These Apple Pie Cookies are the perfect autumn sweet treat. Full of crisp apples, a crumbly streusel topping and flaky pie crust, these have everything you love about a slice of apple pie, but in bite-sized cookie form. They’re simple to make and full of warm, cozy fall flavors.
Autumn is the perfect opportunity to indulge in warm and cozy spiced treats. But it’s time pumpkin shared the spotlight, don’t you think? Let me introduce you to my Apple Pie Cookies. I’ve put an apple pie spin on these viral pumpkin pie cookies (which are inspired by Janie’s Life Changing Baked Goods based in New York City) and not only are they adorable and delicious, but they come together quicker than making an entire pie.
Made with buttery pie crust, a decadent homemade apple pie filling and a rich streusel topping, these Apple Pie Cookies are a new take on the beloved classic pie. Bring them to a party or serve them after dinner with a scoop of ice cream, no matter how they’re served, this poppable cookie is bound to be everyone’s new favorite fall dessert.
If you like this indulgent treat, you should try your hand at making some of our other favorite cookies. We love these Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies, our rich Chewy Halva Cookies, and check out our spin on a classic with these Oatmeal Date Cookies. Try one or try them all but believe me, they’re all delicious in their own right.
The Beauty of Pie Cookies
These Apple Pie Cookies are cute, festive and absolutely delicious, which are obvious reasons to love them. But here are a few others to really convince you.
- Simple and Satisfying Seasonal Sweet. With warm spices, sweet apples and a comforting streusel topping, these cookies have all the components you’re looking for in a cozy autumn treat.
- Tasty Twist on Tradition. Everyone loves apple pie, it’s the ultimate all-American dessert. And these cookies have everything we love about the classic dessert, but in a fun, new, handheld cookie form.
- Dessert for a Crowd. Make a batch of these to serve at a festive party or bring them as a treat for any fall gathering (including tailgates). They’re a crowd-pleaser every time.
Ingredient Notes
- Granny Smith Apples: The star ingredient in this recipe is apples and I like Granny Smith apples. They’re crisp and tart, and pair nicely with the rich brown sugar and butter. Use whatever apples you like best or have on hand, but avoid Red Delicious, as they tend to get a bit mushy when cooked.
- Butter: We like to use unsalted here, so you can control the amount of salt in the recipe. You’ll need a couple of tablespoons to cook down the apples and to make the streusel.
- Brown Sugar: With notes of molasses, this adds a nice sweetness and depth of flavor to the filling and the streusel.
- Apple Pie Spice: Use your favorite brand or make your own combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice and cloves. These warm spices provide that signature apple pie flavor.
- Lemon: You’ll use the zest and the juice in this recipe. Like salt, a but of acidity is needed to balance and brighten the rich, sweet flavors.
- Salt: All baked goods need a pinch of salt to balance everything out.
- Cornstarch: the thickening agent used to create the thick, sticky apple filling.
- All-Purpose Flour: The base for the streusel, this creates a nice, crumbly texture.
- Pie Crusts: Use your favorite store-bought, packaged pie crusts. They’re convenient, consistent, and perfectly delicious for these cookies.
How To Make Apple Pie Cookies
Find the full recipe, with amounts and timings, in the recipe card below.
Make the Apple Filling
- Cook down the apples with butter, sugar, spices, and lemon zest until the apples are tender and the juices have thickened into caramel-like sauce, this will take about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, whisk together a cornstarch slurry—just cornstarch and fresh lemon juice.
- Stir the slurry into the apple mixture and cook just until the mixture is thickened, this shouldn’t take more than 1 minute. Remove the pan from heat, season with just a pinch of salt and set aside to cool.
Pre-Bake the Pie Crusts
- Cut out 12 to 15 rounds from each pie crust using a 2 ½-inch round cookie cutter.
- Place the rounds on a parchment-lined baking sheet and prick each round a few times with a fork—this ensure they don’t puff up and stay flat enough to top with apple filling and streusel.
- Bake the crusts until they are lightly golden brown, this will take about 9 minutes. Remove them from the oven and immediately flip the rounds over so the bottom sides don’t over-cook (you’ll also use these flat bottom to build the cookies on).
Meanwhile, Make the Streusel
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugars, and spices. Then add the softened butter and work it into a stiff mixture. You will likely need to pinch and smear the butter into the dry ingredients.
Now the Fun Part—Assembly!
- Top each pie crust round with a rounded tablespoon of apple filling, spread just slightly to nearly reach the edges of the pie crust.
- Now hold the topped pie crust rounds over the bowl of streusel and shower the streusel over the filling—it should be completely coated.
- Once all of the cookies have been topped with the filling and the streusel, go back around and add large pinch of streusel to each cookie. The bigger the streusel the chunks, the tastier the cookies will be.
- Bake the cookies until they are golden brown, this will take about 15 minutes. Allow them to cool slightly before digging in!
Recipe Tips
These Apple Pie Cookies are made of three different components, all of which are simple to make (or are pre-made). But here are a few tips to make sure this recipe is foolproof and the best version each time.
- Measure Accurately: to ensure each cookie gets filling, start by topping each round with a leveled tablespoon measure. Then go back around and divy out the remaining filling.
- Use Store-Bought Crust: I’m usually the biggest advocate for homemade pie crust. But in this instance, I recommend using a pre-made refrigerated crust. It ensures consistency every time.
- Add A Caramel Sauce. Want to add another decadent layer to these cookies? Try a drizzle of caramel sauce on the pie crusts when adding the apples. Store-bought or homemade would be delicious.
Storage and Freezing Instructions
We recommend eating these Apple Pie Cookies the same day you make them; and they’re hard to resist so this shouldn’t be hard to do! But if you do have leftovers, here’s how to store them.
- Room Temperature: Store these cookies in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days for maximum flavor and freshness.
- Fridge: You can also keep these in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 3–5 days. Bring them to room temperature before serving, if preferred.
- Make Ahead: There are a few ways you can make these ahead of time. First, you can prep each component, separately, up to 3 days ahead of time. Then just assemble and bake. Alternatively, you can bake these and store them at room temperature in resealable zipper-lock bags for up to 4 days. Or freeze them for up to 3 months.
FAQs
Apples that are both sweet and tart, that also hold their shape, are best for baking and desserts. Granny Smith, Honeycrisps, Braeburns or Galas work well. We’d just suggest avoiding Red Delicious, as they get a bit mushy after being cooked.
Both work! We like store-bought crust for its consistency, ease and convenience, but if you like to make your own or you have some on hand, that works perfectly well. Both taste equally as delicious.
Definitely. Just place the cookies in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Let them thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature before serving.
Since the base of these cookies is pre-baked, this shouldn’t be an issue. If your filling melts off the pie crust it could be because you didn’t add enough cornstarch or you cooked the mixture with the cornstarch too long. If cornstarch is cooked over too high or heat for too long, it can lose its thickening power.
More Delicious Cookie Recipes
Apple Pie Cookies Recipe
Description
Ingredients
Apple Pie Spice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon grated fresh nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon ground allspice
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
Filling
- 2 granny smith apples, peeled and finely diced (4 cups)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ cup (100g) packed light brown sugar
- 1 lemon zested and juiced
- kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Pie Crusts
- 1 premade pie crust (from a 14-ounce package, such as Pillsbury)
Streusel
- ¾ cup (90g) all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup (55g) light brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
Instructions
Apple Pie Spice
- In a small bowl, combine cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice and cloves; set aside.
Filling
- Heat butter in a saute pan over medium until melted. Add apples, sugar, 1 teaspoon Apple Pie Spice, ½ teaspoon lemon zest and a pinch of salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until apples are tender and juices have thickened into caramel-like sauce, 10 minutes.
- In a small bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons lemon juice and cornstarch; stir into apples and cook just until thickened, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and let cool.
Pie Crusts
- Heat oven to 400ºF (204ºC) with rack set in middle position. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Unroll pie crust and using a 2 ½-inch round cookie cutter, cut out 15 rounds (rerolling crust as needed). Transfer to baking sheet, spacing 1 inch apart. Prick each round thrice with a fork.
- Bake until puffed, dry to touch and lightly golden on bottoms, 8–10 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately flip pie crust pieces over; cool completely (can be stored in zipper-lock bags at room temperature for up to 2 days).
Streusel
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, ⅛ teaspoon salt and remaining Apple Pie Spice. Using your fingers, work butter into dry ingredients by pinching and smearing, until a stiff mixture comes together. Mixture should contain large and small streusel chunks.
Assembly
- Spoon 1 leveled tablespoon of apple filling onto center of each pie crust round. Divide any remaining filling evenly among pie crusts—lightly heap filling so it nearly reaches edges but is still rounded.
- Holding crust round over bowl of streusel, pick up a handful of streusel and shower it over filling. Cookies should be completely coated. Transfer to prepared sheet and repeat with remaining pie crust rounds.
- Pinch any remaining streusel into fairly large chunks and divide among cookies; sticking into filling/streusel to adhere.
- Bake cookies until streusel is golden brown, 12–17 minutes; rotating halfway through.
- Remove and cool slightly on pans before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
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Notes
- Room Temperature: Store these cookies in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days for maximum flavor and freshness.
- Fridge: You can also keep these in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 3–5 days. Bring them to room temperature before serving, if preferred.
- Freezing: Transfer cooled cookies to a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Allow the cookies to thaw at room temperature before enjoying.
