Apple Pie Cookies
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Apple pie is great and all, but sometimes I don’t want to commit to rolling, filling, baking, cooling, slicing, and then trying to serve one clean piece like I’m auditioning for a baking show. These Apple Pie Cookies give you all that cozy pie flavor in a smaller, cuter, much easier-to-share package.
They start with refrigerated pie crust, one of my favorite baking shortcuts. Add a quick stovetop apple filling, a spoonful of caramel, a shiny egg wash, and a sprinkle of raw sugar, and suddenly you have tiny apple pies that look like you fussed over them way more than you actually did.
The filling comes together with Granny Smith apples, cinnamon, butter, lemon juice, and a bit of cornstarch to keep everything thick and glossy. Cooking it first means the apples are already soft and the juices already thickened before the cookies ever see the oven, so you’re not relying on bake time to do that work for you.
These are perfect for fall baking, Thanksgiving dessert tables, bake sales, or a weekend treat when you’re craving something warm and cinnamon-sweet.
Step-by-step photos and instructions are below. Jump to the recipe card if you wish!
Why you’ll love this
These cookies give you the best parts of apple pie in a smaller, easier-to-share package. Basically, apple pie in cookie form. The filling cooks first, so the apples are soft and cinnamon-sweet before they ever hit the oven. Refrigerated pie crust keeps the prep simple, and the lattice tops make them look bakery-level without a lot of extra effort.
- Cute and fun. They look like tiny apple pies.
- Easier than a full pie. No slicing, serving, or worrying about a soggy bottom.
- Great for sharing. Perfect for cookie trays, fall parties, and holiday dessert boards.
- Store-bought shortcut. Refrigerated pie crust saves a ton of time.
- Warm and cozy. Cinnamon apples, caramel, buttery crust. Yes please.
- Adaptable. Use different apples, skip the caramel, or swap the lattice for a full top crust.
Can I freeze these before baking?
Yes. Freeze the assembled, unbaked cookies on a baking sheet until solid, then transfer them to a freezer bag. The crust may be a touch more delicate after thawing, but they’ll still bake up nicely.
Can I make these in the air fryer?
If your basket has the room, yes. Cook at 350°F (175°C) until golden and crisp, checking early so they don’t overbrown.
Can I make the filling ahead of time?
Yes, and it’s a great way to get ahead. Make the filling up to 2 days in advance, let it cool completely, and store it in the fridge. Bring it closer to room temperature before assembling. You can also assemble the cookies a few hours ahead and keep them covered in the fridge, then add the egg wash and raw sugar right before baking.
Step-by-step photos and tips and tricks are below. Jump to the full recipe card instead
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Key Recipe Ingredients
Note: This highlights some ingredients. Full list is in the recipe card.
- Granny Smith apples. Their tartness balances the sweetness of the filling and caramel, and they hold their shape well during cooking. Honeycrisp or Braeburn apples work well as substitutes if that’s what you have on hand.
- Sugar. Plain, granulated white sugar. Sweetens the filling and helps it cook down into a glossy, thickened texture.
- Salted butter. Adds richness to the filling and helps it come together into a cohesive, glaze-like consistency. Unsalted butter works too. Just add a small pinch of salt.
- Ground cinnamon. The classic apple pie spice. Feel free to add a pinch of nutmeg if you want extra warmth.
- Cornstarch. Thickens the filling so it sets up into a glossy glaze rather than running out of the cookies.
- Lemon juice. Brightens the apple flavor and helps prevent the apples from browning while they wait to be cooked.
- Refrigerated pie crust. The shortcut that makes this whole recipe come together quickly. If you have a favorite homemade crust, roll it out to a similar thickness and use it in place of the refrigerated kind.
- Caramel topping. Look for a thick, jarred sundae-style caramel rather than a thin syrup. It stays put inside the cookies during baking instead of running out. If you want, you can skip this. The cookies are still delicious without it. A little extra cinnamon sugar in the filling makes up for the sweetness if you’d like.
- Egg. Beaten with water to make the egg wash that gives the crust its golden, glossy finish.
- Raw sugar. Adds sparkle and crunch to the top of each cookie. Sanding sugar works well too if you can find it. In a pinch, mix granulated white sugar with a pinch of cinnamon for a similar effect.
How to make this recipe
This is a step-by-step photo guide. Full ingredients and instructions are in the printable recipe card below.
JumpStart by adding the diced apples, sugar, butter, cinnamon, and cornstarch to a saucepan and cooking until the mixture turns glossy and thick.
While that cools, cut your pie crust into circles and lay them out on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Spoon the cooled filling onto each circle.
Top with strips of crust in a simple lattice, brush with egg wash, and sprinkle with sugar. Bake until golden and bubbling.
How to do a lattice pie crust
- Cut the crust into even strips. Lay half the strips across the filling in one direction.
- Fold back every other strip, lay a new strip across the other direction, then fold them back down. Repeat, alternating which strips you fold, until the top is woven.
- Trim the edges, tuck under, crimp, and brush with egg wash.
Kylee’s Notes
- Let the filling cool completely before it touches the crust. Hot filling melts the butter in the dough and you end up with a greasy, soggy cookie. 15-20 minutes on the counter, or pop it in the fridge.
- Use a thick, jarred sundae-style caramel, not a thin pourable syrup. The thin stuff runs straight out of the cookies and pools on your baking sheet.
- Don’t overfill. A heaping spoonful makes the cookies hard to seal and more likely to leak. Stick to 1-2 tablespoons and leave a clean border of crust around the edge.
- Lattice tops don’t have to be woven. Lay strips one way, then the other way on top. From a few feet away nobody can tell, and you’ll save yourself a lot of time.
- These are best warm, the same day you bake them. Reheat in the oven or air fryer to bring the crispness back.
- Let the tops get truly golden. Pale crust tastes soft and doughy – don’t pull them early.
- If the dough gets too soft while you’re assembling, refrigerate the cookies for 10 minutes. Cold dough is much easier to work with.
- Dust with powdered sugar before serving if you like a little extra sweetness.
How to store leftovers
Room Temperature
Store leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. The crust will soften slightly the longer they sit.
Refrigerator
For longer storage, keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freezer
Freeze baked cookies in a single layer until solid, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container. Freeze for up to 2 months and thaw in the fridge before reheating.
Reheating Tips
Warm in a 350°F (175°C) oven or air fryer for 3 to 5 minutes, until heated through and the crust crisps back up. The microwave works in a pinch, but it will soften the crust.
Troubleshooting
- The filling came out runny. It likely needed a few more minutes on the stove. Keep cooking and stirring until the cornstarch fully thickens the juices into a glossy, jam-like glaze before you take the pan off the heat.
- The lattice fell apart or looked messy. Make sure your dough is cold and pliable, not too soft, when you cut and place the strips. If weaving feels fussy, lay the strips in a simple crisscross instead and crimp the edges to hold everything together.
- The crust didn’t get that golden, glossy look. Make sure you’re brushing on a generous, even layer of egg wash before baking, and don’t skip the raw sugar. It adds both color and crunch.
- The caramel ran out during baking. Use a little less next time, choose a thicker topping, and keep it centered, away from the edges.
FAQs
You can, but chop the apples down smaller first. Canned filling usually comes in big slices, and smaller pieces work better in these cookies. You can also use my fried apples in this recipe.
Yes. Cut a second circle of pie crust, lay it over the filling, and crimp the edges with a fork. Cut a small slit in the top so steam can escape.
I recommend it for the best texture. These cookies are small, and apple peel can feel a little chewy in the filling.
More recipes to love
- Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls. All the warm cinnamon-apple flavor of these cookies, but in soft, gooey roll form. A good excuse to bake on a slow morning.
- Apple Cinnamon Waffles. Crisp on the outside, warm and apple-spiced all the way through. Breakfast that feels like dessert without having to explain yourself.
- Apple Dumplings. Tart apples wrapped in flaky biscuit dough and smothered in a buttery vanilla sauce. Easier than pie and just as satisfying.
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Apple Pie Cookies
Ingredients
- 3 cups peeled and finely diced Granny Smith apples
- ¼ cup sugar white, granulated
- 3 tablespoons butter I use salted
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 refrigerated pie crusts
- 1/3 cup caramel topping You'll need about 12 teaspoons
- 1 large egg beaten
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1-2 tablespoons raw sugar aka turbinado sugar
Instructions
- Make the apple filling. Add 3 cups peeled and finely diced Granny Smith apples, ¼ cup sugar, 3 tablespoons butter, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice to a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the apples soften and the mixture thickens into a glossy filling. It should look jammy, not watery. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool while you prep the crusts.Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper
- Cut the pastry in circles. Lightly flour your work surface, roll out one piece of pie dough (crust), and use a 3-inch round cookie cutter to cut out circles. .For the amount of cookies this recipe will yield, without re-rolling, you can easily get 9 cookie bases. There is also enough for the second slab of pie crust to get the remaining 3 bases because you only need to use about half of the lattice. Place the circles on the prepared baking sheets, leaving a little space between each one.
- Fill the cookies. Add about 1 teaspoon of caramel topping to the center of each circle. Spoon 1 to 2 tablespoons of the cooled apple filling over the caramel, keeping the outer edge of the crust clean so the cookies can seal properly.
- Add the lattice tops. Cut the remaining half pie crust into thin strips. Lay the strips over the apple filling in a simple lattice pattern. You don't have to weave them perfectly. Lay a few strips one way, then a few the other way, trim the edges, and press gently to seal.
- Make the egg wash. Whisk the beaten egg with the 2 tablespoons water. Brush the tops of the cookies with the egg wash, then sprinkle with 1-2 tablespoons raw sugar.
- Bake. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before moving them, since the filling will be very hot.
Notes
- Cook the filling first and let it cool while you prep the crusts. Warm filling melts the dough and leads to a soggy, greasy cookie.
- Use thick, jarred caramel topping, not thin caramel syrup, so it stays put while baking.
- Keep the filling in the center so the edges can seal cleanly.
- Don’t overfill the cookies, or they may leak.
- A loose, simple lattice looks just as good as a woven one and saves you time.
- Chill the assembled cookies for 10 minutes if the dough gets too soft to work with.
- Bake until the crust is truly golden. Pale crust tastes soft and doughy.
- Serve warm for the flakiest texture, and reheat in the oven or air fryer to bring it back.
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Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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About Kylee Ayotte
I am a born and raised New Zealander (a Kiwi), now living in Phoenix, Arizona. I’m happily married to the love of my life – a hot American boy I met while traveling the world. I’m a mama to 2 awesome little boys and love red things, rugby, cheesecake, and bacon. Mmmmm. Bacon. Meet Kylee
