Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookies

I know I made those sweet (& salty) brownies last time, but I’m decidedly not a chocolate fan. This is not to say that when given the option of choconilla swirl, I go strict vanilla—I don’t. I’m not a maniac. I’m just not as into chocolate as the rest of you people. I understand I’m in the minority, and I’m cool with it. The way I see it, I’m doing you a favor—more chocolate for the general population. So what’s my “chocolate,” then? Although the question is a difficult one, the general answer is fruity such and suches, but not “fruit-flavored”—cherries and grapes do not taste like that.

A fruit-and-flavor (not to be confused with “fruit-flavored”) combo that I’m super into, especially when it’s a might chilly, is apple and cinnamon. To me, it’s the perfect blend of crispness, tart, sweet, and warmth. There’s that pop of fruit sugar and tang, and the spice of the cinnamon to really round it out. These buttery oatmeal cookies came out pretty much exactly how I wanted them to, and I barely had a fully formed plan beyond “apple and cinnamon is happening.” 

After looking at several oatmeal cookie recipes, I pulled bits and pieces from quite a few. I’m pleased with the blends—butter and coconut oil; whole wheat and all-purpose flour; cinnamon and cinnamon chips. A note on the cinnamon chips—they aren’t always easy to find, and, really, although they add to the cookie, but they don’t make or break it, in my opinion. Without them, I would just double the amount of cinnamon (that’s right! DOUBLE IT!).  If you wanted to try a vegan adaptation of this recipe, I would suggest replacing the butter with coconut oil and replacing the egg with flax eggs (1 tbsp. of ground flax + 3 tbsp. of water per egg; let sit about 5 minutes before using) or your favorite vegan egg replacement (e.g., Ener-G, Bob's Red Mill, etc.).  

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients

½ c. coconut oil

½ c. unsalted butter, softened

1 c. brown sugar

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 tbsp. vanilla extract

1 tbsp. molasses

1 ½ c. all-purpose/whole wheat flour

1 tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. nutmeg

½ tsp. salt

3 c. rolled oats

1 ½ c. apple chunks

¼ c. chopped walnuts (or your favorite nut)

¼ c. cinnamon chips

Directions

In a medium bowl, beat together oil, butter, and sugar until smooth (about 1-2 minutes) using a hand mixer (or your strong hands and iron will). Add eggs in, one at a time, and beat for another minute. Then, add vanilla and molasses and beat until the mixture is combined.

In a larger bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Slowly add the wet mixture to the dry mixture, and beat on low until just combined. Fold in oats, nuts, and cinnamon chips.

Put the dough in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes—no kidding. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F before removing dough from refrigerator.

After chilling, drop spoonfuls of rolled dough (you may need to roll/mold it into balls with your hands) about 1 1/2 inches apart onto a cookie sheet that's been greased, sprayed, or lined with parchment paper. You can press them down slightly if you prefer a flatter cookie to a more “blob-like” cookie. Bake for 9-12 minutes or until just starting to brown around edges. The interior of the cookie will still look slightly underdone but will continue to cook on baking sheet while cooling. After 5 minutes, transfer to cooling rack. Try not to eat them all before they've cooled.

What's your favorite fruit-and-flavor combo?

Are you team chocolate mania or not?