Apple Cider Cookies

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These soft and chewy Apple Cider Cookies are studded with apples and frosted with a delicious apple cider icing. Spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, this recipe makes the perfect easy fall cookie! Plus, they freeze beautifully so you can have a stash on hand for every craving.  No need to chill the cookie dough!



 

I think one of the reasons I love baking in the fall is because of the sweet memories it brings to mind. This recipe was inspired by one memory in particular. Every Autumn growing up, my family and I would visit a local cider mill. With a warm cinnamon donut in one hand, I would stare in awe as the apples would be pressed into that sweet fall beverage. 

I wanted to make a cookie that brought those childhood memories of fresh apples and fall spices to life. So Apple Cider Cookies were born! These cookies are made with brown sugar and spices to make them soft and flavorful. Then I stirred in fresh apples for yummy texture and that true apple cider taste. Itโ€™s the perfect cookie to enjoy the start of fall and kick off the holidays!

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See Also:

two apple cider cookies stacked on top of each other with a bite taken out of the top cookie
  • Full of apple flavor! – These cookies have apple chunks inside the cookie dough, and apple cider stirred in as well. And for more apple flavor a fresh apple cider icing is drizzled over the cookies once cooled.
  • Perfect holiday cookie to share – Make these apple cider cookies for the holidays and add them to your Christmas cookie platter!
  • Mixes and bakes up quickly! – This cookie dough mixes up in minutes and can be baked right away so that means you can be enjoying these cookies in less than 30 minutes!
stack of apple cider cookies wrapped in twine
stack of apple cider cookies wrapped in twine

Ingredients for Apple Cider Cookies

  • All-purpose flour – All-purpose flour lends the right texture and structure to these cookies, plus almost everyone already has it in their pantry. 
  • Baking powder – This recipe uses baking powder and baking soda to give the cookies a little lift. They are not interchangeable, though. To learn the differences, check out baking powder vs baking soda. 
  • Baking soda – As mentioned above, both baking soda and baking powder are needed in this recipe for the right lift and texture. 
  • Cinnamon – Use high-quality ground cinnamon to add that classic fall flavor. 
  • Nutmeg – Another spice that instantly makes these cookies taste like fall. Nutmeg adds a warm, slightly nutty flavor. 
  • Table salt – Just a bit of salt to draw out all of the other flavors. 
  • Unsalted butter – We already added salt to the recipe, so unsalted butter here. 
  • Granulated white sugar – By adding some granulated sugar, the cookies will develop slightly golden, crispy edges. 
  • Light brown sugar – By using brown sugar, the cookies will stay soft and moist in the middle. You can also use dark brown sugar.
  • Egg – Start with a room temperature egg to help it incorporate into the batter more easily. This helps you avoid overmixing. 
  • Apple cider – Apple cider and apple juice are not the same. Make sure to use apple cider for stronger flavor. 
  • Apple – You can use any apple that holds up well when baked. Here is a list of my favorite apples for baking. 
  • Confectioners sugar – Just simple powdered sugar to make the icing.
apple cider cookie ingredients

How to Make Apple Cider Cookies – Step by Step

Preheat and prepare cookie sheets. Preheat the oven to 375ยฐF. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or grease lightly.

Combine dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Set aside.

large bowl of apple cider dry ingredients

Cream butter and sugars. In a second mixing bowl, with an electric mixer cream together butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.

creamed butter and sugar in a bowl

Add egg and cider. Add egg and mix just until combined.

Then add cider and combine. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. (If your batter curdles slightly at this point, don’t worry! It will smooth back out when the flour mixture is added.)

egg and cider added to apple cookie dough

Add in dry ingredients. Next, add the flour mixture and mix at low to medium speed until mixture is evenly moistened. 

Stir in chopped apple.

I like to dice mine up small. You can omit the apple if you would like and just create one big soft apple cider cookie. I prefer the fresh chunks of apple!

Pro tip: Stir the apple in by hand with a rubber spatula to avoid over beating the dough. 

Scoop the cookies. Using a 1-inch cookie scoop or tablespoon, scoop the cookies into 1 ยฝ-inch balls. Place onto prepared cookie sheets about 2 inches apart.

scooped apple cider cookie dough balls on a parchment lined baking sheet

Bake and cool the cookies. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until edges and centers are set. Remove the cookie sheet from the oven and cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to finish cooling completely.

baked apple cider cookies on a cookie sheet

Make icing. In a small bowl, whisk together icing ingredients. Spread or drizzle over each cooled cookie.

apple cider icing being drizzled over an apple cider cookie

Recipe Tips

  • Measure flour carefully. This changes the entire texture of a cookie. Use a kitchen scale for exact measurements, or use a spoon to scoop the flour into the measuring cup and level it off with a butter knife. Donโ€™t pack the flour down. You can read more here on How To Measure Flour
  • Soften your butter correctly. The butter should be softened to room temperature, which means you can slightly indent your thumb into the butter but shouldnโ€™t easily smoosh all the way through. For a more detailed guide on how to soften butter for cookies, check out this post: What Butter Does in Cookies
  • Use room temperature eggs. Forgot to take your eggs out beforehand? Place your eggs in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes to bring them to room temperature quickly.
  • Donโ€™t overmix. As with all baking recipes, overmixing causes tough, dense dough. Mix until just combined, then use a rubber spatula to mix in the apples at the end.
  • Use a cookie scoop. For evenly-sized and evenly-baked cookies, your best bet is to use a cookie scoop. Plus it makes the scooping process super fast! 
apple cider cookies on a plate
  • Cookies spread too much: If your cookies spread or got very flat, it is likely due to one of these 8 reasons. Try reading through the list to pinpoint the problem. For this recipe in particular, it is important to start with room temperature butter (not too soft! See the notes in the recipe) and to measure the flour correctly to prevent flat cookies. You could also try refrigerating the dough a bit before baking if your cookies usually spread.
  • Cookies didn’t spread at all: This probably means you measured your flour wrong. If you add too much flour these cookies won’t spread at all. I recommend measuring your flour by weight using a scale. But if you do measure by volume, then you want to make sure to stir up your flour first, then spoon into your cup and level it off with a knife. Do NOT pack it into the cup or scoop directly from the bag.
  • Cookies aren’t soft and chewy: If your cookies got hard instead of soft and chewy, you may have overbaked them. Make sure to bake them until they are set, but not past that. They will continue to cook as they start to cool on the hot pan. Your oven temperature may also be too high. I recommend using an oven thermometer to ensure your oven is running at the correct temperature. Click here to read more about using your oven properly when baking. You may have also added too much flour. Using a kitchen scale is best for accuracy!

Recipe Variations

  • Make caramel apple cider cookies – Instead of the apple cider glaze you can make a caramel icing instead to drizzle on the cookies like this caramel icing I made for my apple sheet cake. Or stir in caramel bits to the cookie dough for caramel in every bite!
  • Roll in cinnamon sugar – Instead of the icing, roll the cookies in cinnamon sugar before baking for a crunchy sweet topping.
  • Use apple pie spice – Instead of cinnamon and nutmeg, use apple pie spice instead. 
  • Use apple butter or applesauce – Instead of the fresh chunks of apples, try stirring in some apple butter or unsweetened applesauce. 
  • Add an egg yolk – This will make for a chewier cookie.  
apple cider cookies on a wire rack

Recipe FAQs

Can I omit the apple?

You most certainly can, however the cookies might be on the drier side. If you want just one big soft cookie bursting with apple cider flavor, then by all means omit the apple. I made them both ways and it was voted on in this household to include the fresh chunks of apple.

Can I use apple juice instead?

You can however it might not have the exact same flavor as apple cider. Read more below on the difference. I recommend using apple cider because it has a more pronounced apple flavor, but the recipe will still work the same but the flavor will be less pronounced.

What’s the difference between apple cider and apple juice?

Apple cider is essentially apple juice that has been significantly less processed. It still has some of the pulp and is not pasteurized the way apple juice is, so it typically needs to be refrigerated. Apple cider has a much deeper, more concentrated flavor than apple juice. In this recipe, you definitely want to use cider to achieve the full flavor profile.

Can I freeze these cookies?

Yes! You can never have too many Apple Cider Cookies on hand in the freezer. ๐Ÿ˜‰

To freeze unbaked: Make and scoop the dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Freeze the cookies on the sheet until solid, then store in an air-tight zipper bag or airtight container. Bake straight from frozen, just add 1-3 minutes of extra baking time.

To freeze baked: Cool baked cookies thoroughly, then freeze until solid. Store in an air-tight zipper bag or container. Thaw at room temperature or microwave for a few seconds to re-warm.

How should I store these cookies?

Store these cookies, cooled, at room temperature for up to 2 days covered. Any longer and I prefer freezing them.

Do I need to reduce the apple cider?

Some apple cider cookies call for an apple cider reduction, but I found that stirring in a small amount of apple cider was just fine and there was no need to use reduced cider before hand. By adding in the fresh apples, and using an apple cider in the icing there was plenty of apple flavor in these cookies without having to use reduced apple cider!

If you love cookies as much as I do then bake up some of my more popular cookie recipes from the blog, especially when it’s Christmastime!

Like my peanut butter chocolate kiss cookies with a Hershey kiss in the center, or my grandmother’s cookie recipe for Russian Tea Cakes, or these old fashioned peanut butter cookies with criss cross pattern.

For all my Christmas cookie recipes, check out my 25+ Christmas cookie recipes!

apple cider cookies on a wire rack

More Recipes To Try

Get My Christmas Cookie Book!

Grab a copy ofย The Christmas Cookbookย to guide you with the best and most delicious cookie recipes to serve these holidays!

Apple Cider Cookies

These soft and chewy Apple Cider Cookies are studded with apples and frosted with a delicious apple cider icing. Spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, this recipe makes the perfect easy fall cookie! Plus, they freeze beautifully so you can have a stash on hand for every craving.
4.90 from 39 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: 27 minutes
Servings: 28 cookies
Calories: 235kcal

Ingredients

For the cookies:

  • 3 cups (360 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ยผ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 ยฝ teaspoons cinnamon
  • ยฝ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ยฝ teaspoon table salt
  • 1 cup (2 sticks, 226 grams) unsalted butter softened
  • ยฝ cup (99 grams) granulated white sugar
  • ยพ cup (160 grams) light brown sugar
  • 1 large egg room temperature
  • ยผ cup (60 mL) apple cider
  • 1 apple peeled and diced

For the icing:

  • 2 cup confectioners sugar
  • 3 tablespoons apple cider
  • ยฝ teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

  • Preheat and prepare cookie sheets. Preheat the oven to 375ยฐF. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or grease lightly.
  • Combine dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Set aside.
  • Cream butter and sugars. In a second mixing bowl, with an electric mixer cream together butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Add egg and cider. Add egg and mix just until combined. Add cider and combine. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
  • Add in dry ingredients. Add the flour mixture and mix at low to medium speed until mixture is evenly moistened. Stir in chopped apple.
  • Scoop the cookies. Using a 1-inch cookie scoop or tablespoon, scoop the cookies into 1 ยฝ-inch balls. Place onto prepared cookie sheets about 2 inches apart.
  • Bake and cool the cookies. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until edges and centers are set. Remove from the oven and cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a rack to finish cooling completely.
  • Make icing. In a small bowl, whisk together icing ingredients. Spread or drizzle over each cooled cookie.

Video

Notes

  • Storage: Store cooled cookies, covered at room temperature for up to 2 days.ย 
  • Freezing: You can freeze baked cookies for up to 3 months. Cool baked cookies thoroughly, then freeze until solid. Store in an air-tight zipper bag or container. Thaw at room temperature or microwave for a few seconds to re-warm. Make and scoop the dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Freeze the cookies on the sheet until solid, then store in an air-tight zipper bag or container. Bake straight from frozen, just add 1-3 minutes of extra baking time.ย 
  • Cookie trouble shooting:ย 
    • Cookies spread too much: If your cookies spread or got very flat, it is likely due to one of these 8 reasons. Try reading through the list to pinpoint the problem. For this recipe in particular, it is important to start with room temperature butter (not too soft! See the notes in the recipe) and to measure the flour correctly to prevent flat cookies. You could also try refrigerating the dough a bit before baking if your cookies usually spread.
    • Cookies didn’t spread at all: This probably means you measured your flour wrong. If you add too much flour these cookies won’t spread at all. I recommend measuring your flour by weight using a scale. But if you do measure by volume, then you want to make sure to stir up your flour first, then spoon into your cup and level it off with a knife. Do NOT pack it into the cup or scoop directly from the bag.
    • Cookies aren’t soft and chewy: If your cookies got hard instead of soft and chewy, you may have overbaked them. Make sure to bake them until they are set, but not past that. They will continue to cook as they start to cool on the hot pan. Your oven temperature may also be too high. I recommend using an oven thermometer to ensure your oven is running at the correct temperature. Click here to read more about using your oven properly when baking. You may have also added too much flour. Using a kitchen scale is best for accuracy!
  • Apple cider: There’s really no substitution here! You can try apple juice but it won’t give you the same spiced apple flavor.

Nutrition

Calories: 235kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 58mg | Potassium: 65mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 224IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 1mg
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74 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Thank you. Followed the recipe and the cookies came out great.
    Dale from Canada

    1. You’re very welcome, Dale! So glad the cookies turned out great for you. ๐Ÿ˜Š Thank you for letting me know!

  2. 5 stars
    Excellent! My BF is an apple pie addict, so this fits the bill when I donโ€™t want to make pastry. One trick I learned whenever I bake with apple cider is to reduce it. This gives it a nice flavor punch. I boil 4 cups down to 1/2 cup. It thickens as it cools, and I store it in the frig.

    1. Love that tip about reducing the apple cider! It definitely adds an extra flavor boost. So glad these cookies are a hit with your BF! ๐Ÿ๐Ÿ˜Š

  3. Jan Snyder says:

    With 3 cups of flour, doesnโ€™t it make more than 28 cookies? Or was that servings?

    1. Yes, this apple cider cookie recipe yields 28 cookies, which is considered one batch or 28 servings.

  4. I need to make these cookies within the week for my brothers birthday who made the cider

    You wrote in ingredients 1 egg
    However in the directions, you used the pleural of egg โ€œeggsโ€

    Is it one or two?
    Thank you

    1. Hi Meg, my apologies that was a typo – it is one egg.

    2. Yes that was a typo in the picture – it is indeed one egg.

  5. Shannon Proctor says:

    5 stars
    These are amazing! Taste just like apple pie! I used a granny smith apple and they were so tender. Super easy to make too!

    1. aw thank you Shannon I’m so glad you loved them!!

  6. How long are they good for after baking

    1. I would say two days is best but with the icing it can make them soften more and more each day.

  7. 5 stars
    Love the cookies! Made three batches so far. Iโ€™m wondering: is there any way to turn these into muffins instead? If so, what adjustments should I make?

    1. Hi Dorothy – I can’t say for sure. You could try baking the cookie dough in a muffin tin but they will still be more cookie than muffin. If you are looking for an apple muffin you might like this apple crumb muffin recipe on my blog.

  8. 5 stars
    It is a great recipe, it in the directions it says to add egg, but there wasnโ€™t one listed in the ingredients, so I guessed it was one. Other than that these cookies are wonderful!

    1. So glad you loved them Janette! And thank you for letting me know about the missing ingredient – I will be sure to update that.

  9. 5 stars
    I made these earlier today and I CANNOT stop eating them. They’re so good, and exactly what I was looking for. I was worried the apple would remain too crisp or wet, but it came out perfect. I opted not to use the icing this time just to cut back on the sugar, and they were still very tasty. Not too sweet, but next time I’m going all in with the icing.

    1. I’m so glad you loved these cookies Ruben!! Even without the icing..but yes I highly recommend going all in with the icing ๐Ÿ˜‰

  10. 5 stars
    Oh my goodness these are crazy good! My daughter found a smarty pants Tik Tok guy making apple cider cookies but I much prefer an easy to follow recipe on the web. Heather’s is the bomb! Perfect soft texture with no issues spreading. I’m not a great baker and notorious for misreading directions but no problems here. The tip to measure ingredients in metric is key. A good kitchen scale is essential. The second best tip is not to over-bake — just making sure the center and edges are set. It’s tempting to let them go longer but don’t. These cookies are awesome and I’m excited to try your other recipes!

    1. awww thank you Roxanne!! I just love getting comments like this. It makes my day! And Yes I 100% agree – metric is the key. No guessing when you use a scale, and when it come sto cookies I think it all comes down to measuring your flour correctly. And then yes I take my cookies out when the edges are set and middles are puffy but not raw looking. Thank you again!

  11. 1 star
    I made these twice and they didnโ€™t spread in the oven either time

    1. Hi Kate sorry to hear that. Iโ€™ve tested this recipe many times and never had that issue. Sounds to me like you added too much flour – which would cause the cookies to not spread at all. Be sure to spoon and level your flour into the cup. For best results weigh your flour. Hope you give these a try again!

    2. Hi Kate, this sounds like an issue with measuring your flour. Be sure to spoon the flour into the cup and level it off. Do not pack it down in the cup or scoop directly from the bag. For the best results I recommend using a kitchen scale!

  12. 5 stars
    These apple cookies look so tender and aromatic! I love the spiced glaze on top, it’s gorgeous and I bet, delicious too! These look like they’ll disappear in record time during the holidays, so I better get ready to bake several batches!

    1. HA absolutely, Marie – they never last for more than a day or so around the house! Hope you enjoy and are able to save a few for yourself ๐Ÿ˜‰

  13. 5 stars
    These look like the perfect fall cookie! So soft and perfectly spiced. I can’t wait to make them!

    1. The spices make me ridiculously happy ๐Ÿ™‚ Hope you enjoy as much as I do, Chenรฉe!

  14. 5 stars
    These cookies are just perfect for fall! I love the combination of flavors, especially the cinnamon and nutmeg, they go so well with the apples!

    1. YES the trifecta of spices and apples is my favorite! So glad you enjoy as much as I do, Jamie ๐Ÿ™‚

  15. Love how soft and chewy these are! Perfect for this time of year!

    1. Thanks for your comment, Amy! So glad you like them ๐Ÿ™‚

  16. This is that time of year where I love anything apple or pumpkin and these cookies look perfect for fall!

    1. Same, Nicole! I always count down the days until the season specifically for baked goodies ๐Ÿ™‚

4.90 from 39 votes (11 ratings without comment)

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