Indulge in the flavors of fall with these apple cookies. These soft, apple-packed delights, complemented by cozy spices and a delightful crumb topping, are a sweet escape from the ordinary!
For more cozy and comforting cookie recipes, try these soft and chewy snickerdoodles, white chocolate macadamia nut cookies, or 3-ingredient peanut butter cookies!
If you’re like me, you can’t get enough of apples and fall spices this time of year. While fresh apples might not be the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about cookies, these apple pie cookies are about to change that. These soft, sweet treats are a celebration of apples, enveloped in the warmth of cozy spices and crowned with a delectable crumb topping.
Why You’ll Love These Apple Cookies
There are numerous reasons to fall in love with this delightful recipe. Let’s take a look at just a few of the reasons why these apple cookies are a must-try for your next baking adventure!
- Irresistible flavor. With the warm, sweet, comforting flavors of apples and spices, these cookies are perfect for fall and beyond.
- Super soft. Forget the notion of crunchy, crispy cookies for a moment. With these, expect a pillowy-soft, cake-like cookie.
- Contrasting textures. The crumbly topping adds a delightful contrast to the soft, chewy cookies.
- Impressive presentation. The crumb topping not only adds flavor but also elevates the visual appeal of these cookies, making them perfect for special occasions.
What You’ll Need
The ingredients for the cookies and the topping overlap quite a bit, so I’ve consolidated this list for convenience. See the recipe card below for ingredient quantities and full instructions. Here are some notes about the ingredients you’ll need to make these apple cookies.
- All-purpose flour – You’ll need flour for both the topping and the cookies. Be sure to measure accurately. Learn more by reading up on how to measure flour.
- Brown sugar – I prefer light brown sugar in these cookies, but you can use dark brown sugar if you want a stronger molasses flavor.
- Granulated sugar – Regular white granulated sugar is also a must for this recipe.
- Unsalted butter – You’ll need cold butter for the topping and softened butter for the cookies. After cutting the cold butter into cubes, return it to the refrigerator until you’re ready to mix it into the topping. Softened butter should hold a thumbprint when pressed but still be cool.
- Cinnamon – Check your cinnamon for freshness by giving it a sniff. If it doesn’t have a fragrant aroma, it’s likely time to replace it.
- Nutmeg – Check this for freshness, too.
- Baking soda – To help create that perfectly chewy texture.
- Salt – If you like to bake with kosher salt or sea salt, feel free to use either of those in this recipe.
- Egg – Set out the egg along with the butter to let it come to room temperature.
- Vanilla extract – Pure vanilla extract offers the best flavor!
- Apple butter – This adds even more apple flavor to your cookies! Use store-bought or homemade apple butter.
- Apples – Chop these into small pieces so they’ll mix well into the dough.
Which Apples Are Good for Baking?
Choose a sturdy apple that will hold up through the baking process. Soft apples are great for eating, but not so great for baking. Some common varieties that are good for baking include Gala, Fuji, Honeycrisp, and Pink Lady. Choose tart varieties (like Granny Smith apples) if you want a contrast to the sweetness of the cookies. Also, you can learn more by checking out this guide on the best apples for baking.
How to Make Apple Cookies
You’ll be making two components for this recipe – the apple pie cookies and the topping. They’re both easy to make, and the cookies are a cinch to assemble. Here’s what you’ll need to do:
- Make the topping. Combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Mix the butter into this mixture with a pastry blender, a fork, or your fingers until crumbs form. Place the finished topping in the refrigerator while you make the cookies.
- Prepare for baking. Heat the oven to 375°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners.
- Mix the dry ingredients. Whisk together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt.
- Mix the wet ingredients. With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until fluffy and lightened in color. Next, add the egg and vanilla. Finally, mix in the apple butter.
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Don’t over-mix; mix just until combined or a few small streaks of flour remain.
- Add the apples. Stir the apples into the dough, making sure to distribute them evenly.
- Portion and assemble the cookies. Drop the dough by 2-tablespoon portions onto the prepared pans. (I recommend a cookie scoop to make fast, accurate work of this.) Leave about 2 inches between the cookies. Top each cookie with a generous amount of crumb topping. Lightly press the topping down onto the cookies to help it stick.
- Bake the cookies. After assembling the cookies, bake one pan at a time for 10 to 12 minutes. The cookies should be golden brown and appear set.
- Let the cookies cool. Place the pans on wire racks to allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes before transferring them directly to a rack to cool completely.
Tips for Success
Follow these tips to help make sure your apple cookies turn out perfectly!
- Chop the apples uniformly. Try to make your apple pieces roughly the same size so that they’ll distribute well in the dough and bake evenly.
- Chill the topping. Refrigerate the topping mixture to keep the butter cold to ensure a crumbly texture after baking.
- Don’t be shy with the topping. The cookies will spread as they bake, so you can really pile the topping on each cookie before baking.
- Don’t over-mix. Too much mixing leads to tough cookies.
Substitutions & Recipe Variations
These apple cookies taste fantastic as they are, but you can definitely switch them up a bit if you like:
- Substitute spices. An easy variation for these apple cookies is to change the spices. You can focus solely on cinnamon, or use a fall spice blend.
- Add nuts and other fruit. You can easily add a handful of nuts or dried fruits in place of some of the apples. (Like pecans, walnuts, dried cranberries, etc.)
- Add cinnamon-sugar. If you want to simplify this recipe, skip the topping altogether or sprinkle each cookie with cinnamon-sugar before baking.
- Drizzle on a glaze. Try adding a simple glaze like the one on my spiced oatmeal cookies. Or go all out with a drizzle of caramel sauce!
How to Store
After the apple pie cookies have cooled completely, place them in an airtight container. They should keep up to 2 days before they get overly soft, although they’ll be at their best the day they’re made.
Can I Freeze These Cookies?
Yes, you can freeze these apple cookies. Place them in an airtight, freezer-safe container or bag. If you’d like an extra layer of protection, first wrap each cookie in plastic wrap. Properly stored, the cookies should last up to 3 months in the freezer. Thaw them at room temperature before serving.
More Apple Desserts
There are so many incredible apple desserts to try this fall (or year-round!). Here are a few of my favorites:
Apple Crumb Cookies
Soft, sweet, and packed with apples, these tender apple cookies are a must when it comes to fall baking!
Ingredients
For the crumb topping:
- 1 cup (120g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (100g) firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
- 6 tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, cold and cut into small cubes
For the cookies:
- 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup (150g) firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup apple butter*
- 2 medium apples, peeled and chopped into small pieces (about 2 cups)
Instructions
To make the crumb topping:
- Combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl.
- Add the cold butter, and mix with a pastry blender, a fork, or your fingers until the mixture forms crumbs.
- Refrigerate while you make the cookies.
To make the cookies:
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners.
- Whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.
- Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter, brown sugar, and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla, and mix well. Mix in the apple butter.
- Reduce the mixer speed to low. Gradually add the flour mixture, mixing just until combined or a few small streaks of flour remain.
- Stir the apples into the dough.
- Drop the dough by 2-tablespoon portions onto the prepared pans, leaving about 2 inches between the cookies.
- Top each cookie generously with the crumb topping, pressing down gently to adhere.
- Bake one pan at a time for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the cookies and topping are golden brown.
- Cool the cookies on the pans on wire racks for 5 minutes. Then transfer the cookies from the pans directly to wire racks to cool completely.
Notes
- *Use store-bought or homemade apple butter.
- To store. After the apple pie cookies have cooled completely, place them in an airtight container. They should keep up to 2 days before they get overly soft, although they'll be at their best the day they're made.
- To freeze. Place the cookies in an airtight, freezer-safe container or bag. If you'd like an extra layer of protection, first wrap each cookie in plastic wrap. Properly stored, the cookies should last up to 3 months in the freezer. Thaw them at room temperature before serving.
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2 Comments on “Apple Crumb Cookies”
Can the apple butter cookies be frozen?
Yes, there’s storage and freezing information right above the recipe. I hope you enjoy the cookies, Ann!