Apple Cider Cookies

Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

Fluffy and chewy apple cider cookies will be a hit this fall. Have them with a mug of hot cider, or even sandwich a whipped cream cheese frosting in between two cookies. Fun fact: these taste like candy apple suckers!

Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.

Fresh baked and decorated with caramel and flaky salt apple cider cookies.

Mix It, Bake It, & Eat Apple Cider Cookies

Fall is literally the best! Cool weather is just the perfect excuse for getting cozy with chunky sweaters, warm baked goods, and hot cider. If your family has a dessert table at Thanksgiving, these apple cider cookies would be a perfect fit!

If you haven’t noticed by the amount of cookies I’ve made, I like cookies. The perfect couple bites of a handheld dessert. For more fall inspired cookies try my Brown Butter Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies, Chewy Gingerbread Cookies, and these delicious Oatmeal Raisin Cookies that are spiced with apple pie spice.

Why You’ll Love Apple Cider Cookies

Perfect with a hot cup of cider, cocoa, coffee, or tea.
Chewy and cakey, but not dry.
Make these cookies part of your yearly tradition of apples, cider, cookies, and donuts!

Gathering Your Ingredients

All-purpose flour & Cake Flour – When measuring both flours using a kitchen scale is ideal, however, not everyone has one. For the most accurate measurement use the fluff, scoop, and level method. Fluff your flour with a fork, scoop it out into your measuring cup with a spoon, then level it off with a butter knife.
Baking powder – Keeps your cookies from spreading too far, and also helps to give them their cakey texture.
Apple pie spice – You can usually find this premade spice in the baking aisle of your local grocery store. However, you can always make your own homemade apple pie spice like I did!
Salt – For flavor and balance.
Unsalted butter – Softened butter at room temperature.
Brown sugar – Light brown sugar or dark works fine. I usually end up mixing mine in a container. If you don’t have brown sugar, you can use regular white granulated sugar.
Egg – Room temperature egg.
Apple cider – If regular apple cider is out of season where you are, you can use instant apple cider packets. You can find these where you’d find hot chocolate, tea, or coffee. Pure apple juice could be used in a pinch.
Vanilla extract – Pure vanilla extract or vanilla paste will work great.
Caramel sauce & Maldon sea salt – Used as the topping for your cookies. I used sea salt caramel sauce in addition to the Maldon sea salt. With this addition, cookies taste like candy apple cookies.

Kitchen Supplies I Use

Cookie Sheet

Buy Now →

Cookie scoop

Buy Now →

Maldon Sea Salt

Buy Now →

How To Make Apple Cider Cookies

Preheat your oven to 350 F. Prepare a large cookie sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl sift together the flour, cake flour, baking powder, apple pie spice, and salt. Whisk to combine.

In another bowl, cream the softened unsalted butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.

Add the egg, apple cider, and vanilla extract and beat until combined.

Butter and brown sugar being creamed in a bowl.

More wet ingredients added and mixed in the bowl.

Add the sifted flour mixture 1/3 at a time, mixing until fully incorporated.

Use a medium cookie scoop to scoop balls of cookie dough onto the prepared cookie sheet, leaving 2 inches in between.

Bake cookies for 12-15 minutes, or until the edges are slightly golden.

Dry ingredients added to the mixing bowl.

Cookie dough scoops on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Before serving, top with a drizzle of sea salt caramel sauce and a few flakes of Maldon sea salt.

Storage Recommendations:

Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature in an airtight container or cookie jar for up to 1 week. Best if you wait until serving to add caramel sauce and salt. These cookies are a bit cakey so they’ll soak up the caramel if left for too long.

Can I freeze apple cider cookies? Freeze baked cookies in a freezer safe airtight container for up to 3 months. Best to freeze without the caramel drizzle.

Recipe Variations:

Not a fan of flaky salt on cookies, leave it out. The cookies will still be delicious!
Before baking, sprinkle a cinnamon sugar or apple pie spice/sugar coating on top for an apple cider donut vibe.
Dip your cooled cookies into a maple syrup or apple cider glaze.

Recipe FAQs:

Do apple cider cookies have a strong apple cider flavor?

Yes! The addition of apple cider and apple pie spice makes for a lovely warm apple flavor. Go even further and add sea salt caramel sauce and flaky salt and it’s like eating a caramel apple sucker. Sweet, salty, tart, and warm.

Do apple cider cookies need to be chilled?

Nope, I’ve tested this recipe both ways, and they turn out the same either way. However, if you wanted to roll the cookie dough balls in a cinnamon sugar mixture, then I suggest chilling for 15 minutes before rolling. This will solidify the butter just enough for the dough to be handled, otherwise, it’s rather wet.

Expert Tips for Chewy Apple Cider Cookies

Don’t top your cookies with sea salt caramel sauce or salt until they’re being served. The apple cider cookies will soak up the caramel if left on too long.

Try these other cookie recipes!

Print Recipe

Save Recipe

Total Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 16 cookies 1x

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 F. Prepare a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl sift together the flour, cake flour, baking powder, apple pie spice, and salt. Whisk to combine.
In another bowl, cream the softened unsalted butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the egg, apple cider, and vanilla extract and beat until combined.
Add the sifted flour mixture 1/3 at a time, mixing until fully incorporated.
Use a medium cookie scoop to scoop balls of cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving 2 inches in between.
Bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes, or until the edges are slightly golden.
Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
Top with a drizzle of caramel sauce and a few flakes of sea salt.