Soft and chewy apple pie thumbprint cookies are a great treat to have around the house for the holidays. Although I will warn you, make a big batch because they won’t last long. And make sure you have some vanilla ice cream in the freezer for an especially fun and decadent treat.
This recipe is the best combination of Snickerdoodle cookies and apple pie filling. I left the cream of tartar out of the typical Snickerdoodle cookies recipe because I didn’t want to mix that tangy flavor of cream of tartar with all the flavors of apple pie and cinnamon sugar.
Rather than the thumbprint in the middle of the cookie, I used the backside of a small cookie scoop to form an indentation in the center of the cookie for the apple pie filling. The cookies are great on their own, but I couldn’t resist a small scoop of vanilla ice cream on top, sprinkled with a bit of cinnamon sugar.
What equipment will I need for soft and chewy apple pie thumbprint cookies?
For the apple pie cookies:
- Hand or stand mixer
- Large mixing bowl
- 2 baking sheets
- Parchment paper
- Cooling rack
For the homemade apple pie filling:
- Medium saucepan
- Apple peeler
- Knife
The ingredients
For the cookies:
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Unsalted butter (room temperature)
- Large eggs
- Cinnamon
- Pure vanilla extract
- Baking soda
For the apple pie filling
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 Chopped apples (Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Golden Delicious, Gala, or Fuji)
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
Instructions for making the apple pie filling
- Peel and core the apples and chop them into small pieces
- Add the apples, brown sugar, and cinnamon to the medium saucepan and bring to a boil
- Lower the heat and cook the apples until tender and stir regularly so that the sugar doesn’t burn
- Set aside and let the apple mixture cool (if the mixture seems too runny, you can add a teaspoon of cornstarch)
Soft and Chewy Apple Pie Thumbprint Cookies
Soft and chewy apple pie thumbprint cookies are a great treat to have around the house for the holidays. Although I will warn you, make a big batch because they won’t last long. And make sure you have some vanilla ice cream in the freezer for an especially fun and decadent treat.
- Prep Time: 30
- Cook Time: 30
- Total Time: 60 minutes
- Yield: 12 Large Cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Holiday
Ingredients
-
3 cups all-purpose flour
-
1 teaspoon baking soda
-
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
-
1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup butter at room temperature
-
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
-
1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk
-
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
-
Preheat the oven to 375º
-
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
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In a medium bowl, mix the flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt
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In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on high speed until fully blended and creamy, stopping to scrape down the sides regularly with a rubber spatula.
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Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and beat on medium-high until combined. Pause to scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula as needed.
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With the mixer set on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients until combined and the dough has formed.
- Refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes before making the balls.
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Make large balls of dough. Roll the ball in the sugar and cinnamon generously and place it on the cookie sheet, leaving plenty of room between the cookies.
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With the back rounded side of a medium-sized ice cream scoop, press down in the middle of each cookie dough ball to form a cup indentation.
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With a small spoon, scoop some of the apple mixture into each cup of the cookies. If the dough has warmed up too much, place in the refrigerator for a few minutes to make sure the cookies are firm and won’t spread out too much,
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Place the cookie sheets in the center of the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until done. Depending on the size of your cookies, you may need to bake them for a few more minutes. Carefully check the bottoms as they get to the end of baking to ensure they are not burning.
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When done, remove the baking sheets from the oven and carefully transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool.
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Top each cookie with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream, sprinkle some of the cinnamon sugar mixture on top of the ice cream, and serve.
I don’t see the butter in the list of ingredients or in the recipe?? Am I just missing it??
I was just thinking of making these and noticed the same thing! Butter in the pictures but not in the recipe or instructions.
Would love to make these but as others have stated there is no butter listed. Only showing in the ingredient picture. Please help. thank you
I am so sorry Darlene! I have gone back and double checked the recipe!