (grams)

3 g

Cholesterol (grams)

28 mg

https://www.karenskitchenstories.com/2026/09/apple-streusel-cookies.html

Karen's Kitchen Stories

cookies, apple, streusel

dessert

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Recipe adapted from my favorite baking resource: Bake From Scratch Magazine: Sept/Oct 2022.  This magazine has a whole tutorial on streusel, and several recipes using streusel.