These soft, melt-in-your-mouth cookies are easy to make and include real apples in the cookie batter.
Instructions
- Make the caramel first. In a small saucepan, melt the plant butter/coconut oil over high heat. Once melted, whisk in the maple syrup, vanilla and pinch of salt. Next, whisk in the nut/seed butter, whisking continuously until the mixture starts to thicken. Remove from heat and whisk in the oat milk until it’s smooth and silky like caramel! Set the caramel aside while you make the cookies.
- Heat the oven to 375°F. Make your flax eggs by combining the flaxseed meal and water and letting it sit for a few minutes until it “gels up”. In a large bowl, beat the butter, nut/seed butter, and sugar with an electric mixer (or in your stand mixer) on low speed, scraping bowl occasionally, until well blended. Beat in ½ cup of the apple mixture and flax eggs until well mixed.
- Combine the flour, baking powder and baking soda in a large bowl. Slowly beat in the flour mixture into the wet mixture until all of the ingredients are combined.
- On ungreased cookie sheets, drop dough by heaping tablespoonfuls OR you can use a cookie scoop, I used the D40 cookie scoop size. Bake 10 to 12 minutes and cool for about 15-20 minutes before topping with the caramel.
- When the cookies are cool, spread a layer of caramel over the cookies and sprinkle with cinnamon. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Note: if you use sunflower seed butter, your cookies will likely turn green as they cool. Google why this happens!
- Note: You will likely have some of the apple mixture leftover depending on the size of apples you used. It’s great on toast, on ice cream, pancakes, waffles or just enjoying as applesauce!
Nutritional Information
- Calories: 73
Ingredients
**Caramel Icing
3 tablespoons vegan/plant butter (may sub with coconut oil instead if you wish)
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons peanut butter/other nut butter or sunflower seed butter
2 tablespoons oat milk (or other creamier plant milk like cashew or coconut)
**Apple Mixture
3 large Stemilt Fuji apples, peeled and diced
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Pinch salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup water
**Cookies
2 flax eggs (2 of flaxseed meal + 4 tablespoons water)
½ cup plant butter
1 cup sugar (may substitute with coconut sugar, but cookies will be darker in color)
1/4 cup peanut butter (or other nut/seed butter)
1/2 cup apple mixture
2 cups gluten-free 1:1 baking flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
