Apple cookies are a wonderful treat any time of the year. The buttery cookies have bits of soft apples all throughout and are absolutely perfect with a warm cup of coffee or cold glass of milk. I love packing them up for a lunch box treat.
Apple cookies are just the thing to make when you need a quick treat. On my parents property, they have numerous apple trees. As I was growing up, we would pick so many apples in the autumn and make all kinds of great things from apples - apple sauce, dried apple chips and Apple Sharlotka. To this day, I still love baking with apples. Whenever the kitchen starts to smell sweet from baked apples, it brings me back to those warm memories of picking apples with my siblings in the crisp and sunny autumn days.
These cookies have such an uncomplicated loveliness - simple and quick to make and taste just as straightforward but enticingly tasty. I found the recipe from a Russian recipe forum and have been making them for years. They aren't too sweet, have a wonderful buttery vanilla flavor and are medium soft. With a dusting of powdered sugar and soft bits of baked apples throughout the cookies, you will find yourself reaching for more than one handful.
Pack them up in your kids' lunchbox, enjoy them both at home and at work and since apples are available all year long, you can enjoy them during the cold and warm seasons.
Ingredients For Apple Cookies:
- eggs - large eggs, make sure they are room temperature
- granulated sugar
- vanilla extract
- butter - melted and slightly cooled
- all purpose flour
- baking powder
- salt
- apples - any type of apples will work in this recipe
- powdered sugar, to dust the cookies
How To Make Apple Cookies
- Mix the eggs and sugar. In a stand mix with a whisk attachment or using a large bowl and a hand mixer, mix until the eggs are pale yellow and fluffy and the sugar is completely dissolved, about 5 minutes.
- Add the vanilla and butter. The butter should not be too hot. Mix until combined.
- In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the batter and mix to combine. The batter will be really thick and stiff.
- Chop the apples into small pieces. (If you chop the apples too big, they will be harder to mix into the dough and won't bake through all the way in the cookies.) Using a large wooden spoon or a rubber spatula, mix the apples into the batter. They will be harder to mix at first, but as the apples get interspersed in the batter, the batter will get softer and you'll be able to mix it all in evenly.
- Drop the cookies by heaping Tablespoon amounts onto a parchment lined baking sheet. A cookie scoop is perfect for this. Flatten them out slightly on top.
- Bake the cookies for 12-14 minutes in the preheated (375 degrees Fahrenheit oven). They will still look really pale on top and will be golden on the bottom. Don't over bake the cookies.
Serving and Storing the Cookies
Dust the cookies with powdered sugar when they have cooled off. Store at room temperature for up to 5 days, although they will taste the best and have the best texture the first 1-2 days. You can leave them uncovered the first day and then store in a paper bag or wrapped in a clean kitchen towel or container.
Just like most cookies, you can also freeze them in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Want More Apple Desserts?
- The classic apple pie, with some tart cranberries - Apple Cranberry Pie
- A favorite in the Slavic country - Apple Sharlotka (Russian Apple Cake) (This is my personal favorite.)
- These cookies are dainty bite sized Apple Pies. Super addicting, you will love the juicy filled treats - Apple Pie Cookies
- Homemade Applesauce - super easy to make and such a wonderful treat.
- Yeast bread Russian rolls with an apple filling - Apple Bulochki
Apple Cookies
Simple apple cookies that are such a treat any time of the year. They are wonderful to enjoy with a cup of coffee or a cold glass of milk. Buttery, not too sweet and with bits of soft apple throughout the cookies, these cookies are great to enjoy at home or to pack in a lunchbox.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 40 mins
- Total Time: 55 mins
- Yield: 55 cookies 1x
- Category: Sweets
Ingredients
- 4 eggs, room temperature
- ¾ - 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 8 oz. (1 cup) butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 apples, peeled, cored and chopped (about 3 cups of finely chopped apples)
- Powdered sugar, to dust the cookies
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, mix the eggs and sugar until pale yellow and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
- Add the vanilla and butter. Mix to combine.
- Meanwhile, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl, then add to the dough just until incorporated. The batter will be stiff.
- Cut the apples into very small cubes right before adding to the dough to prevent browning as much as possible. Add the apples and mix with a wooden spoon or a rubber spatula to combine.
- Place heaping tablespoonfuls of cookie dough onto prepared baking sheets. (A cookie scoop is great to use for shaping the cookie batter and dropping onto the baking sheet.)
- Bake for 12-14 minutes, until just beginning to brown around the edges. They will still be pale on top.
- Dust with powdered sugar. Store at room temperature for about 5 days or freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
This is an updated version of the Apple Cookies recipe that was published originally on May 14, 2012. The recipe is the same; I updated the photos and clarified the instructions
So delicious , will be making them again and will add chopped nuts for a little crunch. Thanks for the post.
Apples would be a great addition, Irina:).
Thank you so much for this amazing recipe. My Girl Scouts have Russia for World Thinking Day and trying to come up with Russian food was not going so well, until I found your blog! The cookies are sure to be a hit. I did end up using a Granny Smith apple and they turned out great!
That's wonderful, Beth! What a great way to learn and to experience another culture. Food makes learning extra fun too.
I made these today and they are good! Very quick and easy to make. Mine weren't as pretty though. How did u make yours nice and round? Ps cook time on the printable part says 40 min
Hi Lena!
I'm so pleased to hear that you enjoyed the cookies.
To make them round, just roll the dough around in your hands to make a round shape before placing them on the baking sheet.
As for the cooking time, 40 minutes would be the total baking time, since you are baking multiple baking sheets of cookies, not just once, for 12-14 minutes. It would actually take slightly longer if you bake them for 14 minutes.
Olga, what kind of flour did you use? ....cause I used all purpose flour...and 4cups were kinda too much...so nxt time will just add less...or maybe eggs were smaller...don't know. But still cookies were tasty 🙂
I used regular all purpose flour, regular large eggs and it is the correct amount of flour. The cookie batter is supposed to be thick.
Hey do you thinks it's possible to cook all the batter in a cake pan instead of makin them into cookies?
I wouldn't recommend it, Lilia.
Hi Olga! I made these cookies yesterday, they are amazingly delicious!! my parents plant apple trees as well so we have apples in the house all year round 🙂 and this was a wonderful way that made even those who don't like apple, including my 2y.o. son, fall in love with them! can't wait to try other recipes from your blog! Thank you for sharing 🙂
That's wonderful, Bella!
These little cookies are great. i'm glad your family enjoyed them too.
Hey there, this is probably a silly question. But is it 1 3/4 cup of sugar or just 3/4 cup? I’m so excited to try these cookies! Thank you so much!
The amount of sugar depends on how sweet you like your cookies. I use 3/4 cup, but you can use more. I think 1 3/4 is way too sweet, but that's just my opinion.
Thanks for the ideas. I'll put some chocolate chips in. I know that they'll eat that. 🙂
Hi Olga! I wanted to try making these without the apples. Do you think the batter will still be ok without them? My kids don't like fruit in cookies. I've made them once before and they picked all the apples out and ate the cookie part.
Ha ha!
I've never made them without apples, but I'm pretty sure the cookies will be fine without them. You could try them with nuts, raisins or chocolate chips, etc.
I was wondering if you could share the recipe for Sharltka?? I am definitely going to try these cookies out!! especially in the fall and winter months:) I was looking through your recipes and more than half of them my mom makes exactly the same!!
Hi Diana,
I have a really great recipe for Sharlotka, at least in my opinion. We grew up with it; my Mom made it ALL the time in the fall. I'll share it really soon.
I'll be waiting:) Thank you for replying!!
I just made these and they came out delicious.. I love baking with apples as well and love that these are so easy to make and so moist..Thanks for sharing this!
I was making this and realized it called for baking powder, but the instructions said baking soda, which one did you use? Thanks
Hi Alla, sorry for the typo. It's baking powder. I just fixed it.
Thanks 🙂 They came out great!
Just made them and they are so delicious. Thank you
Thank you! These turned out wonderful! Everyone loved them! Definitely making them again and again!
I made these cookies yesterday for kids as an after school snack. They were so quick to make. Instead of chopping the apples I just shredded them on the shredder. Kids really loved them warm. Thank you for all your wonderful recipes!!!
Hi Olga, What kind of apples did you use? Sour, sweet, tart?
Sweet. Use just about any kind of apple in here, even tart, unless it's too sour.
Thank you so much! By the way, love your recipes so far ( I'm new to this blog). I appreciate the directions with pictures posted for every step because I am a novice when it comes to baking. You are very thorough. I made your "Spartak" cake last weekend along with the bees and it was gorgeous. Was gone in one day. This weekend I'm planning to make the lady fingers cake for our 4 yr anniversary. Looking forward to eating it! God Bless....
Omg I made them last night. And they're so delicious!! Even my husband who is such a picky eater loved it. I have tons of apples so I'm definitely gonna be making more.
Yay! I'm so happy to hear that you and your husband loved the apple cookies! 😊 It’s always a win when even picky eaters enjoy them. It sounds like you have plenty of apples to make a lot more batches — that’s awesome! Thanks for sharing your feedback, and happy baking!