caramel apple cider cookies

Name: Caramel Apple Cider Cookies
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 42 min
Ingredients: 5 cups apple cider; 1 cup granulated sugar; 6 tbsp salted butter, cubed; 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp heavy cream; pinch flaky sea salt; 3 tbsp reduced apple cider; 15 tbsp salted butter, softened at room temperature (this is 1 tbsp shy of two sticks, 1/2 cup + 7 tbsp, or 212 grams.); 3/4 cup granulated sugar; 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 2 large eggs; 1/4 cup reduced & cooled apple cider; 3 cups + 3 tbsp all-purpose flour; 1 tsp baking soda; 1/4 tsp salt; 1 and 1/4 tsp cinnamon; 1/4 tsp nutmeg; 1/8 tsp cloves; 1/4 tsp allspice; 1/2 cup granulated sugar; 2 and 3/4 tsp cinnamon; 1/4 tsp nutmeg; 1/8 tsp allspice; 1/8 tsp ground cloves; 3 tbsp reduced apple cider; 3 tbsp apple butter (can sub melted butter in a pinch, but HIGHLY recommend apple butter here)

September 1, 2023 60 Comments

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Apple Cider Cookies are thick, chewy cookies with apple cider in every bite. They’re twice-coated in apple pie spice, brushed with a magical mixture of reduced apple cider and apple butter, & drizzled with apple cider caramel. These irresistible cookies are bursting with fall flavor and taste just like an apple cider doughnut from the orchard!

A stack of cookies coated in apple pie spice sugar and drizzled with caramel.

Published: Sept 2022. Updated: Sept 2023.

Why you’ll love these Apple Cider Cookies:

Thick & Soft Cookies – These cookies are thick and chewy, with crisp edges. In other words, the perfect cookie!
Twice Dipped in Apple Pie Spice – Coating these cookies twice in apple pie spice makes them taste just like apple cider donuts from the apple orchard!
Apple Cider Coating – Brushing the baked cookies with a mixture of apple cider and apple butter allows the second coating of apple pie spice to stick and adds SO MUCH incredible flavor!
Apple Cider Caramel – These cookies are finished with a drizzle of luscious apple cider caramel sauce.

A stack of 4 broken open cookies, showing the soft and chewy insides.

Ingredient Overview:

Apple Cider – Use a good quality, real apple cider, like a jug from your local orchard! We’re reducing it by cooking it on the stovetop for about 20 minutes, to concentrate the flavor. There’s apple cider flavor in every bite of these cookies!
Butter – I always use salted buter for the best flavor, but feel free to use unsalted butter if you prefer.
Spices – I’ve used a mix of a few spices here to make a homemade apple pie spice blend in the cookies and in the cinnamon sugar coating. You’ll need cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice.
Apple Butter – We’re using apple butter mixed with the reduced cider to brush over the cookies before they get coated in apple pie spice. It brings the flavor to an entirely new level! This is a new trick I learned for fall of ’23, and if you’ve made these cookies in the past, you absolutely must make them again with this tweak – it’s out of this world delicious!!!

Ingredient Substitutions:

Dairy-free – Use your favorite dairy-free butter and heavy cream to keep this recipe dairy-free.
Spices – Feel free to try cardamom in place of any of the other spices if they aren’t your favorite.
Apple Cider – Using apple juice won’t give the exact same flavor, but you can use it if you absolutely can’t find apple cider.
Caramel – Nothing compares to homemade salted caramel sauce, but you can use store bought in a pinch.

How to Make this Apple Cider Cookie Recipe Step-by-Step:

Step 1: Reduce Apple Cider & Make Salted Caramel Sauce. Reduce your apple cider by cooking it on the stovetop for about 35 minutes. Make your salted caramel sauce and let each cool in the fridge while you make the cookie dough.

Two images: one of the reduced apple cider and one of the salted caramel sauce.

Step 2: Make the Cookie Dough. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugars. Add egg, vanilla, and some of the cooled reduced apple cider. Add the dry ingredients and mix until you have a cookie dough. Chill for 30 minutes, then roll into balls and chill at least 2 hours or up to 48 hours.

Two images: one of the wet ingredients, and one of the cookie dough.

Step 3: Bake the Cookies. Roll the chilled dough balls in the apple pie spice sugar mixture, and bake as directed in the recipe card below. Let cool for a bit on the baking sheet.

Two images: one of cookie dough balls on a cookie sheet, and one of the baked cookies.

Step 4: Dip Cookies & Coat in Apple Pie Spice. Once the cookies are cool enough to handle, or fully cooled (your preference), brush them with a mixture of apple butter and apple cider, then coat in the apple pie spice sugar again. Add it to a plate to make this easier. Note: I just discovered that using apple butter in place of the butter here takes the flavor to a whole new level! If you loved these cookies before, you will absolutely fall head over heels now.

Two images: one of the baked cookies on a rack brushed with butter, and one of a cookie dunked in the apple pie spice.

Drizzle with the apple cider salted caramel sauce, and dig in to these irresistible cookies! You will fall head over heels for these – pun intended, heh.

Caramel apple cider cookies on a wire rack drizzled with caramel sauce, with bright red apples and mugs of cider.

Expert Success Tips:

Chill the Dough – Yes, you must chill the dough for these cookies to not become flat pancakes in the oven. It also intensifies the flavor!
Reduce the Cider – Don’t skip this step as reduced cider has a more intense flavor, which is important as we can’t put too much of a wet ingredient like cider into a cookie dough. Reduced cider has thicker, almost syrup-like texture.

FAQs:

Can I Freeze the Dough?

Yes! Freeze cookie dough balls, covered with a kitchen towel. Once solid, transfer to an airtight freezer-safe container. Cookies can be stored this way for about 2-3 months, and can be baked straight from frozen!

Can I Cut the Recipe in Half?

Yes, feel free to scale the recipe up or down.

Do I really have to reduce my cider for 35 minutes?

If you want to taste the cider flavor, yes you do. It’s mostly hands off time, with some lazy stirring. You will NOT regret it! You can also buy boiled cider if you want to start with the reduced cider.

Recipe Variations:

Cardamom – Try cardamom in place of one of the other spices if they aren’t your jam.
Glaze – Use my maple glaze to top the cookies if desired, adding a splash of the remaining apple cider until you have the desired consistency for drizzling or dunking. Reduce the maple syrup to just a splash, too.

A close-up on a stack of caramel apple cider cookies, with a bite missing on the top cookie.

Serving + Storing this Recipe:

Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 4-6 days, or in the fridge longer. Let them sit out a bit before serving so they can come back to room temperature.

Special Tools:

Cookie Sheet – These are my favorite cookie sheets, I’ve used them almost every day for 6 years and they’re still kicking.
Cookie Scoop – Use this cookie scoop to make your cookies the size I did. It’s technically an ice cream scoop, but it’s the perfect size for large bakery-style cookies.
Silicone Baking Mat – I love silicone baking mats because they’re reusable and dishwasher safe.
Round Cutters – Use this set of round cutters for rounding cookies, cutting donuts or biscuits, and much more.

A bird's eye view of the stack of cinnamon coated and caramel drizzled cookies.

More Apple Recipes to Love:

Apple Cider Slushies
Salted Caramel Apple Galette
Cranberry Apple Crisp
Homemade Apple Fritters
Puff Pastry Apple Turnovers
Apple Cider Old Fashioned Cocktails
The Best Recipes to Make During Apple Season

More Cookie Recipes to Love:

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