These soft and chewy Caramel Apple Cookies combine all the flavors of autumn, from freshly picked apples to rich caramel.
As the leaves begin to change colors and there’s a slight chill in the air, it can only mean one thing – fall baking season is upon us!
One recipe that perfectly captures the essence of autumn is Caramel Apple Cookies made with apple butter. These cookies are a combination of sweet, tart apples and rich caramel, making them the perfect treat for any fall gathering or as a comforting snack.
The star ingredient in these cookies is definitely the apple butter that adds a moistness and depth of flavor that takes these cookies to another level. The natural sweetness from the apple butter pairs beautifully with the caramel icing on top, creating a delicious flavor combination.
It doesn’t matter if you’re baking these for a special occasion or just need a delicious fall dessert, these caramel apple cookies won’t disappoint!
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Why You’ll Love This Caramel Apple Cookies Recipe
- Easy to make with simple ingredients and steps!
- Great for gifting!
- Delicious flavor combination of warm spices, sweet fruit and caramel!
- Soft and chewy texture!
- They taste like your favorite apple pie dessert!
Caramel Apple Cookies Ingredients
- Butter: salted and unsalted
- Sugar: granulated sugar, brown sugar and powdered sugar
- Apple butter
- Cinnamon
- Vanilla extract
- Salt
- Baking powder
- Flour
- Heavy cream
Recipe Variations
- Stir in chopped nuts like walnuts or pecans for added texture.
- Stir in raisins for extra sweetness.
- Drizzle chocolate over top or stir in chocolate chips.
- Instead of traditional icing, make apple cider glaze by combining powdered sugar with apple cider until smooth and pourable consistency is achieved.
How to Make Caramel Apple Cookies
Prepare the Cookie Dough
- In a large bowl add ¾ cup room temperature butter, granulate sugar and brown sugar and beat together using a hand mixer.
- Mix in the apple butter, cinnamon, vanilla, salt, baking powder and flour.
- Cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge for 1 hour.
Bake the Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350° and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Scoop about 2 tablespoons worth of cookie dough and roll into balls.
- Flatten them out a bit and set down on the baking sheet 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.
- After baking, allow cookies to cool completely.
Prepare the Icing
- In a medium saucepan, over medium heat mix in heavy cream, 6 tablespoons of butter and 1 cup of brown sugar.
- Stir continuously till it reaches a boil.
- Remove from heat and add in the vanilla extract plus 2 cups of powdered sugar, one cup at a time and whisk till there are no chunks.
- Let the caramel mixture cool until about room temp and then add in the last 1 cup of powdered sugar.
Decorate and Serve
- Scoop the icing into a zip lock bag and cut the tip of a corner off.
- Pipe the icing on top of the cookies in a swirl.
- This part is optional, if you want to add sprinkles add them right after you pipe the cookie so it sticks easily.
- Let the icing set and then enjoy!
How to Store
- Room Temperature: Store in an airtight container for 2-3 days on the counter.
- Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week.
- Freezer: Place in a freezer safe container or bag with parchment paper in between in cookie. Store in freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw out in fridge overnight before consuming.
Recipe Tips
- You can add sprinkles if you’d like!
- Make sure the cookies are completely cooled before piping the icing on top.
- Use high quality apple butter for the best flavor. Homemade apple butter is ideal but store-bought is fine too.
- Don’t skip chilling the dough! This is important to keep your cookies from spreading too much during baking.
- Measure flour correctly by leveling it off and not packing it down to get the best results.
FAQs
Absolutely! Homemade apple butter will give these cookies the best flavor. Just make sure it is cooked and thick consistency.
It is highly recommended to chill the cookie dough for at least 1 hour before baking. This helps prevent the cookies from spreading too much during baking, resulting in a thicker and more chewy texture.
Yes, you can use regular salted butter instead of unsalted if that’s what you have on hand. Just remember to adjust the amount of added salt accordingly or omit it completely from the recipe.
Absolutely! These caramel apple cookies freeze nicely. Simply place them in a freezer-safe container or bag with layers of parchment paper between each cookie to prevent sticking together. They can be frozen for up to 2 months.
More Cookie Recipes
- Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies
- Hostess Cupcake Cookies
- Old Fashioned Iced Oatmeal Cookies
- Orange Creamsicle Cookies
- Chocolate Walnut Bearpaw Cookies
Recipe
Caramel Apple Cookies
Ingredients
Cookie Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted butter room temp
- ½ sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup apple butter
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 ¼ tsp baking powder
- 2 ¼ cups flour
Icing Ingredients
- 6 tbsp butter
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Prepare the Cookie Dough
- In a large bowl add ¾ cup room temperature butter, granulate sugar and brown sugar and beat together using a hand mixer.
- Mix in the apple butter, cinnamon, vanilla, salt, baking powder and flour.
- Cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge for 1 hour.
Bake the Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350° and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Scoop about 2 tablespoons worth of cookie dough and roll into balls.
- Flatten them out a bit and set down on the baking sheet 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.
- After baking, allow cookies to cool completely.
Prepare the Icing
- In a medium saucepan, over medium heat mix in heavy cream, 6 tablespoons of butter and 1 cup of brown sugar.
- Stir continuously till it reaches a boil.
- Remove from heat and add in the vanilla extract plus 2 cups of powdered sugar, one cup at a time and whisk till there are no chunks.
- Let the caramel mixture cool until about room temp and then add in the last 1 cup of powdered sugar.
Decorate and Serve
- Scoop the icing into a zip lock bag and cut the tip of a corner off.
- Pipe the icing on top of the cookies in a swirl.
- This part is optional, if you want to add sprinkles add them right after you pipe the cookie so it sticks easily.
- Let the icing set and then enjoy!
Notes
- Room Temperature: Store in an airtight container for 2-3 days on the counter.
- Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week.
- Freezer: Place in a freezer safe container or bag with parchment paper in between in cookie. Store in freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw out in fridge overnight before consuming.
Nutrition Disclosure
Nutritional facts are estimates and are provided as a courtesy to the reader. Please utilize your own brand nutritional values to double check against our estimates. Nutritional values are calculated via a third party. Changing ingredients, amounts or cooking technique will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.
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