Apple Pie Cookies
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Fall is officially here, and I’m celebrating with these irresistible Apple Pie Cookies!
Think of these cookies like mini apple pies filled with gooey, spiced apple pie filling and finished with a touch of caramel drizzle. The cookie dough acts as your buttery, flaky “crust,” while the warm apple filling is packed with cozy fall spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Every bite tastes like a comforting slice of homemade apple pie, just in cookie form!
This recipe takes inspiration from my Cinnamon Roll Cookies and the classic thumbprint cookie, combining them with an irresistible apple filling for a treat that’s just as tasty as pie, just without all the extra effort.
If you are looking for more apple pie-inspired recipes, you have to try these Apple Pie Bars (they taste just like apple pie but in bite-sized bar form), my Puff Pastry Apple Tart (so easy to make!), or this classic Apple Pie recipe that my family makes multiple times around the holidays!
Table Talk with Tawnie
If you’re looking to mix things up from all the pumpkin this Fall, you have to try these Apple Pie Cookies! They’re one of my favorite ways to enjoy all the sugary, warm, fall flavors in a delicious cookie form! And don’t let the steps fool you! These cookies are really easy to make and definitely worth it. One of my go-to cookies every Fall!
- Apples: Use your favorite apples for apple pie. Pink Lady, Granny Smith, or Honey Crisp are some ideas! And if you have extra apples leftover, be sure to check out all of my favorite Fall apple recipes here!
- All-purpose flour: After re-testing this recipe, I decided to use all-purpose flour instead of a mixture of cake flour and all-purpose flour to make these cookies more chewy instead of cakey. As always, it’s very important to make sure you’re using the spoon and level method to measure your flour when baking (you can also use a kitchen scale to weigh your ingredients). Too much flour can result in drier, harder cookies, which you definitely don’t want with these!
- Lemon Juice: A little bit of lemon juice added to the apples helps prevent oxidation, and it adds a bright, citrusy flavor to the filling.
- Cornstarch: The cornstarch is key to giving these cookies that delectably soft center that’s just to die for. It also helps to keep the cookies thick and chewy.
- Egg + egg yolk: The extra egg yolk adds richness, soft tenderness, and helps bind the dough. Make sure both your egg and egg yolk are at room temperature.
Step by Step Directions
(For the full recipe, scroll down to the recipe card below)
Make apple filling
Start by cutting the apples and pouring lemon juice on top. Then bring your sugar mixture to a simmer and cook apples until tender. The mixture should be thick! Remove from heat, stir in the butter, and allow to cool.
Cream together the softened butter and sugars. Then add the rest of the wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients, then gradually combine with the wet ingredients until the dough forms.
Scoop dough into balls then roll in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place on the prepared baking sheets and use the back of a tablespoon (or your thumb) to gently press a well into the center of each dough ball.
Bake
Add the apple pie filling, then bake for 8-10 minutes.
Allow cookies to cool completely. Then spoon a little more of the apple filling into each well, sprinkle with crushed graham crackers, drizzle each cookie with caramel, and ENJOYYY 🙂
Expert Tips
- Chop apples: Be sure to chop the apples very small and evenly for these cookies. That way you get more apple in each bite. I love this food chopper to make the process really quick and simple!
- Shallow indentation: Don’t press the well too deeply into the cookie dough. You want a shallow indentation, just enough to hold the filling. If the imprint is too deep, the cookies can bake up too thin and lose their chewy, soft texture.
- Underbake slightly: You want to pull these cookies out when the edges are just set and the centers still appear slightly underbaked. This keeps the cookies soft and chewy once cooled.
- Extra cinnamon sugar = better imprint: Rolling the cookies in cinnamon sugar adds a little texture and helps define the indentation for the apple filling.
- Filling fix: If your apple mixture seems too thin, just cook it a minute longer or add extra cornstarch slurry to thicken it up.
- Make dough in advance: You can make the cookie dough in advance and store it in the refrigerator, so the process goes quicker when ready to bake off the cookies.
- Let cool: Make sure to let the cookies cool before glazing or drizzling with caramel or it will melt right off.
Want perfectly circular cookies? While the cookies are still warm, place a circle cookie cutter or a circular drinking glass around one of the cookies (it should be larger than the cookie so you don’t cut off any edges) and give the cookies a spin. It’s so quick and easy and makes a huge difference!
Variations / Substitutions
- Glaze: Instead of a caramel drizzle, try glazing with a powdered sugar glaze (1/2 cup powdered sugar and a splash of milk).
- Gluten-free: Use Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour in place of the all-purpose flour.
- Cake flour: If you prefer these cookies more cake-like (like the original recipe), you can use a combination of cake flour and all-purpose flour. I personally have found I prefer these cookies with a more chewy texture but make them however you enjoy!
Think of this cookie series as a warm-up round before the gingerbread men, candy canes, and red & green sprinkles take over. These recipes will be sure to get you in the baking mood without diving headfirst into December just yet.
Storage / Freezing
- Store: Store these cookies in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Freeze: Place the cookies in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Then, transfer them to an airtight container or a freezer bag, separating layers with parchment paper. Thaw at room temperature when ready to eat.
- Make ahead: You can make the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 2–3 days. Allow to come to room temperature, then continue the recipe as directed.
FAQs
Use any kind of apple you would use for apple pie! I like Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, Granny Smith, or Fuji apples. You can also combine varieties for a more complex flavor!
What kind of caramel should I use?
I just used store-bought caramel to drizzle these cookies, but homemade also works great!
There are a few reasons your cookies might have turned out thin. 1. You may have dug your well a little too deep for the apple pie filling. You want a shallow indentation, just enough to hold the filling. 2. Another reason may be that your dough was too warm. Feel free to pop the dough in the fridge for 10 minutes or so before forming your cookies to help the dough come together and prevent spreading.
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Ingredients
- 2 mediem Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, Granny Smith, or Fuji apples ( peeled, cored, and finely diced)
- 2 Tbsp. lemon juice (fresh)
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup dark brown sugar (packed)
- 1/4 cup granulated white sugar
- 1 Tbsp. cornstarch
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
- 2 tsp. unsalted Butter
- 1 cup unsalted butter (softened to room temperature)
- 1¼ cups granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup dark brown sugar (packed)
- 1 egg and 1 egg yolk (room temperature)
- 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
- 2 tsp. cornstarch
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 3/4 tsp. fine sea salt
For Rolling:
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- Garnish: caramel and crushed cinnamon graham crackers
Last step! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Make the apple pie filling: Place the diced apples in a bowl and pour lemon juice over them.2 mediem Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, Granny Smith, or Fuji apples, 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
- Add to saucepan: Add the water, sugars, cornstarch, and spices to a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Add the apples and cook for ~5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally until the mixture thickens. Apples should be tender and cooked.1/2 cup water, 1/4 cup dark brown sugar, 1/4 cup granulated white sugar, 1 Tbsp. cornstarch, 1 tsp. ground cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. ground cloves, 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
- Stir in butter and let cool: Remove from the heat and stir in the butter. Allow to cool while you make the cookie dough. Note: The filling should be thick and “goopy,” not runny. If it’s still thin after cooking, whisk together a little more cornstarch and water (1/2 tsp cornstarch + 1 tsp water) and stir it in over medium-high heat until thickened further.2 tsp. unsalted Butter
- Preheat oven: Preheat to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Make the cookie dough: In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy (2–3 minutes). Beat in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla until smooth.1 cup unsalted butter, 1¼ cups granulated sugar, 1/4 cup dark brown sugar, 1 egg and 1 egg yolk, 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
- Whisk dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cornstarch, cinnamon, and salt.3 cups all-purpose flour, 2 tsp. cornstarch, 1 tsp. baking powder, 1/2 tsp. baking soda, 3/4 tsp. fine sea salt, 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- Combine ingredients: Gradually add to the wet ingredients, mixing just until combined. You can chill the dough briefly for 10 minutes if needed.
- Form & coat: In a small bowl, mix 1/4 cup sugar with 1/2 tsp cinnamon. Scoop dough (about 3 Tbsp each), roll into balls, and coat in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Arrange on prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart.1/4 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- Create the imprint: Use the back of a tablespoon or your thumb to gently press a well into the center of each dough ball. Don’t press too deep; you want a shallow indentation, just enough to hold the filling. If the imprint is too deep, the cookies can bake up too thin and lose their chewy, soft texture. Add about 1 Tbsp. Apple pie filling in each cookie.
- Bake: Bake for 8-10 minutes or until edges are just set and centers still appear slightly underbaked. If cookies spread or bake into uneven shapes, cookie scoot immediately after removing from the oven to make them nice and round.
- Cool & fill: Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes to finish setting before transferring to a wire rack. Once fully cooled, spoon a little more of the cooled apple filling into each well.
- Garnish: Sprinkle with crushed graham crackers and a drizzle of caramel. ENJOYYY 🙂Garnish: caramel and crushed cinnamon graham crackers
Notes
- Caramel: I used a store-bought caramel, but any caramel drizzle (store-bought or homemade) works.
- Store: Store these cookies in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Make ahead: You can also prep the cookie dough 2-3 days in advance and store in the refrigerator until ready to bake if desired.
- Glaze: Instead of a caramel drizzle, try glazing with a powdered sugar glaze. (Mix 1/2 cup powdered sugar and a splash of milk)
- Update: This recipe was updated in October 2025. I slightly adjusted the recipe to make the sugar cookie base a little less cakey and more chewy by removing the cake flour and only using all-purpose flour. The recipe was also updated with new photos and helpful tips 🙂
Nutrition Information
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is automatically calculated. It should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Kroll’s Korner can’t make any guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
📸 Photography by Marie Dubé
Oh Tawnie, your recipes are always so good and my family and friends love them. These apple pie cookies were no exception – fabulous! I was wondering if you have ideas or thoughts on how to make them with other fruit fillings (blueberry, peach, strawberry, etc.) since I thought I could bake different flavors of pie cookies for PI day since I don’t bake pies.
Thank you so much Jodi! I haven’t made other variations yet but I think peach pie would make for a delicious cookie. I have these pecan pie cookies too: https://krollskorner.com/recipes/desserts/cookies/pecan-pie-cookies/
Do you think the finished cookies would freeze well? Thank you! Looking forward to trying!
Yes totally! Good question. Freeze for up to 3 months 🙂
Thank you so much! I actually was just re-reading through the recipe and found the answer to this question right in your notes. 🥰
I made this today and they are the best. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe.
they look soo beautiful! thank you!
could i reduce the sugar in this recipe? how can i calculate the amount of sugar if I want to use less sugar for soft cookie? Thanks
I am not sure, I haven’t tested it any other way than how it is written.
another KILLER recipe!!! I drizzled mine with a simple powdered sugar vanilla glaze and they were so yummy. I’m usually a “GIVE ME CHOCOLATE” cookie gal, but I devoured these! Thank you!
They look so perfect! Thank you Jen!
WHAT IS THE WEIGHT OF EACH COOKIE? DO YOU HAVE TO FREEZE THEM BEFORE BAKING?
I haven’t weighed each cookie out before so I am unsure. And no need to freeze.
So yummy. Easier to transport than pie too! They were a huge success at the party. Thank you!
Totally agree, thank you Whit!!
Hi!! I’m really excited to give this recipe a try! I usually prep batches of unbaked cookie dough in advance and freeze them. How would you recommend I proceed for a cookie like this?
Thanks so much Nicole! I would make the dough and roll it into balls and freeze and when you’re ready to bake, let them come to room temp and then make the indentation in them 🙂 let me know how it goes for you! xo
Tried this tonight. My dough was kind of soft. I measured exactly. Should i have added a little more flour? Everyone gobbled them up and said how good.
Hi Patty! Thank you for making them! 🙂 Maybe 1-2 tbsp. more, or you could chill the dough for a little. I am glad everyone enjoyed!! xo, Tawnie
Is there a specific reason for using part cake flour?
Hi! Cake flour is finer, softer and lighter than All-Purpose Flour and I find using a mix of both cake flour and All-Purpose results in the perfect cookie. However, you can use all purpose flour in its place, it’s OK! xo, Tawnie