These caramel apple pie cookies feature a soft and chewy butter cookie base with a caramelized apple center, rich drizzles of caramel sauce, and crushed cinnamon crunch cereal on top.
Save this recipe for later using the ‘save to recipe box’ button. If you make it, please let me know by leaving a comment + star rating below the recipe card. This only takes moments and helps support my website so much!
This is not a drill! Apple pie meets cookies today and it’s just in time for the first official day of fall tomorrow.
I’m talking soft and chewy cookie base, perfectly spiced apple filling, and rich drizzles of caramel sauce + crunchy crushed cereal topping. It’s a thing of fall dreams and the perfect solution if you have an apple baked goods craving but don’t want to commit to a full apple pie.
And I’ll be honest, these cookies were a labor of love to get just right during the recipe development stage so we all deserve an extra one for getting to the finish line.
These Cookies Feature…
- A soft and chewy cookie base
- A spiced caramelized apple filling
- Gooey caramel drizzles and crushed cinnamon crunch cereal on top
Making the Apple Pie Cookies
(scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe)
Ingredients You Will Need
- Unsalted butter
- Brown sugar
- Granulated sugar
- Egg
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Cornstarch
- Baking soda
- Kosher salt
- Apples
- Maple syrup
- Spices
- Cinnamon crunch cereal
- Caramel sauce
Storing Cookie Dough
If you would like to make up the dough for these cookies in advance it stores well in refrigerator up to 6 days or in the freezer up to 2 months. Wrap the dough well in plastic wrap before storing and follow recipe instructions for baking cookies when ready to bake.
Tips for Perfect Apple Pie Cookies
- Bring butter and egg to room temp – make sure the butter is softened to room temperature before creaming with the sugar. Likewise, allow the egg to come to room temperature or submerge in hot water for about 2 minutes to quickly warm it so it incorporates easier into the butter.
- Use a stand mixer or mix dough by hand – this recipe is both mixer-friendly and old-fashioned-bowl-and-spoon friendly.
- Use part brown sugar and part granulated – brown sugar will give the cookies a soft and chewy texture while a little bit of granulated helps give the texture a bit of extra structure.
- Measure flour correctly – I use the spoon-and-level technique for measuring flour as this will prevent over-measuring your flour. Use a spoon to scoop flour into the measuring cup, then level with the back of a knife. You can also weigh the flour in grams for the most accurate results.
- Chill cookie dough – chilling the dough for about 2 hours before baking will prevent the cookies from excessive spreading resulting in a thick and chewy cookie.
- Indent cookies and fill with apples – use your thumb to indent the center of cookie dough balls and fill with about 1 tablespoon apple filling.
- Bake cookies 10-12 minutes – the cookies are done when the edges of cookies are golden brown.
Recipe Variations
Try these ideas for a different twist on these cookies.
- Try pears – use diced pears in place of the apples.
- Add another fruit to filling – try adding 1/4 cup dried cranberries or raisins to the apples.
- Use a different topping – try a drizzle of melted white chocolate or butterscotch in place of the caramel.
- Add nuts – top cookies with minced toasted pecans or walnuts in place of the cereal.
- Make it salty – add a sprinkle of flaky sea salt to cookies after topping with caramel.
Storing Cookies
Allow the cookies to cool completely then store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days. Because of the apple filling, I don’t recommend freezing these cookies.
I just know that everyone in your life is going to swoon over these cookies! It’s the little bit of caramel sauce and cinnamon crunch cereal at the end that ties everything together and really brings the fall spirit.
Go forth and go crazy over ’em. It’s fall!
Try these other fall flavored cookies next!
Save this recipe for later using the ‘save to recipe box’ button. If you make it, please let me know by leaving a comment + star rating below the recipe card. This only takes moments and helps support my website so much!
Caramel Apple Pie Cookies
This recipe may included paid links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup (110g) packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
- 1 tablespoon (10g) cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Apple Pie Filling
- 1 lb (about 3 medium) apples, peeled, cored, and diced into 1/4-inch cubes
- 3 tablespoons (45g) packed light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Crushed cinnamon crunch cereal for topping
- 1/4 cup jarred or homemade caramel sauce
Instructions
Cookie Dough
- Place butter and both sugars in the bowl of a large stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment OR in a large mixing bowl with a wooden spoon. Mix on medium speed or by hand until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add egg and vanilla, beating well until smooth.
- In a medium separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to butter mixture, folding until dough is just combined. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill 2 hours.
Apple Pie Filling
- Combine apple, brown sugar, maple syrup, and spices in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring apples to a simmer and allow to cook 4-6 minutes, stirring occasionally until apples are tender and syrupy. Allow to cool slightly.
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Remove dough from refrigerator and scoop into 2-inch balls. Place balls 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets and indent the center with your thumb or the back of a greased tablespoon, being careful not to push through the bottom of cookie.
- Scoop about 1 tablespoon apple pie filling into cookie centers. Bake cookies at 350F 10-12 minutes until edges of cookies are a light golden-brown.
- Fill cookie centers with a little additional apple pie filling if there is any leftover. Top cookies with crushed cereal and a few drizzles of caramel sauce. Allow cookies to cool on sheet pan 10 minutes then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely. Enjoy!
Leave a Reply