Ingredients
Scale
- 1 3/4 cups flour (bob's red mill 1 to 1 or similar)
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature (118g)
- 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar (133g)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar (100g)
- 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce, at room temperature (85g)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup white chocolate chips (113g)
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Proper preheating is crucial for even baking and helps the cookies set correctly from the moment they hit the oven.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Whisking, as opposed to stirring, aerates the dry ingredients and ensures the leavening agents and spices are evenly distributed, which prevents dense spots in your finished cookies.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer on medium speed to cream the room-temperature butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together for 2-3 minutes. The mixture should become light, fluffy, and pale in color. This step incorporates air, which is essential for a soft and tender cookie texture.
- Incorporate Wet Ingredients: Add the room-temperature unsweetened applesauce and vanilla extract to the creamed butter mixture. Beat on medium speed just until fully combined and smooth. (Pro tip: Using room-temperature applesauce prevents the butter from seizing and ensures a homogenous dough.)
- Combine Wet and Dry Mixtures: With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the whisked dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix just until no streaks of flour remain and a soft dough forms. Overmixing at this stage can develop the gluten in the flour, leading to tougher cookies.
- Fold in Chocolate Chips: Using a spatula or wooden spoon, gently fold the white chocolate chips into the cookie dough until they are evenly distributed. Folding, rather than mixing, preserves the dough's delicate structure and prevents the chips from breaking.
- Portion the Dough: Using a cookie scoop or a rounded tablespoon, drop portions of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. In my tests, I found that a #40 cookie scoop (about 1.5 tablespoons) yields the ideal size for a chewy center and slightly crisp edges.
- Bake to Perfection: Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and set, while the centers still look soft and slightly puffed. Unlike baking until completely firm, removing them at this stage allows for carryover cooking on the hot sheet, resulting in a perfectly chewy texture.
- Cool and Serve: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. This brief rest allows them to firm up enough to handle without breaking. Enjoy these soft apple cookies warm with the melty white chocolate, or store them in an airtight container once fully cooled.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10-12 minutes