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Apple Cider Doughnut Cookies, all the flavors we love most in apple cider, but in a yummy cookie instead! Homemade chocolate chip cookies made with browned butter, a mix of warming autumn spices, sweet brown sugar, apple butter, and oats. A classic cookie made better with the addition of apples, spices, and, of course, plenty of melty chocolate. These cookies are finished off with a light dusting of cinnamon-sugar for a sweet cinnamony bite. The perfect fall cookie.
If there’s one cookie you need to make this fall, I do think it’s these. They’re kind of like fall, baked up into a super sweet cookie. Such a delicious treat as the weather begins to cool off.
Ever since September first hit, I’ve wanted to make my favorite apple cider doughnuts. I’ve been craving those warm, sweet fall flavors for a while now. Since I’ve already shared my go-to baked apple cider doughnut recipe with you all, I wanted to share something new.
I was stumped for a while. Other than a muffin, which was just not exciting me, I was not sure what to create. But when I had the idea for a cookie, it sounded so fun, and, of course, really good.
I love to use apple butter in cookies, I swear it’s the secret to a great fall cookie.
To make these I used my homemade apple butter and added a mix of warm spices. Cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, and even some all-spice. These are the spices commonly found in chai and what I often use when making homemade cider.
Adding them to these cookies makes them perfectly spiced!
Here are the steps for the perfect fall cookie
Step 1: brown the butter
As with a lot of my cookie recipes, start with browning the butter. I like to use a medium skillet and brown both sticks of butter over medium heat. Then simply let the butter cook until it bubbles up and foams on top. This is when I turn the heat off and continue to allow the butter to cook in the pan.
Little brown bits will form on the bottom of the pan. Those are the nutty little bits that will make your recipes extra delicious. Especially with the oats. I found the pairing to be really special.
Step 2: mix in the wet ingredients
When the butter has browned, the rest goes pretty much as you would think. You can use a mixer, but a good old-fashioned spatula will do the trick too. Mix the butter with brown sugar, apple butter, maple syrup, eggs, and vanilla.
While I love using my recipe for apple butter, I understand that time does not always allow for that. So store-bought is great too!
Step 3: mix in the dry ingredients
Add flour, oats, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, all-spice, and a pinch of salt to the bowl with all of the wet ingredients.
Then mix, mix, mix, and fold in chocolate chips, chocolate chunks, or a combination! I like to use both!
Step 4: let the dough sit, then bake
Next, let the dough sit and hang out for 10 minutes. As dough sits, it will stiffen up and be easier to form into cookies.
Once the dough has chilled out, roll it into dough balls and bake away!
Step 5: cinnamon sugar
While the cookies bake, mix the sugar and cinnamon. Then when the cookies come out of the oven, you can sprinkle each with cinnamon-sugar to make these just like a cinnamon-sugar coated doughnut.
So heavenly. I’m telling you all, you will love every bite! So simple, and so delicious. It’s hard to beat a great fall flavored chocolate chip cookie – these are pretty special!
Looking for more sweet fall recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Vanilla Chai Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew
Chai Spiced Maple Sugar Cookies with Browned Butter Frosting
Healthier Homemade Nutter Butter Cookies
Baked Cinnamon Sugar Apple Cider Doughnut Holes
Baked Apple Cider Doughnuts with Cinnamon Maple Glaze
Lastly, if you make these Apple Cider Doughnut Cookies be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Apple Cider Doughnut Cookies
Servings: 24 cookies
Calories Per Serving: 224 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 sticks (1 cup) salted butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1/3 cup apple butter
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups old fashioned oats
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon all-spice
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups chocolate chunks or chips
Cinnamon Sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons salted butter, melted
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.2. Add the butter to a skillet set over medium heat. Cook until the butter begins to brown, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer to a heatproof bowl. Let cool 5 minutes or so.3. To the brown butter, mix in the brown sugar, maple syrup, apple butter, eggs, and vanilla, mixing until smooth. Add the flour, oats, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt. Gently fold in the chocolate. Let the dough sit and set up, about 10 minutes. 4. Roll the dough into rounded tablespoon-size balls and place 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Gently flatten the dough down. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove from the oven, rotate, and tap the baking sheet on the counter 1-2 times to flatten. Bake another 2-3 minutes or until the cookies are just beginning to set on the edges.5. Mix the cinnamon and sugar. Brush each cookie very lightly with melted butter, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet. They will continue to cook slightly as they sit on the baking sheet. Eat warm (highly recommended) or let cool and store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Hi Tieghan,
I just made the dough for this and I can’t wait to bake my cookies! But, there were two strange things I noticed: 1, when I mixed together the brown butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, apple butter, and vanilla (no eggs!), I took a little taste-test, and I didn’t taste the apple at all, despite putting in at least the specified amount of apple butter. Since I made and froze these as a gift, I’m really worried that they won’t taste apple-y. And 2, when I was rolling the dough into balls, it felt really greasy, despite browned the specified amount of butter. It was so greasy that my hands were shining and reflecting light after rolling them! Is this normal?
Thank you so much!
Hi Sienna! The apple flavor should shine through a little bit more once they are baked! Second, that is absolutely normal! xT
Okay, great! Thanks so much for the reassurance!
These look amazing! However, is there anything I can swap the apple butter out for, while retaining apple flavor? Thanks!
Hi Sienna! I would use applesauce! xT
Thank you so much for answering! Yes, applesauce is more accessible to me, where I am. Thanks again!
These look delicious! Can I refrigerate the dough for a day before baking?
Hi Courtney! Yes you definitely can refrigerate before baking! 🙂 xT
Made these to bring to a few of the school districts I work with and they were such a hit. I had 3 people ask me for the recipe and one even said she wanted to add it to her Christmas cookies this year. I decided to do the same! I also split 1/2 chocolate chips 1/2 cinnamon chips.
Wow thank you so much! Love to hear this! xT
These were delicious, except there was too much chocolate! I would only put in 1 cup of choc. chips next time. Then that will make a 5 star recipe 🙂 The cinnamon/sugar mixture was also way too much for what you need. Definitely half that as well!
Hi Kristin,
Happy Sunday!!🍂 Thanks a bunch for making this recipe and your review, so glad it was enjoyed:) xx
Would it be okay to refrigerate the dough before baking .?
Easy and delicious
Thanks so much! xT
Made these for a work celebration and they were a HIT! Everyone absolutely loved them and I even had a couple people ask for the recipe! I did omit the chocolate chips and used cinnamon chips instead, per another reviewer’s recommendation. Will definitely be making again! SO GOOD!
Thanks for trying out the recipe Bria! xT
These are delicious! The perfect fall spice cookie. I did have to bake them about 3-4 minutes longer than the recipe called for.
Thank you so much for trying out the recipe! Have an awesome weekend! xT
Could I use pumpkin butter? (I have TJ’s)
Yes, that should work well! xT
These turned out great! I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I might even skip chocolate next time! I might also add more spices.
Thank you so much! Hope you have a great fall season! 🙂 xT
These are so good. I just made with white chocolate chips and I’m in love. I also had to use bread flour because I was out of AP and it only impacted my baking time. So a recipe that’s easy to adjust a bit. Definitely best warm out of the oven. Maybe with a drizzle of caramel
Hi there! Thanks so so much for trying out the recipe! Hope you enjoyed! 🙂 xT