Healthy Apple Peanut Butter Cookies With Applesauce (Vegan + GF)

Name: Healthy Apple Peanut Butter Cookies With Applesauce
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 13 min
Total time: 28 min
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon chia seeds; 2.5 tablespoons water; 1 cup peanut butter; 1 cup applesauce (unsweetened); ¼ cup maple syrup; ⅛ cup olive oil; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 1 cup oats ((I use Trader Joe's gluten-free rolled oats)); 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon; 1 teaspoon baking powder; ½ teaspoon baking soda; ¼ teaspoon salt; ½ cup green apples (chopped (or any preferred apple))

by Kaileigh Gaffney on Nov 30, 2023 (updated Aug 19, 2025) 2 comments

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5 stars (2 ratings)

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These Healthy Apple Peanut Butter Cookies With Applesauce are a favorite snack amongst my kids! They’re refined sugar-free, vegan, and gluten-free.

This healthy cookie recipe has a rich peanut butter flavor with a hint of cinnamon, apple, and oats. This is a cookie I feel good about giving my kids. They’re a nutritious snack that is similar to the classic snack – apple slices and peanut butter!

My kids also really love these Vegan Apple Cinnamon Muffins and Healthy Sweet Potato Zucchini Muffins as other delicious snack options!

Why You’ll Love These Cookies!

Low in sugar: These cookies are mostly sweetened naturally with applesauce and chopped apples, but I also included 1/4 cup of maple syrup. Feel free to omit the maple syrup if you’d like, just know that the cookies will be very mildly sweet-tasting.
Balanced Snack/Treat: I love that these cookies have a great combo of healthy fats, protein, and fiber!
Fun to make (and eat) with your kids! This is an easy recipe to make and is a fun one to get your kids involved in!

Recipe Ingredients

You’ll need the following ingredients to make these Apple and Peanut Butter Cookies:

Ingredient Notes

Oats: I like to use gluten-free rolled oats and blend them briefly in the blender to make it more of an oat flour.
Applesauce: Be sure to use unsweetened applesauce to be sure this recipe is refined sugar free.
Apples: You can use green or any preferred apple variety!

Additions & Substitutions

Raisins
Dried Cranberries
Chocolate Chips
Cacao Nibs
Nuts: Walnuts or pecans would taste nice!
Olive Oil: You can replace the olive oil for any neutral oil if you prefer.
Peanut Butter: You can use any nut butter here or, if you need to keep the recipe nut-free, you can use something like sunflower seed butter.
Chia Seeds: You can swap the chia egg for a real egg if preferred.

How to Make Apple Peanut Butter Cookies: Step-by-Step

For the full recipe with the exact ingredients, scroll down to the printable recipe card below!

Apple peanut butter cookie wet ingredients in a bowl.

Step 1: In a small bowl, make the chia egg by mixing 1 tablespoon chia seeds with 2.5 tablespoons of water and let it sit for a few minutes until it forms a gel-like consistency. In a medium bowl, mix peanut butter, applesauce, maple syrup, olive oil, vanilla extract, and chia egg.

Dry ingredients mixed together in a bowl.

Step 2: In a separate bowl, mix oats, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Dry and wet ingredients mixed together with diced apples.

Step 3: Pour dry ingredients into the peanut butter mixture and stir to combine. Add the apple chunks and mix again.

Step 4: Use a cookie scoop or a spoon to scoop spoonfuls of dough onto a lined baking sheet. Bake cookies in the oven for 13-15 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit. The cookies will still be soft but golden brown on the bottoms.

Storage & Reheating

Counter: Store cookies in an airtight container on the counter for up to 2 days.
Fridge: Store cookies in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. They’re really good when they’re warmed up!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add any extra ingredients to these apple cookies?

I find that these cookies are perfect the way they are, but for some extra flavor and/or nutrients, you could try adding raisins, dried cranberries (check that there’s no added sugar), chocolate chips, or cacao nibs.

Can I make these cookies nut-free?

Yes! If your child has a peanut allergy or if their classroom is nut-free, you could try making these with sunflower seed butter! Please note that when sunflower butter is mixed with baking powder/soda, it can cause a reaction and turn it green. Wild, I know!

Are these cookies gluten-free?

As long as you are using gluten-free oats, then yes, they’re gluten-free cookies. I like to use Trader Joe’s Gluten-Free Rolled Oats.

I’m not vegan. Can I use a regular egg?

Yes, absolutely! Add it to the cookie dough mixture as you would the chia egg.

Can I omit the maple syrup?

Yes! You can replace the maple syrup with more applesauce if you want this recipe to have no added sugar. This would be a great option if you were serving these cookies as a baby-led weaning recipe! *If you are serving the cookies as a baby-led weaning recipe, use grated apple instead of chunks to minimize choking risk.

Did you try this recipe?

Let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment and rating below! Or tag me on Instagram and share what you made!

More Healthy Snack Recipes You’ll Love!

Chocolate Almond Butter Balls in a bowl. — Chocolate Almond Butter Balls

Chocolate Chip Brownie Bars on a wire rack. — Chocolate Chip Brownie Bars

Pumpkin muffins on a plate. — Banana Pumpkin Muffins (GF)

Applesauce muffins on a plate. — Banana Muffins With Applesauce

5 stars (2 ratings)