Apple Cinnamon Instant Oatmeal Cookies

4.94 from 61 votes

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These apple cinnamon instant oatmeal cookies are bursting with fall flavors! They have chewy middles, crisp edges, and plenty of oats. Ready-to-eat in 30 minutes!

a plate of oatmeal cookies with M&M's


 

Why you’ll love this recipe:

My husband loves anything with oats, from crisps and crumbles to cookies, muffins, and oatmeal. So when he brought home a ginormous box of instant oatmeal packets, I did what any avid baker would do, I transformed them into apple cinnamon oatmeal cookies!

  • Perfectly dense, soft, buttery, and chewy
  • Bursting with apple cinnamon flavor
  • A great way to use leftover instant oatmeal packets
  • Easy to customize!

Apple oatmeal cookies are comforting, perfectly spiced, and make the entire house smell like autumn. Add crunchy walnuts, sweet dried cranberries, or whatever mix-ins you like the best!

Key Ingredient Notes:

ingredients for apple cinnamon oatmeal cookies
  • Unsalted butter – Butter lends a rich flavor and tender texture to cookies. I buy unsalted butter so I can control the quality and amount of salt I add. If you only have salted butter, don’t sweat it. Just omit the salt from this recipe.
  • Brown sugar – Brown sugar has a caramel-like sweetness that’s ideal for instant oatmeal cookies.
  • Apple cinnamon instant oatmeal – These packets already contain sugar, cinnamon, and dried apples to flavor the cookies. Don’t substitute with old fashioned oats! They don’t absorb the same amount of moisture as instant oats so the ratio of wet to dry ingredients won’t be right. And you’ll miss out on flavor.
  • All-purpose flour – For the perfect amount of spread.
  • Baking soda – Baking soda reacts with the brown sugar to create carbon dioxide bubbles and cause the dough to rise in the oven. Without it, the cookies would be too dense!
  • Mix-in’s – Try chopped walnuts, pecans, white chocolate chips, cashews, shredded coconut, chocolate chips, diced apples, or M&M’s.

How to make this recipe:

Cinnamon apple oatmeal cookies are a breeze to make! Here’s how to do it:

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and both sugars until light and fluffy.
  • Add the egg and vanilla and mix for a minute or so. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
  • Add the instant oatmeal, flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix until just incorporated.
  • If you’re adding mix-ins, stir them in now.
cookie dough with M&M's in it

2. Scoop the cookies:

  • Use a medium cookie scoop to scoop the cookie dough into 1-inch balls.
  • Place 8 cookies onto the sheet pan evenly spread apart.
  • And flatten the cookies slightly.
oatmeal cookie dough balls on a sheet pan

3. Bake the cookies:

  • Bake the cookies for 8 minutes, or until the edges are set, one sheet pan at a time. The cookies should look underbaked in the centers, but they will set up as they cool.
  • Let the cookies cool on the sheet pan for at least 5 minutes before you transfer them to a wire rack.
  • Enjoy immediately or store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
oatmeal cookies on a sheet pan

Tips for Success:

  • Don’t overbake the oatmeal cookies! The edges should be set and golden, but the centers should look slightly under. If the whole cookie looks done, it’s overbaked. Cookies set up as they cool.
  • Let the cookies cool at least 5 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack. Hot cookies fall apart!
  • Don’t swap old fashioned oats in this recipe. They don’t absorb the same amount of moisture as instant oats and the cookies won’t come out right.
  • Use a cookie scoop for uniform cookies. The cookies will all be the same size and shape, plus it’s less messy!
  • You can swap the apple cinnamon instant oatmeal with any flavor. Try cinnamon spice or maple brown sugar.
a stack of instant oatmeal cookies

Make-Ahead Tips:

  • I love to make cookies ahead of time! They freeze well unbaked or baked, which means you’re always less than 10 minutes away from a freshly baked cookie.
  • To freeze them unbaked: Use a cookie scoop to scoop the dough into 1-inch balls on a half sheet pan or plate. Place the sheet pan into the freezer until the dough is frozen. Transfer the cookie dough balls to a ziplock bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen as directed.
  • To freeze them baked: Wait until they cool to room temperature, then carefully place them into a ziplock bag and freeze. Don’t overpack the bag lest you smoosh the cookies. Thaw on the counter or microwave in 15-second increments until warmed through.

Storing Tips:

  • Let the oatmeal cookies cool before you store them. Transfer the cookies to an airtight container and store on the counter for up to 5 days.
  • For longer storage, freeze the cookies for up to 3 months, as directed above.
an oatmeal cookie with a bite out of it

FAQs:

How do you keep oatmeal cookies soft?

The best way to keep them soft is to not overbake them! Cookies are baked when the edges are golden, but the middles look underdone. The cookies set up as they cool. If the entire cookie is golden brown when it’s pulled from the oven, they will be crispy when they cool.

What kind of apples are best for cookies?

A firm, tart apple that holds its shape is a perfect match for cookies! Try Granny Smith, Jonagold, Honeycrisp, or Pink Lady apples. Dice them small and stir into the cookie dough before baking.

Can instant oatmeal be used in baking?

Yes! It’s important not to use instant oatmeal in any recipe that calls for oats. Look for recipes that call specifically for instant oatmeal, like this one!

Can I use quick oats instead of rolled oats in cookies?

Quick oats make delicious cookies! That being said, quick oats are not a 1:1 substitution with old fashioned oats. Instant oats absorb more liquid than rolled oats. Look for a recipe that calls specifically for quick-cooking oats.

a plate of oatmeal cookies with M&M's
4.94 from 61 votes

Apple Cinnamon Instant Oatmeal Cookies

These apple cinnamon oatmeal cookies are bursting with fall flavors! They have chewy middles, crisp edges, and plenty of oats. Ready-to-eat in 30 minutes!
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 8 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
Servings: 30 mini cookies

Ingredients

  • ½ cup (115g) unsalted butter softened
  • 1/3 cup (65g) brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons (40g) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 5 packets apple & cinnamon instant oatmeal Note 1
  • 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 ½ cups add-ins like M&Ms, chocolate chips, nuts

Equipment

  • stand mixer with the paddle attachment or electric hand mixer
  • Spatula
  • Measuring cups & spoons
  • sheet pan
  • medium cookie scoop

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
  • In a mixing bowl with the paddle attachment, place the butter and both sugars. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl.
  • Add egg and vanilla extract and mix another minute or so.
  • Add instant oatmeal, flour, baking soda and salt. Mix until just incorporated.
  • Stir in the add-ins of your choice. I used 1 cup of M&Ms and ½ cup of chopped pecans here.
  • Using a medium cookie scoop (about 1 tablespoon of dough), shape the dough into 1-inch balls and place 8 cookies per baking sheet. Flatten the cookies slightly.
  • Bake the cookies for 8 minutes, or until the edges are set, one sheet at a time. The cookies will look a bit under-baked, but they’ll set nicely once cooled.
  • Cool the cookies on the sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
  • Store in airtight container for up to 5 days.

Tips & Notes

These cookies are on a smaller size, about 2-inch circles.
Note 1a: 1 packet contains 43g of oatmeal, so total you’ll need 215g of instant oatmeal for this recipe. Do not substitute with rolled oats.
Note 1b: You can definitely use different flavored instant oatmeal packets!
Storing Tips:
– Let the oatmeal cookies cool before you store them. Transfer the cookies to an airtight container and store on the counter for up to 5 days.
– For longer storage, freeze the cookies for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Calories: 112kcal
Carbohydrates: 14g
Protein: 1g
Fat: 6g
Sugar: 10g
Sodium: 48mg
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Hi, I’m Shinee!

Welcome! I’m so happy you’re here! I believe anyone can cook restaurant-quality food at home! And my goal is to help you to become a confident cook with my easy-to-follow recipes with lots of tips and step-by-step photos.

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123 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    This recipe is amazing!! I looked at various instant oatmeal packet recipes on the internet and decided to go with this one. I used maple and brown sugar packets instead of apple cinnamon and added white chocolate chips and walnuts! Everyone in the family loved them. I will probably cut back on the sugar next time considering all the sweet addins I’m including. Thank you for sharing 🙂 

  2. 4 stars
    So easy! And the men in my house loved them. Appreciate finding a way to use up packets of instant oatmeal now that one son has moved on from his health kick.

  3. 5 stars
    What a great recipe. This whole quarantine thing is having me reconsider which food we use up in our pantry. For example, the packets of instant oatmeal that are about to expire. We used whole wheat flour and did not use any add in. They turned out great and everyone devoured them! Thanks for a fantastic recipe.

  4. 5 stars
    We had some apple cinnamon oatmeal packets, and didn’t know what to do with them because nobody would eat them! I looked up this recipe and I decided I would try it out. One of my favorite cookies. Sooooo delicious. Thank you, and this was very useful and yummy! 

    1. Awesome!!! So happy you were able to put those oatmeal packets to a good use. 😉 Thank you for your feedback, Kate!

  5. 5 stars
    I tried your recipe, using maple and brown sugar Oatmeal and chocolate covered raisins. Turned out great will definitely be making these again

    1. 5 stars
      I was looking for a recipe that I could turn into protein oatmeal cookies. I substituted half a cup of flour with half a cup of my chocolate protein powder. They turned out amazing! Now instead of night snacking on garbage I’ll at least be having something packed with protein.

  6. Hi about to make these yummy cookies with plain instant oatmeal. Do I need to add more sugar than what’s in the recipe?

    1. Hey, Ava. I don’t think I’ve tried plain instant oatmeal. Is it sweet? If it’s unsweetened, you may need to add a little more sugar.

  7. 5 stars
    I was looking for an easy recipe to make with my kids. I used maple and brown sugar oatmeal instead of apples and cinnamon because that’s always the last to go out of the variety box. 😀

    These cookies were easy to make and absolutely amazing. I accidentally added a little too much salt to my batch and also left out the chocolate chips thinking that it would be too sweet. Not at all. I look forward to trying this recipe again but with the correct measurement of salt and with chocolate chips and walnut or pecans next time! Thanks for sharing this recipe! Adding it to my box <3

  8. 5 stars
    I had 10 packets of cinnamon spice oatmeal that nobody would eat. These cookies were amazing thank you!!