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Learn how to make apple sugar cookies from scratch with this easy recipe. They’re like soft snickerdoodle cookies with the fall flavors of an apple pie!
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Consider these apple sugar cookies for your next fall baking project.
Every piece combines the familiar sweet and cozy flavors of two autumn classics: snickerdoodle cookies and apple pies.
This mouthwatering read also includes ideas for other spices, add-ins, and frosting that’ll really hit the sweet spot. Here are some clues: apple pie spice, butterscotch, nuts, caramel, apple butter, and cream cheese. ?
So what are you waiting for?
Spice up your tea time this flannel season with apple cinnamon sugar cookies made from fresh apples.
What Are Apple Sugar Cookies?
The best way to describe apple cinnamon sugar cookies is they’re like snickerdoodle cookies with the familiar, homey flavors of your favorite fall apple pie.
This recipe uses actual apples, grated and peeled, then mixed into the dough.
The result?
Soft apple cookies that are crispy on top and fluffy inside! ?
Thanks to cinnamon and nutmeg, these cookies are also full of fall flavors. Entice all your senses as the warm, nostalgic aroma fills your kitchen while they’re baking!
I’m actually thinking of hosting an autumn tea party and serving these apple sugar cookies with chai spiced sugar cookies and Instant Pot pumpkin bites. (Fine, you can steal my dessert table idea!)
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Two Desserts In One: These cinnamon apple cookies are like snickerdoodle cookies made better with the sweet, warm flavors of an apple pie! We’ll use fresh apples to make good use of autumn’s bounty.
- Fuss-Free Recipe: This apple sugar cookie recipe comes together using simple ingredients. You only need to remember one thing: don’t overmix the dough, and you’ll get perfect apple cookies every time!
- Guaranteed Crowd-Pleaser: Cinnamon sugar apple cookies are sweet, warm, and homey. They’re perfect while cozying up at home and impressive enough to serve on your fall gatherings!
What Do Apple Cinnamon Sugar Cookies Taste Like?
Apple cinnamon sugar cookies taste like soft snickerdoodle cookies with warm spices and sweetness from everyone’s favorite fall harvest: fresh apples.
But for me, the best thing about apple sugar cookies is their texture. They literally have the perfect cookie texture.
These apple cookies are not overly chewy, cakey, or crunchy!
You’ll get a satisfying bite with their crisp edges, but the center is nice and light, which, by the way, makes every piece amazing for dipping in coffee. ?
I also highly recommend eating them chilled, but for those who can’t wait, they’re still delicious at room temperature.
Are Apple Cookies Healthy?
Apples are a good source of fiber and vitamin C. However, we are incorporating them in a cookie recipe, and cookies are not exactly known for their nutrients because they can be high in calories and sugars.
The good news is with responsible portions and mindful eating habits, enjoying apple sugar cookies will surely benefit your mood.
They’re perfect for relaxing after a tiring and busy day.
After all, there’s a saying that goes, “When you’re down and feeling worse, keep a cookie in your purse.” ?
What Are The Benefits Of Cinnamon Apple Cookies?
Making these cinnamon apple cookies is a delicious way to put your apple harvest this fall to good use. Unlike other apple cookies, you’ll really incorporate fresh apples into the dough. ?
These cinnamon sugar apple cookies are also easy to bake because you won’t need special ingredients, equipment, or expert skills to whip them up. I’m sure you already have the warm spices in your kitchen cupboard!
Because they’re the perfect middle ground between crisp and soft, it’ll be hard for anyone to refuse a piece or two of these spiced apple cookies.
Make them for loved ones, box them up as gifts, or prepare them in advance to have sweet treats ready to boost your mood whenever.
Ingredients For Apple Spice Cookies
- All-purpose flour – Can’t consume gluten? You can make these apple sugar cookies with gluten-free flour!
- Baking soda – To help the cookies rise. However, remember that an opened box of baking soda should be used within 6 months as it wouldn’t be as potent.
- Cinnamon – We’ll use cinnamon in the dough and for rolling.
- Nutmeg – We can capture the delicious apple pie flavor with cinnamon and nutmeg!
- Cream of tartar – This is such a versatile ingredient! Its acidity pairs well with the apple cinnamon flavor, and it also helps with the cookie’s chewiness.
- Unsalted butter – Use room-temperature butter so it’ll be easier to beat with the sugars.
- Granulated sugar – To sweeten the dough and also for rolling.
- Brown sugar – These cinnamon sugar apple cookies use two types of sugar for flavor and texture.
- Egg – As with any baked good, this provides structure.
- Grated apples – Use sweet apples like Honeycrisp. I prefer to grate them for moist, soft cookies, but if you want chunky apple cookies, just dice them up.
- Vanilla extract – Cookies without vanilla extract just taste flat.
Tools Needed To Prepare Apple Cinnamon Sugar Cookies
- Parchment paper for lining the baking sheet
- Mixing bowls for combining the ingredients
- Whisk for mixing the ingredients
- Stand mixer for mixing the dough
- Cookie scoop for portioning the cookies
Ingredient Additions & Substitutions For Apple Cookies
Spices
This apple sugar cookie recipe is not fall-ready without warm spices! Besides cinnamon and nutmeg, these cookies are also delicious with ground ginger and ground cloves.
You can even just use apple pie spice!
Add-ins
Love chunky cookies? Without straying far from the homey flavors of an apple pie, some delicious add-ins for the dough are chopped pecans and butterscotch chips. ?
Frosting ideas
Love decadent desserts? Frost your apple sugar cookies with caramel icing or apple frosting!
For the caramel icing, just cream butter and cream cheese, then add some caramel sauce, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Kids and adults alike will love this, especially with streusel!
But for the ultimate apple cookie recipe, top the cookies with an apple frosting made from butter, powdered sugar, apple butter, and apple cider! ?
How to Make Apple Sugar Cookies
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp cream of tartar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup grated apples, peeled
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar for rolling
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon for rolling
Tools you need:
Instructions:
STEP 1: Gather and measure the ingredients for your apple sugar cookies.
STEP 2: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper.
STEP 3: Whisk the dry ingredients together until you no longer see any streaks of ground cinnamon. Set aside.
STEP 4: Cream your butter, granulated sugar, and light brown sugar until light and fluffy. Then, add the egg, grated apples, and vanilla extract. Mix just until combined.
STEP 5: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat the mixture just until incorporated to form the dough. Do not overmix!
STEP 6: For rolling, mix granulated sugar and ground cinnamon in a small bowl.
STEP 7: Scoop out a ball of apple cookie dough, then roll it in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Repeat until you finish the whole dough, making sure your cookies are spaced evenly on the lined baking sheet.
STEP 8: Bake the apple sugar cookies for 10 minutes.
STEP 9: Once done, allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before you transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
What To Serve With Apple Sugar Cookies
Serve your cinnamon sugar apple cookies freshly baked, room temperature, or chilled with caramel sauce, your favorite ice cream, or any hot beverage for fall.
You might also love these delicious apple cookies with milk or alongside other fall cookies that feature warm spices.
But if you want apples as the star of your autumn feast, I have two other sweet treats that will go well with these cinnamon apple cookies.
Try our apple crumble cheesecake that marries creamy cheesecake with apple crumble, and for beverage, our super indulgent apple pie milkshake recipe tastes so good, you might end up gatekeeping it!?
Tips About Making Cinnamon Apple Cookies
Get perfectly soft, slightly chewy, and slightly crispy apple sugar cookies with these tips:
- Always use room-temperature butter and egg so you can mix everything easily. It’s also important to measure your flour with a kitchen scale because if you use too much, the dough will be stiff.
- Mix the dough with an electric mixer just until the ingredients are incorporated. Overmixing is the culprit behind very tough and chewy apple sugar cookies!
- Your cinnamon sugar apple cookies are done once their edges are crisp, and they no longer look wet. If the baked cookies look puffy, don’t worry! They will flatten after cooling completely.
How To Store Cinnamon Sugar Apple Cookies
These apple cinnamon sugar cookies store well in the fridge. You can even prepare the dough balls in advance so they’re ready to be baked when the cravings strike or when you have guests over this apple season!
- Fridge: Apple sugar cookies taste even better when chilled. Put them in an airtight container and store them in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: Just pre-freeze the rolled dough balls for an hour, then transfer them to a freezer-safe container. They will keep well for up to 3 months!
- Bake from frozen: You can bake the frozen dough balls straight from the freezer. Just extend the baking time for a few minutes, but use the same temperature.
What’s the Difference Between a Sugar Cookie and a Regular Cookie?
Sugar cookies are very crunchy and snappy compared to regular cookies. Because they’re also sturdy, they’re best for fun cutout shapes and decorations like icing.
Want to expand your cookie knowledge and bake something beyond the usual shortbread, butter, or sugar cookie? Try our Italian peach cookies and orange crinkle cookies!
What Is the Best Sugar for Cookies?
Both white and brown sugar are best for cookies. However, don’t be surprised if most cookie recipes call for granulated white sugar.
After all, granulated sugar is the best choice for crisp, flat cookies.
But if you’re like me, who’s more into moist and chewy cookies with dark color, brown sugar is the sugar your cookies need.
There is also light brown sugar and dark brown sugar, and while they have similar functions, expect that dark brown sugar offers a deeper taste as it has more molasses.
Test these sugar facts on the best cookie recipes! This is your sign to embrace your inner baker. ?
What’s the Purpose of Using Both Granulated Sugar and Light Brown Sugar in the Recipe?
Some cookie recipes use both granulated white sugar and light brown sugar. The purpose?
To get the perfect middle ground in terms of texture and taste on the cookies.
Understand that granulated sugar sweetens the cookies while brown sugar adds chewiness to the cookies.
Therefore, for very soft and chewy cookies, you’ll use more light brown sugar. But for crisp cookies, you’ll use more granulated sugar.
Bonus tip: If you reduce the sugars in the recipe, you’ll get lovely cake-like cookies!
Can I Use an Egg Substitute If I Want to Make This Recipe Vegan?
It’s possible to make vegan, eggless apple cookies.
While I haven’t tried flax egg as a substitute for this particular recipe, there are apple cookies that use flax egg and dairy-free butter to keep the fall treats vegan.
Speaking of vegan cookies, check out our TikTok blueberry cookies! I’ve included vegan substitutes so you can enjoy the viral cookies regardless of your diet.
Do the Apples Need to Be Peeled Before Grating or Dicing?
Yep, we used peeled apples before grating them for these apple sugar cookies.
Remember that we only want the sweet apple flavor on these cookies, and leaving the skin on the apples can affect the texture and taste of the apple cookies.
And if you have extra apples from this recipe, transform them into caramel apple pancakes and apple cinnamon brownies! You can never have too many apple desserts this autumn. ?
FAQ About Apple Cookies
Can you make apple crumble with sugar cookie mix?
Definitely! Cut in butter and cream cheese to the sugar cookie mix, and you’ll have a base and topping for a lazy man’s apple crumble. The center can just be any apple pie filling!
What can I make with sugar cookie dough and apples?
Besides cookies, apples and sugar cookie dough can turn into an apple cobbler. And speaking of cobbler, did you know you can make one outdoors? Use our Dutch oven apple cobbler recipe!
Should sugar cookies be soft or crispy?
A bit of both! The best sugar cookies are nice and crispy on the edges but soft and tender in the center.
How do I keep the apple pieces from browning if I prep them in advance?
You can soak the apple slices in salted water to keep them from browning.
Can I use store-bought cinnamon sugar instead of making my own?
It’s super easy to make cinnamon sugar, but of course, you can just use store-bought cinnamon sugar for rolling your cookies. I think the latter is especially convenient if you often need cinnamon sugar.
What can I use if I don’t have a cookie scoop?
I’ve used a cookie scoop to portion my dough easily, but you can also just use a measuring cup. Swap the commonly used 1-ounce cookie scoop with a 1/8 cup measuring cup.
Apple Sugar Cookies
Learn how to make apple sugar cookies from scratch with this easy recipe. They're like soft snickerdoodle cookies with the fall flavors of an apple pie!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp cream of tartar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup grated apples, peeled
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar for rolling
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon for rolling
Instructions
- Gather and measure the ingredients for your apple sugar cookies.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Whisk the dry ingredients together until you no longer see any streaks of ground cinnamon. Set aside.
- Cream your butter, granulated sugar, and light brown sugar until light and fluffy. Then, add the egg, grated apples, and vanilla extract. Mix just until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat the mixture just until incorporated to form the dough. Do not overmix!
- For rolling, mix granulated sugar and ground cinnamon in a small bowl.
- Scoop out a ball of apple cookie dough, then roll it in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Repeat until you finish the whole dough, making sure your cookies are spaced evenly on the lined baking sheet.
- Bake the apple sugar cookies for 10 minutes.
- Once done, allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before you transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Use room-temperature butter and egg so the ingredients will mix well. If the cookie dough feels stiff, you might have used too much flour, so always measure it accurately with a kitchen scale.
- Do not overmix the ingredients, or your cookies will end up very tough and chewy! After adding the dry ingredients, mix the dough just until the ingredients are incorporated.
- How do you know when your apple sugar cookies are done? You'll notice that the top of the cookies no longer looks wet, and their edges are nice and crisp. They will also look a bit puffy, but the cookies will flatten once they cool completely.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 18 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 319Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 55mgSodium: 3mgCarbohydrates: 35gFiber: 0gSugar: 35gProtein: 0g
* Please note that all nutrition information are just estimates. Values will vary among brands, so we encourage you to calculate these on your own for the most accurate results.
Conclusion
There are no bad apples here. Just soft and seriously addictive apple sugar cookies you can bake from scratch using simple ingredients!
These apple cookies combine snickerdoodle cookies and a warm slice of apple pie in every bite.
You can put your autumn harvest to good use and add the grated apple to the dough. You’ll be rewarded with perfectly moist cinnamon sugar apple cookies that are full of yummy apple flavor. ?
And if you need more sweets this autumn, try our favorite pumpkin, apple, and cinnamon recipes: