Spiced maple oatmeal cookies

These spiced maple oatmeal cookies are perfect to enjoy some fall flavors, but equally delicious any time. With apple, oats and warm spices, they're deliciously sweet, even being refined sugar free. So perfect excuse to enjoy another!

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I mentioned when I shared my pumpkin broccoli soup, and I am getting the same feeling all over again, that I can't help but love fall/autumn in New England. There's something special about this time of year when the weather starts to cool down and the leaves turn beautiful shades of orange and red. Roadside stalls fill up with pumpkins, apples and more, and we try to make apple picking an annual event (at least).

I think it is particularly helped by the fact there are so many lovely days weather-wise. It's not too hot, often crisply cold in the morning but warming up, and with gorgeous blue skies.

Fall flavor inspiration

While we had autumnal colors in the UK, the weather was/is distinctly less reliable. However in both places this time of year has me thinking about using the oven more and more. Whether for roasting meat and vegetables or baking, I seem to always have ideas popping into my mind for autumnal flavors and produce. It struck me the other day I hadn't made cookies in forever and I decided it was about time to change that.

My toddler has finally decided that he likes oatmeal recently - perfect timing given the changing season. We have been enjoying a bit of maple syrup drizzled on top as well as apple cooked into the oatmeal, which sparked the idea for these cookies. A relatively healthy taste of fall, these little cookies are delicious.

Steps to make these maple oatmeal cookies

These cookies are easy to make, being only a few simple ingredients and quick to mix together and bake. You separately mix the wet ingredients and dry ingredients then combine. You can warm the wet ingredients slightly to melt the coconut oil and mix them more thoroughly.

In theory, you could mix it all in a food processor for a smoother texture but I quite like the chunkier oats here. You can make them whatever size you like, but I quite like relatively small. That way, you get a nice balance of crispness on the outside and chewier inside. Press them together as you form them to help them stick and not fall apart.

Like some other baked goods, the crispness goes after the first day but they do otherwise keep a few days, given the chance. Since they have no refined sugar and are made with apple, though, they won't keep as long as some other cookies.

Baking with applesauce

If you are not used to baking with applesauce, it's a great ingredient to experiment with. Even unsweetened is gently sweet and it adds some moisture as well. So you can use it to replace part of the liquid, fat and sugar in many baked goods, particularly muffins.

These cookies are also made with flaxseed (optionally) and rice flour so they are both vegan and gluten-free (as long as you get the right oats). While they are refined sugar free, they still have a lovely sweetness with a great flavor thanks to both the maple syrup and warm spices.

These spiced maple oatmeal cookies have a lovely rich flavor from the maple syrup and are nicely chewy from the oats and apple. I hope you will too when you give them a try. They are relatively good for you, after all, though thankfully still child-approved in our house at least, too.

Try these other healthier cookies:

• Apple oatmeal cookies (also gluten free and vegan)
• Healthy cranberry apricot cookies
• Refined sugar free date oatmeal cookies
• Plus get more snack recipes, sweet and savory, in the archives.

Tools to make these cookies

I'd recommend using a Silicone Baking Mat on top of a Half Baking Sheet to make these.

See some of my favorite cooking tools and ingredients in the Caroline's Cooking Amazon store. 

This post was originally shared in October 2015 and has been updated, primarily with new photos and video.

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