These apple pie cookies are packed with white chocolate chips and taste just like a warm apple pie in a super soft cookie! Plus they're super easy, making them a great Fall treat for any cookie lovers in your life.
You guys. I am SO excited to put this recipe out into the world and tell you all about these apple pie cookies. They are that good. When Matt tried these for the first time, he told me they taste like Thanksgiving. Which is exactly what I was going for 😉 ha! Not really. But I did want to take all of those warm apple pie flavors and wrap them up into one deliciously soft cookie.
When I say soft, I mean soft. Like, you may want to enjoy these apple pie cookies with a fork, on a plate. But in my opinion that's the best kind of cookie! We've got a good amount of moisture going on thanks to the applesauce and brown sugar.
Another fun fact about these cookies? We don't actually put any apples in them! Crazy, right? The applesauce gives them the perfect amount of apple flavor, and I think that makes it even easier to whip these cookies up on a whim -- no peeling or chopping necessary!
As you probably already know by now, apple is one of my favorite Fall flavors (as evidenced by my easy apple muffins and apple cinnamon scones) so this easy apple cookie recipe is right up my alley. It truly was hard to stop myself from going in for thirds (I say that because you already know I definitely went for seconds).
So if I haven't convinced you already, read on for more reasons why this apple pie cookie recipe is truly the BEST! 😉
Why You'll Love These Cookies
- If you're an apple pie lover, these are for you. For real. I'm not exaggerating when I say these taste like you're eating a slice of apple pie and I'm also not exaggerating about how melt-in-your-mouth SOFT these are.
- The white chocolate chips are the perfect addition here. It goes without saying that you can leave them out, if you're somehow not a fan of white chocolate (I, for one, love ALL the chocolate, including white). But I'd recommend against that. You can also decrease to ½ cup if you'd like.
- These are all ingredients that you likely already have on hand. It's also a naturally eggless recipe - the applesauce does all that work for us here!
What You'll Need
- The dry ingredients: flour + baking soda (our only leavening agent in this recipe, it'll react with the acid in the applesauce and brown sugar) + salt.
- The flavor: cinnamon + nutmeg + brown sugar + granulated sugar + applesauce (make sure it's plain/unsweetened) + vanilla.
- The fat: unsalted butter.
- Mix in: white chocolate chips.
Step-by-Step Instructions
This is a super straightforward cookie recipe, much like any other drop cookies you've made before. You'll start by combining your dry ingredients in a small bowl.
Set that aside, and get started on creaming the room temperature butter with both sugars. The brown sugar not only will give you a nice soft texture, it also adds a rich flavor that I just love in these cookies. Next, add the vanilla extract and applesauce and continue mixing until it's all incorporated.
Add your dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until your dough starts to form. Make sure to scrape the sides of the bowl along with any flour that might be hanging out at the bottom. Turn off your mixer and stir in the white chocolate chips.
Now, this recipe does require a bit of chill time, which I know can be a turn-off for those of us out there who are simply too impatient but I promise you it will be worth it, as that chill time will keep your cookies from spreading in the oven. And it's only 30 minutes! These cookies will still spread just a tiny bit, but not too much.
When your 30 minutes are up, preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. You may need a couple of baking sheets, depending on how much you can fit on each one. Scoop out your dough and drop them a couple of inches from each other. Bake for 10-12 minutes.
The centers of the apple pie cookies may seem a bit soft and under-baked when you first pull them out of the oven, but trust me. You don't want to over-bake these. Let them sit and cool on the baking sheets for at least 30 minutes (I know, I know... it's so hard to resist tasting one!)... they will continue cooking and this rest time will help them set up.
📖 Recipe
Chewy Apple Pie Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cup (259g) gluten free flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ cup (118g) unsalted butter room temperature
- ⅔ cup (133g) brown sugar packed
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup (85g) unsweetened applesauce
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup white chocolate chips
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg together. Set aside.
- Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter with both sugars until smooth. Add the applesauce and vanilla extract and beat until combined.
- Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined. Stir in the white chocolate chips.
- Cover and chill the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop cookie dough out onto baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes. The cookies will look soft. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 30 minutes before serving.
Did you try my apple pie cookies? Leave me a comment below or tag me on Instagram @justastastyblog and #justastastyblog!
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