These apple butter snickerdoodles are my latest fall baking obsession… and honestly, maybe my best. Soft, chewy, coated in cinnamon sugar, and swirled with spiced apple butter, they disappeared in minutes at my friend’s book club!
I’ve always been the dessert person, but lately it’s starting to feel a little more specific. After last year’s apple cider donut cake vanished in ten minutes and someone said my caramel apple pie cookies were more fun to eat than actual pie… well, I guess I’m the apple dessert person now!
If apples for breakfast is next on your list, head straight to my apple pie cinnamon rolls. They’re soft, gooey, and filled with fresh apples and apple butter!
Recipe Instructions
1
Cream the butter and sugars. Cream the butter, cream cheese, sugars, and molasses with a stand mixer on low speed until light and fluffy.
2
Mix in the eggs. Mix in the egg, extra egg yolk, and vanilla paste or extract. Make sure to scrape down the bowl!
3
Mix in the dry ingredients. Add the flour, baking powder, cream of tartar, and salt to the bowl. Mix on low speed until just combined. Scrape down the bottom of the bowl to ensure everything is well combined.
4
Roll in cinnamon sugar. Use a cookie scoop to release the dough into the bowl of cinnamon sugar. Toss the dough ball in the sugar to coat it, then place it on the baking sheet.
5
Fill with apple butter. Use the back of a round tablespoon to indent the middle of each cookie, then fill the center with apple butter and sprinkle the tops with turbinado sugar.
For the best results, I recommend using Musselman’s apple butter, which is superior in quality and flavor!
6
Bake the cookies. Bake the apple cookies until the edges are set. Let the pan cool on a wire rack, then remove and enjoy!
Psst…. these aren’t my only fall-famous snickerdoodles. My viral pumpkin snickerdoodle cookies are soft, spiced, and hands-down my most baked cookie every season. They are a MUST bake!!
Since you’re in an apple-baking mood, don’t miss my family secret apple cake— it’s soft, spiced, and ridiculously nostalgic. This one’s been passed down, polished up, and devoured at every holiday gathering for 30+ years!
If you tried this or any other recipe on my website, please let me know how it went in the comments; I love hearing from you! Also, please leave a star rating while you’re there! You can also tag me on Instagram or Facebook so I can check it out!
Apple Butter Snickerdoodle Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, cool room temperature
- 3.5 ounces cold full-fat cream cheese
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
- 2 tablespoons unsulphured molasses
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, *see notes below for measuring*
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/3 cup cane granulated sugar, for rolling
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, for rolling
- 3/4 cup Musselman’s Apple Butter
- 4 tablespoons turbinado sugar
Instructions
- Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C.
- In a large bowl of a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, cream together the butter, cream cheese, sugar, brown sugar, and molasses for 3 minutes on low speed until light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl.7 tablespoons (100 g) unsalted butter, 3.5 ounces (100 g) cold full-fat cream cheese, 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar, 1/2 cup (100 g) brown sugar, 2 tablespoons (34 g) unsulphured molasses
- Mix in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla. Scrape down the bowl.1 (50 g) large egg, 1 (18 g) large egg yolk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Mix in the flour, baking powder, cream of tartar, and salt until just combined.2 cups (260 g) all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar, 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon. Scoop a 2 tablespoon-sized ball of the cookie dough into the bowl of cinnamon sugar, rolling it around until it’s completely covered. Then, place it on the baking sheet and use the back of a round tablespoon to indent the center. Fill the center with 1/2 tablespoon of apple butter, then sprinkle the center with turbinado sugar.1/3 cup (67 g) cane granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 3/4 cup Musselman’s Apple Butter, 4 tablespoons turbinado sugar
- Bake the cookies spaced 2-3 inches apart for 8-12 minutes or until the edges are set. Let the tray cool completely on a wire cooling rack, and then enjoy!
Video
Notes
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below & tag @cambreabakes on social!
My cookies puff up and spread more than your pictures. And they also are still gooey under the apple butter. I made sure to use cool butter and cream cheese. I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong. I’ve tried to remake them twice now.
Hi Sarah, sorry to hear that! It sounds like the butter may be a little too cold (it should be cool room temp, about 64–67°F, not straight from the fridge) or from not having quite enough flour if it wasn’t measured with a scale. Hopefully that helps for your next batch!
These are just wonderful. My daughter and I made a double batch and needed more. Everyone loved them. Thank you!!!
Aw that makes me so happy! They are so addicting 😍
Tasted like apple pie! So worth it!
These are so good! I subbed the molasses for dark brown sugar melted with some syrup and they turned out great! The snickerdoodle part alone is so good and the apple butter makes them a perfect fall dessert
YAY! So happy to hear that, thanks so much for coming back to leave a review!
Can I make the dough and roll them the day before? Then shape them, add the apple butter, and bake them the following day.
Yes! I would assemble them completely and then just bake them the next day 🙂