Apple Pie Cookies
These buttery and flaky caramel apple pie cookies are bursting with sweet apple pie flavor! Made with 8 ingredients, store-bought puff pastry, and homemade apple pie filling, they're perfect fall treats- no forks required!
Ingredients
- 2 cups peeled and cored red apples diced
- ½ cup peeled and cored green apples diced
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 ¾ teaspoon apple pie spice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 14 ounces all-butter puff pastry
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1 egg whisked
- ¼ cup caramel for drizzling on top
Instructions
- Before you start. Preheat the oven to 400F/200 C and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Make the apple pie filling. In a pot, cook the chopped apples, brown sugar, lemon juice, spices, salt, and vanilla over medium heat until the apples are tender and the sauce is thick like caramel and bubbly, about 20-25 minutes. Transfer to a bowl to cool and set aside.
- Cut out the cookies. Lay the defrosted puff pastry on a lightly floured cutting board. Use a 2 ¼-inch round cookie cutter to cut out 18-20 puff pastry rounds and transfer them to the prepared baking sheets. You can save the scraps to bake off later!
- Indent the centers for filling. Use a small 1 ½-inch round cutter to “score” the inside of each round. It should make an indent but not cut all the way through.
- Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and bake! Egg wash the tops then generously sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar. Bake until the pastry is puffed up and golden brown, about 10-13 minutes. Cool on a wire rack while you bake the second pan. You can bake off the puff pastry scraps! Brush them with egg wash, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, and bake until golden brown.
- Fill the center of the cookies. Once cool, use the back of a spoon to push down the center of the puff pastry. Then fill it with the apple pie filling.
- Drizzle with caramel. Garnish with a drizzle of caramel and enjoy!
- Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. After the first day, they will soften from the moisture in the filling. To crisp them up, place them on a lined baking sheet and reheat them in the oven at 400 F/200 C until crispy, about 5-8 minutes.
Video
Notes
Avoid excessive handling of the cut pastry rounds. Touching the sides can seal the edges and prevent them from puffing during baking. This won't affect the taste but may result in a less light and fluffy texture.
Cut the rounds as close together as possible; this will minimize waste as the scraps can't be rerolled.
Best apples to use: Gala, Envy, Granny Smith, or Honeycrisp are great options. You can also use a variety of a few!
Making ahead: While they are best made and enjoyed the day of, you can still prepare them ahead of time. Bake the puff pastry rounds and store them in an airtight container. The next day, reheat the pastry at 400 F/200 C for 5-8 minutes then add the filling. The filling can be made 3-4 days in advance and kept in the fridge until ready to use! You can make the entire assembled cookie one day in advance, but they will be softer even after crisping in the oven!