Soft Apple Spice Cookies

These Soft Apple Spice Cookies are perfect for Fall baking! Made with warm spices, chunks of juicy apples, and a caramel topping, this apple spice cookies recipe has all the delicious flavors of apple pie in every bite!

If you love all things Fall, these cookies are for you! With cinnamon, brown sugar, fresh apple bits, and caramel, these soft apple cookies have all the flavors of a homemade apple pie. For more Fall treats, be sure to try my No-Bake Caramel Apple Bark and Cinnamon Roll Sugar Cookies too!

Have even more apples to use up? My Fresh Apple Cake is another family favorite made with fresh apples, cinnamon, and brown sugar.

Quick Look: Apple Spice Cookies

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Chill Time: 1 hour
• Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
• Servings: 9 cookies
• Flavor and Texture: Perfectly soft, cinnamon-spiced cookies with a warm, gooey apple pie filling, brown sugar, and caramel drizzle.
• Quick and Easy: These apple pie cookies use simple ingredients and need just 1 hour of chill time before baking.
• Make Ahead: Prepare the cookie dough a day in advance and refrigerate until ready to bake the next day.
• Perfect Anytime: Enjoy these spiced apple cookies with morning coffee, as a snack, or with ice cream for dessert.
• Great for Fall: A delicious way to use up fresh apples after apple picking or any extras you have on hand. For another Fall cookie recipe, try my Loaded Fall Harvest Cookies!

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Ingredient Notes

See the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for exact ingredient amounts and step-by-step directions to make these apple pie spiced cookies.

• Butter: Use softened, unsalted butter for the cookie dough so you can control the amount of salt. Room temperature butter and egg also make mixing easier.
• Sugar: Both granulated sugar and brown sugar add sweetness to these soft apple cookies. Brown sugar also adds a rich flavor.
• Cinnamon: Ground cinnamon gives these apple pie spiced cookies their warm flavor. Add a pinch of nutmeg, allspice, cloves, or pumpkin pie spice for extra flavor.
• Apple: Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, and Fuji apples all work great! Peel and finely dice the apple so the pieces fit easily into the cookie filling. If you love desserts made with fresh apples, my Apple Cheesecake Bars are another delicious option with a cinnamon-spiced apple filling.
• Caramel Topping: Look for caramel ice cream topping near the ice cream toppings at the grocery store. Drizzle over the cooled cookies for that delicious caramel apple flavor!

How to Make Soft Apple Spice Cookies

Step 1. In a large bowl, add the softened, room-temperature butter, granulated sugar, and packed brown sugar.

Step 2. Using an electric hand mixer, beat until light and fluffy. Add the egg and pure vanilla extract, then mix until combined.

Step 3. Add the all-purpose flour, ground cinnamon, baking powder, and salt to the bowl.

Step 4. Mix until a cookie dough forms. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 1 hour. About 10-15 minutes before the dough is done chilling, begin preparing the apple filling.

Step 5. Peel and finely dice the apple. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the apple, butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar. Stir until the butter melts. In a small bowl, whisk together the water and cornstarch, then pour into the saucepan. Simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring until the apple filling thickens. Remove from heat and let cool for 5-10 minutes.

Step 6. While the apple filling cools, line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and add ¼ cup sugar to a small bowl. Divide the cookie dough into 9 even balls and roll each one in the sugar to coat. Place on the prepared baking sheet, flatten slightly with your hand, and make a large indent in the center of each cookie for the apple filling.

Step 7. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of apple pie filling into the center of each cookie.

Step 8. Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 14-16 minutes, or until the cookies are set. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack. Drizzle the apple cookies with caramel sauce. Serve and enjoy!

Cookie Tips

• Optional Brown Sugar Topping: Sprinkle a little brown sugar over the caramel drizzle for extra sweetness, or leave it off if you prefer a less sweet cookie. Love the combination of apples, cinnamon, and caramel? My Easy Apple Dessert Pizza is another fun dessert to try!
• Evenly Sized Cookies: Use a cookie scoop or ice cream scoop to divide the dough into 9 even balls before rolling each one in sugar.
• Room Temperature Ingredients: Use softened butter and a room-temperature egg for easier mixing without overworking the cookie dough.
• Fresh Baking Powder: Make sure your baking powder is fresh so the cookies bake up with the right texture.

Storage & Make-Ahead

• Refrigerator: Store leftover apple spice cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
• Room Temperature: Due to the apple filling and caramel topping, I don’t recommend leaving these cookies on the counter, as they can get messy.
• Freezer: Store in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw before serving.
• Make Ahead: Prepare the cookie dough a day in advance and keep it covered in the refrigerator until ready to assemble and bake.
• Reheating: Warm the cookies in the microwave for about 15 seconds before enjoying, if desired.

Apple Spice Cookies Recipe FAQs

More Fall recipes to try

Tried this recipe? Leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating and let me know what you think in the comments! You can also follow me on Pinterest for even more easy, family-friendly recipes.