Apple Pie Cookies

5 from 35 votes

These apple pie cookies are a large thumbprint style of cookie. They are a cinnamon cookie with apple pie filling topped with a drizzle on salted caramel. These are perfect to make if you don't want to make a whole pie!

Prep Time1

Cook Time13

Total Time1 13

Servings: large cookies

Calories: 404kcal

Ingredients

Apple Pie Filling

3 Apple gala, peeled and sliced
¼ cup Brown sugar packed light or dark
2 tablespoon Unsalted butter
1 tablespoon Cornstarch
½ teaspoon Ground cinnamon

Salted Caramel

½ cup White granulated sugar
2 tablespoon Unsalted butter room temperature and cubed
¼ cup Heavy cream room temperature
½ teaspoon Salt
½ teaspoon Pure vanilla extract

Cinnamon Cookies

3 ¼ cups All-purpose flour
1 teaspoon Baking powder
1 teaspoon Ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon Cornstarch
1 teaspoon Salt
1 cup Unsalted butter melted and cooled
1 cup Brown sugar packed light or dark
½ cup White granulated sugar
1 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract
2 Large eggs room temperature
2 tablespoon Unsalted butter melted
½ cup White granulated sugar
1 teaspoon Ground cinnamon

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Apple Pie Filling

Peel and slice the apples. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the apple slices, brown sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon. Heat until it starts to bubble. Then, cook and stir for about 5 minutes. The mixture will thicken and the apples will be soft.
3 Apple, 2 tablespoon Unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon Cornstarch, ½ teaspoon Ground cinnamon, ¼ cup Brown sugar

Salted Caramel

In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat the sugar until all the sugar crystals are melted. Let it turn amber in color. This takes less than 30 seconds. Take off the heat immediately.
½ cup White granulated sugar
Add in half of the cubed butter and whisk until melted. Add in the rest of the butter and stir. This will bubble up a lot and be very hot. Add half of the heavy cream and whisk. Add the rest of the heavy cream.
2 tablespoon Unsalted butter, ¼ cup Heavy cream
Add in the vanilla and salt. Let the salted caramel and apple pie filling cool completely.
½ teaspoon Salt, ½ teaspoon Pure vanilla extract

Cinnamon Cookies

In a medium bowl, mix the flour, cinnamon, cornstarch, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.
3 ¼ cups All-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon Baking powder, 1 teaspoon Ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon Cornstarch, 1 teaspoon Salt
In a large bowl, mix the melted butter (it needs to be cooled to room temperature before using), brown sugar, sugar, vanilla, and eggs. Whisk until combined and smooth.
1 cup Unsalted butter, 1 cup Brown sugar, ½ cup White granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract, 2 Large eggs
Add in the dry ingredients and use a rubber spatula to mix until just combined.
Let the cookie dough rest for 10 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Use a large cookie scoop and scoop 6 cookie dough balls per cookie sheet. Use ⅛th measuring cup or the bottom of a spice jar to press a circle into the cookie dough. Then, use your hand to light press the dough into a nice circle. See pictures in my blog post.
Bake for 11 minutes. Take out of the oven, and press the measuring cup back into the hole. Then, bake for another 1-3 minutes until the edges are golden.
Cool the cookies completely on a cooling rack.
Brush the cookies with melted butter using a pastry brush (do 1 cookie at a time), roll the cookie in cinnamon sugar. Only worry about the outside of the cookie and not inside the hole.
2 tablespoon Unsalted butter, ½ cup White granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon Ground cinnamon
Top each hole with apple pie filling. Then, drizzle salted caramel on top.

Notes

Flour- Make sure flour is spooned and leveled or use a kitchen scale. Compacted flour can dry out the cookies and cause them not to spread

High altitude baking- Add an extra 2 tablespoon of flour.

Pull out dairy ingredients 2 hours before baking.

Nutrition