Apple Spiced Cookies
Add Preferred SourceThese Apple Spiced Cookies are a cozy mash-up of all your favorite fall flavors with a sweet apple twist and a dreamy caramel ice cream topping. They’re easy to make and a hit at any autumn party or a cozy afternoon at home.
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This recipe is a delicious mix of textures and flavors, thanks to the spiced apple filling and soft cookie base. The preparation and baking process takes about 1.5 hours, but it’s straightforward enough for beginner bakers to tackle. These cookies are ideal for fall gatherings, holiday parties, family desserts, or a sweet weekend bake-off.
Ingredients You’ll Need
You’ll need all the ingredients shown in the photograph below.
How to make Apple Spiced Cookies with Step-by-Step Instructions
Ready to make some apple spiced cookies? Let’s get baking! Here’s how you can create these delightful treats right in your kitchen.
Cream Butter and Sugar
First, grab a large mixing bowl and cream together one stick of room-temperature unsalted butter with ½ cup of sugar and ¼ cup of brown sugar. Use a hand mixer until the mixture is fluffy and light. Next, crack in an egg and splash in some vanilla extract, then mix again.
Dough Time
Sift together your dry ingredients—flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and a pinch of salt. Gradually add the flour mixture to your butter mixture and mix until a nice cookie dough forms. Cover this up and chill in the fridge for an hour. When you’re about 15 minutes away from taking out the dough, start on your apple filling.
SERIOUSLY GOOD
DESSERTS!
Dessert First is a collection of 61 RECIPES to show you that you can make beautiful, impressive desserts right in your own kitchen, no matter your skill level.
Immediate eBook download. No physical book available.
Includes ad-free recipes like:
∙ Lemon Pound Cake
∙ Starbucks Cake Pops
∙ Boston Cream Pie
∙ Chocolate Mousse
∙ Matcha Tiramisu
...and much more!
Apple Filling
Peel and finely chop your large apple. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the apple pieces with a little more butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar. Stir until everything melts and begins to bubble. Mix some water and cornstarch together, pour it into the pan, and let it simmer for about 5 minutes until thick. Turn off the heat and let it cool slightly.
Shaping the Cookies
Once your dough has chilled, preheat your oven and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Shape the dough into nine balls and roll each in sugar to coat. Flatten them slightly and press a deep indent into the center of each cookie. Spoon the apple mixture into the indents.
Bake and Enjoy!
Pop them into the oven and bake at 350°F (180°C) for about 15 minutes. Once they’re golden and delicious, pull them out and let them cool. Place some caramel ice cream over the top and a sprinkle of brown sugar. Voilà! Your apple spiced cookies are ready to eat.
Recipe Notes and Expert Tips
Here are a few tips to make sure your apple spice cookie recipe turns out perfectly every time:
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Make sure your butter and egg are at room temperature before you start. This helps them blend more smoothly into the batter.
- Apples: You can use any type of apple you like, but for the best texture and flavor, choose ones that are a bit tart and hold up well to cooking, like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp.
- Cinnamon: If you’re out of cinnamon, apple pie spice is a great substitute.
- Mixing: When mixing your cookie dough, mix just until the ingredients are combined. Overmixing can lead to tough cookies.
- Spacing Out: When placing your cookie dough balls on the baking sheet, leave enough space between them as they will spread a little during baking.
- Cooling: Let the apple filling cool a bit before adding it to the dough, and always cool your cookies on a wire rack to prevent them from becoming soggy.
- Make Ahead: You can make the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours before you plan to bake. Just let it sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes to soften slightly before shaping and baking.
- Add Nuts: If you want to add a bit of crunch, try folding in some chopped walnuts or pecans to the dough.
How to Store Leftover Apple Spice Cookies
Got some cookies left over? Here’s how to keep them tasting fresh and yummy:
- Airtight Container: Store your cooled cookies in an airtight container. This keeps them chewy and prevents them from drying out.
- Room Temperature: Keep the container at room temperature for up to 3 days. If it’s particularly warm or humid, you might want to refrigerate them to keep the filling from spoiling.
- Reheat: If you find your cookies have softened too much, pop them in the oven at 300°F for about 5 minutes to crisp them up again.
- Freezing: You can also freeze these cookies for up to 3 months. Just wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and then put them in a zip-lock bag. Thaw at room temperature when you’re ready to eat them.
What to Serve with Apple Spiced Cookies
Pairing your freshly baked apple spiced cookies with the right sides can really elevate a simple snack. Here’s what works great:
Warm Beverages
A hot drink can complement the spices in these cookies perfectly. Try serving them with a mug of hot apple cider or a steaming cup of chai tea. The warm spices in the beverage will enhance those in the cookies, making for a cozy, comforting treat.
Ice Cream
If you’re serving these cookies fresh out of the oven, nothing beats a scoop of vanilla or caramel ice cream on top (as suggested in the recipe). The contrast between the warm cookie and the cold ice cream is an absolute delight.
Savory Cheese Plate
A savory cheese plate with sharp cheddar or blue cheese complements the sweet, spicy flavors of apple spice cookies perfectly. Toss in some nuts and a drizzle of honey for extra texture and taste.
More Dessert Recipes You Will Love
- Lemon Glazed Cookies
- Homemade Apple Pie Recipe
- Cinnamon Roll Apple Pie Recipe
- Creamy Cinnamon Pie Recipe
- Pumpkin Bread Pudding
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 stick unsalted butter room temp
- ½ cup sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 large apple of your choice
- 4 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ⅓ cup caramel ice cream for toppings
Instructions
- In a large bowl add the 1 stick of room temp butter, ½ cup of sugar and ¼ cup of brown sugar and mix together using a hand mixer, until it turns fluffy and creamy. Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix again.1 stick unsalted butter, ½ cup sugar, ¼ cup brown sugar, 1 egg, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Add the flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt and mix again until a cookie dough forms. Cover the bowl and place in the fridge for 1 hour. Around 10-15 minutes before you take the dough out begin making the apple filling.1 ½ cups flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt
- Chop the apples all up into tiny pieces and make sure the skin is off. In a small saucepan over medium to low heat add the apples, butter, cinnamon and brown sugar and stir until the mixture is melted and starts bubbling.¼ cup sugar, 1 large apple of your choice, 4 tablespoons brown sugar, 2 tablespoons butter, 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- Combine the water and cornstarch together and stir. Pour that into the saucepan and stir and let simmer for 5 minutes on a medium heat until the mixture becomes thick. After the 5 minutes is up turn off the heat and let the mixture cool for 5-10 minutes.¼ cup water, 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- While the apples are cooling, line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Shape the dough into 9 even balls and roll each one into the bowl of sugar, coating the entire thing in sugar. Place on the baking sheet.
- Flatten the cookie some with your hand and make a big indent with your finger in the middle of the cookie for the apples to sit in. Add the apple mixture into the middle of the cookie, about 1 tablespoon.
- Add to the preheated oven and bake at 350°F (180°C) for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely.
- Drizzle the caramel ice cream all over the top of the cookies and sprinkle just a bit of brown sugar on top! Enjoy!⅓ cup caramel ice cream
Notes
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Make sure your butter and egg are at room temperature before you start. This helps them blend more smoothly into the batter.
- Apples: You can use any type of apple you like, but for the best texture and flavor, choose ones that are a bit tart and hold up well to cooking, like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp.
- Cinnamon: If you’re out of cinnamon, apple pie spice is a great substitute.
- Brown Sugar: You can skip out on topping it with brown sugar if desired.
- Mixing: When mixing your cookie dough, mix just until the ingredients are combined. Overmixing can lead to tough cookies.
- Uniform Size: Make the cookie dough balls first before dipping into the sugar to make sure you have all the same sized balls.
- Spacing Out: When placing your cookie dough balls on the baking sheet, leave enough space between them as they will spread a little during baking.
- Cooling: Let the apple filling cool a bit before adding it to the dough, and always cool your cookies on a wire rack to prevent them from becoming soggy.
- Make Ahead: You can make the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours before you plan to bake. Just let it sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes to soften slightly before shaping and baking.
- Add Nuts: If you want to add a bit of crunch, try folding in some chopped walnuts or pecans to the dough.
Storage Instructions
- Airtight Container: Store your cooled cookies in an airtight container. This keeps them chewy and prevents them from drying out.
- Room Temperature: Keep the container at room temperature for up to 3 days. If it’s particularly warm or humid, you might want to refrigerate them to keep the filling from spoiling.
- Reheat: If you find your cookies have softened too much, pop them in the oven at 300°F for about 5 minutes to crisp them up again.
- Freezing: You can also freeze these cookies for up to 3 months. Just wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and then put them in a zip-lock bag. Thaw at room temperature when you’re ready to eat them.
Nutrition
SERIOUSLY GOOD
DESSERTS!
Dessert First is a collection of 61 RECIPES to show you that you can make beautiful, impressive desserts right in your own kitchen, no matter your skill level.
Immediate eBook download. No physical book available.
Includes ad-free recipes like:
∙ Lemon Pound Cake
∙ Starbucks Cake Pops
∙ Boston Cream Pie
∙ Chocolate Mousse
∙ Matcha Tiramisu
...and much more!
About the Author
Hey there! I’m Mandy
Mandy Applegate is a home cook, food blogger, and writer who believes the best meals are the ones shared with the people you love.
She’s all about easy recipes that taste amazing, the kind that make ordinary days feel a little more special and remind you why cooking at home matters.
She has been published on NBC, the Daily News, the Boston Herald, and the Chicago Sun-Times, amongst many others.
What temperature do you cook these at?
Great question! Sorry for the oversight — I recommend baking these at 350°F (180°C). I’ll make sure to update the recipe so it’s clear for everyone. Thank you for asking!
probably the worst written recipe. oven temp? make balls and roll out, next thing is make 9 balls and roll out. individual instructions are given with repeat of ingredients. i will try just figure out what she is trying to say.
Thank you for your honest feedback, Alice — I really appreciate it! I have reviewed the recipe and made edits to ensure it’s easier to follow.