Apple Pie Cookies
These apple pie cookies give you all the flaky, spiced, caramel goodness of a slice of apple pie in a handheld, cookie-sized bite. Refrigerated pie crust and a quick stovetop apple filling make this one come together fast, and they bake up golden, bubbling, and ready for fall gatherings, lunchboxes, or just because.
Servings 12
Calories 197kcal
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.
Nutrition
Calories: 197kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 166mg | Potassium: 41mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 116IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 1mg
