If you love fall desserts, you will love these sweet delicious Apple Cookies. These cakey cookies are loaded with bits of soft apples and flavored with warm autumn spices. A drizzle of apple flavored icing adds the perfect touch of sweetness to each bite.
When it comes to desserts, fall flavors are probably my favorite. Especially the apple cinnamon flavor combination. I mean who can resist a fresh apple crostata or warm apple crisp! I certainly can’t! And these delicious cookies are no exception. I can eat them as fast as I can bake them!
Soft Apple Cookies
There are a several reasons why these apple cinnamon cookies will be your new favorite cookie of the fall season. They are very quick and easy to make, they have amazing apple flavor and chunks of apple in every bite, they taste even better the next day, and you probably already have all of the ingredients in your pantry!
Ingredients needed for This Apple Cookie Recipe
- Fresh Apples: Peeled and diced small so that you get small pieces of apple throughout the cookie. You can go ahead and use your favorite type of apples in this recipe. I like Honeycrisp when I want a sweeter cookie and granny smith apples if I am in the mood for a tart apple flavor.
- All Purpose Flour, Baking Soda and Salt
- Spices: Ground Cinnamon, Cloves, and Nutmeg. You can also substitute apple pie spice.
- Light Brown Sugar: Brown sugar provides just the right amount of molasses flavoring and color to the cookies. White sugar can be used instead. The cookies will have a lighter color, but they will still taste great.
- Unsalted Butter or Shortening: Butter should be softened but not melted.
- Egg: Bring the egg to room temperature.
- Whole Milk: Room temperature.
- Confectioners’ Sugar
- Apple Juice and Vanilla Extract
Step by Step Instructions for Making Apple Cookies with Apple Glaze
1.Cream the butter: In the bowl of stand mixer or in large bowl if using a hand mixer, cream the softened butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Add the egg and mix until completely combined.
2. Combine dry ingredients with wet ingredients: In a separate bowl sift the dry ingredients. With the mixer on low speed, add 1/2 of the flour mixture and the diced apple to the creamed butter and sugar mixture. Blend until the flour is absorbed, then add the remaining flour and milk. Beat just until all of the ingredients are combined. The dough will be soft and fluffy.
3. Bake the cookies: Use a teaspoon or a small cookie scoop to drop the dough in mounds about 2″ apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes in a preheated oven set to 375 degrees F. The cookies should be golden brown when they are done. Transfer the baked cookies to a wire rack to cool completely while you make the icing.
4. Frost the cookies: Combine all of the ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk until the icing is smooth and pourable, but not liquidy. If the icing is too thick, add a teaspoon or two of apple juice until you get the desired consistency. Use a spoon to drizzle the icing on the tops of the cookies. Only frost the cookies when they are completely cooled.
Baking Tips
- Make sure that your ingredients are at room temperature so that they combine easily. This will help the butter cream and the eggs emulsify properly.
- Measure the flour by spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling it off to avoid over packing it and using more flour than you need.
- Don’t use more apples than the recipe calls for. The apples add moisture to the batter and too much will result in flat cookies.
- Don’t make the cookies too big. These cookies will spread out too much if you make the cookies too large.
Variations:
- Add extra cinnamon or clove to really punch up the flavor!
- Use apple juice or cider in place of the milk in the cookie batter.
- Golden raisins and/or walnuts are delicious add ins.
Storing the cookies
Placed in an airtight container you can store these cookies at room temperature for several days. I recommend putting wax paper between the cookies if you are going to layer them. The cookies can also be frozen for up to two months.
More Fall Inspired Recipes
For more delicious desserts perfect for fall baking you will want to try my Apple Cinnamon Cake and amazing Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting. If you are looking for something a little different then Salted Caramel Swirl Cheesecake or No Bake Pumpkin Pie will satisfy that craving!
I love to get your feedback so if you tried this No Bake Pumpkin Pie with Graham Cracker Curst & Pecan Topping or any other recipes on this website, please leave me a comment below. I hope you enjoy our recipes and look forward to hearing from you!
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Apple Cookies Recipe
Equipment
- Baking sheets
- Parchment paper or baking mats
- Electric mixer
Ingredients
- 2¼ cups All purpose flour
- 1¼ tsp Baking Soda
- ½ tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
- ½ tsp Cloves
- ½ tsp Nutmeg
- ½ cup Unsalted Butter or Shortening, softened
- 1⅓ cups Brown Sugar
- 1 Egg large at room temperature
- 1 cup Apple peeled and diced
- ¼ cup Milk
Apple Icing
- 1½ cups Confectioners' Sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 3-4 tbsp Apple juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or a baking mat.
- Sift flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg into a large bowl and set aside.
- In the bowl of stand mixer or in another large bowl if using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the egg and mix until completely combined.
- With the mixer on low, add 1/2 of the flour and the diced apple. Mix until the flour is absorbed, then add the remaining flour and milk. Beat just until all of the ingredients are combined. The dough will be soft and fluffy.
- Use a teaspoon to drop the dough in mounds about 2" apart on the prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes. The cookies should be light brown when they are done. Transfer the baked cookies to a wire rack to cool completely while you make the icing.
Apple Icing
- Combine all of the ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk until the icing is smooth and pourable, but not liquidy. If the icing is too thick, add a teaspoon or two of apple juice until you get the desired consistency. Only frost the cookies when they are completely cooled.
Notes
- Make sure that your ingredients are at room temperature so that they combine easily. This will help the butter cream and the eggs emulsify properly.
- Measure the flour be spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling it off to avoid packing it and using more flour then you need.
- Don’t use more apples then the recipe calls for. The apples add moisture to the batter and too much will result in flat cookies.
- Don’t make the cookies too big. These cookies will spread out too much if make the cookies too large.
- I like to add extra clove to really punch up the flavor
- Golden raisins and/or walnuts are delicious add ins.
This cookie is sooooo tender, moist and delicious! I would highly recommend this cookie recipe!!!