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Soft and slightly gooey cookies infused with warm apple cider and spices, featuring tender apple chunks and finished with a bright apple cider glaze. Perfect for cozy fall treats.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/4 cup apple cider (reduce to 2 tablespoons if using reduced cider)
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (or 1:1 gluten-free flour blend for gluten-free version)
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup diced tart apples (Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or Pink Lady recommended)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • For glaze: 1 cup powdered sugar, 2-3 tablespoons apple cider

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. (Optional) Simmer apple cider over medium heat until reduced by half to concentrate flavor; allow to cool.
  3. (Optional) Brown the butter over medium heat, then cool slightly before using for richer flavor.
  4. In a large bowl, beat softened butter with brown sugar and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
  5. Add egg, vanilla extract, and apple cider (reduced if using) to the butter mixture and mix until combined.
  6. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
  7. Slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix just until no flour streaks remain.
  8. Gently fold in diced apples, and optionally 1/2 cup chopped pecans, walnuts, or old-fashioned oats for added texture.
  9. If dough is sticky, chill in the refrigerator for 20 minutes to firm up.
  10. Scoop dough into balls and place them a few inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
  11. Bake 10-12 minutes until edges are golden and centers appear set but still soft.
  12. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
  13. While cookies cool, whisk powdered sugar and apple cider together to make a light glaze.
  14. Drizzle glaze over completely cooled cookies and allow to set before serving.

Notes

Select tart apples like Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or Pink Lady for best texture and balanced sweetness., Chilling sticky dough makes it easier to scoop and handle., Reduced apple cider intensifies the apple flavor in the cookies., Optional additions include 1/2 cup chopped nuts or oats for crunch and chewiness., Cookies taste better the day after baking when flavors have blended., For dairy-free version, substitute butter with plant-based stick butter., You can make mini cookies by reducing baking time by 2-4 minutes or bake dough in an 8×8 pan as bars., Store cooled cookies in an airtight container with parchment between layers for up to 4 days at room temperature., Refrigerate cookies up to one week; warm to soften before serving., Freeze baked cookies up to 3 months; thaw at room temperature and rewarm in 300°F oven for 5-8 minutes., Freeze raw dough up to 3 months; bake chilled with 1-2 extra minutes or frozen with a few extra minutes, then cool and glaze as usual.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://cookerygood.com/apple-cider-cookies/