Caramel Apple Chocolate Chip Cookies — Fall Dessert Recipe

Is anyone else trudging through the rain? The weather here in Orange County has been wild lately. I’d take sunny skies back in a heartbeat, but at least it’s not snow.

Today I’m taking a short break from my usual healthy dinner recipes to share a decadently delicious cookie: a caramel apple chocolate chip cookie that’s not too bad for you. I’ve also been practicing with my digital SLR, which had been tucked away because I was intimidated by it. In this post I snapped photos of nearly every step while I experimented with the recipe. You probably already know how to bake cookies, but I wanted to share the results anyway.

I decided to try a “Caramel Apple” cookie and the experiment was a success: soft, chewy and full of caramel-apple flavor. We’ve been nibbling on them for the last couple of days and they’re disappearing fast. I used King Arthur white whole wheat flour for a lighter texture and color while still keeping some whole-grain goodness. I also added a bit of flaxseed meal, which blends into the cookie without being noticeable — you can omit it and replace with extra flour if you prefer. For half of the butter I used coconut oil, which gives a lovely flavor and texture in cookies. With all these slightly healthier swaps, it almost feels justified to enjoy them often!

Enjoy the recipe and stop by again soon.

Break out the KitchenAid!

Playing with my camera… and sugar.

This is the coconut oil I used; I bought it at Sprouts. Any well-stocked natural foods store will carry it.

Dice your apples into small, even pieces — about 1/4 inch is perfect.

Unwrap 10 Kraft caramels, add 1 tablespoon of milk, and melt in the microwave until smooth.

Tada!

I added the melted caramel slowly after the eggs and vanilla.

Caramel Apple N’ Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/2 cup coconut oil

1 stick softened butter (or 2 sticks butter if not using coconut oil)

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla

1 Gala apple, peeled and diced

10 Kraft caramels, unwrapped

1 tablespoon milk

2 cups King Arthur white whole wheat flour (or 2 1/4 cups if using all-purpose flour)

1/2 cup flaxseed meal (optional — substitute with extra flour if omitted)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, cream coconut oil and butter until combined. Add granulated and brown sugars and beat until light and fluffy, then mix in eggs and vanilla.

2. Place caramels and milk in a microwave-safe bowl and heat about 60 seconds, or until the caramels bubble and can be stirred smooth. Slowly add the melted caramel to the wet ingredients on low speed, then add the diced apples.

3. In a separate bowl combine the flour, flaxseed meal, baking soda and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, then fold in the chocolate chips, mixing on low until just combined.

4. Scoop the dough with a medium cookie scoop onto a parchment- or Silpat-lined baking sheet about 1 inch apart. Bake 9–11 minutes, until the edges just begin to brown. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a rack to finish cooling.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies.