Apple Pie Cookies with tender dough and a juicy apple filling. The taste and flavor of apple pie in cookie form, so convenient to take to work, pack in a lunchbox and enjoy with coffee or tea.
Apples are a very dependable fruit. Even though they are in season in the fall, you can buy them all year long. Whenever I feel like having a fruity dessert, apples are always my go-to treats - Apple Upside Down Cake, Apple Sharlotka, Apple Galette and these Apple Pie Cookies.
This recipe was handed down to my Mom by a friend and our family has been enjoying them for years. In the fall, when we would have an abundance of apples, we would make these cookies all the time. The dough is tender and flaky and the sweet, tart and gooey apple filling satisfies my sweet tooth and my love for simple treats that aren't too sweet or complicated.
One of the huge advantages of these cookies is that you can make the cookie dough and the apple filling ahead of time. It's a great option for the days when your craving for something sweet hits. The dough can be refrigerated for a few days or kept in the freezer for up to a month. You can also make the apple filling ahead of time. Then it's as simple as rolling out the dough, adding the filling, and baking.
How To Make the Dough For the Cookies
- Mix the cream cheese and butter in a large bowl using a hand mixer or a stand mixer with a paddle attachment until evenly combined. It is very important to use cream cheese and butter that have softened to room temperature.
- Add the egg yolk and water, setting aside the egg white to use later to brush the cookies before baking. Mix to combine, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Add the flour and mix until all the flour is incorporated.
- Chill the cookie dough, shaping it into a disc, and wrap well in parchment paper or aluminum foil. You can store it in the refrigerator up to 3 days or freeze up to 3 months.
Chilling the Cookie Dough - Is It Important?
Yes, the dough does have to be completely chilled and stiff. Don't even bother working with it if it isn't or you will get really frustrated, it will take you 10 times longer and the cookies will be a mess.
The good thing is that this dough is SUPER EASY to make and you can make it ahead of time. You can keep it in the refrigerator for a few days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
What Apples Can Be Used For the Filling?
You can use many kinds of apples. I prefer Granny Smith apples because they are tart and have the perfect texture. They won't turn to mush when you cook them.
How To Make the Apple Filling:
- Peel and chop the apples.
- Cook the apples with the sugar in a large rimmed skillet until the apples are soft and cooked though, about 10 minutes, in a covered skillet.
You don't need to add any butter or water. The apples will exude a lot of moisture as they cook and the sugar will melt, so the're no need to add anything to the apples.
3. Take the apple filling off the heat and add the lemon juice and the vanilla extract. You can also add some cinnamon, if you'd like.
4. Cool. Store the apple filling in the refrigerator, if you make it in advance, for up to 5 days.
Assembling and Baking the Cookies:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Roll out the chilled cookie dough, on a well floured counter and cut out circles. Roll out half of the dough at a time. You can use an inverted glass, a biscuit cutter to cut out the circles. I use a 3 inch biscuit cutter.
- Place a heaping teaspoon of the apple filling in the center of the circle. Fold the circle in half, pressing out any air around the filling. Use your fingers to press the ends together, then use a fork to seal the ends well.
- Transfer the cookies onto the prepared cookie sheet and brush the tops with the reserved egg white (whisk it up with a fork first). Sprinkle the top of the cookies with additional sugar, if you want.
If you made the dough ahead of time and didn't save the egg white, just use a whole egg, whisk it up with a fork. No big deal.
When rolling out the dough, take all the extra dough, scrunch it up and place in the refrigerator to chill while you are making the cookies. I usually place it in the freezer, so it chills faster. Just don't forget about it:). You can use every last scrap of dough for cookies, and that's a good thing.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 22-30 minutes, depending on how thin you rolled out the dough and how big you made your cookies. The cookies should be lightly golden. Repeat with the remaining cookie dough and the cookie scraps. You will have approximately 60 cookies.
Apple Pie Cookies
Apple Pie Cookies with tender dough and a juicy apple filling. The taste and flavor of apple pie in cookie form, so convenient to take to work and enjoy with coffee or tea.
- Prep Time: 3 hours
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 3 hours 30 mins
- Yield: 60 cookies 1x
- Category: Sweets
Ingredients
Cookie Dough:
- 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
- 12 Tablespoons (¾ cup) of butter, softened
- 1 egg yolk, reserve the egg white to brush on top of the cookies
- 2 Tablespoons water
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- sugar, to sprinkle on top of the cookies
Apple Filling:
- 6 large Granny Smith apples
- ½ - ¾ cup sugar
- juice from 1 lemon
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
Instructions
Cookie Dough
- Mix the cream cheese and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or use a large bowl and a hand mixer.
- Separate the egg and add the egg yolk along with the water to the batter. (Reserve the egg white to brush on top of the cookies before baking.)
- Add the flour and mix until all the flour is incorporated.
- Place the cookie dough on some parchment paper or aluminum foil and form it into the shape of a disc. Wrap it up in the parchment paper or foil and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours. You can keep it in the refrigerator for a few days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Apple Filling
- Meanwhile, make the apple filling. Peel and chop the apples. Add the apples and the sugar to a skillet. Bring to a boil on medium high heat.
- Reduce to a simmer, and cook, covered, for about 10 minutes, until the apples are soft.
- Take off the heat and add the lemon juice and vanilla. You can also add some cinnamon. Cool.
- Store the apple filling in the refrigerator. If you want to make a large batch to have on hand, sterilize the glass jar and lid, add the filling to the jar, seal with the lids and place the jar with the apple filling in a pot with boiling water, covering the jars by at least 1 inch. Cook for 10 minutes. Lift the jars out of the pot and cool.
Assembling and Baking the Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- When the cookie dough has chilled, roll out half of it on a well floured surface. Use a cookie or biscuit cutter or even an inverted cup/glass and press out as many circles as you can. My biscuit cutter was 3 inches, but you can make the circles even bigger, if you want.
- Take all the extra dough, scrunch it up and place in the refrigerator to chill while you are making the cookies. I usually place it in the freezer, so it chills faster. Just don't forget about it. You can use every last scrap of dough for cookies.
- Place about a heaping teaspoon or so of filling in the center of the circles. Fold the circle over the filling, pinch the seams closed with your fingers and then use a fork to make sure the cookies are sealed well. Make sure there are no air pockets in the cookies, or they might burst as they bake.
- Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheet.
- Use a fork to whisk up the egg white that you set aside earlier when making the dough. If you made the dough ahead of time and didn't save the egg white, just use a whole egg, whisk it up with a fork. Use a pastry brush to brush the egg white on top of the cookies. Sprinkle sugar on top of the cookies.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 22-30 minutes, depending on how thin you rolled out the dough and how big you made your cookies. The cookies should be lightly golden.
- Repeat with the remaining cookie dough and the cookie dough scraps.
Notes
- You can make the Cookie Dough in advance. Store in the refrigerator up to 3 days or freeze up to 3 months.
- You can also make the Apple Filling in advance. Store the Apple Filling in the refrigerator up to 5 days. If you sterilize the jars, it will be shelf stable for months.
This is an updated version of the Apple Pie Cookies recipe that was published originally on May 7, 2013. The recipe is the same; I added new photos and clarified the instructions.
is it possible to make these ahead and freeze before cooking them?
I make the dough and freeze it all the time. I haven't frozen baked cookies, but I think it will work well.
The crust recipe is the easiest and most forgiving pastry dough ever. You can reroll the scraps again and again without the dough getting tough. You can roll it paper thin without it tearing. I made a double recipe and used 6” circles with 1/4 cup apple filling in each one. The double recipe made 40 “hand pies”. I baked on the top shelf for the last 3 minutes for a golden brown color to develop. I used 4 lbs of Pink Lady apples and followed the
recipe exactly. Since the crust has no sugar, I will use the recipe for savory fillings, as well.
Thank you so much for taking the time to write, Peggy! I'm so happy that you enjoyed working with the dough - I love how forgiving and easy to use it is too:). Thank you for sharing your feedback.
thanks . i couldn wait and tried them last weekend. I had no apples so i cooked some quinces for filling. every body liked them. i also liked the dough. i liked it to be no sugar no salt, and patient enough to wait at refrigerator several days. i used the dough for three days in three projects. i made meat filled small cookie sized pies with it. then tried to make thin crackers with some Parmesan on. all was good. i think i will play with this dough some more. thank you.
That's wonderful, Sidika! Sounds like you made so many yummy things. I love how versatile the dough is too:). Thanks for taking the time to write.
sounds great i will surely try them. i just want to ask does your flour has already baking powder in? or we use no baking powder in this recipe at all.
Hi Sidika.
You need all purpose flour for this recipe. It does not have any other ingredients in it besides flour, no baking powder or baking soda.
Going to make these for a wedding. How did your store them? I don’t want to freeze them, they will be made the week of the wedding .
Thanks!
I store them at room temperature, Terri.
Hi Olga,
what can l use in dough instead of cream cheese?
Thank you gor amazing recipe!
Unfortunately, cream cheese is important in this recipe, it is the base of the dough. I don't recommend substituting it with anything else.
My husband really enjoyed this recipe. This cookie recipe reminds me of rogaliki. Thank you for posting.
Just stumbled on your blog today Olga, can’t stop browsing, your recipes look lovely — got to try them,. Thank you for sharing.
Welcome, Lydia! I'm so glad you stopped by. I hope you will find many recipes to enjoy.
Hi! I was making these for my speech class and I was wondering how many calories are in each cookie and how much it would cost to make
Hi -
I tried making these but my dough is very sticky. It's sticking to my well floured countertop and I can't lift it to fold over the filling. I followed your recipe exactly. I chilled the dough for over 2 hours in the fridge. These looked so delicious and I'm so disappointed that it didn't work. Any suggestions to fix it somehow?
Hi Natalie.
It's possible that you need to add more flour, since egg sizes, flour, etc. can differ. I've been making these cookies for years and I've never added more flour.
However, I would make sure to liberally flour your countertop and don't press down too hard on the dough when you're rolling it up, making sure to keep the countertop floured while you are rolling out the dough. You don't want to add too much flour, since the dough will turn out tougher than it should be.
Also, it's important to keep the dough chilled while you are rolling it out, so keep the rest of the dough in the refrigerator while you are rolling out the first part.
hi Olga, these look so good, & i am making the dough can it be in the frig over night? cause i didn't look that it has to be chilled for 2 hrs. & its getting late for us or it will rune it?
Yes, you can chill it overnight:).
thanks Olga. Ya i made it & it was very good we really enjoyed it. I was making a lot of adzhika so i used a lot of apples so, insted i used strawberry am & it was good. God bless u & give u strength thru ur pregnancy.
can i do it with cherries? do i have to cook them also or just use fresh cherries and a bit sugar to filling?
I've never made it with cherries, but I imagine it would work too, Nadia. I would cook the cherries first, since they will exude a lot of liquid while they are baking and the cookies will most likely burst.