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There’s a vintage cookbook on my shelf that I’ve been cooking my way through slowly — the kind with no glossy photos and recipes that assume you already know a few things. This fruit and nut cookie came from those pages, and I’ve been making my own version of it ever since.
My version almost always starts with dried apples, because we’ve got an apple tree and by midwinter the dried slices are stacked up and ready to go. Raisins fill out the rest — they’re just always there. But that’s the honest beauty of these spiced fruit and nut cookies: they’re built around whatever dried fruit you’ve put by or have kicking around in the pantry, and they turn out well every time. If you’re working through a stash of home-dried fruit, this post has plenty of other ideas too.
It’s a simple, spiced, satisfying cookie. Not fancy. Just good.
Plan Ahead for Chill Time
This is a straightforward dough, but it does need time in the refrigerator before baking — at least an hour, though longer is fine. I often mix it up the night before and bake it the next morning. You can keep the dough refrigerated for up to three days if that suits your schedule better.
Which Fruits?
Whatever you have on hand. Raisins and dried cranberries can go in whole. Larger pieces like dried apricots, prunes, or apple slices should be chopped or snipped down to a rough raisin size so they distribute evenly through the dough.
Use one fruit or a mix — that’s entirely up to you and your pantry. If dried apples are your thing, these dried apple molasses cookies are worth knowing about too.
Which Nuts?
Same idea. Walnuts, pecans, almonds, hazelnuts — any of them work. Give them a rough chop and you’re set. Raw, toasted, or even a salted mixed nut will all do fine here. The salted ones give a nice sweet-salty thing if that appeals to you.
Other Mix-In Ideas
The goal is about 1½ cups total of mix-ins. So if you’d rather go all fruit and skip the nuts entirely, do that. More fruit, fewer nuts — fine. You could also fold in some chocolate chips, sunflower seeds, or sesame seeds if you want to use something up.
A Note on Spice
The recipe uses cinnamon, allspice, and ginger, which pairs especially well with dried apples. But don’t feel locked in. Cardamom, nutmeg, clove, apple pie spice or anything warm and familiar will work. If you’re not much of a spice person, reduce it or leave it out altogether.
How to Serve
These are good with coffee, tea, or a cold glass of milk. They hold up well in lunch boxes and care packages, and they make a nice addition to a holiday cookie plate without requiring much fuss. If you want to turn them into ice cream sandwiches, that works too.
How to Store
Keep them in an airtight container and they’ll stay fresh for about five days. For longer storage, freeze them in bags or containers and use within six months. They freeze beautifully, so it’s worth making a double batch when you’re at it. These fit right into the rhythm of winter seasonal eating: simple, from-scratch food that keeps well and satisfies on a cold afternoon.
Fruit & Nut Cookies
A simple, spiced cookie built around dried apples, raisins, and whatever nuts you have on hand. Adapted from a vintage cookbook and made for using up what's in the pantry.
Ingredients
- 1¾ Cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ½ Cup salted butter, softened
- ⅔ Cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 Egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ Cup milk
- ¾ Cup dried fruit, chopped
- ¾ Cup nuts, chopped
Instructions
- Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices in a medium bowl. Set aside
- Cream the butter and brown sugar together until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg and vanilla and mix thoroughly.
- Add about half the dry ingredients and mix slightly.
- Add the milk and stir until combined, then add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until almost combined.
- Fold in the dried fruit and nuts until fully incorporated.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least one hour.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400°F and grease your cookie sheets.
- Drop the dough by tablespoonfuls onto the prepared sheets and flatten each one slightly with the heel of your hand.
- Bake for 10–12 minutes, until the edges are golden brown.
- Cool on wire racks.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
24Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 202Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 3gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 19mgSodium: 119mgCarbohydrates: 28gFiber: 2gSugar: 11gProtein: 4g
We try our best but cannot guarantee that nutrition information is 100% accurate.