Soft Applesauce Cookies That Taste Like Fall
These applesauce cookies are simple, sweet, and ready in under an hour. The applesauce keeps them moist, while cinnamon and cloves add just the right amount of spice. They’re budget-friendly, beginner-friendly, and perfect for baking with kids. Let me show you how to make a batch.
On a fall afternoon, these are the perfect snack. Kids love eating and making them, and they hold up well in a lunchbox.
Table of Contents
Ingredients and Tools You’ll Need
This is a budget-friendly recipe, and you should have everything you need in your pantry.
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If you’d like to double or triple this recipe, you can make adjustments in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Hand mixer (to beat butter and sugar)
- 2 Baking sheets
- Parchment paper
- Wire cooling rack
Ingredients
For the Cookie Dough
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- ¾ cup applesauce (smooth or chunky; I always use Mott’s original sweetened. Nothing fancy!)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon (don’t leave out!)
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves (don’t leave out!)
For Sprinkling
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
How to Make Applesauce Cookies
Step One: Prep
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease two baking sheets or line them with parchment paper.
Step Two: Mix Wet Ingredients
In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until smooth. Add the egg and mix well. Stir in the applesauce.
Step Three: Add Dry Ingredients
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cloves. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring until just blended.
Step Four: Drop And Sprinkle
Using a spoon, drop rounded spoonfuls of dough onto the prepared baking sheets. The dough will appear wet. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture.
Step Five: Bake And Cool
Place in the oven and bake at 375°F (190°C) for 12-15 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden. Once baked, remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheets for about 5 minutes. Then, transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Storage Instructions
Once the cookies have cooled completely, store them in an airtight container. They’ll stay fresh for up to 3-4 days.
To freeze: Place the cooled cookies in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze them for about an hour or until they’re firm. Once frozen, transfer the cookies to airtight freezer bags or containers.
What to Serve with Applesauce Cookies
These cookies are a great afternoon snack for kids and adults.
- Enjoy these yourself with a caramel apple latte.
- Have the kids eat these with a glass of apple juice.
- Have some apple slices and cheese cubes on the side.
More Fall Cookie Recipes
It’s baking season. Here are some more of my favorite seasonal cookies.
- Frosted fresh apple cookies have a cake-like texture.
- Halloween shortbread cookies are cute and spooky for your party.
- Halloween M&M sugar cookies are SUPER easy and fast to make.
Printable Recipe
Applesauce Drop Cookies
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Hand mixer
- 2 Baking sheets
- Wire cooling rack
Ingredients
For the Cookie Dough
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- ¾ cup applesauce
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
For Sprinkling
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
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Instructions
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease two baking sheets or line them with parchment paper.
- Mix wet ingredients. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until smooth. Add the egg and mix well. Stir in the applesauce.
- Add dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cloves. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring until just blended.
- Drop and sprinkle. Using a spoon, drop rounded spoonfuls of dough onto the prepared baking sheets. The dough will appear wet. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture.
- Bake and cool. Place in the oven and bake at 375°F (190°C) for 12-15 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden. Once baked, remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheets for about 5 minutes. Then, transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Love,
Last fall, our apple tree was very productive and I canned a lot of applesauce. I made these cookies in the fall, but just made them again for end of year teacher gifts, and they were a hit! I was looking for something simple and had all the ingredients on hand thanks to the canned applesauce, but they are also a little different – and quite tasty! I packaged them in treat bags to look nice. This helped me make gifts without going out and spending a lot of money, so thanks for the recipe!
hi greta! so happy to hear this. they’re such a good little simple recipe, aren’t they? 🙂
Absolutely love these! My grandma used to make applesauce cookies all the time—they’re always a hit and my go-to when I’m craving a cookie that’s not overly sweet. I swap out the cloves for nutmeg. Thanks so much!
happy you enjoyed them 🙂
Love these! My grandma always made applesauce cookies and they are a crowd favorite and go to for when I want a cookie that isn’t too sweet. Instead of cloves I do nutmeg. Thank you!
Hey Brenna,
Thank you so much! I’m happy to hear these brought back memories of your grandma’s cookies. Nutmeg is a fantastic substitution—adds that warm, cozy flavor without overpowering. Plus, isn’t it just the perfect touch for fall baking? So glad you’re enjoying these!:)