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Chewy Iced Apple Cider Caramel Oatmeal Cookies. These homemade brown sugar cookies are made with browned butter, oatmeal, homemade apple cider caramels, and Honeycrisp apples. They’re the best fall cookies! And while they’re amazing on their own, the secret ingredient that makes these cookies better than the rest is an over-the-top vanilla glaze thatโ€™s sweet, thick, and creamy. It’s the yummiest and makes these cookies melt in your mouth!

Iced Apple Cider Caramel Oatmeal Cookies | halfbakedharvest.com

The first day of fall is this coming Sunday. As you can all tell, Iโ€™m excited. It will be a busy but fun autumn and holiday season, and I just canโ€™t wait!

I’ve been brainstorming my fall recipes for weeks. These cookies have been at the top of my list since day one. I mean, come on, how delicious do they sound?

Inspired by our new apple cider candle, I wanted to bring those crisp, cozy autumn scents to life in cookie form!

Batch after batch, I worked endlessly on these cookies to make them just right. I lost count, but dozens of cookies have been coming in and out of my oven for the last week.

I’m so happy I stuck with my idea because these might just be one of my best fall cookies yet!

They’re the ideal crisp-around-the-edges cookie, with a gooey caramel apple swirled center, and topped with a sweet vanilla glaze.

Iced Apple Cider Caramel Oatmeal Cookies | halfbakedharvest.com

These are the details

Step 1: make the cider caramel

With just three ingredients, this is a pretty no-fuss caramel. All you need to do is boil apple cider with brown sugar and butter.

Boil for about 10 minutes for a soft, chewy caramel. The longer you boil the caramel, the harder it will become. Ideally, you want a soft, chewy caramel, so stick to around 10 minutes on the stove.

The sauce will bubble and thicken. Then, add sea salt and pour the caramel onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Let it set.

Iced Apple Cider Caramel Oatmeal Cookies | halfbakedharvest.com

Step 2: dry out the apples

This is optional; you can add apples, or you can leave the apples out of your cookie.

If you decide you want bits of apple, thinly slice Honeycrisp apples, dice them, and spread them out in an even layer on a baking sheet.

Bake for 10 minutes. Drying the apples first will prevent the cookies from having too much moisture.

Step 3: brown the butter for the cookies

Next, brown the butter in a medium skillet. Just let the butter cook until it bubbles up and foams on top. This is when I turn the heat off and continue to allow the butter to cook in the pan.

Little brown bits will form on the bottom of the pan. Those are the nutty little bits that will make your recipes extra delicious.

Iced Apple Cider Caramel Oatmeal Cookies | halfbakedharvest.com

Step 4: mix together the wet ingredients

Once the butter is browned, the rest goes pretty much as you would think. I donโ€™t use a mixer for these, just a good old-fashioned spatula will do the trick. Mix the butter with brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla.

Step 5: the dry ingredients

After youโ€™ve added your wet ingredients, add the dry ingredients: flour, oats, baking soda, and a small pinch of salt.

Then mix in the bits of caramel and the dried apples โ€“ and bake.

Iced Apple Cider Caramel Oatmeal Cookies | halfbakedharvest.com

Step 6: finally the vanilla glaze

The glaze really melts in your mouth. Itโ€™s not needed, but if youโ€™re looking for something special, this glaze is beyond delicious and easy to make. It’s made with powdered sugar, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt.

Drizzle the glaze over each cookie, then eat them warm and gooey. You can also let them cool and store them. With or without the glaze, these cookies are certainly great either way!

Iced Apple Cider Caramel Oatmeal Cookies | halfbakedharvest.com

Looking for cookie recipes? Here are a few ideas:ย 

Glazed Brown Sugar Maple Cookies

Pumpkin Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Brown Sugar Maple Ginger Cookies

Chewy Brown Sugar Maple Cookies

Lastly, if you make these Iced Apple cider Caramel Oatmeal Cookies, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And, of course, if you do make this recipe, donโ€™t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!

Iced Apple Cider Caramel Oatmeal Cookies

Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 24 cookies
Calories Per Serving: 165 kcal

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Ingredients

Caramel

Cookies

Icing

Instructions

  • 1. To make the caramel. Add the butter and brown sugar to a large pot set over medium heat. Let the butter melt, and add the cider. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring constantly, until the sugar has melted and the mixture is dark, bubbling, and thickened, about 10 minutes. Stir in the salt. Carefully pour the caramel out onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Let it set, then cut/tear it into pieces. The longer you cook the caramel, the harder it will become when cooled.
    2. To make the cookies. Preheat the oven to 350ยฐ F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
    3. If using, arrange the apples on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes to dry the apples out.
    2. Add the butter to a skillet set over medium heat. Cook until the butter begins to brown, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer to a heatproof bowl. Let cool for 5 minutes or so.
    3. To the brown butter, mix in the brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Add the flour, oats, baking soda, and salt. Stir in the caramel chunks and dried apples.
    4. Roll the dough into rounded tablespoon-size balls and place 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 8 minutes. Rotate the baking sheet. Bake another 3-4 minutes or until the cookies are just beginning to set on the edges.
    5. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet. They will continue to cook slightly as they sit on the baking sheet.
    6. Meanwhile, if desired, make the glaze. Whisk together the powdered sugar, maple syrup, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Thin with water if needed. Drizzle the glaze over the cookies! Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.ย 
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Iced Apple Cider Caramel Oatmeal Cookies | halfbakedharvest.com

3.80 from 10 votes

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  1. 3 stars
    Not sure where to even begin. I guess Iโ€™ll start on a positive note.. these cookies are INSANELY delicious. Okay, now for the hard truth. As an executive chef, who went to culinary school and made these cookies in a professional kitchen, these are THE MOST labor intensive cookies I have ever and most definitely will ever, come across. 25 minute prep time? It took me 3 hours, start to finish, with some light cleaning in between, to bake these cookies. I did adjust the yield to 45 cookies, which definitely adds some time.. but not 2 hours and 35 minutes worth of time. Also, mine look absolutely nothing like the ones in the photos.. more cakey than oaty for sure, either way they (thank god) turned out delicious. But letโ€™s all be honest here.. making these cookies ainโ€™t for the faint of heart.

    1. Hi Chelsea,
      Thanks so much for making these cookies and sharing your feedback! So glad they were enjoyed:) I appreciate your insight on how labor intensive these cookies were for you, I’m so sorry for that! Have a great Friday! xx

  2. 3 stars
    These cookies are so much work. I did not have apple cider, so used homemade applesauce (apples from my own tree!). That worked great. I cooked the caramel for 10 minutes per instructions, but wish I had cooked it longer because it was too soft. The caramel pieces ended up dissolving during baking and thus there were no caramel cases in the cookies (so disappointing!). I am not a fan of apple chunks in my food so cut the apple pieces very small (think mini chocolate chips) but that was too small. I thought the flavor was a bit flat, so sprinkled nutmeg over the top of the glaze, which tasted great and also looked pretty. All in all these tasted fine, but were a lot of work and not the over-the-top for cookie I was expecting. If I practiced a few more times they could be better, but they are too much work to try again.

    1. Hey Angie,
      Thanks for trying these cookies and sharing your feedback, so very sorry to hear you did not love them! If there is anything that I can help with please let me know! x

    1. Hey Josie,
      Awesome! So glad to hear this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for making it! Have a great weekend! xT