Imagine the fall flavors of a caramel apple transformed into a soft, chewy cookie. With brown sugar, buttery caramel, and sweet-tart apple, Caramel Apple Cookies taste like caramel apples in cookie form.
If you love chewy cookies, next time try Gingerbread Fall Leaves Cookies.
Why you'll love this recipe
This chewy Caramel Apple Cookies recipe gets its apple flavor and soft texture from apple butter in the dough. Apple butter is a highly concentrated apple puree that is delicious in baked goods, providing moisture and flavor.
The caramel frosting is amazing with lots of brown sugar and butter flavor. When spread onto cookies, the frosting sets firm enough for filling cookie jars or care packages, but is soft when you take a bite.
Apple butter cookies maintain their soft texture for up to 7 days, making them great care package treats or make ahead sweets for holiday parties or gifts. Enjoy some, share some.
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 together the butter and sugars. At medium speed, mix in the apple butter, cinnamon, vanilla, salt, baking powder, and flour.
- Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
- Scoop dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet, at least 2” apart, and flatten into ½" thick discs
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, then cool completely before icing.
- To prepare the icing, combine the butter, cream, and brown sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until boiling.
- Remove the pan from the heat and stir in vanilla and 1 cup of the confectioner’s sugar.
- Cool to room temperature, then add additional confectioner’s sugar until the frosting is a spreadable consistency.
- Use a knife or spatula to ice each cookie. Sprinkle immediately.
More caramel cookies
Amsterdam Caramel Cookies these award winning butter cookies are speckled with bits of crunchy homemade caramel candy.
Melted caramel in the dough makes slice and bake Caramel Biscuits deliciously crunchy. These chocolate caramel cookies are perfect with a cup of tea or coffee!
Caramel Whole Wheat Flour Cookies are chewy cookies that combine the nutty flavor of whole wheat with the creamy, sweet flavor of caramel.
My experience with this recipe
A friend’s 13 year old son, Edis, recently got braces. His discomfort brought back memories. I had braces as a teen and both my daughter and my son suffered through braces.
Based on experience, I advised Edis to take Advil before his appointments, to minimize soreness, and advised his mother to stock up on soft food for when the wires are tightened. Wistfully, Edis recited a long list of “foods” (mostly chewy, sugary things) that he wasn’t supposed to eat for YEARS.
Most kids with braces cheat on the rules a bit and sneak gum and sticky sweets despite orthodontists’ warnings, but I didn’t tell Edis that. Chances are he will figure that out on his own.
I thought of Edis the first time I took a bite of chewy, soft Caramel Apple Cookies. These treats have all of the mouthwatering flavors of a caramel apple without any of the stickiness that puts caramel on the “forget it” list for braces.
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Caramel Apple Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
Cookies
- ¾ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup apple butter
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
Caramel Icing
- 3 tablespoons butter unsalted
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup brown sugar packed
- 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Cookies
- In the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugars.
- Mix in apple butter, cinnamon, vanilla, salt, baking powder, and flour.
- Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or until firm.
- When ready to bake: Heat oven to 350° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Scoop cookie dough with medium (2 tablespoon)cookie scoop and place at least 2” apart on prepared cookie sheets.
- Gently flatten dough balls into ½” thick discs.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes.
- Cool cookies on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then cool completely on a wire rack.
Icing
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter, cream, and brown sugar. Stir constantly with a spatula or wooden spoon until boiling.
- Remove the pan from the heat and stir in vanilla and 1 cup of the confectioner’s sugar.
- Cool the caramel mixture to room temperature, then add additional confectioner’s sugar until the frosting is a spreadable consistency.
- Use a knife or spatula to frost each cookie. If using sprinkles to decorate, add them immediately to the top of the cookie while the frosting is wet.
- Allow icing to dry completely before storing.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 7 days.
Notes
Nutrition
First Published: November 27, 2015. Last Updated: August 6, 2021. Updated for better reader experience.
Lisa
No eggs?? Interesting.
Wendy Sondov
Hi, Lisa. No eggs. The apple butter should provide plenty of moisture and the baking powder provide the rise.
Lisa
Hello, I haven’t tried the recipe yet, but definitely going to add to my collection. I want to know what are the sprinkles you put on top of your. Name or where you purchased it from. Thank you for sharing.
Wendy Sondov
Hi, Lisa. The sprinkles on the cookies are gold colored nonpareils sprinkles. The sprinkles in the photo came from World Market, but they don't seem to carry them any more. No worries! I found the same kind on Amazon. This is an Amazon affiliate link, but you can also Google "gold nonpareil sprinkles" to see if they are available at a store near you. https://amzn.to/2R7X2KI . Happy baking! I hope you'll love the cookies and come back to leave a 5 star review!
Michelle Frank | Flipped-Out Food
Since my husband adores caramel apples, I'm fairly sure that he'll flip over these cookies!
The Monday Box
Thank you, Michelle! The apple butter in the recipe gives the cookies a real apple flavor that goes so well with the caramel icing. Treat your husband to a batch! 😉
Lisa
These cookies sound divine! Both my kids just had braces put on their teeth a month ago, much to their displeasure. We're about due for a tightening, so I'll have to make these to give them a treat afterwards (but I promise I won't tell the orthodontist!). 😀
The Monday Box
Thank you, Lisa. Though the name doesn't suggest a soft cookie, these really are a great cookie for braces. They are soft with no damaging crunch at all. The orthodontist may not be thrilled with the sugar....but no need to tell! 😉