Iced Apple Cider Caramel Oatmeal Cookies
These oatmeal cookies combine browned salted butter, hearty rolled oats, homemade apple cider caramel, and optional Honeycrisp apple pieces. Once baked, the cookies are finished with a smooth maple-vanilla icing and a light scattering of flaky sea salt for a sweet-and-salty contrast.
Pin it to remember it!
Print Recipe
Ingredients
Apple Cider Caramel Pieces
- 1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup apple cider
- 2 tablespoons salted butter brought to a softened consistency
Oatmeal Cookies
- 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 Honeycrisp apple finely diced from thin slices, optional
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 large eggs preferably at room temperature
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup salted butter equal to 2 sticks
Maple Glaze
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup sifted confectioners’ sugar
- Flaky sea salt for finishing
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
Instructions
- Place the 2 tablespoons softened salted butter and 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar in a large pot over medium heat.
- Allow the butter to melt completely, then pour in the 1/4 cup apple cider.
- Bring the mixture to a boil while stirring continuously. Continue cooking for approximately 10 minutes, or until the sugar has dissolved and the caramel becomes dark, vigorously bubbling, and noticeably thick.
- Mix in the 1 teaspoon salt.
- Carefully transfer the hot caramel onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Leave the caramel undisturbed until fully set. Once firm, cut or break it into small pieces and reserve them for the cookie dough. Keep in mind that a longer cooking time will produce a firmer caramel after cooling.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Arrange the finely diced Honeycrisp apple in one even layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake for approximately 10 minutes to remove some of the fruit’s excess moisture.
- Take the apple pieces out of the oven and leave them to cool before incorporating them into the dough.
- Place the 1 cup salted butter in a skillet over medium heat.
- Melt the butter and continue cooking, stirring or gently swirling the pan from time to time. After approximately 3–4 minutes, the butter should develop a golden-brown color and a distinctly nutty aroma.
- Immediately pour the browned butter into a heat-resistant bowl.
- Allow it to cool for approximately 5 minutes before preparing the dough.
- Add the 1 cup brown sugar, 2 room-temperature eggs, and 1 tablespoon vanilla extract to the slightly cooled browned butter.
- Stir thoroughly until the mixture is smooth and evenly blended.
- Add the 2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
- Mix just until all of the dry ingredients are evenly incorporated.
- Fold in the prepared apple cider caramel pieces along with the dried Honeycrisp apple, if using, distributing them throughout the dough.
- Keep the oven heated to 350°F.
- Portion the prepared dough into rounded, tablespoon-sized balls.
- Place the dough portions on a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving approximately 2 inches of space between each cookie.
- Bake for 8 minutes, then rotate the baking sheet.
- Continue baking for another 3–4 minutes, stopping when the edges of the cookies are just beginning to set.
- Leave the cookies on the baking sheet until completely cool. The residual heat from the pan will continue cooking them slightly as they rest.
- While the cookies cool, whisk together the 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar, 1/3 cup pure maple syrup, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, and a small pinch of salt until the glaze is completely smooth.
- If the icing is overly thick, add a small amount of water as necessary until it reaches a suitable consistency for drizzling.
- Generously drizzle the maple glaze over the fully cooled cookies.
- Finish each cookie with a light sprinkling of flaky sea salt before serving.
Notes
- Drying the optional Honeycrisp apple before adding it to the dough helps reduce excess moisture in the finished cookies.
- The firmness of the homemade caramel depends on its cooking time; allowing it to cook longer will result in harder pieces once cooled.
- Allow the baked cookies to cool completely on their baking sheet so they can finish setting from the pan’s residual warmth.
- Sifting the confectioners’ sugar before making the glaze helps produce a smoother finish.