If an apple pie was a cookie, it would be just like this! It is the most soft, crisp apple cinnamon pie cookies with perfectly spiced cooked apples topped with a crisp cinnamon crumble.
It’s not fall yet but since it’s September fall is almost here! I know that where I live it doesn’t start feeling like fall until early October. But since fall festivities are around already, so apple baking! So let the apple baking begin!
It’s the season of apple picking, and we all know that this is the best time of the year to enjoy delicious apples! You’ll definitely want to put these apple cinnamon pie cookies on your baking list! If you’ve ever made a pie from scratch especially an apple pie, you’ll know how much work it is. You have to cut so many apples for the filling and you have to make the most perfect from scratch buttery pie crust for it. It’s just a lot of work. Think of this as a shortcut, quick and easy to satisfy the craving if you don’t want to peel and cut 7 to 8 apples. I promise just one bite of these cookies and it’ll blow you away!
Ingredients: Apple cinnamon pie cookies
- butter
- flour
- egg
- baking powder
- cornstarch
- salt
- apple
- cinnamon
- nutmeg
- sugar
- brown sugar
How to make apple cinnamon pie cookies:
Start off with cinnamon cookie dough:
To begin cut the cold butter into cubes for easier creaming. In a stand mixer beat the cold cubed butter and sugars until light and airy.
Add in the egg and vanilla and mix until combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and then all in the dry ingredients. The dough should not be sticky or dry. It should be easy to mold almost like play doh.
And then divide the dough into 6 balls. I roughly measured each ball with a 1/4 measuring cup. Roll the dough into a smooth ball and press the dough slowly with the back of a tablespoon or a small cylinder like object to indent the dough. Make sure the sides are taller than the bottom of the cookie, but also making sure there is enough space dough on the bottom of the cookie, it should form into a well.
The sides of the dough will crack when making a well in the middle of the cookie if you don’t press an object into it slowly. I don’t mind the look but if you wanted a no crack look slowly press a cylinder like object into the dough.
Place the cookie dough into the freezer for at least 1 hour to reduce the spread of the cookies. If you are planning on making the dough ahead of time the refrigerator is perfectly fine. Leaving the cookie dough in the freezer just makes the rest time shorter.
Apple cinnamon pie filling:
Peel and cut the apple into 1/2 in cubes and put them into a small saucepan. Cook the apples with half the water, sugar and vanilla extract on low to medium heat. Allow the apples to cook for 5 to 10 minutes until the apples are soft.
In a small bowl mix the cornstarch and the remaining water to create a slurry. Add the slurry into the cooked apples and mix. The apple mixture should thicken almost immediately. Allow the apples to cool to the side and save for later use.
Apple cinnamon crumble topping:
In a medium sized bowl mix in all the ingredients until it forms small clumps. If you want bigger clumps just squeeze some of the crumble together to create bigger clumps.
Assemble and Bake:
Preheat Oven to 400 degrees.
Take out the cookie doughs and space them on a cookie sheet tray. They will spread just a little bit. Add a spoonful of the apple filling into the cavity of the cookie and then add some of the crumble on top pressing it on to ensure it’ll stick. You will not use all the apple filling and the crumble topping.
Bake in the oven for 9 to 11 minutes. The colder the cookie dough the longer it’ll bake. If your cookie dough was in the freezer, it’ll bake just a few minutes longer than if it was in the refrigerator.
The cookies will not be golden brown on the edges when it’s done baking. So, check the oven after 9 minutes and slightly touch for the firmness of the baked cookie dough. I also check for the browning of the crumble on top. Once the cookies have cooled down allowed them to cool and enjoy.
They are best eaten the same day and slightly warm.
Apple cinnamon pie cookie FAQS:
- What kind of apples are best to use? I always use granny smith apples when it comes to baking. I love the firmness of them and the tartness, but any firm apple will do.
- Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for a maximum of 2 days. If longer than two days, I would recommend storing in the refrigerator.
- Can I substitute with another fruit? Yes! I originally tried this recipe with just raspberry and blueberry jam but with the season of fall I was inspired to make an apple cinnamon pie cookie. Feel free to leave out the cinnamon in the cookie dough and leave out the streusel depending on the filling.
Way Better than pie, Apple cinnamon pie cookies
Ingredients
Apple cinnamon cookie dough
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter cold, cubed
- 1 large egg cold
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 6 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1⅓ cup all purpose flour
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
Apple cinnamon filling
- 2 large apples cut, cubed 1/2 in
- 4 tbsp sugar
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- pinch nutmeg
- 4 tsp water divided
Apple cinnamon crumble
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- pinch salt
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter softened
Instructions
Cinnamon cookie dough
- In a stand mixer or large bowl add in the cubed cold butter, and both sugars and cream.
- Scrape the sides of the bowl and then add in the egg and vanilla, mix and then scrape the bowl again.
- Incorporate all the dry ingredients and mix. The dough should not be sticky, it should almost be playdoh like.
- Divide the dough into 6 balls. They should roughly be 1/4 cup each.
- Roll the dough into a smooth ball and with a small cylinder object slowly press in into the middle of the ball to create a well. Make sure there is enough cookie dough on the bottom to prevent the apple filling from falling through. (Please see photos above as an example.)
- Place the pressed cookie dough balls onto a cookie sheet pan and freeze for at least 1 hour.
Apple Filling
- Cut and peel the apples into 1/2-inch cubes and place in a saucepan. Add in half the water, sugar and vanilla extract and cook on low heat for 5 to 10 minutes or until the apples are soft.
- With a small sized bowl mix in the cornstarch and remaining water to create a slurry.
- Add the slurry into the apple mixture when it's done cooking. The apple filling should thicken almost immediately. Take them out of the saucepan and allow it to cool on the side.
Cookie crumble
- Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl until its thoroughly mixed. Squeeze some of the mixture into the palm of your hands to create bigger clumps.
Baking the Cookies:
- Preheat Oven to 400℉
- Take the cookie doughs out of the freezer and place them onto a cookie sheet pan making sure there is enough room for the cookie to just lightly spread.
- Fill the cavity of the cookie with a spoonful of the apple filling and then the same with the crumble filling making sure to press the crumble in so it sticks to the cookie.
- Bake the cookies for 9-12 minutes, checking at 9 minutes to make sure they don't burn. If at 9 minutes they need a little more time, then add another 2 minutes. The top of the crumble should be golden brown, and the sides of the cookies will be a little firm to touch. DO NOT OVERBAKE.
- Once done, take them out of the oven and allow them to cool for 5 minutes before enjoying.
If you made these Apple Cinnamon pie Cookies please tag me on Instagram at Ofjensweets or comment below! Thank you!
