These apple pie cookies are everything you love about apple pie, but in a handheld, single-serve cookie. A buttery, melt-in-your-mouth shortbread shell filled with warm, cinnamon-spiced apple filling, baked in a muffin pan until golden. They are just as impressive as a full pie but so much easier to make and serve.
What Are Apple Pie Cookies
Apple pie cookies are small, individual shortbread cups filled with a thick, spiced apple filling and baked in a muffin pan. Each one has a crisp, buttery shell made from a mix of all-purpose and almond flour, which gives it a slightly nutty richness that pairs beautifully with the cinnamon apple filling inside. They look like something from a bakery, but the method is much simpler than it looks. No lattice, no tricky pastry work, just press the dough into the pan and fill. If you love apple desserts, you might also enjoy this homemade apple pie or this beautiful apple tarte tatin.
What apples are best for apple pie cookies
Firm, slightly tart apples work best. Granny Smith is the classic choice for its tartness and firm texture. Honeycrisp and Fuji are also excellent options that are slightly sweeter. Avoid softer apples like Red Delicious or McIntosh as they will turn mushy during cooking.
If you can't get enough of apple desserts, here are some other favorites worth trying. These apple bars are simple and satisfying, this apple crumb cake is perfect for a weekend bake, these apple cinnamon muffins are great for breakfast, and this apple tart is elegant enough for any occasion.
Ingredients You Will Need
For the Apple Filling
Apples: Use a firm variety like Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or Fuji. You want apples that will soften slightly when cooked but still hold their shape and have some texture rather than turning to mush. Dice them into small, even pieces so they cook evenly and fit neatly into the cookie cups. The same apple filling works wonderfully in these apple cinnamon rolls if you want to put any leftover filling to good use.
Unsalted butter: Cooks together with the sugar and apples to create a rich, caramelized sauce that coats every piece of apple beautifully.
Light brown sugar: Sweetens the filling and adds a warm, molasses-like depth that is much more interesting than plain white sugar in an apple filling.
Vanilla extract: Rounds out the flavor and adds warmth that ties all the filling ingredients together.
Ground cinnamon: The classic spice for apple pie. Two teaspoons gives a bold, warming flavor throughout the filling.
Salt: Just a pinch to balance the sweetness and enhance all the other flavors.
Cornstarch and cold water: Mixed together into a slurry and stirred into the cooked apples to thicken the filling. This is what stops the filling from being watery and keeps it perfectly saucy and thick inside the cookie shell.
For the Cookies
Flour: Use all-purpose flour to make these fall-inspired cookies.
Almond flour: This is what makes these apple pie cookies special. Almond flour adds a subtle nuttiness and a slightly tender, melt-in-your-mouth quality to the shell that you just don't get from all-purpose flour alone. If you enjoy baking with almond flour, you'll also love this almond flour cake which uses it as the main flour for a wonderfully tender crumb.
Powdered sugar: Sweetens the dough and gives it a fine, smooth texture. Do not substitute with granulated sugar as it will change the texture of the cookies.
Unsalted butter: At room temperature so it beats smoothly. The butter is what makes the shell rich and gives it that classic shortbread snap. If you love buttery cookies, these butter cookies are equally addictive.
Vanilla extract: Adds a warm, sweet flavor to the dough that complements the apple filling beautifully.
Half an egg: Half an egg might sound unusual, but it is just enough to bind the dough together without making it too soft or cakey. Beat a whole egg lightly and use half.
Cooking Tips
Use firm apples. Soft apples like Red Delicious will turn to mush during cooking. You want apples that soften slightly but still have some bite when they come out of the oven.
Don't skip the cornstarch slurry. The slurry is what thickens the apple filling and stops it from being watery inside the cookie. A watery filling will make the cookie shell soggy, so make sure the filling has thickened properly before removing it from the heat.
Cool the filling before using it. Let it cool completely before adding it to the cookie shells.
Roll the dough evenly. An even thickness of about ⅙ inch (4mm) ensures the cookies bake evenly. Too thin, and the shell will be fragile and easily go soggy from the apple filling; too thick, and it won't cook through properly.
Line the muffin cups with parchment strips. This is a small step that makes a big difference when it comes to removing the cookies without breaking them. Cut strips of parchment paper that overhang the sides slightly so you can lift each cookie straight out after baking.
Don't overbake. The cookies are done when the edges just start to turn golden. They will continue to firm up as they cool, so pull them out before they look fully done or the edges will be too dark by the time they cool.
How to Make Apple Pie Cookies
Make the filling: Cook the apples with butter, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt over medium heat until softened but still firm. Add the cornstarch slurry and cook until thickened. Transfer to a heatproof bowl and cool completely.
Make the dough: Beat the butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla until creamy. Add half an egg and beat until incorporated. Mix in the flour, almond flour, and salt until just combined. Wrap and freeze for 10 minutes.
Shape the cookies: Roll the dough to ⅙ inch (4mm) thick and cut out 12 rounds using a 3-inch (7cm) cutter. Press each round into a lined muffin cup so it takes the shape of a bowl.
Fill and bake: Add approximately 2 to 3 teaspoon of apple filling to each cookie cup and spread evenly. Bake at 350F (180C) for about 14 minutes until the edges are golden.
Cool: Rest in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack to cool completely before serving.
Serving Suggestions
Apple pie cookies are wonderful on their own at room temperature, but they are truly exceptional served slightly warm. For a finishing touch, a light dusting of powdered sugar or a drizzle of homemade butterscotch sauce right before serving makes them look absolutely beautiful on a plate.
Flavor Variations
Spiced: Add ¼ teaspoon of nutmeg and a pinch of ground cloves to the apple filling alongside the cinnamon for a more complex, warming spice profile that really leans into the fall flavors.
Pear filling: Swap the apples for firm pears and add a teaspoon of fresh ginger to the filling. Pear and ginger is a wonderful combination and works just as beautifully in the shortbread shell.
Topped: Before baking, add a small square of extra dough on top of the filling, press the edges lightly to seal, and cut a small slit in the top. It gives you a mini pie look that is incredibly charming for a party or holiday table.
Storing Tips
Store apple pie cookies at room temperature for up to 5 days. The cookie shell will soften slightly over time as it absorbs moisture from the filling, so they are at their best on the day they are made or the day after. These cookies are not suitable for freezing once assembled, but the unbaked dough can be frozen for up to 2 months.
Recipe card
Apple Pie Cookies
Equipment
- Digital kitchen scale
- 2 Mixing bowls
- Hand mixer
- Skillet
- Rolling Pin
- Round cookie cutter
- Muffin pan
Ingredients
For the apple filling
- 3 apples peeled and diced
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 70 g light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon cold water
For the cookies
- 125 g all-purpose flour
- 50 g almond flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 60 g powdered sugar
- 100 g unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ large egg at room temperature
Instructions
For the apple filling
- In a skillet, combine all ingredients except the cornstarch and water. Cook over medium heat until the butter and sugar have melted. Cook for 3 minutes or until the apples have softened but are still firm in the center.
- Combine the cornstarch and water in a bowl to make a slurry. Add it to the apples and mix well. Cook for 30-60 seconds or until the apple filling has thickened.
- Place the apple filling into a heatproof bowl to cool.
For the cookies
- In a bowl, combine the flour, almond flour, and salt.
- In another bowl, add the powdered sugar, butter, and vanilla. Beat with a hand mixer just until well combined and creamy. Do not beat until fluffy.
- Add half of an egg and beat until fully incorporated.
- Add the dry ingredients and beat until just combined. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and freeze for 10 minutes, or until it is well chilled but still pliable.
- Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Prepare a 12-cup muffin pan. I like to line each cup with a strip of parchment paper so it's easier to remove the cookies after baking. If you have only a 6-cup muffin pan, bake the cookies in two batches.
- Roll out the dough on a floured surface or between two sheets of parchment paper until it is ⅙ inch (4mm) thick. Cut out 12 rounds using a 3-inch (7cm) round cookie cutter. Collect the dough scraps and reroll as needed, adding flour as needed.
- Line each muffin cup with a dough round. Press gently so the dough takes the shape of a bowl. Add the apple filling, approximately 2-3 teaspoon per cookie, and spread it evenly.
- Bake for about 14 minutes, or until the edges start to turn golden.
- Allow the cookies to rest in the muffin pan for 5 minutes. Then remove onto a cooling rack to cool completely before serving.
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