Soft Apple Pie Cookies with Crumble Topping
Apple Pie…but make it a cookie! These delicious apple pie cookies work great for any occasion from a 4th of July patriotic party to a Thanksgiving dessert table!
Traditional apple pie is intimidating and, let’s be honest, not always great. Enter Apple Pie Cookies! These impressive, individual treats are easier and more predictable than pie and taste just as great, if not better! They are effectively mini pies without the hassle of lattice tops, making your own pie crust, or even store-bought pie dough. You will still make homemade apple pie filling, though, because it’s surprisingly easy and definitely worth it.
I like almost anything better in cookie form. For example, I love carrot cake but I haven’t made one since I created my Carrot Cake Cookies recipe! You’ll meet people who say they don’t like cake or pie but have you ever met anyone who said they don’t like cookies? I haven’t!
Cookies are also perfect for individual treats or portion control. You can easily freeze or give away extra cookies but what do you do with half of a leftover pie?!
Now that I’ve sold you on why you need to try Apple Pie Cookies, let’s talk about when to try them!
I created this recipe for 4th of July but it turned out so well, I have every intention of bringing these to Thanksgiving and making them to celebrate the back to school season. They make a delicious treat that is so simple and classic, they could work anytime, alone or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
Ingredients to Make Apple Pie Cookies
- KAMUT® White Flour or other All-Purpose White Flour
- Baking Powder
- Fine Salt
- Unsalted Butter
- White Sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla Extract
- Cooking Spray
- Fresh Apples (preferably Granny Smith)
- Brown Sugar
- Cornstarch
- Lemon Juice
- Cinnamon
Tools to Make Apple Pie Cookies
- Parchment Paper
- Baking Sheets
- Mixing Bowls in Various Sizes
- Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Large, 2 oz Cookie Scoop
- Narrow Drinking Glass or Bowl
- Large Round Cookie Cutter, Drinking Glass or Mug
- Peeler (optional)
- Knife
- Small or Medium Saucepan
- Small, 1 TBSP Cookie Scoop or One Tablespoon
All About Ingredients for Apple Pie Cookies
Flour
I use KAMUT® White Flour for most of my baking recipes. You can substitute it almost 1:1 in most recipes and the taste and nutrition are both amazing compared to regular, all-purpose flour. That being said, it isn’t easy to find so I include the option to use all-purpose flour in any of my recipes that call for KAMUT® Brand Wheat. Learn more about my favorite flour here.
Butter
In this and most of my other cookie recipes, I use cold butter. This typically allows me to reduce dough chill time or skip chilling cookie dough all together so I can make cookies whenever. However, in this recipe, you will need to chill the dough whether you use cold or room temperature butter so cold butter isn’t much of a shortcut and isn’t recommended unless you are using a bowl-lift stand mixer (or similar) that can handle cold butter without additional wear and tear.
Apples
These wouldn’t be apple pie cookies without apples! Granny Smith apples are traditional in apple pie and they are some of the best apples for most apple desserts because they give that nice tart taste you expect. But if you prefer another variety of apple or you only have another kind of apples on hand, use those instead!
How to Make Apple Pie Cookies
How to Make Apple Pie Cookie Dough
Prepare 3 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
Start with the cookie dough and mix the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a mixing bowl if using a hand mixer, cream together 1 cup of the sugar and 1 cup of the butter. When this mixture is smooth, add the eggs and vanilla and mix until just combined.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in a few batches and mix after each addition until the flour mixture is just incorporated.
Using the large, 2 ounce cookie scoop, place up to 6 cookie dough balls on each cookie sheet, evenly spaced. Spray the bottom of a narrow drinking glass (or similar) and press down in the center of each cookie to create an edge or crust. You must wipe off the glass and re-spray between each cookie so the dough doesn’t stick to the glass.
Chill dough on trays for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, make the filling.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake 8 minutes. Cookies are half-baked but remove from the oven to shape with a large round cookie cutter, large glass or mug and re-press the center of each cookie. You do not need to spray the glass this time because the butter from the cookies will prevent the glass from sticking.
Place baking trays back in the oven and bake for 8-10 additional minutes or until the bottom edges of the cookie are just starting to turn golden brown. Remove trays from the oven and transfer to wire cooling racks. Leave the oven on and allow cookies to cool all the way on the cookie sheets.
How to Make Apple Pie Cookie Filling
While the cookie dough chills, make the homemade apple pie filling. Peel apples (with a peeler or knife) and dice into small pieces – much smaller pieces than you would use for a full-size apple pie. Place apples and the rest of the filling ingredients in a saucepan and heat over low to medium heat. Simmer until the apples have softened but still have texture and then remove from the heat. The apple mixture with thicken a bit as it cools.
How to Make Apple Pie Cookie Crumble/Streusel
This crumble or streusel recipe is unique in that it doesn’t call for melted butter. Rather, you’ll combine cold butter with the rest of the crumble ingredients and then heat the mixture. I initially made it in this order by accident but now it is my go-to because the flour gets heat-treated and you can add the crumble to anything without needing to bake it again! This is great for topping ice cream, yogurt, pudding or anything that the crumble will stick to. So this method will not work great for muffins.
You will need one more baking sheet lined with parchment paper. If you only used two for the cookies, use the remaining tray, or if the cookies are cool enough to handle, transfer the cookies from one tray to another and reuse one parchment-lined tray.
Using a pastry cutter, combine all crumble ingredients. Dump this mixture on the parchment-lined tray and bake for 10-15 minutes or until it is just starting to turn golden brown. Remove from the oven and use a fork to break up the mixture into a crumble or streusel.
How to Assemble Apple Pie Cookies
Using the small cookie scoop or a tablespoon, place one scoop of homemade apple pie filling on each cookie. Top with a sprinkle of crumble or streusel.
Soft Apple Pie Cookies with Crumble Topping
Ingredients
Cookie Dough*
- 2 cups KAMUT® White Flour (or 2 ¼ cups all purpose flour)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla
Apple Pie Filling*
- 2 large green apples (or 3 small)
- ¼ cup sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ¼ cup butter
Crumble/Streusel*
- 1 TBSP Butter
- 3 TBSP Sugar
- 2 tsp Brown sugar
- ¼ cup KAMUT® White Flour (or same amount of all purpose flour)
Instructions
Cookie Dough
- Prepare 3 baking sheets with parchment paper then set aside.
- Mix the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- Using a stand or hand mixer, cream together 1 cup of the sugar and 1 cup of the butter. When this mixture is smooth, add the eggs and vanilla and mix until just combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in a few batches and mix after each addition until the flour mixture is just incorporated.
- Using the large, 2 ounce cookie scoop, place up to 6 cookie dough balls on each cookie sheet, evenly spaced. Spray the bottom of a narrow drinking glass (or similar) and press down in the center of each cookie to create an edge or crust. You must wipe off the glass and re-spray between each cookie so the dough doesn’t stick to the glass.
- Chill dough on trays for 30 minutes (chill 45 minutes if you used room temperature butter in the cookie dough). Meanwhile, make the filling.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake 8 minutes. Remove from the oven to shape with a large round cookie cutter, large glass or mug (by swirling around the cookie) and re-press the center of each cookie. You do not need to spray the glass this time because the butter from the cookies will prevent the glass from sticking.
- Place baking trays back in the oven and bake for 8-10 additional minutes or until the bottom edges of the cookie are just starting to turn golden brown. Remove trays from the oven and transfer to wire cooling racks. Leave the oven on and allow cookies to cool all the way on the cookie sheets.
Apple Pie Filling
- While the cookie dough chills, make the homemade apple pie filling. Peel apples (with a peeler or knife) and dice into small pieces – much smaller pieces than you would use for a full-size apple pie. Place apples and the rest of the filling ingredients in a saucepan and heat over low to medium heat. Simmer until the apples have softened but still have texture and then remove from the heat. The apple mixture with thicken a bit as it cools.
Crumble/Streusel
- You will need one more baking sheet lined with parchment paper. If you only used two for the cookies, use the remaining tray, or if the cookies are cool enough to handle, transfer the cookies from one tray to another and reuse one parchment-lined tray.
- Using a pastry cutter, combine all crumble ingredients. Dump this mixture on the parchment-lined tray and bake for 10-15 minutes or until it is just starting to turn golden brown. Remove from the oven and use a fork to break up the mixture into a crumble or streusel.
- Using the small cookie scoop or a tablespoon, place one scoop of homemade apple pie filling on each cookie. Top with a sprinkle of crumble or streusel.
