Apple and Honey Cookies are soft and chewy. They get their sweet apple flavor from apple butter and are topped with a firm honey icing. These delicious cookies are a great way to enjoy fall season flavors.
Why you'll love this recipe
Apples dipped in honey are traditional for Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. They are symbolic of the hope for sweetness in the coming year. They are also a delicious fall flavors combination!
These soft and chewy apple butter cookies are mildly sweet and fruity. The honey icing is a perfect pairing with these apple cookies and dries firm enough to ship, yet soft to bite into.
Apple and Honey Cookies are a tasty treat to serve at home, pack in lunch boxes, or a great addition to a Rosh Hashanah care package or gift basket!
Ingredients
Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the recipe card below.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter and sugars, then mix in apple butter, cinnamon, vanilla, salt, baking powder, and flour. Cover the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or until firm.
- Scoop dough with a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop and place at least 2” apart on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.
- Gently flatten the cookie dough balls into ½” thick discs with the palm of your hand or the bottom of a glass.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 350° F for 10-12 minutes.
- To prepare icing: Mix confectioners’ sugar, honey, and water in a medium bowl, adding additional water if necessary until the icing is a spreadable consistency.
- Ice each cookie and sprinkle immediately with colored decorating sugar.
Storage
To maintain the chewy texture, store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 7 days.
Tips
- This recipe can be make with store bought or fresh homemade apple butter. Keep in mind that store bought apple butter contains spices and some contain additional sugar.
- If you make your own apple butter without spices, you will need to add some apple pie spice to taste for this recipe.
- To keep these cookies soft longer, store them in airtight containers to retain moisture. A slice of white sandwich bread placed in the container can help provide additional moisture.
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Frequently asked questions
The more moisture is in the dough, the softer and chewier the cookies will be. In this recipe, butter, brown sugar, and apple butter add moisture.
To keep cookies from drying out and becoming hard, store them in an airtight container to keep the moisture from evaporating. Adding a piece of white sandwich bread to the container, adds additional moisture and helps keep the cookies soft longer.
Related recipes
Honey Apple Cake is moist and delicious. I have been baking and sharing this recipe for Rosh Hashanah honey cake for decades.
Apples and Honey Popcorn is irresistible popcorn with an oven baked honey caramel coating with crunchy bits of dried apple. Enjoy traditional holiday flavors in a new way!
Honey Biscotti and Apple Biscotti are crunchy, delicious cookies that make great care package treats or holiday gifts. These dunkable cookies are especially delicious with a cup of tea.
Honey Lollipops are poured into molds in any shape you want. Enjoy them as candy or stir them into a hot mug of tea!
Pomegranate Caramels are luscious, chewy, buttery caramel candies with the added fruitiness of pomegranate. They are a delicious treat and make beautiful gifts.
Use these ideas to create a Rosh Hashanah gift basket or care package that's fun to send and to receive.
Ready to bake? Join the free membership group to get new recipes and a newsletter delivered to your inbox! You can also stay in touch on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram. I’d love to stay in touch!
Wishing everyone a healthy, peace filled, and sweet New Year! L'Shanah Tovah Tikatevu
Apple and Honey Cookies
Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ cup granulated white sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup apple butter see notes
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- Icing:
- 1 ¼ cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon water
- To decorate: 3-4 tablespoons colored decorating sugar
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter and sugars.
- Mix in apple butter, cinnamon, vanilla, salt, baking powder, and flour to form a thick dough.
- Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or until firm.
- When ready to bake: Preheat oven to 350 F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Scoop the cookie dough with medium cookie scoop (1 ½ tablespoons) and place the balls of dough at least 2” apart on prepared baking sheet.
- Gently flatten dough balls into ½” thick discs.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes.
- Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes then cool completely on a wire rack.
- To prepare icing: Mix confectioners’ sugar, honey, and water in a medium bowl, adding additional water if necessary until the icing is a spreadable consistency.
- Top cookies with icing and sprinkle immediately with colored decorating sugar.
- Allow icing to dry completely before storing.
- To maintain the chewy texture, store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 7 days.
Notes
- This recipe can be make with store bought or homemade apple butter. Keep in mind that store bought apple butter contains spices and some contain additional sugar.
- If you make your own apple butter without spices, you will need to add some apple pie spice to taste for this recipe.
Nutrition
First Published: September 19, 2015. Last Updated: September 2, 2022. Updated for additional information, improved photos, and better reader experience.
Jasmine
These are *amazing*. The flavor is really fantastic, and they were quite easy to put together. I had a little icing leftover and I didn’t spread it I just dipped the tops in the icing bowl. These are the dangerous cookies where you just want to keep eating them because they are so good. And I got exactly 22! Thanks for the great recipe!
Wendy Sondov
Hi, Jasmine! I'm so glad you enjoyed these cookies! They are a favorite at my house. 🙂 Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment and your 5 star review!! Happy baking!
Miz Helen
We will love these delicious Apple Cookies. Thanks so much for sharing with us at Full Plate Thursday. Have a great weekend and come back to see us real soon!
Miz Helen
April J Harris
What a lovely way to celebrate new beginnings! Love your Apple and Honey Cookies, Wendy, especially with the icing and sprinkles. You know how much I love sprinkles! Sharing around. Thank you so much for being a part of Hearth and Soul.
The Monday Box
Thanks, April! Apples taste so good with honey. Should we be the founding members of the International Sprinkle Society? Thanks so much for sharing!
Kat (The Baking Explorer)
Your cookies look delicious and I'm glad you got a rave review from your son, he's very lucky to have you!
Michelle
Wow!
These sound amazing!
I love the flavor combinations!
Thanks
Michelle
Andrea
I am planning to make these cookies next week. They sound easy and delicious! I'm curious, though, are you using plain apple butter or a spiced apple butter?
The Monday Box
Hi, Andrea! I used plain apple butter in this recipe because spice blends often contain cloves. I am NOT a fan of cloves. 🙂 Instead, I added just cinnamon. You definitely can use spiced apple butter if you like it and leave out the extra cinnamon. I hope you enjoy these as much as we did! 🙂
Lauren Hughes
These look and sound amazing! Can't wait to try them!
The Monday Box
Thanks, Lauren! These cookies have become an addiction at my house. 🙂 Let me know what you think if you try them.
Elaina Newton (@TheRisingSpoon)
These cookies look fabulous! I remember eating soft frosted cookies from the grocery store growing up, but these look so much better, and with simple ingredients, too. I love that butter is at the top of the list, haha. Pinning for later when I get a chance to make this for a family member. 🙂
The Monday Box
Thanks, Elaina! In general, I don't like overly sweet treats. Most of my recipes leave the cookies plain or with a drizzled topping. These cookies, however, are simply perfect with this frosting without being too sweet. Just, soft and chewy and full of apple/honey flavor. I hope you enjoy them!
Monica
Such a special treat for Rosh Hashanah, Wendy. And what a great revelation to find out how much your son loves soft cookies! I can totally understand; you're son must be so used to your wonderful treats so they're just a norm of his life. : ) That must have been a wonderful text to receive.
The Monday Box
Thanks, Monica! I feel so silly never having been aware that my son had a preference for soft, chewy cookies. Though I bake with the blog in mind, I almost always have my son's tastes in mind first. There would have been a LOT more soft cookies on The Monday Box in the past 4 years had I known! 🙂 You are right, I get very excited when a cookie impresses my son enough that he pauses to let me know....actually, I get very excited ANY time my son texts! 😉
saltandserenity
Shana Tova to you and your family Wendy. Wishing you and your family a sweet and healthy year.
These cookies are so pretty. I crave soft cookies in the fall, and these look just perfect.
The Monday Box
Thank you, Cindy! Shana Tova to you and your family as well! May you all have a sweet, healthy, and happy year ahead!
This is such an easy and delicious recipe that I know will be made over and over at my house. It was such a hit here, that I am working on flavor variations for more soft cookies like these!
Ashley
I love how symbolic these cookies are Wendy! And apples and honey is definitely a fantastic combo - these are just perfect for fall!
Chris Scheuer
These are so pretty Wendy and sound delicious. I love the colors of your sanding sugar.
Tricia @ Saving room for dessert
Happy new year Wendy. Peace and blessings to you and your loved ones 🙂
The Monday Box
Thank you so much, Tricia! Peace and blessings to you and your loved ones as well.( One doesn't have to observe a holiday to partake in its good wishes. 🙂 )