Apple Butter Cookies
These soft, chewy Apple Butter Cookies capture fall’s essence with warm spices and rich apple flavor. Their caramelized edges and tender centers make them irresistible for autumn gatherings, holiday cookie exchanges, or simple afternoon treats.
Ingredients
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves optional but recommended
- ¾ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup apple butter store-bought or homemade
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Optional: ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
- For rolling: ¼ cup sugar mixed with 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Whisk together the dry ingredients in a medium bowl – flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Set aside.
- Cream the butter and sugars together in a large bowl using an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Don’t rush this step – proper creaming creates the perfect cookie texture.
- Add the apple butter, egg, and vanilla to the butter mixture and beat until well combined. The mixture might look slightly curdled, but that’s completely normal.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed just until combined. Avoid overmixing, which can make your cookies tough.
- Fold in the chopped nuts if using, gently incorporating them with a spatula.
- Chill the dough for 30 minutes if it seems too soft. This helps prevent excessive spreading during baking.
- Scoop rounded tablespoons of dough and roll them into balls. Then roll each ball in the cinnamon-sugar mixture until coated.
- Place the dough balls on prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart as they will spread.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes until the edges are set but the centers still look slightly underdone. They’ll continue cooking from residual heat after removal.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- The quality of your apple butter significantly impacts the flavor – use a high-quality store brand or homemade version with pronounced apple and spice notes.
- For a more intense apple flavor, you can add ¼ cup of finely diced dried apples to the dough.
- These cookies freeze beautifully! Freeze baked cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 months, or freeze balls of dough for fresh-baked cookies anytime.
- For a more cake-like texture, add an additional egg to the batter.
- The cookies will be very soft when first removed from the oven but will firm up as they cool.