Caramel Apple Cookies
Deliciously sweet and chewy, these caramel apple cookies combine the classic flavors of caramel and apple in a delightful treat that’s impossible to resist.
I love making seasonal cookie recipes. You know the kind I mean – the ones that taste like the season, like the combination of chocolate and mint for Christmas or lemon during spring and summer.
As the weather starts to cool, I am sharing a cookie recipe with you today that is perfect for fall baking.
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These delicious caramel apple cookies are full of fall flavors. They have all the warm cinnamon-y fall spices, gooey caramel, and fresh apples.
These chewy cookies have all the delicious goodness of caramel apples only baked until golden brown cookie perfection. Serve them up with a mug of hot apple cider and you have the ideal seasonal treat.
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Supplies
Begin by stocking the kitchen with a few of my favorite supplies!
- KitchenAid Stand Mixer
- Baking sheets
- Parchment paper
- Icing bottles
- Wire cooling rack
- Round Metal Piping Tip
Cookie Details
Yield: 12 cookies
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Bake Time: 13-15 minutes
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter, unsalted
- ½ cup white sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- ¾ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ginger
- ⅛ tsp allspice
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 5 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- ¼ cup butter
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
Toppings
- Caramel sauce
- 1 granny smith apple, diced small
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
2. Prep a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper.
3. In a medium-sized mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter, brown sugar, and white granulated sugar together.
4. Add the egg and vanilla and blend until smooth.
5. Add the flour, cinnamon and other spices, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into the wet ingredients. Blend everything together until a cookie dough is formed.
6. Use a spoon or cookie scoop to create large 2-inch balls of dough and place them onto the prepared cookie sheet.
7. Flatten each ball slightly with the palm of your hand or the bottom of a glass. Bake for 13 minutes or until the cookie edges are slightly browned.
8. Let the cookies cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes.
9. While the cookies are cooling, make the cream cheese frosting. Start by mixing the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla. Blend together until combined.
10. Add the powdered sugar and mix once again until a smooth creamy frosting has formed.
11. Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large circular tip.
12. Pipe a circular swirl from the center of the cookie outwards until you reach the edge. Top with the small cubed green apples. Drizzle with the caramel sauce.
13. Serve and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Store these cookies undecorated. Do not add the frosting, apples, or caramel sauce until ready to serve.
Store unfrosted, undecorated cookies in an airtight container. They will keep at room temperature for 5 days. These cookies also freeze well.
Tips and Tricks
- Instead of going to the grocery store, I prefer to hit up one of our local fruit stands for all of my seasonal produce.
- To prevent the small chunks of apple from turning brown, soak them in a bath of water mixed with lemon juice or salt. Pat them dry before adding them to the top of the cookies.
- This recipe works equally well with a handheld electric mixer or a stand mixer.
- You can substitute apple pie spice for the nutmeg, ginger, and allspice. Just use the same total amount.
- Throw in some white chocolate chips or Kraft caramel bits for an even more decadent treat.
- Create a caramel frosting by adding a bit of caramel sauce to your icing mixture.
- Make sure your cookies are completely cool before decorating, otherwise the cream cheese frosting will melt.
One bite of these cookies will have you hooked. They are sure to become your new favorite fall treat!
If you love these Caramel Apple Cookies, please give them a five star review and help me share them on Facebook or Pinterest!
Recipe
Caramel Apple Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter unsalted
- ½ cup white sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- ¾ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ginger
- ⅛ tsp allspice
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- Cream Cheese Frosting
- 5 oz cream cheese
- ¼ cup butter
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- Toppings
- Caramel sauce
- 1 granny smith apples diced small
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- Prep a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper.
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter, brown sugar, and white granulated sugar together.
- Add the egg and vanilla and blend until smooth.
- Add the flour, cinnamon and other spices, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into the wet ingredients. Blend everything together until a cookie dough is formed.
- Use a spoon or cookie scoop to create large 2-inch balls of dough and place them onto the prepared cookie sheet.
- Flatten each ball slightly with the palm of your hand or the bottom of a glass. Bake for 13 minutes or until the cookie edges are slightly browned.
- Let the cookies cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes.
- While the cookies are cooling, make the cream cheese frosting. Start by mixing the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla. Blend together until combined.
- Add the powdered sugar and mix once again until a smooth creamy frosting has formed.
- Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large circular tip.
- Pipe a circular swirl from the center of the cookie outwards until you reach the edge. Top with the small cubed green apples. Drizzle with the caramel sauce.
- Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition
