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Caramelized Applesauce Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.9 from 90 reviews
  • Author: Jaden
  • Prep Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
  • Cook Time: 45 minutes
  • Total Time: 2 hours 35 minutes
  • Yield: 10 large cookies
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American

Description

Delight in these unique Caramelized Applesauce Chocolate Chip Cookies, featuring a rich browned butter base and deeply flavored reduced applesauce for a moist, tender cookie with a perfect balance of sweet and salty notes. These cookies boast a caramelized depth from the stovetop-caramelized applesauce and browned butter, finished with melty dark chocolate chunks and a sprinkle of coarse salt for an irresistible gourmet treat.

Ingredients

Scale

Applesauce Reduction

  • 3 cups unsweetened applesauce

Browned Butter

  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, divided (¾ cup for browning, ¼ cup for stirring)

Dry Ingredients

  • 1½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 1½ teaspoons baking soda
  • 1½ teaspoons kosher salt

Sugars

  • ⅓ cup granulated sugar
  • ⅓ cup packed light brown sugar

Wet Ingredients

  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla paste or extract

Chocolate and Finishing

  • 1½ cups heaping bitter- or semisweet chocolate chips or chunks (64% cacao recommended), plus more for sprinkling
  • Coarse salt, for finishing

Instructions

  1. Reduce the Applesauce: In a medium enamel pot over medium-high heat, cook and stir the applesauce, scraping the sides frequently to prevent scorching. Continue until the applesauce reduces by two-thirds and thickens to a paste-like consistency, yielding about 1 cup. This process takes approximately 20–25 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cool for at least 1 hour or chill overnight, then bring to room temperature before using.
  2. Browning the Butter: Melt ¾ cup of butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally, allowing the milk solids to brown and the butter to foam for about 5–6 minutes until it turns a golden color and emits a nutty aroma. Remove from heat, scrape down any browned bits, and transfer to a large mixing bowl or stand mixer bowl. Stir in the remaining ¼ cup butter until melted. Let cool at least 1 hour or overnight, then bring to room temperature.
  3. Mix Dry Ingredients: Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt in a small bowl until combined.
  4. Combine Applesauce, Egg, and Vanilla: Add the egg and vanilla to the cooled reduced applesauce and stir thoroughly to blend.
  5. Cream Butter and Sugars: Using a hand mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat the browned butter with granulated and brown sugars. Start on low speed and increase to high, beating for 1½ minutes. Scrape down the bowl sides, beat another 1½ minutes until light and fluffy.
  6. Incorporate Applesauce Mixture: Add half the applesauce-egg mixture to the butter-sugar cream and beat, stopping halfway through to add the rest. Continue beating for 3 minutes, scraping as needed, until fully combined.
  7. Fold in Dry Ingredients: Gently fold the flour mixture into the wet ingredients using a rubber spatula until almost fully incorporated, ensuring no flour lumps remain.
  8. Add Chocolate Chips: Fold in the chocolate chips or chunks evenly through the cookie dough.
  9. Chill the Dough: Cover the dough with plastic wrap or transfer to an airtight container and chill for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight or up to 3 days, to develop flavors and improve texture.
  10. Prepare to Bake: Preheat oven to 400°F with racks in upper and lower thirds. Let dough temper at room temperature for 15–20 minutes. Scoop ⅓ cup-sized portions onto two parchment-lined baking sheets, spaced 4 inches apart. Top each cookie with extra chocolate chunks.
  11. Bake Cookies: Bake for 8 minutes, then bang the pans firmly to encourage spreading. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F, rotate pans top to bottom and bake for 4 more minutes. Bang pans again, then bake an additional 2 minutes until cookies are golden on top but centers remain soft. Immediately sprinkle coarse salt on top to stick to warm chocolate.
  12. Cool: Let cookies cool on baking sheets for at least 10 minutes to firm up, then transfer to wire racks. Cool another 10–15 minutes before serving to avoid breakage.

Notes

  • The caramelized applesauce adds moisture and natural sweetness, making these cookies uniquely tender and flavorful.
  • Browned butter imparts a nutty, rich flavor crucial to the cookie’s depth and complexity.
  • Banging the baking pans encourages the cookies to spread evenly despite the high moisture and lower sugar content.
  • Dough benefits greatly from chilling; for best results, chill overnight or up to three days for enhanced texture and flavor.
  • For smaller cookies, halve the dough portion and bake for 11 minutes total; for thinner cookies, freeze dough logs and slice thinly before baking 12–14 minutes.
  • Use coarse salt as a finishing touch to balance sweetness and enhance chocolate flavor.
  • Do not rush cooling; these cookies are delicate and prone to breaking if handled too soon.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 large cookie
  • Calories: 290
  • Sugar: 16g
  • Sodium: 210mg
  • Fat: 16g
  • Saturated Fat: 9g
  • Unsaturated Fat: 6g
  • Trans Fat: 0g
  • Carbohydrates: 35g
  • Fiber: 2g
  • Protein: 3g
  • Cholesterol: 45mg

Find it online: https://yummyhere.com/caramelized-applesauce-chocolate-chip-cookies-recipe/