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Bursting with the sweetness of fresh apples and spiced up with a hint of cinnamon and nutmeg, these old fashioned Apple Cinnamon Cookies take you right back to grandma’s kitchen.

A horizontally aligned photo of apple cookies on a white circular plate over a wooden tabletop with a blue and white striped towel visible in the background.

Apple Cinnamon Cookies

I’ve tried a few apple cookie recipes in my day. But, I find that they tend to highlight the non-apple ingredients. Even my cream cheese frosted apple cookies are guilty of this!

Well, these apple spice cookies are about as easy as it gets – and they are all about the apples. Warm notes of cinnamon pair beautifully with the natural sweetness of this fruit, making apple the star of the show.

You can use whatever variety of apple you happen to have on hand in this recipe. That’s what I typically do. However, if you are making a trip to the store for these apple cookies and a prefer tart variety, I recommend Granny Smith apples.

They’ve been the quintessential baking apple in my house for as long as I can remember. For those who want slightly sweeter apples, the honeycrisp apple works well for baked goods, too.

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A close-up photo of apple cookies on a white circular plate over a wooden tabletop with a blue and white striped towel visible in the background.

Apple Cookies Recipe

You’ll need the following ingredients to make this recipe:

  • brown sugar
  • butter and egg
  • vanilla extract
  • flour, baking soda, and salt
  • cinnamon and nutmeg
  • apples
A metal mixing bowl filled with the ingredients for the apple cookies, with apple chunks piled high on top.

Apple Spice Cookies

Start by preheating the oven to 375°. Combine the brown sugar and the butter in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer for about 2 minutes, until well incorporated. Then, add the egg and vanilla and beat again until fluffy.

Add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Then, beat again, just until combined. Last, stir in the chopped apple pieces.

The dough for the cookies has been mixed in a large metal mixing bowl.

Scoop the dough by rounded tablespoons onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 8-11 minutes, until lightly browned and cooked through. (The cookies should not appear wet on top when finished).

Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for at least 5 minutes after removing them from the oven. Then, transfer the cookies to a wire cooling rack to finish cooling.

A vertically aligned photo of apple cookies on a white circular plate over a wooden tabletop with a blue and white striped towel visible in the background.

Looking for more recipes like these apple cinnamon cookies? A traditional oatmeal cookie made into a fall favorite, these Apple Oatmeal Cookies with a Cream Cheese Frosting are soft, chewy, and bursting with flavor.

Sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar, these Baked Apple Cider Donuts have all the flavor and texture you want, but are made in the oven instead of fried.

Have you tried a German Apple Pie? This is an apple pie like no other you’ve tasted. With little more than fresh apples, cream, sugar, and spices this pie is loaded with so much flavor you’ll hardly believe how easy it is to make.

Warm slices of baked apples covered with cinnamon brown sugar streusel topping are all that’s required to make this Old Fashioned Apple Crisp.

Cant get enough apples? This copycat of Pizza Hut’s Caramel Apple Dessert Pizza recipe is loaded with dreamy caramel and tart, chopped apples.

Made in a casserole dish with soft, cinnamon apples sandwiched between layers of tender crust, this Apple Dumpling Bake is perfect for those who love classic apple dumplings.

Looking for more cookie options? These soft and tender Lemon Blueberry Cookies filled with bursting blueberries and topped with a tangy sweet lemon glaze have been an enormous hit with everyone who tries them.

4 from 4 votes

Apple Cookies

Avatar photoMary Younkin
Bursting with the sweetness of fresh apples and spiced up with a hint of cinnamon and nutmeg, old fashioned Apple Cookies take you right back to grandma's kitchen.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 20
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Ingredients 

  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • ½ cup butter room temperature
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 large apple or 2 small apples peeled and chopped into very small ¼ inch or smaller pieces, about 1 cup

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 375°. Combine the brown sugar and the butter in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer for about 2 minutes, until well-incorporated. Add the egg and the vanilla and beat again until smooth and fluffy.
  • Add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Beat again, just to combine. Stir in the chopped apple.
  • Scoop the dough by rounded tablespoons onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 8-11 minutes, until lightly browned and cooked through. (The cookies should not appear wet on top when they are done.
  • Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for at least 5 minutes after removing them from the oven, before transferring the cookies to a wire cooling rack to finish cooling.

Nutrition

Calories: 124 kcal | Carbohydrates: 19 g | Protein: 1 g | Fat: 5 g | Saturated Fat: 3 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3 g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1 g | Trans Fat: 0.2 g | Cholesterol: 20 mg | Sodium: 128 mg | Potassium: 36 mg | Fiber: 0.4 g | Sugar: 11 g | Vitamin A: 157 IU | Vitamin C: 0.3 mg | Calcium: 14 mg | Iron: 1 mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

white lettering has been overlaid this image of apple cookies on a white circular plate over a wooden tabletop with a blue and white striped towel visible in the background. it reads, "Apple spice cookies"

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Recipe Rating




8 Comments

  1. Kathleen says:

    4 stars
    I just made these for the first time. They were properly browned and not wet on top but still a tad undone inside. I might have used too much apple as well but this is what I’m thinking. I did not leave them on the pan for 5 minutes which I think would have made the difference to cook a bit more without over browning. The flavor is delicious, and I would make this cookie again.

    1. Mary Younkin says:

      I’m glad you liked them, Kathleen! I agree that leaving them on the pan for the full 5 minutes would have likely allowed them to finish cooking fully.

  2. Christa says:

    3 stars
    Will re-rate after re-attempting. Ours taste yummy but came out floppy; somewhere between a cookie and a muffin top texture. I did chop the apple quite small so am hypothesizing maybe that caused them to overly wet the dough perhaps? Dunno but will definitely try again and report back, next time sticking as close to 1/4”cubes as possible. Thanks for posting the recipe 🙂

    1. Mary Younkin says:

      That is my guess as well, Christa. If there was too much apple throughout the dough it might have resulted in too wet a result.

  3. Paula Bernier says:

    4 stars
    It says the cooking time is 30 minutes but the directions say 8 – 10.

    1. Mary says:

      30 minutes total for preparation and baking time together.

      1. Lori says:

        5 stars
        Amazing recipe… so easy and the cookies are DELICIOUS

        1. Mary Younkin says:

          I’m so happy that you like the cookies!