Apple cookies are the perfect fall cookie. They’ll remind you of snickerdoodles with bits of chopped apple and cinnamon sugar flavors. Think of apple pies in cookie form.
Apple cinnamon flavor is delicious any time of year especially in fall. The wonderful texture and homey flavors make this a great recipe especially during apple season.
This may very well become your new favorite cookie recipe!
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Easy Apple Cookies
This is a great cookie recipe with small pieces of apple in every bite.
The top is crispy and crinkly like a snickerdoodle cookie and the inside is airy and fluffy. These soft cookies isn’t chewy or crunchy, and not quite a full cakey cookie either. They are full of fall flavors.
Eat them at room temperature or chilled! When chilled the apple flavors really come forward and taste like apple pie.
Grating the apple will give these delicious apple cookies more moisture the the seasonal flavors of apple. Dicing the apple will give the cookies a chunkier texture and apple flavor is more in bites. Grated apple created the perfect cookie.
Recipe Ingredients + Notes
All Purpose Flour. Regular or gluten-free measure-for-measure flour can be used. We use Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free 1-to-1 baking flour for all our gluten-free baking.
Baking Soda. Helps the cookies rise.
Cream of Tartar. This is a classic ingredient in snickerdoodle cookies. It effects the texture of the cookie by helping with rising while they bake, stabilizes the egg whites and keeps sugar from crystallizing.
Cinnamon and nutmeg. Classic fall spices give these apple cookies an apple pie flavor. Cinnamon is used in the cinnamon sugar mixture too.
Salt. We use kosher salt which is a less salty tasting salt.
Unsalted butter. Be sure to start with softened butter or room temperature butter.
Granulated sugar and light brown sugar. The mix of the two types of sugar give a wonderful homey sweetness to the cookies. Granulates sugar will be used to make cinnamon sugar too.
Egg. You’ll need one egg.
Vanilla Extract. A delicious flavor ingredient.
Grated apple. You’ll need 1/2 cup of peeled grated fresh apples. This is the equivalent of one medium apple or 1-2 small apples. See photo 1 in the How to Make it section below.
What are the best apples for apple cookies?
Use any variety of sweet apples for these cookies. Honeycrisp apples and Pink Lady apples do great when baked.
Tart apples like Granny Smith apples will be too tart for this sweet apple cookie recipe.
Variations
Use Apple Pie Spice. The cinnamon and nutmeg can be swapped for apple pie spice which includes additional classic fall flavored spices.
Add some caramel. For a caramel apple cookies flavor do little drizzle of caramel on the cookies before serving. It can be messy to store cookies with caramel on top so do this only before serving.
How to Make Apple Cookies – Step-by-Step
STEP 1. Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a cookie sheet with non-stick spray or line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
STEP 2. Make the batter
In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt (photo 2). Set aside.
In another bowl, using a hand mixer or stand mixer mix the wet ingredients. Cream together the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar (photo 3).
Mix in the egg, vanilla, and apple (photo 4).
Add the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and beat until a soft dough has formed (photo 5). Set aside.
STEP 3. Make the cinnamon sugar
In a small bowl, mix the cinnamon sugar mixture ingredients with a fork (photo 6).
STEP 3. Roll and Bake
Scoop a tablespoon sized ball of cookie dough, roll it in the cinnamon sugar mixture (photo 7). Place the cookies 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet (photo 8).
Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the edges are crisp and the top no longer looks wet (photo 9).
NOTE: The cookies will look big and puffy when done baking and will flatten as they cool.
STEP 4. Cool
Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely (photo 10).
How to Store
Store in an airtight container at room temp or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days (7 if in the refrigerator). These are delicious chilled!
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Recipe
Apple Cookies
Ingredients
Apple Cookies
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour regular or gluten-free measure-for-measure flour blend
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup peeled grated apple approximately 1-2 small apples or 1 medium apple
Cinnamon Sugar for rolling the cookie dough
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F Lightly spray a cookie sheet with non-stick spray or line it with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon cream of tartar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- In another bowl, using a hand mixer or stand mixer, cream together the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar. Mix in the egg, vanilla extract, and apple.½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, ½ cup granulated sugar, ¼ cup light brown sugar, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1/2 cup peeled grated apple
- Add the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and beat until a soft dough has formed. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, mix the cinnamon sugar mixture ingredients with a fork.1/3 cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Scoop 1-tablespoon sized ball of cookie dough, roll it in the cinnamon sugar mixture and place the cookies 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheet.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the edges are crisp and the top no longer looks wet.Note: the cookies will look big and puffy when done baking and will flatten as they cools.
- Allow to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store in an air tight container at room temp or in the refrigerator. These are delicious chilled!
Sha says
These cookies reminded me of my late great grandma. She loved baking cookies for us. Thanks for these scrumptious cookies, I’m keeping this recipe.
Kristyn says
You’ve taken snickerdoodles to a whole new level!! Love the apple flavor added & it pairs perfectly with cinnamon & sugar!
Allyson Zea says
I brought these to a potluck event and everyone raved about the recipe! I’m so happy that I found this!
Emily says
I see in the pictures that you used a cookie scoop for this recipe. What number size did you use? Maybe #40 or #50? Thank you!
Toni Dash says
Hi Emily. As mentioned in the recipe card we used a 1 tablespoon scoop.
Anita says
Easy recipe! I did not have cream of tartar on hands though. Instead I substituted it for 1 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice, that I mixed with the apples. I don’t know how they’re supposed to taste with the cream of tartar, but they are pretty damn good with lemon juice instead! Warm, they don’t taste a lot of apple, but I couldn’t resist to eat one warm! I’ll try to get a few one to chill, if we can resist the urge to eat them all as they are cooling down haha!
Toni Dash says
Hi Anita! Clever swap. Glad it worked. Cream of Tartar is what gives the cookies a snickerdoodle flavor and texture. But it sounds like you enjoyed your swap which is great. I’ve found the strength of the apple flavor depends on the apples used and often is stronger after the cookies fully cool and the in the following days.
Natalie Lin says
Can you do it without cream of tartar?
Toni Dash says
No. Just like in snickerdoodles it’s a key ingredient that creates the flavor and texture of the cookie.
Erin says
Can vegan butter (or similar) be substituted for the butter?
Toni Dash says
Hi Erin. I don’t have experience swapping vegan butter for dairy butter so could not recommend that. We always feel making our recipes as written gives the best results ❤️
Olivia says
I used this recipe and it was ABSOLUTELY amazing and delicious. It is also friendly for the people that are on a diet, you can always lower the sugar amount if you have. And btw it you might need to add a little bit more flower
Amber Canion says
Absolutely amazing and easy to make
Gail Moyer says
Can these be frozen
Toni Dash says
Hi Gail. We have not tried to freeze these cookies. Due to the fresh apple content and coating we aren’t sure they are a good candidate for freezing.