Applesauce Chocolate Chip Cookies

Make quick and easy chocolate chip applesauce cookies for an easy dessert from the pantry.

These hearty and chewy treats are the perfect cookies for busy days as they don’t need softened butter and come together with common pantry ingredients.

Lighter in sugar than the classic chocolate chip cookie recipe, these applesauce chocolate chip cookies are also naturally dairy-free and sure to become one of your favorite recipes.

Simple Ingredients

My favorite cookie recipes are always full of simple, basic ingredients that simultaneously satisfy my sweet tooth.

These cookies are both simple and satisfying.

You likely already have the staples on hand but there are a few things to consider before you get started and there are, naturally, a few things you can do to switch it up and make it a truly great recipe of your own.

Applesauce

This is a great way to feature your homemade applesauce beyond a simple snack. Use it here and be sure to let folks know you’re sharing from your home preservation efforts.

Use an unsweetened and unspiced applesauce for best results.

If all you have is something sweetened, consider using less added sugar to account for that in the recipe.

If using a spiced applesauce, don’t add the additional spices to the flour mixture.

Flour

Basic all-purpose flour works perfectly here and is easy enough.

If you’d like some whole grain crunch, substitute up to half of the all-purpose for whole wheat flour.

A gluten-free flour, the cup-for-cup blends will work as well.

Oats

Rolled oats give the cookies some added texture and heartiness.

Quick or instant oats could be used instead but the texture will be slightly different.

Spices

There’s just a hint of spice here to further complement the applesauce flavor.

For more traditional chocolate chip cookies, skip the spice and keep the cookies plain.

Add more spice if you want stronger flavor.

Alternatively switch up the spices to things you like better – ground cloves, freshly grated nutmeg, a little bit pumpkin spice, etc. Honestly use your favorites.

Chocolate Chips

I went with the always good semi-sweet chips in my cookies but obviously those aren’t the only options.

White or dark chocolate chips could be used instead. A mix of your favorites would also work.

Mini chocolate chips or even chunks of chocolate would work as well.

Optional Additions

Make these soft chocolate chip cookies even heartier by adding up to 1/2 cup of the following:

• chopped nuts
• dried fruit, like raisins
• seeds, like sunflower or sesame

Cookie Size

I made these quite large by using a cookie scoop for even portions. The recipe gave me 20 large cookies as a result.

Make a bigger batch from the same recipe by smaller cookies. This is a great way to serve a crowd, especially if there is a lot of food around.

How to Serve

Cookies are great desserts because they don’t need much fancy.

Serve cookies with a glass of milk or cup of coffee for a simple but wonderful dessert or snack.

These are the perfect treats to tuck cookies into lunch boxes or care packages.

Because they stay semi-soft even when frozen, use them for homemade ice cream sandwiches.

How to Store

These are indeed moist cookies. They will keep well at room temperature for up to 5 days. Store them in your cookie jar or other airtight container.

This is an amazing recipe to double or triple and freeze for later. Simply bake and cool. Store cooled cookies in a freezer safe container.

They are quite good frozen, straight from the freezer but you can let them thaw at room temperature prior to serving.

Use up frozen cookies within 6 months for best flavor and to prevent freezer burn.

Looking for a different recipe that uses applesauce?

Try my applesauce bundt cake for a simple but lovely dessert recipe.

Applesauce cupcakes are perfect for a crowd and easy to serve.

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