Last Updated on October 28, 2025 by Kymberley
Honeycrisp Apple Oatmeal Cookies with Caramel-Cider-Bits & Maple-Icing
If autumn were a cookie, it would undoubtedly be Honeycrisp Apple Oatmeal Cookies featuring caramel cider Bits and Maple Icing. You’ll fall head over heels in love with these gluten-free delights crafted with browned butter, hearty oats, homemade apple cider caramel bits, and juicy Honeycrisp apples. They are indeed the best gluten-free fall apple oatmeal cookies for the season!
Of course, they’re fantastic on their own but drizzled with a hint of maple and vanilla icing; these cookies transform into an indulgent treat bursting with autumn flavors that simply dissolve in your mouth!
👩🍳 Adapted from an iced apple cider cookie recipe by Tieghan Gerard. 👩🍳
ABOUT THIS RECIPE (per serving)
A New Fall Apple Oatmeal Cookie at the Top of my Baking List!
I always look forward to autumn for many reasons. One of them is that it fills my kitchen with the wonderful fall smells of warm cookies baking. I simply can’t resist baking, especially in autumn when the weather turns cool before we start the furnace.
While pumpkin spice gets a lot of press this time of year, apples are one of my favorite flavors to combine with oatmeal for cookies, particularly Honeycrisp apples. This year, our small orchard produced beautiful Honeycrisp apples that are awaiting new baking adventures. So, I searched a few of my go-to inspiration sites to find a Honeycrisp cookie recipe to get me started.
Among those recipes, one stood out. It boasted all the flavor profiles I wanted in this gluten-free fall-tasting apple oatmeal cookie.
So, after tweaking the original to make the original cookie gluten-free, Wala! These gluten-free Apple Oatmeal Cookies with caramel cider bits and maple icing have moved to the top of my list for Fall Apple Oatmeal Cookies!
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Please let me know in the comments below if you have questions or if you tweak the recipe. I’d love to hear from you!
Notes for your success:
Of course, I think my cookie recipe is even better than the original. After making the recipe with a few different gluten-free flour blends, I found that they turned out the best using Better Batter gluten-free All-Purpose flour. I like that they’re not flat and chewy, rising as they bake in an almost cakey cookie bite.
You’ll also want to avoid overcooking the caramel. The longer you cook it, the harder it will become when cooled. We found that cookies with softer caramel bits were much more desirable and easier to chew than those with crunchy, hard caramel bits.
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🤩Hey, This looks delicious! 😋Such a simple, flavorful gluten-free dish. 🍴Definitely will be adding this recipe to my meal rotation! 🥣🌟 #glutenfree #recipe #CookingGfreeDeliciously
💭 Before you get started...
As a final note, be sure to read through the entire recipe for your best baking success. After making the caramel, I found that scoring it lightly with a knife while it was on the pan and then placing it in the freezer for about 10 minutes helped the caramel break into small, even pieces easily before adding it to the batter in step 4.
While the recipe looks slightly complicated, it’s broken down into easy steps that are well worth the trouble. You could also make the caramel and dry the apples in advance so that the cookies come together even quicker when you’re ready to bake them.
Thanks for stopping by. Have a happy time baking!
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Looking for more Fall-ish treats? Here are a few more recipes you might like…
P.S. If you create a delicious twist on this recipe, or if you have a question or comment, please let me know. I’d love to hear!
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Apple Oatmeal Cookies with Caramel Cider Bits & Maple Icing
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Ingredients
Equipment
Nutrition
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line baking/cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Add the butter and brown sugar to a medium pot set over medium heat. When the butter has melted, add the cider and whisk to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook, whisking constantly, until the sugar has melted and the mixture is dark, bubbling, and thickened, about 10 +/- minutes [2]. Stir in the salt. Carefully pour the caramel from the pan onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, spreading the caramel with a heat-proof rubber spatula to an even 1/8-inch thickness. Let it set until cool, then score the caramel with a sharp knife into roughly ½-by-½-inch squares [3].2 tablespoons unsalted Butter, 1/2 cup dark Brown Sugar, 1/4 cup Apple Cider, 1 teaspoon Salt
- Arrange the apples on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes to dry the apples out. Remove from the oven to cool, then cut or dice into roughly ½-by-½-inch squares.2 Honeycrisp Apples
- Add the butter to a deep 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.1 cup unsalted Butter
- Mix the brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla into the brown butter until creamy.1 cup light Brown Sugar, 2 large Eggs, 1 tablespoon Vanilla
- Add the flour, oatmeal, baking soda, and salt. Stir in the caramel chunks and dried apples.2 cups gluten-free All-Purpose Flour [1], 2 cups gluten-free Instant Oatmeal, 1 teaspoon Baking Soda, 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- Scoop the dough into rounded tablespoon-size balls (squishing the dough together lightly and rolling in the palm of your hands) and place 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 8 minutes. Rotate the baking sheet. Bake another 2-3 minutes or until the cookies begin to brown around the edges.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet, pushing any melted caramel back to the edges of the cookies with a rubber spatula. Continue to cool until they can be easily moved to a wire rack to cool further.
- As the cookies cool, if desired, make the glaze. Whisk together the powdered sugar, maple syrup, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Thin with more maple syrup if needed. Drizzle or smear the glaze over the top of the cookies! Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.3/4 cup Powdered Sugar, 3 tablespoons Maple Syrup, 1 tablespoon Vanilla, 1 pinch Sea Salt
Kitchen Notes
Personal Notes
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(Nutritional values are an approximation. Actual nutritional values may vary due to preparation techniques, variations related to suppliers, regional and seasonal differences, or rounding.)
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