Apple Pie Cookies 🍎✨ All the Flavor of Pie, in Cookie Form

Love apple pie but don’t feel like rolling out crusts? These Apple Pie Cookies are your shortcut to cozy fall baking. Imagine soft, chewy cookies filled with warm spiced apples and topped with a drizzle of caramel—basically, a bite-sized version of the classic dessert.

They’re perfect for bake sales, school treats, or just when you want your kitchen to smell like fall. Bonus: you can make them even fancier with homemade caramel sauce (totally optional but highly recommended).

Ingredients

For the Cookies

• ½ cup unsalted butter, browned
• 1 cup brown sugar
• ½ cup white sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg

For the Apple Filling

• 2 cans apple pie filling, rinsed and drained
• ¼ cup white sugar
• ¼ cup + 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons water
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Caramel Sauce (optional but amazing)

• ⅔ cup white sugar
• ¼ cup water
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 6 tablespoons heavy cream
• ½ teaspoon salt

Instructions

Make the Cookies

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment.
2. In a large bowl, whisk browned butter with both sugars until smooth. Add vanilla + eggs, whisk until glossy.
3. Fold in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg until a thick dough forms.
4. Scoop 2-inch dough balls onto baking sheet, spacing 2 inches apart.
5. Bake 12 minutes, until edges are set and tops start to crinkle. Cool slightly.

Make the Apple Filling

1. Rinse canned apple pie filling to remove excess syrup. Add apples to saucepan.
2. Stir in sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice, vanilla, cornstarch, and water.
3. Cook over medium heat until apples soften and mixture thickens. Break larger apple slices into chunks. Remove from heat and let cool.

Make Caramel (Optional)

1. In a clean saucepan, cook sugar and water over medium heat until amber in color.
2. Lower heat and carefully whisk in butter + cream (it will bubble). Stir until smooth, then add salt.

Assemble

1. Spoon apple filling into the center of cooled cookies, leaving a ½-inch border.
2. Drizzle caramel sauce generously over the top.
3. Serve warm—or let cool and stack for later.

Tips for Success

• Brown the butter carefully. Pull it off the heat as soon as it smells nutty and looks golden.
• Rinse canned filling. This removes excess syrup so cookies don’t get soggy.
• Don’t overbake. They should be soft in the center for the best chewy texture.
• Caramel = optional. The cookies are delicious as-is, but caramel takes them over the top.
• Let them cool slightly. So the filling and caramel stay put.

Apple Pie Cookies

Chewy cookies filled with warm spiced apple pie filling and topped with a drizzle of caramel. These Apple Pie Cookies are a cozy fall dessert that combines the best of pie and cookies in one irresistible treat.

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Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

For the Cookies

• ½ cup unsalted butter browned
• 1 cup brown sugar
• ½ cup white sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg

For the Apple Filling

• 2 cans apple pie filling rinsed and drained
• ¼ cup white sugar
• ¼ cup + 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons water
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Caramel Sauce (optional)

• ⅔ cup white sugar
• ¼ cup water
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 6 tablespoons heavy cream
• ½ teaspoon salt

Method

 

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment.
2. In a large bowl, whisk browned butter with both sugars until smooth. Add vanilla and eggs, whisk until glossy.
3. Fold in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg until a thick dough forms.
4. Scoop 2-inch dough balls onto baking sheet, spacing 2 inches apart.
5. Bake 12 minutes, until edges are set and tops crinkle. Let cool.
6. For filling: rinse apple pie filling, place apples in saucepan. Add sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice, vanilla, cornstarch, and water. Cook over medium heat until softened and thickened. Let cool.
7. For caramel: cook sugar and water in saucepan until amber. Lower heat, whisk in butter and cream. Stir until smooth, then add salt.
8. Spoon apple filling into center of cookies. Drizzle with caramel. Serve warm or cooled.

Notes

• Rinsing the apple pie filling removes excess syrup for a better texture.
• Brown the butter carefully—watch closely so it doesn’t burn.
• Don’t overbake the cookies; they should stay soft and chewy.
• Caramel drizzle is optional but makes these extra special.

✨ These Apple Pie Cookies are chewy, cozy, and just the right amount of messy—in the best way. Save this recipe for your next fall baking day!