Prep time: 10 minutes
Bake time: 15 minutes
Yield: 72 cookies 

This recipe exists here because I had a bunch of apple sauce packets that were getting ready to expire and I need to use them in a hurry. It’s a tasty, soft cookie with a subtle apple cinnamon flavor and a caramel frosted top that will have you downing more than you intend. So be warned.

This recipe will yield 72 cookies. I know that may sound like a lot. But they store well in the fridge (I put however many we’re going to eat that day on a covered plate and leave it on the counter in the morning, leaving the rest in the fridge). You can easily cut this recipe in half if you don’t want this many. But, after you taste them, you’ll likely be sorry that you didn’t make more.

Ingredients (Dry):

  • 4 cups gluten-free flour

  • 2 tsp baking soda

  • 2 tsp baking powder

  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon

  • 1/2 tsp ground cloves

  • 2 cups sugar

Ingredients (Wet):

  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup butter (softened)
  • 2 cups applesauce
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Caramel Frosting Ingredients:

  • 6 tbsp butter
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream 
(you can substitute whole milk)
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 cup brown sugar (packed)
  • 2 cups powdered sugar

Directions for Cookies:

  1. Preheat oven to 375°.

  2. Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and cloves (all of the dry ingredients EXCEPT the sugar) in a bowl. Set aside.

  3. In a separate bowl, cream the softened butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each egg is added. Slowly add applesauce and vanilla, beating until fully incorporated. Gradually add the sifted flour mixture, beating until well incorporated.

  4. Drop tablespoonfuls of the dough about an inch apart onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet or directly on baking stone. Bake at 375° for 14 minutes.

    While cookies are cooling, prepare the caramel frosting.

Directions for Caramel Frosting:

  1. In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. As it begins to melt, stir
    in heavy cream and brown sugar. Stir occasionally until mixture starts to boil.

  2. When mixture begins to boil, remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Allow the pan
    to cool slightly. When pan has cooled slightly, begin to stir in the powdered sugar
    1/4 cup at a time.

  3. Dip the tops of the cooled cookies into the frosting and allow them to fully set on a wire rack. (Dip them a second time after they cool a bit if you like a little thicker frosting).

That’s it. Enjoy!

 

* I used Namaste Foods – Gluten Free Perfect Flour Blend (purchased from Costco). Your flour blend might be different and may yield different results. Adjust ingredients accordingly (ratio of wet and dry, etc) to work with your blend.

 ** You can substitute your favorite all-purpose flour blend if you’re not gluten-free.