Description
Sweet apple pie cookies bring classic American dessert magic into bite-sized perfection. Crisp pastry edges cradle warm cinnamon-spiced apple filling, offering delightful handheld indulgence you’ll savor with each delectable crunch.
Ingredients
Scale
Apples
- 3 Gala apples, peeled and sliced
Sugars
- ¼ cup (60 ml) brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup (100 g) white granulated sugar
- ½ cup (100 g) white granulated sugar
Spices
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Flour and Starches
- 3 ¼ cups (390 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
Fats
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Dairy
- ¼ cup (60 ml) heavy cream, at room temperature
Eggs
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
Other Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Craft the apple pie filling by gently melting butter in a saucepan, then incorporate sliced apples, brown sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon.
- Simmer the mixture until it bubbles, stirring consistently for approximately 5 minutes to soften apples and thicken the filling.
- Remove from heat and allow the apple mixture to cool completely.
- Create the salted caramel by carefully melting sugar until it transforms into a rich amber hue.
- Methodically introduce butter cubes in stages, whisking thoroughly to prevent burning.
- Pour heavy cream gradually, stirring attentively as the mixture reacts and bubbles.
- Blend in vanilla and salt, then set aside to cool entirely.
- Prepare cookie dough by mixing dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, cinnamon, cornstarch, and salt in a bowl.
- Whisk melted butter with brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla, and eggs until smooth and uniform.
- Fold dry ingredients into wet mixture using a spatula, ensuring minimal mixing.
- Allow dough to rest for 10 minutes to enhance texture.
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Form dough into uniform balls and place on prepared sheets.
- Create circular indentations using a measuring cup or spice jar.
- Bake for 11 minutes, then reinforce the center indentation.
- Continue baking 1-3 minutes until edges turn golden brown.
- Transfer cookies to cooling rack.
- Brush cookies with melted butter and coat edges with cinnamon sugar.
- Fill cookie centers with prepared apple pie filling.
- Drizzle salted caramel generously over the top of each cookie.
Notes
- Prep ahead by making apple pie filling and salted caramel in advance, allowing both to cool completely for optimal texture and flavor melding.
- Choose firm, tart apples like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp for the filling to ensure a balanced sweetness and prevent soggy cookies.
- Create consistent cookie sizes by using a uniform measuring tool when scooping dough and pressing indentations for even baking.
- Handle caramel with extreme care, as it reaches very high temperatures and can cause severe burns if splashed or touched directly.
- Store assembled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, keeping caramel and filling from making cookies soggy.
- For best results, allow cookies to cool completely before adding filling and caramel to maintain structural integrity and prevent immediate softening.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 24
- Calories: 300
- Sugar: 24 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 50 mg