Apple cookies are soft, chewy and fluffy cookies filled with cinnamon apples and lots of cozy warming spices. These easy apple cookies are topped with a creamy maple glaze. They’re the perfect, easy to make cookie for fall.
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Why Should You Make This Recipe
There are few things I love more than a soft cozy fall cookie. My Maple Cookies, Iced Oatmeal Cookies, Applesauce Cookies, Apple Cider Cookies and Chewy Molasses Cookies are just a few spiced cookie recipes I love from the blog. I know you’ll love these glazed apple cookies because:
- Layers of cozy flavors and textures. From the soft and fluffy and spice filled cookie filled with warm cinnamon spiced apples to the creamy maple syrup glaze, these apple sugar cookies are the perfect cookies for fall.
- Easy to make. These maple glazed cookies with apples come together in a couple of bowls, need a short chilling time and use a handful of simple pantry basics to make.
Ingredients
This apple cookie recipe requires only a handful of simple ingredients to make and you probably already have them in your pantry and fridge. Here’s what you’ll need.
Apple Cookies
- Dry Ingredients: Gather all purpose flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and salt.
- Wet Ingredients: Gather melted and cooled butter, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, an egg and vanilla extract.
- Cinnamon Apples: Gather apples, brown sugar and cinnamon.
- Maple Glaze: Gather powdered sugar, maple syrup and milk.
Substitutions
Here are my recommended substitutions to make these glazed apple sugar cookies if you need them.
- All purpose flour: Make these soft cookies gluten free, use a good 1-1 gluten free flour. I recommend using the one from Bob’s Red Mill. Measure based on weight(240 g) rather than volume in cups.
- Baking Soda: Baking soda makes these cookies chewy and allows them to spread a bit. If needed, use 2 teaspoons baking powder. Note that the final texture will be different, more cake like.
- Ground Spices: Feel free to use 2 - 3 teaspoons apple pie spice in this recipe in place of the cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.
- Melted Butter: Feel free to use an equal amount of salted butter in place of the unsalted butter. Just make sure to omit the added salt.
- Granulated Sugar and Light Brown Sugars: For even more fall flavor, maple sugar would also work well to make these cookies refined sugar free.
- Egg: This recipe has not been tested without eggs.
- Vanilla Extract: This is more for background flavor and nicely enhances the flavors of the other ingredients.
- Cinnamon Apples: Use a mix of tart and sweet baking apples such as Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Jonagold, Fuji, and Pink Lady apples.
- Maple Glaze: This is optional, but highly recommended.
Variations
- Brown Butter Apple Cookies: Make these apple cookies with brown butter. In a sauce pan or pot, melt 1 cup (226 g) butter on low heat until the butter to begins to foam. Once it starts to foam, whisk or stir the liquid butter frequently. The butter will begin to smell nutty and very fragrant. Once the foam has subsided, the butter should have some brown, lightly toasted bits floating at the bottom. Pour the brown butter in a heat safe bowl to cool for about 15 minutes at room temperature. Transfer to the fridge to cool another 20 -30 minutes or until soft like creamed butter.
- Apple Oatmeal Cookies: Add ¾ cup old fashioned oats and follow the recipe as written.
- Caramel Topping: Feel free to drizzle the cooled cookies with store bought or homemade caramel sauce.
- Freeze Dried Apples: Swap the fresh diced apples for 2 oz. (about 70 g) freeze dried apples ground into a powder. Mix in with the dry ingredients and follow the rest of the recipe as written.
How To Make
Learn how to make apple cookies in a few easy steps.
- Peel, core and dice one medium apple into ¼ inch pieces. Transfer to a microwave safe bowl. Stir in the brown sugar and cinnamon. Heat the apples in the microwave for 2 minutes or until the apples are soft. Cool to room temperature before using in the recipe. In another small bowl, melt the butter in the microwave for 1 minute. Transfer to the fridge to cool about 15 minutes.
- In another bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and salt until well combined.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk in the cooled melted butter with the light brown and granulated sugars until well combined. Whisk in the egg and vanilla extract until smooth and well combined. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined. Add the cooled cinnamon apples to the cookie dough using a slotted spoon, to leave as much of the apple liquid in the bowl as possible. Stir the apples into the dough until just combined. Cover and transfer the cookie dough to the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 375 F (190 C) for about 30 minutes before baking the cookies. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a medium cookie scoop (2 tablespoons, 30 ml), scoop the apple cookie dough and place the cookie dough balls onto the lined baking sheet about 3 inches (8 cm) apart. Bake at 375 F (190 C) for 10 - 12 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are set and the centers are slightly puffed.
- Cool the apple cinnamon cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely to room temperature. Make maple syrup glaze while the cookies cool. In a bowl, whisk the maple syrup and milk into the powdered sugar until smooth and well combined. Drizzle the top of each cookie with the maple syrup icing and enjoy!
How To Make Ahead, Store, Freeze and Thaw
- Make Ahead: Although this easy maple cookie recipe comes together quickly, the cookie dough can easily be made ahead of time. To do this simply prepare the cookies according to the recipe directions up to mixing the dry ingredients into the wet and decide which storage method meets your needs. If you plan on storing the cookie dough, make the apples and dough separately. Mix the apples into the cookie dough about 30 minutes before baking.
- Store: Place the apple cookies in an airtight container. Store at room temperature for up to 3 - 4 days or in the fridge for up to one week. If you would like to store the cookies for longer, I recommend freezing them.
- Freeze Baked and Glazed Cookies: Place each of the cookies in a freezer proof container in a single lined with parchment paper between each layer. Freeze for up to three months.
- Thaw: Transfer the maple glazed cinnamon apple cookies to thaw at room temperature.
M’s Expert Tips
- Make sure the apples are fully cooled. Adding hot apples will change the final texture of the cookies.
- Dice the apples small and drain the liquid. For the best apple cookies, make sure the apples are diced small and that as much of the liquid from the apples is left in the bowl before adding them to the cookie dough.
- Measure the flour properly. I highly recommend using a food scale to get perfectly measured ingredients every time.
- Use tart apples meant for baking. Choose the apple you like that is also good for baking. Granny Smith, Jonagold or Honeycrisp apples are all great choices for this fresh apple cake.
- Give your cookies a “cookie scoot.” Within the first minute of removing the cookies from the oven, use a large biscuit cutter (wider than the cookies) to help shape any cookies back into a more round shape. Place the cutter over the cookies so the edges of the cookie are inside the cookie/ biscuit cutter. In a circular motion, gently nudge the edges back into a round shape.
FAQs
What are the best apples for cookies?
Tart baking apples such as Granny Smith are the best apples for baking into cookies.
Can I make these apple cookies smaller?
I find that a medium cookie scoop, with about 2 tablespoons of cookie dough makes the perfect cookie. However, you can make a small (1 tablespoon) cookie if you like. Bake this size cookie for 7 - 9 minutes. For a larger cookie, use a large cookie scoop (3 tablespoons, 45 ml) and bake for 13 - 15 minutes.
Other Apple Recipes to Try
If you try this Apple Cookies recipe please rate the recipe and leave a comment below. Doing so helps other readers decide if this is a great recipe to bake. Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using @olivesnthyme so I can see what you’re baking! - M
Apple Cookies Recipe
Apple cookies are soft, chewy and fluffy cookies filled with cinnamon apples and lots of cozy warming spices. These easy apple cookies are topped with a creamy maple glaze. They’re the perfect, easy to make cookie for fall.
Equipment
- 1 apple peeler
- 1 knife
- 1 whisk and flexible spatula or spoon
- 1 medium (2 tablespoon, 30 ml) cookie scoop
- 2 baking sheets
- 2 sheets parchment paper
Ingredients
Cinnamon Apples
- 1 cup peeled, cored and diced apples
- 2 tablespoons (25 g) light brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
Apple Cookies
- ¾ cup (170 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 2 cups (240 g) all purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoons baking soda
- 1½ teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon cloves
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract
Maple Glaze
- 1½ cups (180 g) powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) maple sugar
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) milk
Instructions
- Peel, core and dice one medium apple into ¼ inch pieces. Transfer to a microwave safe bowl. Stir in the brown sugar and cinnamon. Heat the apples in the microwave for 2 minutes or until the apples are soft. Cool to room temperature before using in the recipe.1 cup peeled, cored and diced apples, 2 tablespoons (25 g) light brown sugar, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- In another small bowl, melt the butter in the microwave for 1 minute. Transfer to the fridge to cool about 15 minutes.¾ cup (170 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- In another bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and salt until well combined.2 cups (240 g) all purpose flour, ¾ teaspoons baking soda, 1½ teaspoons cinnamon , ½ teaspoon cloves, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, ½ teaspoon salt
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk in the cooled melted butter with the light brown and granulated sugars until well combined. Whisk in the egg and vanilla extract until smooth and well combined.½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar, ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar, 1 large egg, room temperature, 2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract
- Stir the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined. Add the cooled cinnamon apples to the cookie dough using a slotted spoon, to leave as much of the apple liquid in the bowl as possible. Stir the apples into the dough until just combined. Cover and transfer the cookie dough to the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 375 F (190 C) for about 30 minutes before baking the cookies. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a medium cookie scoop (2 tablespoons, 30 ml), scoop the apple cookie dough and place the cookie dough balls onto the lined baking sheet about 3 inches (8 cm) apart.
- Bake at 375 F (190 C) for 10 - 12 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are set and the centers are slightly puffed. Cool the apple cinnamon cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely to room temperature. Make maple syrup glaze while the cookies cool.
- In a bowl, whisk the maple syrup and milk into the powdered sugar until smooth and well combined. Drizzle the top of each cookie with the maple syrup icing and enjoy.1½ cups (180 g) powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons (30 ml) maple sugar, 2 tablespoons (30 ml) milk
Notes
Store: Place the apple cookies in an airtight container. Store at room temperature for up to 3 - 4 days or in the fridge for up to one week. If you would like to store the cookies for longer, I recommend freezing them.
See the Variations section to make these apple cookies with brown butter or with freeze dried apples.
did you make this recipe?tag @olivesnthyme on Instagram
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