Perfectly soft and chewy, these Apple Pie Cookies are made with brown butter, cozy fall spices, and are loaded with diced apples. They are topped with a fluffy cinnamon buttercream frosting and sweet apple pie filling. These cookies would be the perfect chilly Fall afternoon treat or make a great addition to your Thanksgiving dinner dessert line-up!
What you will need to make Apple Pie Cookies:
Aside from the baking staples you probably already have in your cupboard and fridge – flour, sugar, butter, etc. – here are a few key ingredients you will need to make these cookies.
Apples – Feel free to use whatever kind you like! Granny Smith would be great for more of a tart flavour whereas Honeycrisp would be nice and sweet. I used a combo of the two as they were what I had on hand.
Brown Butter – See my instructions below for how to brown butter. Brown butter has a toffee-like aroma and flavour to it. It adds great depth to baked goods and pairs especially well with the apples and spices in these cookies.
Spices – Cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger are used in these cookies. They are the perfect blend of warm and cozy fall spices!
Corn Starch – A small amount of corn starch is used to thicken the apple pie filling.
How to Brown Butter
The first thing you’ll need to do is brown the butter. Cut the butter up into small pieces and place in a skillet. Over medium heat, melt the butter, stirring continuously. Once all the butter has melted, it will begin to foam. Continue stirring for 5-10 minutes. The butter will begin to brown and you will see brown specks on the bottom of the pan. It will also give off a nutty aroma. Let the brown butter cool until solidified but still soft.
You can do this step the day before, let it fully cool and solidify in the fridge overnight, then let it come back to room temperature for about an hour the day of baking. If you are browning the butter the day of making the cookies, let it cool in the fridge for about an hour. This should allow the brown butter to solidify again but still be soft. Do not use the brown butter when it is still in liquid form and warm. This will change the way the cookies bake and the recipe has not been tested in this way.
How to make Apple Pie Cookies
In a medium-sized bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger , nutmeg and salt. Set aside.
Using a handheld or stand mixer, beat the brown butter and sugars together until light and fluffy.
Next, add the eggs, and vanilla extract and mix until fully incorporated.
With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until just combined.
Dry your diced apple with a paper towel. This reduces the amount of moisture in the cookies and stops them from spreading out. Add the diced apple and mix just to combine.
Scoop balls of cookie dough, about 3 tablespoons for large cookies, and place evenly on prepared cookie sheets. I like using a cookie scoop like this. Bake the cookies for about 8-9 minutes or until golden around the edges.
Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
How to make Apple Pie Filling
In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter, sugar, and cinnamon. Add the diced apples and mix until combined.
Cover the pot and let cook until the apples are tender, stirring occasionally. About 5 minutes.
In a small dish combine the cornstarch and water. Add to the apples and continue to cook until the filling thickens and the apples have softened.
Let the filling cool.
How to make Cinnamon Buttercream
Using a handheld or stand mixer, beat the brown butter until smooth.
With the mixer on low, slowly add in the powdered sugar one cup at a time. Once all the powdered sugar is incorporated, add the cinnamon, vanilla and heavy cream. Then, whip on high speed for 3-5 minutes until light and fluffy.
Assembly
Top cooled cookies with swirls or dollops of Cinnamon Buttercream. I used a Wilton 1M piping tip. Then, pipe or spoon a small amount of apple pie filling into the centre of the swirl of buttercream.
Can I make these Apple Pie Cookies gluten-free?
Yes! I have made these gluten-free and they are equally as delicious. Swap the 3 cups of regular all-purpose flour for 2 cups of a 1 to 1 gluten-free baking flour with xanthan gum and 1 cup of oat flour. Chill the dough for at least one hour before baking. Bake for about 12 minutes at 350 degrees F. The gluten-free version of these cookies will spread quite a bit, even after chilling. Use the cookie scoot technique if you want to round them out a bit!
If you tried this recipe, let me know what you think! Leave a comment below or tag me on Instagram @cremedelacombe. To pin this recipe and save it for later, you can use the button on the recipe card below.
Other Fall Recipes to try:
White Chocolate Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies
Pumpkin Spice Cookie Sandwiches
Apple Pie Cookies
Course: DessertDifficulty: Medium20
cookies30
minutes9
minutesSoft and chewy brown butter cookies, loaded with diced apple and warm fall spices. Topped with cinnamon buttercream and sweet apple pie filling. These Apple Pie Cookies will be your new favourite fall treat!
Ingredients
- Cookies
1 cup unsalted butter, browned, room temperature
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 cup peeled and diced apple, about 2 medium-sized apples
- Apple Pie Filling
2 medium apples, peeled and diced
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter Butter
3 tablespoons Brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons Water
2 teaspoons Corn starch
- Cinnamon Buttercream
3/4 cup unsalted butter, browned, room temperature
2 1/2 cups icing sugar
2-3 tbsp whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Directions
- Cookies
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.
- Using a handheld or stand mixer, beat the brown butter and sugars together until light and fluffy.
- Next, add the eggs, and vanilla extract and mix until fully incorporated.
- With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until just combined.
- Dry your diced apple with a paper towel. This reduces the amount of moisture in the cookies and stops them from spreading out. Add the diced apple and mix just to combine.
- Scoop balls of cookie dough, about 3 tablespoons for large cookies, and place evenly on prepared cookie sheets. I like using a cookie scoop like this. Bake the cookies for about 8-9 minutes or until golden around the edges.
- Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Apple Pie Filling
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter, sugar and cinnamon. Add the diced apples and mix until combined.
- Cover the pot and let cook until apples are tender, stirring occasionally. About 5 minutes.
- In a small dish combine the cornstarch and water. Add to the apples and continue to cook until the filling thickens and the apples have softened.
- Let the filling cool.
- Cinnamon Buttercream
- Using a handheld or stand mixer, beat the brown butter until smooth.
- With the mixer on low, slowly add in the powdered sugar one cup at a time. Once all the powdered sugar is incorporated, add the cinnamon, vanilla and heavy cream. Then, whip on high speed for 3-5 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Assembly
- Top cooled cookies with swirls or dollops of Cinnamon Buttercream. I used a Wilton 1M piping tip. Then, pipe or spoon a small amount of apple pie filling into the centre of the swirl of buttercream.
Recipe Video
Notes
- To make these Apple Pie Cookies gluten-free: Swap the 3 cups of regular all-purpose flour for 2 cups of a 1 to 1 gluten-free baking flour with xanthan gum and 1 cup of oat flour. Chill the dough for at least one hour before baking. Bake for about 12 minutes at 350 degrees F. The gluten-free version of these cookies will spread quite a bit, even after chilling. Use the cookie scoot technique if you want to round them out a bit!