Apple Fritter Cookies
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If you love apple fritters, you’ll love these apple fritter cookies. These soft apple cookies are bursting with fresh, juicy apples and finished off with a salty-sweet maple glaze.
Apple Fritter Cookies
Can we all agree that fall starts September 1st?! I know it doesn’t technically start until September 22nd, but the second August is over I’m ready for fuzzy socks, steaming mugs of tea and these apple fritter cookies AKA autumn in a cookie AKA the most delicious apple dessert you’ll whip up. You get all the flavor of an apple fritter without all the mess of frying them up. Finish them off with a cinnamon maple glaze and you’re in for a treat!
What are apple fritter cookies?
OH LET ME TELL YOU. We recipe tested and shot these cookies months ago and I’ve been twiddling my thumbs waiting for September to hit so we can finally share these with the world! If you’ve had an apple fritter, then you know that there are few things better than a soft, tender fritter bursting with juicy apples and finished with a sweet glaze. Now, if you’ve ever made apple fritters you might also know that they’re a little time intensive and messy to make. That’s where these cookies come in. You get all the flavor of an apple fritter but in a soft, buttery cookie that’s way easier to throw together.
Our top tips for making perfect apple cookies
These apple cookies are way easier to make than apple fritters, but we also have a few tricks up our sleeves to guarantee you’ll get perfect cookies every time!
- Bake with the right apples: These cookies are loaded with apples so you need to make the apples you bake with are tasty and will hold up well in the oven. I prefer these cookies with Honeycrisp apples but Granny Smith, Envy, Pink Lady, or Braeburn would also be delicious. I’d hesitate to use a softer apple like McIntosh because they tend to get a little mealy in the oven.
- Don’t overmix the batter: When mixing your cookie dough, be careful not to overmix. Overmixing can lead to tough cookies. Mix until the ingredients are just combined. If you’re adding diced apples, fold them in gently to ensure they are evenly distributed without breaking down too much.
- Glaze them while they’re hot: The maple glaze will seem a little thick, but it will melt over your hot apple fritter cookies and harden like a hot donut dipped in glaze! I like to glaze them right on the parchment paper lined sheet pan so you can get them hot out of the oven and keep all the mess in one spot.
How to store apple fritter cookies
I’ll be real with you: these cookies are best enjoyed right away. But they still taste good a few days later. To keep your apple fritter cookies fresh, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week! If you want to extend their shelf life, you can freeze them. Place the cooled cookies in a freezer-safe container or bag, and they’ll keep well for up to three months. Just keep in mind they’ll lose that sugary crunch that you get when they’re fresh!
Happy fall baking!
xxx
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Yield: 16 cookies
Category: dessert
Method: oven
Cuisine: american
Units:
Ingredients
for the apples
- 1 large apple, peeled, cored and diced (We used granny smith!)
- 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
for the cookies
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 2/3 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
for the maple glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 2 tablespoon milk
- heavy pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- First, make the apples. Combine the diced apple, brown sugar and cinnamon in a small mixing bowl and stir together until the apples are evenly coated. Set aside.
- Next, make the cookies. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and brown sugar on low speed until combined. Gradually increase the speed to medium-high and mix until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Use a silicone spatula to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, then add in the egg and vanilla. Beat on medium-high speed until the mixture is smooth and combined, about 1 minute, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Add the flour, baking powder, spices, and salt and beat on low until just combined and no streaks of flour remain, about 30 seconds. Last, add the apple mixture and fold to combine.
- Using a 2 ounce cookie scoop scoop level portions of dough into balls, placing them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake until the cookies have puffed up and are set and firm around the edges but still somewhat soft in the middle, 12 to 15 minutes.
- While the cookies are baking, make the glaze. In a small mixing bowl combine the powdered sugar, maple syrup, milk, and salt. The glaze will be a little thick, but should still be spoonable. If it’s not, add a teaspoon of milk to thin it out.
- Spoon the glaze over the hot cookies. Let the cookies set for 10 minutes for the glaze to harden before digging in!