Warm, Gooey Apple Pie Cookies on Gold Marble
These Apple Pie Cookies are a classic apple pie turned into chewy cookies. It has all the warm spices, gooey apple filling, and a drizzle of homemade caramel sauce. I love baking these around this time of year for bake sales, school snacks, or a sweet treat for fall parties.
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The apple filling is gently spiced and soft, tucked right inside each cookie, and if you have a little extra time, I highly recommend making the homemade caramel drizzle on top.
You might also want to try my Soft Pumpkin Cookies or these Turkey Sugar Cookies—these are one of my favorite fall baking recipes!
How to Make Apple Pie Cookies
Ingredients you’ll need for the cookies
Ingredients you’ll need for the apple filling
Ingredients you’ll need for homemade caramel sauce
Step-by-Step Guide
1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together your browned butter, white granulated sugar, and brown sugar until well combined. Add in the vanilla extract and both eggs, whisking until the mixture becomes smooth and glossy.
3. Next, pour in your dry ingredients: the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Fold everything together with a spatula until a thick dough forms.
4. Using a 2-inch cookie scoop, form dough balls and place them on the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between each ball.
5. Bake the cookies for about 12 minutes, or until they have spread out and crinkles appear on the surface.
While the cookies are baking, it’s time to make that delicious apple filling.
6. Take your canned apple pie filling and rinse off the thick sauce surrounding the apples. Place the rinsed apples into a saucepan.
7. Add in your sugars, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and water. Stir the mixture over medium heat until the apples start to soften and the filling thickens.
8. As the mixture heats up, break the apples into smaller chunks using your spoon. Once it reaches a boil and becomes thick and delicious, remove it from the heat and set it aside to cool.
While the apple filling cools and the cookies finish baking, you can make a batch of homemade caramel sauce.
9. In a clean saucepan, combine the sugar and water over medium heat. Stir occasionally, and keep an eye on it as the mixture begins to turn an amber color.
10. Once the amber color is achieved, lower the heat and carefully whisk in the butter and heavy cream. The mixture will bubble, but keep stirring until everything is combined and smooth. Finish by stirring in the salt.
11. Now that your cookies are baked and cooled (at least for a few minutes), use a spoon to place some of the apple filling into the center of each cookie, leaving about a ½-inch border around the edges.
12. Drizzle the homemade caramel sauce generously over the tops of the cookies. Transfer to a platter and serve!
Serve and Enjoy!
Important Recipe Notes
- Brown the butter carefully: Browning the butter adds a nutty flavor, but watch it closely so it doesn’t burn. Remove from heat as soon as it turns golden brown and smells toasted.
- Rinse the canned apple pie filling: This helps reduce extra syrup so your cookie filling isn’t too wet, which keeps the cookies from getting soggy.
- Don’t overbake: Bake the cookies until you see crinkles on top and the edges look set, but they should still be soft in the center for the best chewy texture.
- The homemade caramel drizzle is optional; it adds extra flavor, but the cookies are delicious even without it.
- Let the cookies cool for a few minutes after baking so the apple filling and caramel don’t melt right off.
Apple Pie Cookies on Gold Marble
Ingredients
For the Cookies:
- ½ cup unsalted butter, browned
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup white granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
For the Apple Filling:
- 2 cans apple pie filling, rinsed and drained
- ¼ cup white granulated sugar
- ¼ cup + 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoon cornstarch
- 2 teaspoon water
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Homemade Caramel Sauce:
- ⅔ cup white granulated sugar
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 6 tablespoons heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
How to Make Apple Pie Cookies
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together your browned butter, white granulated sugar, and brown sugar until well combined. Add in the vanilla extract and both eggs, whisking until the mixture becomes smooth and glossy.
- Next, pour in your dry ingredients: the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Fold everything together with a spatula until a thick dough forms.
- Using a 2-inch cookie scoop, form dough balls and place them on the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between each ball.
- Bake the cookies for about 12 minutes, or until they have spread out and crinkles appear on the surface.
Making the Apple Filling
- Take your canned apple pie filling and rinse off the thick sauce surrounding the apples. This step may seem strange, but it helps the filling better integrate into your cookies. Place the rinsed apples into a saucepan.
- Add in your sugars, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and water. Stir the mixture over medium heat until the apples start to soften and the filling thickens.
- As the mixture heats up, break the apples into smaller chunks using your spoon. Once it reaches a boil and becomes thick and delicious, remove it from the heat and set it aside to cool.
Homemade Caramel Sauce (Optional)
- In a clean saucepan, combine the sugar and water over medium heat. Stir occasionally, and keep an eye on it as the mixture begins to turn an amber color—this is your caramel starting to take shape!
- Once the amber color is achieved, lower the heat and carefully whisk in the butter and heavy cream. The mixture will bubble, but keep stirring until everything is combined and smooth. Finish by stirring in the salt.
Putting It All Together
- Now that your cookies are baked and cooled (at least for a few minutes), use a spoon to place some of the apple filling into the center of each cookie, leaving about a ½-inch border around the edges.
- Drizzle the homemade caramel sauce generously over the tops of the cookies. Trust me, the sweet, buttery caramel paired with the apple filling is irresistible! Transfer to a platter and serve!
Check Out More Apple Recipe Ideas!
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