Description
Delight in these homemade Apple Pie Cookies, combining tender, spiced apple filling nestled inside a buttery, cinnamon-infused soft cookie. Perfectly baked for a golden finish, these treats capture the essence of classic apple pie in a convenient and delicious cookie form.
Ingredients
Apple Pie Filling
- 1 medium apple (peeled and finely diced)
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 1 tsp cornstarch (or tapioca flour)
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- pinch nutmeg
- pinch ground cloves
Cookie Dough
- ½ cup cold butter (cut into cubes)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar (tightly packed)
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cup flour (all purpose or gluten free 1 to 1 flour)
- 1 tsp cornstarch (or tapioca flour)
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- pinch nutmeg
- pinch ground cloves
- pinch sea salt (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and line a baking pan with parchment paper to prepare for baking the cookies.
- Prepare Apples: In a bowl, add the finely diced apple and squeeze the lemon juice over it to prevent browning and add freshness.
- Cook Apple Filling: Transfer the lemon-coated apples to a skillet and add water, light brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground cloves. Cook over low medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently until the mixture is bubbly and thickened. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
- Make Cookie Dough – Cream Butter and Sugars: In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine cold butter cubes, granulated sugar, and light brown sugar. Mix on high for 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture is smooth and there are no butter clumps.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Add the egg and vanilla extract to the butter and sugar mixture, then mix to combine thoroughly.
- Incorporate Dry Ingredients: Add flour, cornstarch, baking soda, sea salt (if using), cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground cloves to the wet mixture. Stir until a thick cookie dough forms.
- Shape Dough Balls: Using an ice cream scooper or large cookie scoop, portion dough into balls and place them on the lined baking pan, spacing them at least 3 inches apart to allow spreading.
- Create Indentations and Fill: Press your thumb gently into the center of each dough ball to create an indentation, then spoon a small amount of the prepared apple pie filling into each indentation.
- Bake Cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 11 minutes or until the cookies have spread out and the edges turn a light golden color.
- Cool: Remove the baking pan from the oven and let the cookies cool for 10 minutes on the pan before transferring them carefully to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Use fresh apples for the best texture and flavor in the filling.
- Make sure the butter is cold when mixing the dough to achieve the ideal cookie texture.
- Space cookies well on the baking pan to prevent them from merging during baking.
- Optionally, sprinkle a little cinnamon sugar on top before baking for extra sweetness and crunch.
- These cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerated for up to a week.
- Gluten free flour can be used as a direct substitute for a gluten free version without changing other ingredients.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dessert, Snack
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
