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Apple pie cookies drizzled with caramel and coated with graham cracker crumbs.
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Apple Pie Cookies

These Apple Pie Cookies are everything you love about classic apple pie in cookie form! They’re filled with a gooey spiced apple filling and finished with a sweet caramel drizzle for the perfect, soft, bite-sized treat.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword apple pie cookies
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 20 cookies
Calories 405kcal
Author Tawnie Graham of Kroll's Korner

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

For the Cookies:

  • 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

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
    Side-by-side of adding chopped apples to bowl and pouring lemon juice on top.
  • 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
    Side-by-side of adding sugar mixture to small saucepan then adding apples to cook.
  • 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
    Side-by-side of apples cooked and then adding 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
    Side-by-side image of mixing wet ingredients.
  • 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
    Side-by-side image of whisking dry ingredients in mixing bowl.
  • Combine ingredients: Gradually add to the wet ingredients, mixing just until combined. You can chill the dough briefly for 10 minutes if needed.
    Side-by-side image of mixing wet and dry ingredients to form cookie dough.
  • 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
    Side-by-side image of rolling dough balls into cinnamon sugar mixture.
  • 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.
    Side-by-side of pressing indent into cookie dough balls and filling with apple pie mixture.
  • 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.
    Apple pie cookies baked for 8-10 minutes.
  • 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.
    Side-by-side of adding extra apple pie filling to cookies after baking.
  • Garnish: Sprinkle with crushed graham crackers and a drizzle of caramel. ENJOYYY :)
    Garnish: caramel and crushed cinnamon graham crackers
    Apple pie cookies drizzled with caramel and sprinkled with graham cracker crumbs to finish off.

Video

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

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 405kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 88mg | Sodium: 287mg | Potassium: 93mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 495IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 2mg