Caramel Apple Cookies are soft, chewy cookies with brown sugar, buttery caramel, and sweet-tart apple. All of the delicious flavors of caramel apples, in cookie form.
Why you'll love this recipe
Caramel Apple Cookies will remind you of thick and chewy, frosted Crumbl cookies!
The apple flavor and soft texture come from apple butter in the dough. Apple butter is a highly concentrated apple puree that's delicious in baked goods, providing moisture and flavor.
The caramel frosting is amazing with lots of dark brown sugar and butter flavor. It's a soft frosting that firms enough for stacking and packaging.
Top the cookies with a drizzle of melted caramel and chips made from sweet tart apple bits. For best results when shipping, skip the caramel drizzle and add sprinkles instead.
These apple butter cookies maintain their soft texture for up to 7 days, making them great care package treats any time of year or make ahead sweets for holiday parties or gifts. Enjoy some, share some.
Cookie and frosting ingredients
Decorating ingredients
Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the recipe card below.
Cookies
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugars, then mix in the remaining ingredients. Refrigerate until firm.
- Scoop dough onto a parchment lined cookie sheet, at least 2” apart.
- Flatten each cookie dough ball into a ½" thick disc.
- Bake for 10 minutes, then cool completely before frosting.
Frosting
- Bring butter, cream, and brown sugar to a boil, stirring constantly.
- 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, if needed, until the frosting is a spreadable consistency.
- Use a knife or spatula to spread icing on top of the cookies.
Decorating
- Drizzle melted caramel over one cookie at a time.
- Immediately, sprinkle with bits of apple chips before the caramel cools. Repeat with remaining cookies.
Storage
Store caramel apple cookies at room temperature in an airtight container, separating layers with wax paper, for up to 7 days.
Tips
- This recipe can be made 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.
- Don't over bake. These cookies don't brown and their caramel color only deepens slightly. Baking beyond 10 minutes will result in dry cookies.
- Important tip for care package shipping: when shipping, I recommend skipping the caramel drizzle. Either just use frosting or add sprinkles immediately after spreading the frosting.
- If the melted caramel is too thick to drizzle, mix in 1-2 teaspoons of cream until the caramel is the desired consistency.
- For salted caramel flavor, sprinkle a bit of sea salt on top of the melted caramel drizzle.
- The apple chips on top soften within a day, but are still delicious on this cookie.
Frequently asked questions
Apple butter is concentrated applesauce. When the applesauce is heated, water evaporates, intensifying the natural flavor, and the sugars caramelize.
Apple butter is sold in most major supermarkets in the jams and jellies aisle.
The apple caramel flavor comes from the combination of the apple spice cookie and the caramel icing. If you skip the icing the cookies will taste like spiced apples.
More caramel recipes
Amsterdam Caramel Cookies these award winning butter cookies are speckled with bits of crunchy homemade caramel candy. An extra special cookie for the fall season!
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.
For a delicious crunchy treat that tastes like Cracker Jacks, try Caramel Popcorn with Peanuts.
Caramel Chocolate Cookies are soft, chewy caramel flavored cookies speckled with chopped chocolate.
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Caramel Apple Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
Cookies
- ¾ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar dark or light
- ¼ cup apple butter spiced
- 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 dark or light
- 1 ¼ cups confectioners’ sugar divided
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Decorating (optional)
- 22 soft caramel candies
- ½ cup dried apple chips broken into small pieces
- 1-2 tablespoons sprinkles
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.
Frosting
- 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, one tablespoon at a time, 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 each cookie while the frosting is wet.
- If using caramel drizzle: melt caramel candies in a small bowl in the microwave or in a double boiler. If the caramel is too thick to drizzle add 1-2 teaspoons of cream until desired consistency. Use a spoon to drizzle the caramel over the frosted cookies. Add apple chip bits immediately to each cookie after drizzling.
- Allow icing and caramel to dry completely before storing.
- Store at room temperature in an airtight container, with cookie layers separated with wax paper, for up to 7 days.
Notes
- This recipe can be made 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.
- Don't over bake. These cookies don't brown and their caramel color only deepens slightly. Baking beyond 10 minutes will result in dry cookies.
- Important tip for care package shipping: when shipping, I recommend skipping the caramel drizzle. Either just use frosting or add sprinkles immediately after spreading the frosting.
- For salted caramel flavor, sprinkle a bit of sea salt on top of the melted caramel drizzle.
- The apple chips on top soften within a day, but are still delicious on this cookie.
- For frosted cookies without caramel drizzle, double wrap pairs of cookies (with bottoms together) in plastic wrap, then place snugly in an airtight container or freezer weight ziplock bag.
- For cookies with caramel drizzle stack 2-4 cookies with wax paper squares between cookies. Wrap in plastic wrap, then stack in an airtight container or freezer weight ziplock bag.
Nutrition
First Published: November 27, 2015. Last Updated: August 10, 2023. Updated for additional information, improved photos, and better reader experience.
Amy
These caramel apple cookies sound fabulous. Thank you for sharing at Friday Frenzy. Happy Thanksgiving.
The Monday Box
Thanks, Amy! Happy Thanksgiving!
Mother of 3
These sound delicious! I have a son with braces right now and I bet he'd love the chance to try some caramel in this form. Pinned.
The Monday Box
Thanks, Joanne! These cookies wouldbe a great way to enjoy some braces friendly caramel flavor!
Lisa/Syncopated Mama
I have some apple butter I haven't thought I would use, but now I know I'll be making these cookies!
The Monday Box
That's great, Lisa! I hope you enjoy the cookies!
Roseann Hampton
These look delicious! Pinning to make later!
The Monday Box
Thanks, Roseann! I hope you enjoy them. Thanks for pinning. 🙂
Tanya @ Mom's Small Victories
My oldest son just got his braces off and now my middle son needs them and he loves caramel. This would be a nice surprise for him when he can't eat caramel anymore. Pinning, stopping by from SITS recipe linky and hope you dhare with my 2 link parties on the blog of this week.
The Monday Box
Good luck with the braces, Tanya! I hope your son enjoys the cookies! 🙂 Thanks for stopping by. I hope you will come back often. I will be sure to check into your linky parties! Thanks!
Lokness @ The Missing Lokness
Wow wow wow! I have not seen caramel apple cookies! These sound incredible! I adore apple baked goods. It is brilliant to use apple butter in cookies. LOVE THEM! Thank you for telling us how long the cookies will last, so I can make them ahead for gifts. 🙂
The Monday Box
Thanks, Lokness! These cookies make excellent gifts both because they are SO good and also because they can be made ahead and stay so wonderfully chewy. 🙂
Saltandserenity
Wendy these cookies are a pretty genius idea. The top photo is just wonderful.
Two of my kids had to wear a "herbst" appliance in their mouth to bring their bottom jaw forward. Every week I had to turn the screws to tighten it!! We could have used a few of these cookies as a reward.
Winnie
YUMMY - I love this cookies!!
And my family love all kind of apple sweets 🙂
I definitely need to try your recipe, and I'm saving the recipe 🙂
The Monday Box
Thanks, Winnie! I made these apple cookies with honey icing for Rosh Hashana and we couldn't stop eating them! So, I made a new version with caramel icing! 🙂
Paula K.
Wendy do these Caramel Apple cookies pass the test for mailing in a military care package or would they go stale?
The Monday Box
Hi, Paula. The Caramel Apple cookies are GREAT for military care packages in cool weather that won't melt the frosting. I am amazed at how long they stay chewy. I have tested them up to 2 weeks and the cookies still tasted fresh.( Just for your info and variety, the Apples and Honey cookies are the same apple dough with a honey icing instead. ) Let me know what your troops think. 🙂
Paula K.
Wendy,
Had a terrible time finding Apple Butter (finally found at Whole Foods but boy was it expensive!), will make these cookies along with some others to send to some soldiers who only get mail from their parents.
The Monday Box
I am so sorry you had a hard time finding the Apple Butter, Paula! I bought mine at the regular grocery store in the peanut butter and jelly aisle. Mine is Musselman's Apple Butter in a 17 oz jar. Maybe you were looking in the refrigerator section? I looked there first and was redirected to the jelly section. I KNOW these cookies will be enjoyed by your very lucky soldiers. All of the extra time and love you put into these are bound to make them extra delicious. 🙂
Paula K.
Wendy,
I found the Musselmans Apple Butter after buying the organic at Whole Foods and was going to return the organic when I found the Musselmans at our Cub Foods but then I noticed that the Musselmans has cinnamon and cloves in it and I didn't know if I wanted that flavor in the cookies (on top of the cinnamon in your recipe) so I just used the organic and will return the Musselmans...is there a difference? What do you use to flatten the cookie before baking...I ended up just using my fingers ha,ha. They look good but didn't taste as I want them to all go to the soldiers.
The Monday Box
Hi Paula, I'm glad the cookies look good and I am sure they taste great! Musselman's makes plain and spiced apple butter. I used the plain and added cinnamon to the recipe because I really don't like clove. If you like the flavor of clove, you can certainly use the spiced apple butter and just leave out the extra cinnamon in the recipe. I used my fingers or the palm of my hand to flatten the cookies. Fingers sometimes leave dents but the top is being covered in frosting anyway. Some people prefer to use the bottom of a drinking glass to flatten cookies. Whatever works for you is fine. 🙂 I am honored that you are using one of my recipes for your dedicated and caring baking for our soldiers!
Reeni
I suffered through braces too and was a bad girl always sneaking things I shouldn't... These cookies sound absolutely delicious! I can't tell you how badly I want them. I'm a big fan of apples in desserts and caramel makes the world go around. The two together are heavenly!
The Monday Box
Thanks, Reeni! I think every kid with braces eats from the forbidden foods list. Forbidden foods taste better.;) I love that I can put apple flavor in these cookies with apple butter for a muchable yet shippable treat!
Ashley
Ugh braces. I remember those. I had them way earlier than most of my friends and hated them!! haha But I definitely do not hate these cookies! What an awesome sounding flavor!! Hope you had a great holiday Wendy!
The Monday Box
Thanks, Ashley! I don't know what's worse having braces before everyone or still having them after everyone else has them off! I think suffering alone is bad either way! Our holiday was peaceful and small,just the way I like it. I know your holiday must have been stress free and delicious with all of your amazing scheduling!
Tricia @ Saving room for dessert
Wow Wendy - love this flavor combination! Apples are caramel in a cookies sounds like a great treat and so pretty too. Hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving!
The Monday Box
Thanks, Tricia! We did have a peaceful small family Thanksgiving. When your kids move away, it always feels so special to have everyone together at home! These cookie were a hit. 🙂
Mir
Poor Edis! I feel his pain. I remember when those braces went on and got tightened, time and time again. The pain is worth it, but it doesn't help to tell a kid that.
These cookies are gorgeous! I'm so into that frosting on top. It looks like the best caramel frosting for a cookie that ever was.
And I'm loving the pic of you on the blog. You look great, Wendy!
The Monday Box
Thanks, Mir! Why is it that no matter how many decades go by, just looking at someone with braces can make your mouth hurt?! Trauma, I suppose.;) You are right, it is worth it and with my friend's family, the braces are a symbol of their suffering enabling things to be better for their children. Braces, though miserable, really are a privilege. These cookies and frosting really are amazing. So chewy and tasty! Thanks for your sweet word about the pic. It took me 4 years to feel comfortable posting one!
Liz
Oh braces... I remember them well. I never took any aspirin before my tightening appointments, but I should have. Those were painful experiences. I should have had a stash of these cookies too, to get me through the horrible middle school years. They look so delicious, Wendy! I hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving, my friend.
The Monday Box
Thanks, Liz! Somehow, braces during middle school is adding insult to injury, isn't it. Those years are hard enough without someone tightening wires in your head! 😉 Wishing you lots of smiles and minimal stress in the weeks to come.
Monica
Love the creative cookies you're showing us, Wendy. Poor Edis! I have a feeling he will figure out how to enjoy some of those foods he isn't supposed to have...I have been dreaded the thought of braces for my son. Right now, we're okay but it's still a very likely possibility. I better make sure he enjoys enough soft, chewy cookies in the meantime, right? ; ) Hope you had a happy Thanksgiving.
The Monday Box
Thanks, Monica! Edis' family immigrated to the US at a time when braces were not available in their home country. They are understandably proud that they can provide braces for their son, but didn't really know what to expect once the braces were on. It has been an opportunity for me to learn about soft Bosnian comfort food! 🙂 Somehow kids (and their parents) survive braces and have a beautiful smile to show for it. I hope your Thanksgiving was fun and you are having a relaxing (stress-free?) weekend!