Oatmeal Apple Pie Cookies

Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 10 min
Servings: 48
Yield: 48 servings

Description

With a soft and chewy oatmeal cookie base, these mini apple pie tart cookies topped with a sweet caramel drizzle will be met with rave reviews wherever you serve them.

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon apple pie spice
3 cups quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2 large apples - peeled, cored, and diced
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 large egg whites
1/4 cup caramel sundae syrup (such as Smucker's®)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 cups powdered sugar, or more to taste
1 tablespoon milk, or more as needed

Directions

1 Beat butter, sugar, and brown sugar for cookie dough in a bowl with an electric mixer until creamy. Stir in eggs and vanilla.
2 Combine flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and apple pie spice in a separate bowl. Gradually mix into the wet ingredients until incorporated. Mix in oats and walnuts. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
3 Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Set out two 24-cup mini muffin tins. Place paper towels under 2 wire racks.
4 Combine apples, butter, sugar, and cinnamon for filling in a microwave-safe bowl; microwave on high for 3 minutes, stirring halfway through to distribute the butter, until apples have softened. Transfer to a strainer to drain and cool.
5 Roll chilled dough into walnut-sized balls. Fill each muffin cup with a ball and press down to flatten slightly.
6 Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Remove and cool for 2 minutes. Press a shot glass down in the middle of each cookie to form it into a cup shape. Transfer from the pan to the prepared wire racks to cool.
7 Put apple filling into the center of each cookie, making sure it's evenly distributed to fill all cookies.
8 Beat egg whites for icing in a glass, metal, or ceramic bowl until foamy. Mix in caramel syrup, cinnamon, and cream of tartar. Gradually mix in 2 cups powdered sugar and mix until it reaches a good drizzling consistency, similar to that of the caramel syrup. Add more powdered sugar if necessary; you don't want it to be so thin that it will run.
9 Drizzle icing over the cookies; it's okay if it melts into the apple filling.
10 Enjoy right away while they're super fresh, or wait until icing hardens, about 3 hours.