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The Apple Pie Snickerdoodle Cookies are the dessert baby of apple pie, caramel apples, and snickerdoodle cookies. Made with soft and chewy snickerdoodle cookies topped with an apple pie filling and drizzled with a caramel sauce, these cookies are a a unique and delicious twist on classic fall desserts, and sure to get wiped off quickly at any gathering!
Snickerdoodle cookies are a classic, soft and chewy cookie known for their signature cinnamon-sugar coating. Unlike traditional sugar cookies, they have a slightly tangy flavor, thanks to the addition of cream of tartar, which also gives them a slightly crispy edge and a soft, pillowy center. These delightful cookies are perfect for anyone who loves a warm, comforting spice blend, making them a go-to treat for fall and holidays.
3 components in these cookies
These Apple Pie Snickerdoodle Cookies have three main components:
- Snickerdoodle cookies. As indicated by the name, the base of these cookies is a classic snickerdoodle. And I honestly think this is the best snickerdoodle recipe I’ve ever tried! They are soft and chewy on the inside, and crispy on the outside with a wonderful balanced cinnamon flavor
- Apple pie filling. The cookies are topped with a simple apple pie “filling” made with chopped apples, sugar, cinnamon, lemon juice and flour. The apples are cooked until just tender, and their tart and sweet flavor is very reminiscent of an apple pie
- Brown sugar caramel sauce. The cookies are then drizzled with a very simple brown sugar caramel sauce. This sauce ties all the flavors together and gives the cookies a beautiful look
My favorite apples for this recipe
Since the apple filling is cooked before being added to the cookies, I recommend getting a crispy variety of apples so they don’t become too mushy. My favorite are Granny Smith, which are slightly more tart, and Honeycrisp, which are slightly more sweet. I mix both, but you can use one or the other depending on your preference. I also like to keep the peel on the apple to add some color and texture!
Process with photos
The detailed recipe is provided in the recipe card at the end of this post, but let’s quickly go over the steps with photos to help you visualize everything.
Whisk the butter and sugars until light and creamy:
Whisk in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla. Separately, sift together the dry ingredients:
Fold the dry ingredients into the batter in 2-3 additions. Scoop the dough into cookie balls and chill:
In the meanwhile, make the apple pie filling by combining all ingredients and cooking until just tender:
Make the caramel sauce by combining all ingredients and cooking until a thick, golden sauce forms:
When the cookie dough has chilled, coat each ball generously in cinnamon sugar and bake:
While the cookies are fresh from the oven, use the back of a spoon to make an indentation on them. Then add the apple pie filling:
Drizzle over the caramel sauce and you’re ready to enjoy!
Pro tips to perfect this cake
This recipe is actually quite simple, but let’s go over some tips which will help you get it just right:
- Weigh all ingredients, especially the flour, using a weighing scale. This will allow much more accuracy than measuring cups. If you must use a measuring cup, make sure you don’t stuff it with the flour. First, fluff up the flour with a fork, and then transfer it to the measuring cup one spoon at a time, leveling off at the top
- Use room temperature butter and eggs. This will allow the cookie dough ingredients to come together easily
- Do not skip the cream of tartar! This is an inexpensive ingredient which is critical in getting the right taste and texture in snickerdoodle cookies. It reacts with baking soda to give the cookies their rise, making them soft on the inside and crispy on the outside, while at the same time adding a very subtle tart flavor
- Chill the cookie dough for at least 1 hour after scooping. Many snickerdoodle recipes do not require chilling, but in my testing I found that the cookies are easier to work with, taste better, and have better shape and texture after just 1 hour in the fridge. It is worth it!
- Do not overbake the cookies. They should still be slightly soft when they come out of the oven, and will continue to cook. I always recommend baking 1 test cookie and checking its texture after 10 minutes of cooling down, so you know exactly how long you need to bake for your oven
- Don’t overcook the apples. They will soften more the longer the sit, and you don’t want them to become too soggy or mushy. You want to cook until they are just tender but still have a slight crispiness to them
- Add the apple filling and caramel sauce right before serving. Both these components have moisture in them, and if you let the cookies sit for a long time after adding the filling and sauce, the cookies will become very soft and moist. Therefore, it’s best to prepare all ingredients and assemble whenever you’re ready to serve
FAQs
I have not tested this recipe for an egg substitute and cannot recommend one. Eggs are important in binding the cookie dough.
No, skipping the cream of tartar will affect the flavor and texture of the cookies. You can find it easily in all grocery stores or on amazon.
Yes, I do recommend chilling the cookie dough for one hour for best results! You can always chill for longer, too. Use this time to prepare the apple pie filling and caramel sauce.
Snickerdoodle cookies are done baking when they feel firm around the edges and are still soft to touch in the middle, as they will continue to cook as they cool down. They should also have a light golden crust. Always bake a test cookie first so you know exactly how long to bake in your oven!
You can make all the components in advance, but I don’t recommend assembling the cookies until you are ready to serve. The cookies will get soft if left with the apple pie filling or caramel sauce for too long. You can also prepare the snickerdoodle cookie balls, keep them covered in the fridge, and bake whenever you’re ready to serve. That way they will have a fresh, crispy texture.
Keep the cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 1 day, or in the fridge for up to 3 days. They are best eaten fresh after assembly, though.
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Ingredients
Snickerdoodle cookies:
- 12 tbsp butter (170g)
- 1/3 cup white sugar (67g)
- 2/3 cup dark brown sugar (133g)
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 2 1/4 cups flour (290g)
- 1 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
Cinnamon sugar topping:
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar (67g)
- 2 tsp cinnamon
Apple pie filling:
- 4 granny smith or honeycrisp apples
- 1 1/2 tsp lemon
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tbsp flour
Brown Sugar caramel sauce:
- 1 cup dark brown sugar (200g)
- 6 tbsp butter (85g)
- 1/4 cup heavy cream (60g)
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
Snickerdoodle cookie dough:
- Add the unsalted butter, granulated sugar and dark brown sugar to the bowl of your stand mixer (or use an electric hand-mixer). Whisk for ~3 minutes until the mixture looks creamy and fluffy. Add the egg, egg yolk and vanilla, and whisk again until well combined
- In a separate bowl, sift in the all purpose flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix thoroughly
- Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in 2 to 3 additions, using a rubber spatula to gentle mix them together until just combined
- Use a 2 tbsp cookie scoop to scoop ~10-12 large cookie balls from the cookie dough. Cover and place in the fridge for at least 1 hour, while you work on the apple pie filling and caramel sauce
Apple pie filling:
- While the cookie balls are chilling, make the apple pie filling. Add the chopped apples, lemon juice, dark brown sugar, cinnamon powder and all purpose flour to a nonstick pan
- Stir and cook over low heat for 10-12 minutes until the apples are just tender (they should have some crispiness to them)
Brown sugar caramel sauce:
- For the caramel sauce, place the dark brown sugar, unsalted butter, and heavy cream to a nonstick saucepan. Stir and cook over low heat for about ~5 minutes or until a silky dark golden caramel sauce forms. Mix in the salt
Cinnamon sugar topping and baking:
- In the last 20 minutes of chilling the cookie dough, pre-heat your oven to 375F and line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper
- In a small bowl, mix the granulated and cinnamon powder to make the cookie topping
- Remove the chilled cookie balls from the fridge. Use your palms to gently form a smooth ball with each, and coat each ball in the sugar topping generously. Place the balls on the cookie sheets, keeping at least 3” of space between them
- Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes until they are slightly soft to touch in the middle. Remove from the oven, and immediately gently press a cookie scoop into the middle of each cookie to create an indentation. Let the cookies cool down for 15-20 minutes
Assembly:
- Whenever you’re ready to serve, top each cookie with a generous amount of the apple pie filling
- Decorate the cookies by drizzling over the caramel sauce. Serve and enjoy!
Video Tutorial
Notes
- Add the apple pie filling and caramel sauce to the cookies when you are ready to serve, as they can get soft if left with the toppings for too long
- Read blog post above for FAQs and tips on getting this recipe right
Comments
TTaylor
Made these for company I was having over last weekend and everyone absolutely loved them! I’m a newb to baking, and usually use a mix for snickerdoodle cookies (I don’t have a mixer and the temp in my kitchen is very high so working w butter is very challenging), but decided to make em using this recipe for this occasion. I am so happy I did! They were amazing! The perfect inside texture soft texture to outside crunch! The apple pie topping & caramel sauce was a perfect addition to make these a creative fall treat, highly recommend!
Yusra kausar
made these today. but not all the way through. just took the cookie part. cz i already hv apple butter tht i smothered my cookies with
these turned out to be the most peefect thickkk cookies with just the amount of swetnes i lov..
thankyouuu zoha
Steph
I live for your recipes. So excited to make these soon
Zoha
I am also glad you tried this recipe 🙂
Adriana
I doubled the recipe and they turned out delicious!!
Alisa
do you use salted or unsalted butter?