These Irresistible Apple Sage Oatmeal Cookies evoke feelings of crisp fall days and warm apple pie – but in a lovely, hand-held cookie! Warm spice notes of cinnamon and nutmeg, tart Granny Smith apples bring a new twist to a classic oatmeal cookie. The fresh sage is subtle, but lends another layer of earthy, herbal flavor to this bake.

It’s apple season in Michigan and as usual, I find myself having more ambition than time on my hands…. and space. Honestly, to make and store all the apple sauce, apple crisp, apple pie, and fresh apples for nibbling that I envision doing, I would need both 48-hour days and to purchase a walk-in cooler/freezer for starters. I have trouble making up my mind this time of year. I simply want to make and eat it all. This recipe for Irresistible Apple Sage Oatmeal Cookies is my attempt at satisfying a yearly craving for all my fall favorites in one fell swoop.

Fall marks the onset of comfort food season and these cookies make a nice finish to any dinner. Nothing says comfort like a warm bowl of soup. If you find yourself craving soup this time of year as well, give this recipe for Tuscan Kale and Cannellini Soup a try. It’s easy, light and delicious!

An interesting batter

If you follow along on Instagram or Facebook, you know I’m a process person. I often talk about it. I love to get lost in the details of how things work. This is one of those fun recipes that changes from stage to stage in some interesting ways.

For example, the batter appears drier than it should be after resting for 20 minutes post mixing and before baking. For this reason, you might be tempted to skip this important step, but don’t. There’s a reason. The resting stage gives the flour and oats time to absorb some of the extra liquid the apples impart. This allows the cookies to set better in the oven. If you bake them too soon, they won’t set up properly.

Another interesting twist came from the apples. In early versions, I experimented with different apple varieties. Honey Crisp and Pink Lady are my favorites for fresh snacking, but they gave off too much juice in the baking process. They are also naturally sweeter, so I had to add lemon juice to bring a little tartness to balance all that sweetness. However, the batter was still too wet and the cookies were too soft and sweet as a result.

I turned to Golden Delicious which was a “drier apple” but still sweeter than I wanted. Ultimately, I landed on Granny Smith apples for these Irresistible Apple Sage Oatmeal Cookies. Their texture and tartness were the perfect balance for this recipe. And I was able to cut out the lemon juice (and added liquid) all together as a result.

An interesting bake on these Irresistible Apple Sage Oatmeal Cookies

These Apple Sage Oatmeal Cookies also change during the baking and cooling process. A dry, tall scoop of batter will slowly flatten out to become a thin cookie. Upon removing from the oven, the cookie is very soft and if you tried to pick them up or move them with a spatula they would fall apart. This recipe calls for letting them rest on the baking sheet for 5 – 7 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Once they are completely cooled, the cookies will be very crisp on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside. But they change on day two.

Honestly, I prefer them on day two. The entire cookie softens. On day two, they make the perfect cookie for an ice cream sandwich. Or,you can heat one up for 10 seconds in the microwave and crumble on top of vanilla ice cream for a lovely treat.

Where can I find Michigan apples – or apples from my state?

Where I live, I can pretty drive 30 minutes in any direction and find a small, family-owned orchard or cider mill. But if you’re not sure where to look, there ‘s a resource you can tap into.

If you’re from Michigan and looking for places to find apples this season, the Michigan Apple Committee has a page dedicated to helping you find Michigan apples in your area. Most states have an Agricultural Department that can guide you to local growers, farm markets and other events in your home state. A quick Google search should have you connected in no time.

Irresistible Apple Sage Oatmeal Cookies

Recipe by Maria Ostrander Course: DessertDifficulty: Easy

Prep time

minutes

Bake time

minutes

Ingredients

3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
2 tsp. fresh sage, minced fine
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup A. P. flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
3/4 cup granny smith apples, peeled and 1/4 inch fine diced, plus 1 Tbsp. flour to toss the apples in.

Directions

Preheat oven to 275 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a nonstick baking mat or parchment paper. Set aside.
Peel and dice 3/4 cup of Granny Smith apple. Toss in 1 Tbsp. flour and set aside.
In a separate bowl, combine the flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and oats. Stir to combine and set aside.
Over medium high speed, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Scrape down sides of the bowl.
Add egg vanilla and minced sage to the creamed sugar mixture. Cream over medium high speed until completely incorporated. Scrape down sides of the bowl.
Add the apples and dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Blend over medium low heat until completely incorporated. Allow the mixture to sit for 20 minutes before baking.
Using a medium-size cookie scoop (2 Tbsp.) space dough 2 inches apart to allow sufficient space for them to spread.
Bake at 275 degrees F. for 24 – 25 minutes. Edges will be light golden brown and will lift slightly when nudged with your finger tips, while the center will still be quite soft.
Allow the cookies to sit on the baking sheet for 5 – 7 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling. This resting time is needed to allow the cookies to firm up enough to transfer.
Store finished cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days.