Description
Delight in soft, moist Caramelized Applesauce Chocolate Chip Cookies featuring a rich browned butter flavor, reduced thick applesauce for natural sweetness, and gooey semisweet chocolate chips. These cookies balance a tender crumb with a hint of coarse salt on top for a perfect sweet-salty finish.
Ingredients
Scale
Applesauce Reduction
- 3 cup unsweetened applesauce
Browned Butter
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, divided (¾ cup for browning, ¼ cup added later)
Dry Ingredients
- 1½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1½ teaspoon kosher salt
Sugars and Flavorings
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
Mix-ins and Finishing
- 1½ cup heaping bitter- or semisweet chocolate chips or chunks (64% cacao recommended), plus more for sprinkling on top
- Coarse salt, for finishing
Instructions
- Reduce Applesauce: In a medium enamel pot over medium-high heat, cook 3 cups of unsweetened applesauce, stirring frequently as it thickens and moisture evaporates. Scrape down the pot sides and bottom to incorporate browned bits. Reduce by two-thirds to a thick, paste-like consistency filling about 1 cup measure—this should take 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cool at least 1 hour or chill overnight before use.
- Bend the Butter: Melt ¾ cup of butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally for 3 minutes while butter foams, then continue cooking 2 to 3 minutes until milk solids brown and bubbling eases. Remove from heat, scrape browned bits into a large bowl or stand mixer bowl, add the remaining ¼ cup butter and stir to melt. Cool at least 1 hour or chill overnight, bringing to room temperature before use.
- Prepare Dry Ingredients: Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Combine Applesauce Mixture: Add the egg and vanilla to the cooled caramelized applesauce and stir well until thoroughly combined.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: To the bowl with browned butter, add granulated and brown sugars. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer paddle attachment, beat on low then high speed for 1½ minutes. Scrape sides, beat 1½ minutes more, scraping again until light and fluffy. Gradually add half the applesauce/egg mixture, beat, then add the rest halfway through for total 3-minute mixing.
- Fold in Dry Ingredients: Using a rubber spatula, fold in the flour mixture gently until almost incorporated. Scrape bowl sides and bottom to incorporate any settled flour.
- Add Chocolate Chips: Fold in chocolate chips or chunks evenly throughout the dough.
- Chill Dough: Cover dough tightly in an airtight container or plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours, preferably overnight or up to 3 days for best flavor and texture.
- Preheat Oven and Portion Dough: Position racks in upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 400°F. Let dough temper at room temperature 15 to 20 minutes. Scoop dough using a ⅓-cup measure, spacing at least 4 inches apart on two parchment-lined baking sheets. Top each cookie with a few extra chocolate chips or chunks.
- Bake Cookies: Bake 8 minutes, then bang the pans to encourage spreading; reduce oven to 350°F. Rotate pans top to bottom and bake 4 more minutes, bang pans again, then bake an additional 2 minutes. The cookies should be browned on top but centers remain soft. Immediately sprinkle coarse salt on melted chocolate surface.
- Cool Cookies: Let cookies cool on pans at least 10 minutes before transferring to wire racks. Cool an additional 10 to 15 minutes before serving to avoid breakage.
Notes
- Caramelizing the applesauce by reducing the moisture is crucial for rich flavor and proper texture.
- Browning the butter adds depth with nutty aromas and enhances cookie taste.
- Chilling the dough allows flavors to develop and improves cookie structure.
- Banging the pans during baking helps encourage spreading since the dough is moist and low in sugar.
- You can vary cookie size: smaller cookies bake 11 minutes; slice chilled dough logs into thin pieces for thinner cookies baked 12 to 14 minutes.
- Use coarse salt on top immediately after baking to enhance the sweet and salty flavor contrast.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 large cookie
- Calories: 260
- Sugar: 14g
- Sodium: 210mg
- Fat: 13g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0.1g
- Carbohydrates: 32g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 40mg
