4.84 from 37 reviews

Apple Butter Snickerdoodles

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These Apple Butter Cookies stay soft for days, are thick and full of cinnamon-y flavor!

Snickerdoodles are an obsession around here and if you haven’t tried my white chocolate snickerdoodles or pumpkin snickerdoodles you need to try them out ASAP!

After all, it’s peak cookie season and there’s nothing better than freshly baked cookies on a cozy night.

These snickerdoodles are filled with flavorful apple butter (I just used store bought) and are super light and fluffy. They are similar to my maple cookies but with apple butter flare.

They’re made with cream of tartar so they have that classic snickerdoodle flavor but with an apple butter spin. It’s a hug in a cookie and a fun spin on the classic cookie we all know and love.

an apple butter cookie with a bite taken out of it.

Reasons to make apple butter snickerdoodles:

  • First of all, do we reaaaallly need a reason?! ๐Ÿ˜‰
  • They’re puffy, soft and thick
  • Rolled in cinnamon and sugar to guarantee cinnamon-y goodness
  • A holiday classic and loved by all
  • Freezer friendly
  • Did I mention how SOFT they are?!
an up close image of scooped cookie dough.

I hope you love these Apple Butter Cookies!

Ingredient Notes for Apple Butter Cookies

For the ingredient measurements and entire recipe, be sure to scroll down to the bottom of the blog post where the recipe card is located.

ingredients needed to make apple butter cookies.
  • Apple Butter: A store bought apple butter works perfectly fine here. However if you have some homemade you want to use, go for it! The apple butter flavor isn’t very strong of over-powering it just adds a little flavor and moisture to the cookie
  • Flour: A mix of cake flour and all purpose flour is what I love. Be sure to spoon and level the flour so you don’t end up with more flour than needed.
  • Butter: cold butter, no need to use softened here.
  • Cream of tartar: gives snickerdoodle cookies it’s classic flavor
  • Cinnamon: I use 1 1/2 tsp. I’ve found that’s enough especially since the cookie gets rolled in additional cinnamon and sugar, but feel free to use more if you prefer more cinnamon flavor.
  • Other basic baking ingredients: sugar, brown sugar, salt, baking soda, egg, vanilla
cookie dough in a glass mixing bowl with apple butter.

Step by Step Directions

See the recipe card below for the full detailed instructions.

  1. Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large bowl and set aside.
  2. Cream the butter and sugars together
  3. Then add in the apple butter, egg yolk and vanilla extract and blend until mixed.
  4. Gradually add in the flour mixture until ingredients are incorporated.
  5. Scoop into dough balls and chill.
  6. Once chilled, roll in cinnamon/sugar mixture.
  7. Bake cookies for ~10-11 minutes. *They might look underdone when they come out of the oven, give it some time, they will set up and be soft for days!
  8. Cool and add glaze.
a womans hand rolling cookie dough in cinnamon and sugar.

Expert Tips

  • Chilling the cookie dough is important since we added apple butter, this will help prevent them from spreading. Chill in the refrigerator for up to 3 days if needed (but all that is needed is 1-2 hours at least), and allow to come to room temperature prior to baking.
  • Use a mix of both All-Purpose flour and cake flour: I’ve tested without cake flour and the cookie is more dense. It’s still delicious, but I just love the cake-y center when using a combination of both flours.
  • Don’t skip out on the cream of tartar, it’s what sets these cookies apart from basic sugar cookies.
  • Be careful not to over mix the dry ingredients. Mix just until dry ingredients are combined, over mixing can cause the cookies to collapse in the center.
glaze being drizzled over cookies with a spoon.
glazed apple butter cookies on white parchment paper.

Apple Butter Cookies FAQ

How can I freeze the cookie dough balls? (Prior to baking)

Once you make the cookie dough, roll into balls and freeze for up to 2 months. Once you’re ready to bake them, allow them to reach room temperature, then roll in the cinnamon/sugar mixture and bake according to recipe directions.

Can I make these gluten free?

Yes! Use your favorite gluten free flour. We love Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-1 flour.

Can I freeze the cookies? (Once baked)

Yes! Once baked, allow to cool completely and place in freeze safe baggie for up to 3 months.

Can I omit the apple butter and simply make regular snickerdoodles?

I can’t offer advise on that for this recipe since I haven’t tried yet. I’d imagine it could work, the cookies may be a little less moist. If you do try, leave a comment down below and let us know how it went!

Which flavor of snickerdoodle do you think you'd like better?

Before You Begin! 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.

4.84 from 37 reviews

Apple Butter Snickerdoodles

Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Total: 20 minutes
Servings: 20 cookies
Apple Butter meets snickerdoodle cookies and my heart has never been happier! Made with apple butter, rolled in cinnamon and sugar, and finished with an apple butter glaze. It's a hug in cookie form; soft, pillowy, thick cookie deliciousness!

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 2/3 cup cake flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
  • 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
  • 12 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cold, cut into cubes
  • 1 1/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
  • 1/3 cup apple butter (I used store-bought)
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract

Cinnamon/Sugar topping

  • 2 Tbsp. sugar
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon

Glaze

  • 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 Tbsp. apple butter
  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • pinch of salt
  • splash of milk to thin out, if needed

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 

  • Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats and set aside.
  • Whisk together the all-purpose flour, cake flour, cream of tartar, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and nutmeg together in a large bowl. Set aside.
    2 cups all purpose flour, 2/3 cup cake flour, 1 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar, 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. baking soda, 1/2 tsp. baking powder, 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
  • Cream together the butter and brown sugar using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, ~3-4 minutes. Start off on low speed, then you can increase the speed to medium once the butter is incorporated into the sugar.
    12 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cold, cut into cubes, 1 1/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
  • Add in apple butter and combine.
    1/3 cup apple butter (I used store-bought), 1 large egg yolk, 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • Then add the egg yolk and vanilla until combined.
  • Add in dry ingredients, gradually until ingredients are incorporated. (Do not over mix).
  • Using a 2 Tbsp. cookie scoop, scoop the dough and drop onto a plate or baking sheet (be sure there is room in the fridge if using a baking sheet). Chill the scooped dough balls for 30 minutes – 1 hour or up to overnight.
  • Mix the granulated sugar and cinnamon in a small dish.
    2 Tbsp. sugar, 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Drop the chilled cookie dough balls in the cinnamon sugar mixture, tossing to coat all sides. Place on the prepared baking sheet. 
  • Bake for 10-11 minutes. Cookies will be very soft and puffy at first, allow to cool on the pan for an additional 10 minutes, then move to a cooling rack to cool completely.
  • Once cooled, make the glaze. Add the melted butter to a medium bowl and whisk in the remaining glaze ingredients until smooth, adding a splash of milk if needed to thin it out.
    2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted, 1 cup powdered sugar, 2 Tbsp. apple butter, 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract, pinch of salt
  • Drizzle over cookies, add a sprinkle of any leftover cinnamon sugar on top of the glaze if desired, and enjoy!

Video

Notes

  • Don’t skip out on the cream of tartar, it’s what sets these cookies apart from basic sugar cookies.
  • Be careful not to over mix the dry ingredients. Mix just until dry ingredients are combined, over mixing can cause the cookies to collapse in the center.
  • Freeze baked and cooled cookies for up to 3 months.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1cookie, Calories: 199kcal (10%), Carbohydrates: 29g (10%), Protein: 2g (4%), Fat: 8g (12%), Saturated Fat: 5g (31%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 36mg (12%), Sodium: 209mg (9%), Potassium: 88mg (3%), Fiber: 1g (4%), Sugar: 16g (18%), Vitamin A: 261IU (5%), Vitamin C: 1mg (1%), Calcium: 17mg (2%), Iron: 1mg (6%)

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: photos taken in this post are by Megan from The Broke Girl Table.

Krolls Korner

Krolls Korner

Welcome to my tiny โ€œkornerโ€ on the Internet! I am a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist who loves cookies as much as kale. (OK, maybe I like cookies a little bit more but shh, donโ€™t tell anyone). I am so glad youโ€™re here! Follow along for hassle free, realistic and approachable recipes.

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4.84 from 37 votes (20 ratings without comment)
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37 Comments
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T-wag

These are great! Great flavour and soft but snappy! Freeze well, even with the glaze. A solid cookie recipe, and easy.

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Dani

Hiiii! These are my favorite ! What is the best way to store them ? And how to store the extra apple butter glaze

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Tiffany

Okay this is my 3rd time making this cookie and it’s 10 out of 10 a hit! I’ve made it twice as written and one time as a pumpkin version. I followed the recipe the same way and used 100% organic pumpkin puree instead of apple butter also following the same measurements as above. I have to tell you anyone who has tried these cookies, their eyes light up upon their first bite! I also am a sucker for anything with chocolate and this cookie as almost converted me to having this snickerdoodle as my top favorite cookie ever!

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Nikki

I made these for a friend’s birthday, I made a double batch and cut out a little bit of the sugar from the cookie dough- probably 1-2 tablespoons; I also made them a little larger than suggested, but they turned out well!
The cookies turned out soft and sweet like apple pie.

The next time I make them, I may add a little bit more of the apple butter to the cookie dough, or add a small amount of it to the baked snickerdoodle.

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Lauren

This recipe is so delicious! Whatโ€™s the best way to store the cookies since the glaze has apple butter and a splash of milk? Thank you!

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Dionne

Do you have any suggestions for adding oatmeal and raisins to these?

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Tammy

Fabulous! The depth of flavor is amazing! Snickerdoodles are a favorite fall cookie in our house and what a great way to feature apple butter!! The cookies baked well and taste especially good with the frosting.

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Tyler

Soft cookies, balanced flavor. Definitely a notch up from your standard snickerdoodle! They rise beautifully and don’t spread too much.

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Emily

I love this recipe!! I made these all of November, and had such a positive response, I’m still making them into December!! I typically don’t prefer snickerdoodles, but love apple butter. This was a perfect combination for my taste buds, thank you so much for sharing!!

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Whit

The BEST cookie I have ever made. My gracious, they are chewy and moist. Literally like heaven in a bite. Do not skip this recipe.

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Whit

Another batch…soooo amazing!

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