Welcome the season with these Frosted Applesauce Cookies with sweet raisins and crunchy pecans. Each cookie is like your own individual mini spice cake!
Ingredients
To see the ingredients more easily, I’ve separated the cookie ingredients from the frosting ingredients.
- Your usual cookie ingredients of: Sugar, Flour, Baking Soda, Butter, Vanilla Extract and Egg.
- To make the spice cake taste: Nutmeg and Cloves.
- I also use true Cinnamon instead of Cassia.
- Applesauce.
- Chopped Pecans.
- Raisins
Pro Tip: Before you add all the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, take a couple tablespoons to mix with the raisins. Coat the raisins well. This helps keep the raisins separate when you mix them in instead of several of them forming clumps in the batter.
Why Use Applesauce In Baking?
Not only do you use applesauce in baking because of the flavor addition, but there is also another added benefit you may not think about.
For most of my cookie recipes, I use two sticks of butter in the cookie batter. This recipe, though, uses only one stick of butter. Why is that? It’s because the applesauce is replacing the other stick and that’s a beautiful thing.
What Is True Cinnamon?
I always use true Cinnamon instead of Cassia Cinnamon. It has a bright, stronger flavor. If you only have Cassia, go ahead and use that instead. It won’t hurt anything, especially since it’s not the main focus.
If you’re a fan of Red Hot Cinnamon Candies, you’ll understand the taste of true cinnamon. Way back in the day, our cinnamon actually had a spicy hotness to it, but it was later swapped with Cassia because the Cassia was less expensive and easier to harvest.
The next time you go to your market, you may want to look for Ceylon Cinnamon, or maybe it may be called Sri Lankan Cinnamon in your area. It’s great to have it in your pantry. You can thank me later.
Cream Cheese Frosting
Can You Use Homemade Applesauce?
If your homemade applesauce is unsweetened, you can use it without altering the recipe. If you have used sugar in it, though, you may want to reduce the sugar for the cookies. This doesn’t even need to be your own canned applesauce. You can even make a batch of applesauce very easily by cooking some fresh apples.
I don’t even usually peel the apples. Just clean them and put them in a slow cooker. Let them bake in there until they’re very soft then run it through a food mill to get rid of the peel and seeds. (Or, if you don’t have a food mill, peel and de-seed first.) Add a little bit of water or apple juice if your apples are very dry. Applesauce is really just that easy.
Note that, if you’re going to can your applesauce, adding a little bit of lemon juice is typical since it keeps the apples from turning. But, if you’re not canning the sauce and intend to use it immediately, you don’t even need to worry about lemon juice.
How To Store
Once completely cooled and frosted, store the cookies in an airtight container on the counter. I like to put them in the refrigerator if it’s longer than two days. Because the cookies are frosted, moisture can cause the cookies to go bad more quickly.
Recipe
Applesauce Cookies with Frosting and Pecans
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For more information, be sure to check the recipe details in the attached 24Bite® post.
Equipment
- Medium mixing bowl
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Standing mixer but hand mixer could be used instead
- Baking Sheets
- Parchment Paper
- Wire Rack
Ingredients
- 300 grams All Purpose Flour, about 2 ½ cups spoon and fill
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon, ground
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Cloves, ground
- ¼ teaspoon Nutmeg, ground
- ½ cup Butter, salted or unsalted, 1 stick, softened, use only ¼ teaspoon salt, if using salted
- 1 cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 large Egg
- 1 ¼ cup Unsweetened Applesauce
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ½ cup Raisins
- ½ cup Pecans, chopped, optional, or use walnuts
Frosting
- ½ cup Butter, salted or unsalted, 1 stick, softened
- 4 tablespoons Cream Cheese, softened
- 2 cups Powdered Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 2 tablespoons Whipping Cream, also called Heavy Cream, or use regular milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉. If using parchment paper, consider spraying the pan lightly with cooking spray before placing the paper to keep it secure to the pan. If you aren't using parchment paper, spray the pan before baking.
- Whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, cloves and nutmeg in medium bowl until well combined.
- Pro Tip: Remove about 2 tablespoons of the flour mixture and add it to a small bowl with the raisins. Toss until raisins are coated. Set aside the raisins and set aside the flour mixture.
- Beat butter and sugar in large bowl until creamy. Add egg, beating until well combined. Mix in applesauce and vanilla extract.
- Gradually add flour mixture, about one cup at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- With a spoon or spatula, stir in raisins and pecans.
- With 1 ½" cookie scoop, measure out a piece of dough and place on parchment paper lined cookie sheet, about 1 ½ -2 inches apart.
- Place cookies in preheated oven for 11-13 minutes. Cookies shouldn't brown. The center should be just set.
- Remove from oven and remove to wire rack immediately to cool.
- Once cooled completely, frost each cookie as desired.
- Frosting: Cream butter and cream cheese until fluffy. Slowly add powdered sugar, about ½ cup at a time. Add vanilla extract and continue mixing until smooth. Using a whisk attachment, if available, whisk in heavy cream (or milk), one tablespoon at a time. Whisk on a high speed until light and fluffy.
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Notes
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. All amounts are estimates and 24Bite® takes no responsibility for actual figures since calculations vary by packaging and supplier. Please calculate the amounts yourself based on package labeling if you have specific dietary requirements. 24Bite®, Kim Guzman or Christian Guzman shall not be liable for adverse reactions or any other outcome resulting from the use of recipes or recommendations on this website or actions you take as a result.
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