Soft Cinnamon Applesauce Cookies
Soft, cake-like cookies loaded with warm cinnamon spice and made moist with a full cup of applesauce. No-chill dough, ready in under 30 minutes.
Servings 20 cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened (1 stick)
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce thick, not watery
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Make the Cookies
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
- In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and brown sugar until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Beat in the egg until combined, then stir in the applesauce.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet and fold with a spatula until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Drop 2-tablespoon mounds of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are set but the centers still look slightly underdone.
- Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
Notes
- Thick applesauce: If your applesauce is watery, strain it through a fine-mesh sieve for 15 minutes. Watery applesauce makes flat cookies.
- Don't overbake: Cookies will look slightly underdone when you pull them. They firm up as they cool.
- Storage: Airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days, refrigerator for 1 week, or freezer for up to 3 months.
- Cake flour option: Substitute cake flour for all-purpose for an even softer, more tender cookie.
- Flavor deepens overnight: These cookies taste even better the next day once the spices settle.