Delicious Glazed Soft Apple Cookies: Your Ultimate Fall Baking Recipe
Searching for a delightful apple cookie recipe that captures the essence of autumn? Look no further! These glazed soft apple cookies are an absolute dream, featuring a perfect harmony of tender, sweet apple pieces and the satisfying crunch of toasted pecans, all brought together with a luscious vanilla glaze. They are truly irresistible and quickly become a family favorite, especially as the weather cools and apple season kicks into full gear.
If you’re as passionate about apple cookies as we are, be sure to also try our fantastic apple pie cookies and rich caramel apple cookies for more seasonal treats!
The arrival of apple season is a call to action for every home baker! I love to keep a generous supply of fresh apples on hand throughout autumn, enabling me to whip up a variety of tasty apple recipes that celebrate this wonderful fruit. From pies to tarts, and of course, these delectable cookies, apples are truly the star of fall baking.
And these old-fashioned apple cookies are a perfect example of how simple ingredients can create something truly magical. Their nostalgic flavor and comforting texture will transport you back to simpler times with every bite.
Why You’ll Love These Soft Apple Cookies
Your family is absolutely going to adore these soft apple cookies. Made with fresh, crisp apples, they boast a delightful apple-cinnamon flavor that is universally loved. The combination of moist, tender cookie dough studded with juicy apple bits and crunchy pecans creates a textural masterpiece that is hard to resist.
These cookies are incredibly versatile, making them a fantastic addition to any day. They are wonderful as a thoughtful snack tucked into kids’ lunchboxes, a comforting companion to your morning coffee, or a spectacular fall dessert to share with loved ones. Their warm, inviting aroma fills your home with the scent of autumn, making them perfect for cozy evenings or festive gatherings.
>> Related: Caramel Apple Cookies
Essential Ingredients for Soft Apple Cookies
One of the best things about this recipe is that it uses many common pantry staples. Before you begin your baking adventure, take a moment to gather all your ingredients to ensure a smooth and enjoyable process.
For the Cookies, You Will Need:
- Brown Sugar: Provides moisture and a deeper, caramel-like flavor, contributing to the cookies’ soft, chewy texture.
- All-Purpose Flour: The structural base of our cookies.
- Egg: Acts as a binder and adds richness.
- Unsalted Butter: Essential for flavor and a tender crumb. Ensure it’s at room temperature for optimal creaming.
- Baking Soda: Our leavening agent, helping the cookies rise and become soft.
- Apple Pie Spice: A fragrant blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice that perfectly complements the apples. For a twist, you can use pumpkin pie spice, or even make your own.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances all the other flavors.
- Buttermilk: Adds a subtle tang and incredible tenderness to the cookies.
- Toasted Pecans: Provide a wonderful nutty flavor and a delightful crunch. Walnuts are an excellent substitute if you prefer. Toasting them beforehand truly brings out their flavor!
- Fresh Apples: The star of the show! Choose tart varieties like Granny Smith, Braeburn, or Jonathan for the best flavor and texture contrast.
Vanilla Glaze Ingredients
To create the simple yet elegant vanilla glaze, you’ll need:
- Confectioners’ Sugar: The base for a smooth, pourable glaze.
- Milk: Used to achieve the desired consistency for your glaze.
- Vanilla Extract: Enhances the sweetness and adds aromatic depth.
- Melted Butter: Gives the glaze a rich, creamy mouthfeel.
A unique touch: For an adult twist, try substituting spiced rum for the milk in the glaze. This adds a wonderfully warm and complex flavor that pairs beautifully with the apple and cinnamon – yum!
Note on Glazing: While the glaze adds a lovely touch of sweetness and a beautiful finish, these cookies are incredibly tasty and sweet on their own. Lately, I’ve found myself making them without the glaze more often, especially when I intend them more as a “snack cookie” rather than a decadent dessert. The decision to glaze is entirely up to your preference!
How to Make Soft Apple Cookies: A Step-by-Step Guide
Let’s get baking! Follow these detailed instructions to create your batch of perfect soft apple cookies.
Step 1: Cream Wet Ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, using either a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer, beat the room-temperature butter and packed brown sugar together. Cream them until the mixture is light, fluffy, and well combined. This process incorporates air, which is crucial for a tender cookie texture.
Step 2: Add Liquid Components. Next, add the buttermilk and the large egg to the creamed mixture. Continue beating on medium speed until all ingredients are thoroughly combined and the batter is smooth. Remember to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula occasionally to ensure everything is evenly incorporated.
Step 3: Combine Dry Ingredients. In a separate, medium-sized bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, salt, apple pie spice, and baking soda. Sifting helps to remove any lumps and ensures the leavening agents are evenly distributed, contributing to a consistent cookie texture. Gradually add these dry ingredients to the butter mixture, stirring until they are *just* combined. Be very careful not to overmix the dough, as overmixing can develop the gluten in the flour, leading to tough cookies.
Step 4: Fold in Flavorful Add-ins. Gently fold in the chopped fresh apples and toasted pecans. Distribute them evenly throughout the dough using a spatula.
Step 5: Chill the Dough. Cover the cookie dough tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate it overnight. Chilling the dough is a crucial step that helps prevent the cookies from spreading too much in the oven, allows the flavors to meld beautifully, and results in a more chewy and flavorful cookie. If you’re pressed for time, you can place the dough in the freezer for 15-20 minutes as a quicker alternative.
Step 6: Prepare for Baking. Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line your baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. This is essential for preventing sticking and ensuring even baking, helping to achieve that perfect golden-brown bottom without greasing the sheets.
Step 7: Scoop and Bake. Using a cookie scoop or a rounded tablespoon, drop portions of the chilled dough onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving at least 1 inch of space between each cookie to allow for spreading. Bake for 11-14 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden brown and the centers are set.
Step 8: Cool the Cookies. Once baked, remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for about 3 minutes. This allows them to set slightly before you transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. You will want to wait until the cookies are just slightly warm before adding the glaze; this helps the glaze spread smoothly and adhere beautifully without melting entirely.
Step 9: Prepare the Glaze. It’s glaze time! In a small bowl, combine all your glaze ingredients: confectioners’ sugar, milk, vanilla extract, and melted butter. Whisk them together until completely smooth and free of lumps. Adjust the amount of milk gradually until you reach your desired icing consistency – a thinner glaze will drip more, while a thicker one will coat more opaque.
Step 10: Glaze and Enjoy! Finally, generously brush or drizzle the vanilla glaze on top of the slightly warm apple spice cookies. The residual warmth helps the glaze set beautifully. Allow the glaze to harden completely before serving or storing. Then, all that’s left to do is gather your family and friends, and enjoy these wonderfully comforting treats!
Storage Tips for Your Apple Cookies
To keep your soft apple cookies fresh and delicious, proper storage is key. First, ensure the cookies have completely cooled and the glaze has fully set before storing them. This prevents them from sticking together and helps maintain their texture.
Cover the cookies or place them in an airtight container. To prevent them from sticking or becoming soggy, arrange them in layers separated by pieces of waxed paper or parchment paper. For an extra tip to help keep the cookies incredibly soft and moist for longer, try adding a slice of fresh bread to the container. The cookies will absorb moisture from the bread, maintaining their perfect texture.
When stored correctly at room temperature, these delightful apple cookies will keep well for up to 5 days, ready for you to enjoy whenever a craving strikes!
Expert Tips for Baking the Best Soft Apple Cookies
These soft apple cookies owe their incredible tenderness to ingredients like fresh apple bits, brown sugar, and butter. While we aim for soft, pillowy cookies, we also want to avoid them spreading too much in the oven and becoming disappointingly flat. Below, I’m sharing some of my best tips to ensure your apple cookies turn out absolutely perfect, every single time:
- Use Room Temperature Butter: This is a non-negotiable step for optimal cookie texture. Room temperature butter creams beautifully with sugar, creating a light and airy base that traps air, resulting in a tender crumb. To achieve this, simply let your butter sit on the countertop for 30-60 minutes. Avoid microwaving it, as even slightly melted butter can change the dough’s consistency and lead to flat cookies.
- Don’t Overmix the Dough: Once you add the dry ingredients to the wet, mix only until they are *just* combined. Overmixing develops the gluten in the flour, which can lead to tough, chewy cookies instead of the soft ones we’re aiming for. A few streaks of flour are better than an overmixed dough.
- Chill Your Dough Thoroughly: Do not skip this critical step! Chilling the dough for several hours or overnight allows the butter to re-solidify, which prevents the cookies from spreading too rapidly in the oven. It also gives the flavors a chance to meld and deepen, resulting in a richer, more complex taste. To keep the dough cool as you work, it’s helpful to remove only a handful or so from the fridge at a time. If the dough becomes too soft or sticky while scooping, pop it back into the freezer for a few minutes.
- Always Use Parchment Paper or Silicone Mats: Avoid greasing your cookie sheets directly, as this can often contribute to cookies spreading excessively. Instead, line your baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. These provide a non-stick surface that promotes even baking and helps maintain the cookies’ shape.
- Use Cool Cookie Sheets: Baking multiple batches? Make sure your cookie sheets are completely cool before scooping new dough onto them. Placing dough on a warm sheet will cause the butter to melt prematurely, leading to excessive spreading and thin cookies. If you only have one or two sheets, rotate them and allow them to cool down between batches, or run them under cold water and dry thoroughly.
I hope these detailed tips help you bake the most amazing soft apple cookies, and that you and your family love them as much as we do!
Recipe FAQ
For this apple cookie recipe, tart apples are your absolute best choice. Varieties like Granny Smith, Braeburn, or Jonathan hold their shape well during baking and offer delightful bursts of crisp, tangy flavor. This tartness perfectly complements the sweet cookie dough and vanilla glaze, creating a balanced and exciting taste experience. So, definitely reach for those firmer, more acidic apples!
No apple pie spice on hand? No worries at all! You can easily substitute it with an equal amount of pumpkin pie spice, which has a very similar flavor profile. Alternatively, you can make your own apple pie spice blend with a simple combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and a pinch of ginger or cardamom.
More Incredible Fall Desserts:
- Maple Walnut Coffee Cake
- Apple Danishes
- Apple Dump Cake with Apple Pie Filling
- Baked Pumpkin Doughnuts
- Apple Pie Cupcakes
- Crockpot Fried Apples
- Pecan Pie Cheesecake
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Soft Apple Cookies
Author: Jaclyn
Equipment
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3-Tier Cooling Rack
Ingredients
For the cookies:
- ½ cup butter room temperature
- 1 ½ cups brown sugar packed
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup buttermilk
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons apple pie spice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups peeled and chopped tart apple like Granny Smith
- 1 cup chopped toasted pecans
For the glaze (optional):
- 2 Tablespoons melted butter
- 1 Tablespoon milk more if desired for a thinner glaze
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
Instructions
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Using a stand mixer or handheld mixer, beat butter and sugar together in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add in egg and buttermilk and mix until well combined, scraping down the side of the bowl as needed.
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In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, spice, and salt. Add to the wet ingredients (butter mixture) and stir together until just combined. Do not overmix.
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Fold in the chopped apples and pecans.
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Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Or chill in the freezer for 15-20 minutes if you are in a hurry.
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Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
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Using a cookie scoop or rounded tablespoon, drop dough at least 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheets.
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Bake 11-14 minutes, or until light brown. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 3-5 minutes before moving onto cooling racks.
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Whisk together the glaze ingredients, adjusting the consistency to preference. Wait until the cookies are just slightly warm to brush on the glaze.
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Allow the glaze to harden then enjoy!
Notes
Pecans can be substituted with chopped walnuts.
I recommend removing just a handful or so of dough from the fridge to work with at a time to help prevent the dough from getting too warm.
Storage: Wait until the cookies cool and the glaze sets before storing. Cover cookies or place in an airtight container in between pieces of waxed paper to help prevent sticking. Pro tip: add a piece of bread to the container to help keep the cookies from being too soft and moist. When stored at room temperature, these cookies keep well for up to 5 days.
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*Recipe was updated September 18, 2021 to include chilling the dough as well as updated recipe notes, tips, and FAQ.
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