These soft and chewy Applesauce Chocolate Chip cookies are a delicious sweet, and slightly healthier cookie.
I love these soft chocolate chip cookies with apple sauce. They a great way to satisfy my sweet tooth without as much added sugar.
These are a soft and chewy chocolate chip cookie that is made a little lighter with less sugar and less butter thanks to the addition of applesauce.
Applesauce is a great sweetener, and also helps keep these cookies nice and moist too. Because of the applesauce in the cookies we are able to lower the amount of sugar, and reduce the amount of fat in these cookies.
I altered this recipe slightly from when I first posted these cookies to give you a more chewy cookie, but I’ve included the original recipe below the recipe card if you’re one of the 5 people who’ve made them before and liked the original 😉
Ingredients Needed:
- all purpose flour – is the bulk of this recipe, and makes the cookies into cookies.
- baking powder and baking soda – helps give these cookies lift, so they aren’t too dense.
- salt – just a little helps to balance out the sweetness of the cookies
- ground cinnamon – this gives the cookies a nice lightly spiced flavor.
- unsalted butter – a little butter helps to keep these cookies soft, and a little bit chewy. You can substitute coconut oil if you want too.
- brown sugar – gives the cookie some additional sweetness, and also a better chewy texture. You can substitute white sugar, if needed.
- applesauce – this adds a nice flavor, and texture to the cookies. You can use a plain unsweetened applesauce because it’s naturally sweet on it’s own
- vanilla extract – adds a nice flavor to the cookies.
- chocolate chips – they add a little texture, and sweetness to the cookies, and who doesn’t like chocolate chip cookies?!
How to make Applesauce Chocolate Chip Cookies?
These applesauce cookies are super easy to make, start by combining your dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add your flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon and whisk them together.
In a separate bowl stir together your butter, and sugar until they’re nice and fluffy. Then add in the applesauce and vanilla extract and stir them together.
Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and stir them together until just combined and you have a nice soft cookie dough. Then fold in your chocolate chips.
Cover the dough in the bowl and stick it in the fridge to chill for about 30 minutes, up to overnight.
Scoop the cookie dough by the heaping Tablespoon onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and bake in a preheated oven until the edges are slightly golden brown and the top looks set. Let the cookies cool on the pan for a few minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Tips and Tricks:
- To make the cookies picture perfect, add a few extra chocolate chips to the tops of the cookies right after removing them from the oven to make your finished product extra pretty.
- Use a homemade applesauce for an even yummier flavor in your cookies.
- For the best results, bake your cookies until they barely look set on top. The cookies will continue baking as they are on your baking sheet out of the oven.
- The cookies stay thick unless you smack the pan down while baking to help them to flatten. Remove the baking pan after 7 minutes and smack the pan down a few times to help the cookies fall. Put them back in the oven for the final minutes. Then smack the pan down again when you pull them from the oven.
Frequently Asked Questions:
How to store cookies?
These chocolate chip applesauce cookies are best stored at room temperature in an airtight container. They can be stored for up to 3 days.
You can also freeze the cookies once they are cooled in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw them at room temperature, or in the fridge until soft.
Are these applesauce cookies vegan?
As the recipe is listed the cookies are not vegan. But you can substitute the butter called for in the recipe for a vegan butter, or coconut oil, and use dairy free chocolate chips (dark chocolate chips) and that should make them vegan.
Can I use applesauce in cookies instead of eggs?
This recipe is already made with applesauce instead of eggs. Since the applesauce adds moisture to the cookies we removed the eggs from the recipe to keep them chewy.
In other cookie recipes you may try substituting 1/4 cup applesauce for each egg as called for. But applesauce can make the cookies a little denser, since eggs usually add some lift so you can add 1/4 to 1/2 tsp extra baking powder if you want the cookies to have a lighter texture.
**This easy recipe below doesn’t have any eggs, so you don’t need to worry about making any substitutions.**
Applesauce can also be used to lower the amount of oil/fat in a recipe.
These applesauce chocolate chip cookies are perfect served with a glass of milk. They’re moist, soft, and slightly chewy cookies that have a slight apple flavor, and lots of chocolate chips!
More recipes using applesauce:
- Zucchini Muffins
- Apple Cake with Applesauce
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Bran Muffins
- Applesauce Pancakes
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Applesauce Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup applesauce
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 cup chocolate chips
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking pan with parchment paper.
- Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a medium sized bowl. Whisk them together.
- In another bowl combine the butter and sugar until they are mixed well.
- Add the applesauce and vanilla extract to the butter and stir it in until combined.
- Mix the dry ingredients in with the wet ingredients.
- Pour in the chocolate chips and fold them into the batter.
- Scoop the cookies by the 1.5 TBS and roll them into balls, and place them onto a cookie sheet a couple inches apart.
- Bake the cookies for about 10 minutes, or until the tops are golden. **
Notes
Nutrition
These applesauce chocolate chip cookies were first April 11, 2013. The photos and post were updated on August 19, 2022.
Original Recipe:
- 2 cups flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 TBS cornstarch
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 1/4 cup cinnamon applesauce
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
-
Combine flour, baking soda, cornstarch and salt in a medium sized bowl.
-
In another bowl combine sugars, oil, applesauce, egg and vanilla
-
Mix the dry ingredients in with the wet ingredients.
-
Pour in the chocolate chips and mix in well.
-
Chill cookie dough in the fridge for 30 minutes up to overnight.
-
Scoop cookies out onto a sprayed baking sheet and bake in oven preheated to 350 for a bout 10 minutes.
Julie C says
These were very delicious! I made mine without baking soda (had none) and also I froze mine because I like to keep them on hand and on the ready when the mood strikes me. I also made mine in the air fryer 360 for 10 minutes for the frozen cookie. I did smash them down at the 5 minute point so they would spread. You could smell the applesauce and they were so very good! I could probably have used less chocolate chips and I got 24 cookies (rounded teaspoons) and that was enough. Delicious. I did use the first recipe in this post not the original that contained cornstarch. This is a keeper!
Momofpickykid says
Just made these for my extremely picky eater. He absolutely loves them! Followed the recipe, but used lactose free ingredients.
Aimee says
So glad he loved them!
Ang says
Going to make these today! Just a quick, FYI, you have a typo in the text where you suggest adding extra baking soda bc the applesauce can make the cookies dense. You accidentally said to add 1/4 -1/2 CUPS of baking soda. Now I know anyone who has done baking would know to correct that, but I just thought I’d let you know in case someone new to baking sees and tries this 😬
Aimee says
Thanks for catching that. I updated the post. That paragraph is referring to subbing applesauce in other cookie recipes, fyi. So you shouldn’t need to change our recipe as written, only add more baking powder if you’re subbing in a different recipe.
Robert S says
I have made these twice and loved them. I added a bit of ground cardamom to the second batch simply for my own preference but the cookies – as written in your recipe – are soft and delicious. Thank you for sharing!
Sydney says
My husband is a super picky eater and he absolutely loved these cookies. Thank you!!
Aimee says
Yay <3
Kat Culbertson says
Hey! These sound really good and I’m excited to try! Roughly how many does this recipe make? Thanks!
Aimee Berrett says
You know, its been a while since I’ve made the recipe but I’d guess a couple dozen.
Cassie Noble says
I made these the other day, and I loved them! Definitely more of a Cakey or Bread-like consistency than the almost Sugar Cookie type that seems to be the norm, which I love. It reminds me of Grandma’s cookies!
I did add a touch more applesauce and oil to the dough, as it was pretty dry at first, but my applesauce was VERY thick, so I imagine that was the only reason. Great job, ladies! Thanks!
Maria says
Does it have to be Wacky Applesauce or can it be regular applesauce
Aimee Berrett says
Any applesauce should work great!
Elizabeth says
Would like to know the calories per cookie…Thank you
Aimee Berrett says
I don’t have the calorie count per cookie. You can plug the ingredients you use into a calorie counter and divide it by how many cookies you make. Sorry.
Ashlie says
My first comment on this recipe was in September of 2013 and I wanted to let you know this is STILL my go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe. Our friends ask me to make them every fall!
Aimee @ Like Mother Like Daughter says
Ashlie, I am SO SO glad you love these cookies so much! That is so nice for me to hear that from you! Glad you come back to the recipe again and again – now I need to remake these cookies too!
Lucy says
I really want to try this recipe – it looks and sounds amazing! But could someone tell me how many cookies the recipe makes? Thanks!
Lucy says
The cookies are in the oven right now, and everything looks fine. I’ve noticed that they aren’t spreading properly though…What do you think went wrong? Thanks!
Lucy says
They just came out, and they taste very much like bread – it is floury and the texture isn’t right. It shouldn’t be the baking soda, because my baking soda works (I tested it). What did I do wrong? Please help!
Aimee Berrett says
Sorry they didn’t turn out for you, if you look at my pictures you can see that they don’t spread out thin like normal chocolate chip cookies, they are much denser too. They should taste like a healthier chocolate chip cookie.
Lucy says
What are they supposed to taste like?
sarah says
I followed this recipe but used avocado oil instead of canola oil and added more vanilla… I also used wheat flour instead of white… when I scooped the cookies I used a 1 1/2 tblspn cookie scoop and baked for 11 mind and let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet. OMG, IT IS THE HOLY GRAIL OF COOKIE RECIPES! !!!! I CALLED MY MOM AND TOLD HER MY Ccc were way better than hers lol. Thank you 🙂
Aimee Berrett says
Oh my goodness – haha that is just fantastic! I’m so glad you made it work for you!!
peacefulplanteater says
Christina, I like your substitutions. I’m gonna make them this afternoon, but use a GF flour along with GF oats. These sound amazing!
Aimee Berrett says
I hope you like them! Let me know how they go 🙂
Christina says
I eliminated the oil all together, kept the applesauce amount as instructed and added a 1/4 a cup of pb. I also used half wheat flour, 1/4 cup of oat bran, 1/2 a cup of oatmeal, 1/2 cup of white flour. I also reduced the sugar to 2/8 cup of white and brown, then added about a ,1/4 cup of honey.Used white and milk chocolate chips, 1/4 cup each and added cinnamon. If the dough appeared runny, I added more oatmeal and flour to thicken…these turned out amazing!
Averie @ Averie Cooks says
Wow – Pinned! I’ve never seen applesauce in cookies. Only in cakes, muffins, etc. How cool that you can sub out all butter and almost all the oil!
Laura C says
Does the cookie sheet need to be sprayed or can I just use parchment paper?
Aimee Berrett says
Parchment paper works instead of spraying the cookie sheet
Ashlie says
I made these this past Saturday and they were wonderful! I used olive oil instead of the canola oil and I didn’t have access to the brand of applesauce that you used, so I used regular flavor of the brand at my local store – DELICIOUS! This is definitely a repeat recipe. I was able to get about 28 cookies and shared a few with neighbors and between my husband and myself there were none left by Sunday!
Aimee Berrett says
Ashlie, I am so glad that the cookies turned out so well for you. Those are great substitutes you made. Thanks for letting me know!
Chelsea says
Okay, now you have me drooling! these look absolutely fabulous!
Debra says
I love this! I wish I could figure out even more substitutions! I love making treats but hate what they are filled with. Love this recipe!
aimeeberrett says
I have found a few substitution ideas on pinterest. Here is one. I haven’t tried them all though, so don’t blame me if it doesn’t work 😉 http://www.yummly.com/blog/2011/08/emergency-ingredient-substitutions-for-baking/
Ellen Garrett says
No you can’t substitute completely with applesauce, I just tried and it was way too dry. Maybe my sauce was too thick but I added 1/8 cup of canola oil to counterbalance the dryness. I am hoping it all works, cooking these now.
aimeeberrett says
So you added 1/2 cup of apple sauce and 1/8 cup of canola oil? Hope they turn out for you! My dough was super runny so I added more flour than the original recipe. Its a pretty thick dough, especially with the cornstarch its like a gummy texture.
Holly W says
These look (and SOUND!) so delicious. I wonder if you could add more applesauce and eliminate the oil all together. That’s what I do with some of my breads, but I’m not sure it would be the same with cookies, but maybe worth a shot. PINNING!!
aimeeberrett says
Holly, I was wondering the same thing as well, but since I haven’t done a lot of substitution with applesauce I was afraid to try. If you try it out, let me know if it works!