These soft and chewy apple pie cookies are packed with white chocolate chips and taste just like a warm apple pie! Plus they're super easy, making them a great fall treat for any cookie lovers in your life.
As you probably already know by now, apple is one of my favorite fall flavors (as evidenced by my air fryer apples, easy apple muffins, and apple cinnamon scones).
I am SO excited to put this recipe out into the world and tell you all about these apple pie cookies. When my husband tried these for the first time, he told me they taste like Thanksgiving.
I wanted to take all of those warm apple pie flavors and wrap them up into one deliciously soft 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!
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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. 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!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Gluten free flour: My favorite gluten free flour blend is Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 flour. If you're using a different blend, make sure it contains xanthan gum. Otherwise, you can use AP flour if you are not looking to make these cookies gluten free.
- Cinnamon and nutmeg: These are my favorite spices to use in these cookies! They truly give these cookies that pie-like flavor.
- Brown sugar: I highly recommend light brown sugar in this recipe, but you can use dark brown if that's all you have on hand.
- Applesauce: You want to make sure you're using 100% pure unsweetened applesauce with no added ingredients. This is what gives us all of that delicious apple flavor AND as an added bonus, it's a great egg substitute.
- White chocolate chips: It's my strong belief that white chocolate chips just work so well in these cookies! You can leave them out or reduce the amount, if you'd like.
Step-by-Step Instructions
This is a super straightforward cookie recipe, much like any other drop cookies you've made before.
STEP ONE: You'll start by combining the dry ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk it all up, then set aside for now.
STEP TWO: 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.
STEP THREE: Next, add the vanilla extract and applesauce and continue mixing until it's all incorporated.
STEP FOUR: Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until the soft cookie 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.
STEP FIVE: Turn off your mixer and stir in the white chocolate chips.
STEP SIX: 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 it will keep your cookies from spreading in the oven. So, cover and pop the dough into the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
STEP SEVEN: When your 30 minutes are up, preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. 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.
Expert Tips
- My #1 tip is always to weigh your flour using a scale. This is the best way to ensure accuracy, and the weight of 1 cup of flour will vary depending on which brand you are using. We'll need 259 grams of flour for this recipe.
- Don't skip chill time - it's so important! These cookies will still spread a bit, but the chill time helps us avoid over-spreading.
- The centers of the apple pie cookies may seem 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 the cookies cool on the baking sheets for at least 30 minutes. They will continue cooking and this rest time will help them set up. If you grab them too soon, they will fall apart.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! Just use your favorite non-dairy butter and also make sure the white chocolate is dairy free.
You can store these cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Yes, these cookies should freeze nicely. Store them in a plastic zip-top bag, seal completely, and freeze for up to 3 months.
Watch How To Make This Recipe
Did you try my chewy apple pie cookies? Leave me a comment below or tag me on Instagram @justastastyblog and #justastastyblog!
📖 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) light brown sugar packed
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup (85g) unsweetened applesauce room temperature
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup (113g) white chocolate chips
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg together. Set aside.1 ¾ cup (259g) gluten free flour, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- 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.½ cup (118g) unsalted butter, ⅔ cup (133g) light brown sugar, ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar, ⅓ cup (85g) unsweetened applesauce, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined. Stir in the white chocolate chips.⅔ cup (113g) 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.
Notes
- Make sure to use 100% pure unsweetened applesauce with no added ingredients.
- It's important to allow the cookies to cool for at least 30 minutes before moving off of the baking sheets. They will be soft when you first remove them from the oven, and will likely fall apart if you don't allow them to cool and set properly.
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