Caramel Apple Oatmeal Cookies
Oatmeal cookies are always a treat, but this Caramel Apple Oatmeal Cookies recipe filled with fresh apple and caramel bits is a true fall favorite! Serve these for Halloween, Thanksgiving, or just because.
Every time I make an oatmeal cookie recipe, a funny parenting moment pops into mind.
The kids and I were standing at the kitchen counter tied up in aprons, covered with flour, making oatmeal cookies. The kids were arguing over eggs.
Carson thought that chickens laid eggs and baby chicks separately and Ava was primly correcting him. With a voice of authority she said, “Carson all eggs turn into chickens at some point.”
Then I piped up and thoughtlessly said, “Actually, only fertilized eggs turn into chickens.”
Before the words were off my lips, remorse flooded my mind. What had I done?! Immediately I was bombarded with an onslaught of questions parents often have trouble answering.
“What does it mean to be fertilized?” (Sheepish answer.)
“How does the chicken get fertilized?” (Another sheepish answer.)
“Why does it take a male and female chicken to make the egg fertilized?”
Deep sigh from mommy, “Guys, Why don’t we finish the cookies and we can talk more about this later when daddy gets home.”
They both looked at me with wide knowing eyes. Even at ages 5 and 7 they could see right through my attempt to distract them. They looked at each other, then agreed, “No mommy, we want to talk about this RIGHT NOW.”
Panicked on the inside, but calm on the outside, I decided to stick with the word fertilization and tried to answer all their questions without passing out.
“Yes, all mammals must be fertilized to make babies.”
“Yes, even people.”
“Yes, with their special parts. That’s why we keep our special parts covered up. They are meant to be used only for fertilization.” (Really sweating….)
“Yes, that means daddy has fertilized mommy.”
“Yes, two times! Can we be done talking about this? The cookie dough is drying out.”
I just barely made it through that last one.
But at least we’ve had “the talk” be it ever so early. It has come up again a couple times in the last few years, never as in-depth as the first time and always holding strongly to the word fertilization.
Yet every time I think about it, I burst out in a deep belly laugh that only such conversations with children can cause.
Now we’d better get back to the oatmeal cookies before the dough dries out…
This variation of oatmeal cookies, Caramel Apple Oatmeal Cookies, is one of my favorites. I added rich Musselman’s Apple Butter to the dough to give it a punch of deep apple flavor, then blended in fresh diced apples and little caramel bits. The combination of the rustic oats and apple butter, dappled with fresh apples and caramel bits, is so enticing. These cookies taste like fall!
The butter and apple butter make this oatmeal cookie recipe ultra soft and tender, almost like breakfast cookies. Caramel Apple Oatmeal Cookies are wonderful paired with hot apple cider on a chilly day, or for tucking into lunch boxes with XOXO notes.
The apple butter is most definitely the secret ingredient for endless flavor in these Caramel Apple Oatmeal Cookies.
If you’re looking for more apple butter recipes this fall, I’ve got several here, but make sure to check out Musselman’s New Apple Butter Site. It’s full of great apple-icious recipes and is super easy to navigate!
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Oh my. These sound wonderful! Adding them to the grocery list right now. Love the combo of apples, caramel and oats!
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Caramel and apple and oatmeal are one of the best combos! My post tomorrow includes all three! These cookies are perfect in every way! YUM!
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DYING laughing as I read this. I can say these cookies would definitely distract me from any conversation, so at least your kids are determined :)
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Sommer — October 28th, 2013 @ 7:00 am
Yes, they are certainly determined, to say the least. ;)
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oh what a funny story Sommer! who would ever think making cookies would lead to “the talk” haha!!
these look delicious! we LOVE Musselman’s Apple Butter!
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These apple cookies sound amazing!
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Oh yeah, girl. You opened a big can of worms with that one! Just shove some cookies at them to get them to stop asking THOSE questions. ;)
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Oh my. Thanks for kicking off my Monday with such a wonderfully awkward story! These cookies sound delish. Fall is my favorite season, and I love foods that taste of it.
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That is so funny. I am totally chuckling! My kids ask these questions ALL the time. I just distract, distract. But maybe next time I will take a page out f your book and use the term “fertilize” that is awesome! Also these cookies look wonderful Sommer- love the addition of apples :)
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Haha, oh man, the joys of parenting. I’m dreading the day that I’ll have to explain to my kids that, too. These cookies look wonderful and when I make them, I’ll always remember your funny story!
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HA! Oh my goodness. Love that this conversation came up first around eggs. Perfect for a food blogger. ;)
These cookies look wonderful!!
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that is a funny story and these cookies look so delicious Sommer, I really NEED to make some….or you could send me some and I would TOTALLY be fine with that :)
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What fun little cookies! Perfect for this time of year!!
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Love these. Love the icing sugar… it really gives them a touch of class
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LOL!! I think you may need to write a “fertilization book” for parents:) Love these cookies, Sommer!
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Oh, no, the dreaded “Mommy, where do babies come from?”
We’re still safe (Daisy’s only 2) but that day is coming…. yikes!
Love the addition of caramel & apples to oatmeal cookies. Might whip up a batch tonight for after dinner. Thanks, Sommer!
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Love the cookies, Sommer. As for the conversation — well, looks like you handled perfectly! :)
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lol..on the question. I’ve always dreaded that one.
These cookies look so good, the caramel and apples, perfect.
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I’ll take two please! Yummy!
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Gah! YUM! I don’t know how you manage to do this all so quickly! Amazing! You’re my foodie hero!
PINNED!
K-
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Did you say caramel apple? I’ll take a dozen, please!
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They look yummy! I love all the different flavors rolled into one.
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I would call these breakfast! So yummy!
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Conversations like that terrify me as a parent. I would have shoved dough into their little face holes and told them to wait until DAD got home… That’s what is happening to Ben when that time comes….Sucker.
These would be a perfect distraction for THAT conversation haha
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Love the fall flavors in these cookies!
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love love these! I could dive in
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Sommer, these look amazing! I’ll take two, please! xo
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I am a new fan of your page!! I love all of your recipes. I am gonna have fun this week learning all about your cooking. Thanks for such amazing recipes!
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AHhahaha! This was a fantastic story. Especially that last answer- Yes, two times!! :) At least you got to have the talk while making delicious cookies. For some reason, that seems less intimidating.
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Love these. Perfect fall cookies.
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Question! I’m ready to make these pretty little gems, but I have a silly question! When you say “dry oats”, does that mean rolled oats or can I use the quick oats I already have? If the recipe calls for rolled oats, would I still be able to use the quick oats? Thank you!
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Sommer — October 29th, 2013 @ 9:43 pm
Andra, Not a silly question at all! You can use either in this recipe. It has enough moisture to offset the texture of rolled oats, but quick oats work just fine.
Happy Baking!
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Yes, I remember all those “big” talks…I think the boys were more uncomfortable with me talking about it than I was LOL. Love how moist these sound.
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I couldn’t help but burst out laughing, what a conversation to have over cookie making!
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These oatmeal cookies look so good!
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Oh my gosh I love oatmeal cookies – these sound so awesome Sommer!!!
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I love apple butter. What a cleaver idea to add it to oatmeal cookies!
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What a great use for Apple butter!
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Hi Sommer
What kind of apple did you use in this recipe.
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Ahhhhh…those questions are always fun. NOT! :) Awesome cookies!
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Hmm, this must be why I always like to have music playing when making cookies. Love this recipe – can’t wait to try it!
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Too funny! I am never going to think of oatmeal cookies the same!
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I HAVE to try these. Wow, they look amazing!
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These are similar but also totally different than a recipe for Caramel Apple Oatmeal Cookies a friend just gave me. Might have to have a bake-off!
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These cookies look SO SO tasty, I love seeing the chunks of apple :) it’s so enticing!
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These look so good. I have made apple cookies before, but never with apple butter. I can’t wait to try.
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I made these today, they where really yummy! I have to say though the caramel was everywhere! Next time I make them I am going to melt the caramel and drizzle it on top of the cookies once they are done baking.
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I’m a fan of anything apple & oatmeal! I’m stopping by from Pinterest. I’m also saving this recipe. Yum!
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I made these for a Thanksgiving potluck at work. I made a double batch so that my husband could bring some to his work and we could share some with our families. They were a HUGE hit with everyone, and they all wanted the recipe (so of course I shared the link to your blog). My husband’s family wants me to make them again tomorrow : )
My only modification was that I couldn’t find caramel bits ANYWHERE, so I bought Werther’s Hard caramels and pulsed them in my blender until they were small enough pieces.
Also, a commenter asked what type of apple you used…I used Cortland. It softened nicely without turning to mush.
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What a treat! YUM! Pinning now to make later ;)
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