Apple Pie Cookies

From the kitchen of Carly

Buttery shortbread cookies filled with spiced apples, crisp and tender like little hand pies. These capture everything you love about apple pie without the fuss, delivering caramelized fruit and warm cinnamon in every bite.

Apple Pie Cookies

Apple pie filling gets pressed into buttery cookie dough rounds and topped with delicate cutouts. The trick is keeping your butter and water ice-cold so the pastry shatters instead of spreads, then cooking the apples just until they soften but still hold a gentle crunch. A 10-minute simmer concentrates the filling without turning it into mush.

Prep
n/a
Cook
n/a
Total
n/a
Servings
4
Difficulty
medium

Ingredients

4 servings

  • 1/4 cupgranulated sugar
  • 1 tspkosher salt
  • 2 1/2 cupall-purpose flour, plus more for surface
  • 1 cupunsalted butter, cut into small pieces, frozen 15 minutes
  • 1 tbspchilled apple cider vinegar
  • 2 mediumHoneycrisp, Braeburn, and/or Golden Delicious apples
  • 1/4 cuplight brown sugar
  • 2 tspfresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 tspground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tspkosher salt
  • 2 tspall-purpose flour, plus more for surface
  • 1 largeegg
  • 1 tbspmilk
  • 1Demerara or raw sugar
  • 1A 3" round cookie or biscuit cutter; a small leaf-shaped or round cookie cutter

Instructions

  1. Combine the sugar, salt, and 2 1/2 cups of flour in a food processor with a few pulses. Drop in the butter and pulse again for about 10 seconds, until you see coarse, pea-sized crumbs. Switch the motor to continuous run and stream in the vinegar plus 1/4 cup of ice water, processing for around 30 seconds, just until the dough begins to clump. Pinch a bit between your fingertips as a test: if it crumbles apart, splash in more ice water 1 tablespoon at a time, up to a maximum of 2 tablespoons. Stop the moment it holds, don't run the machine longer than needed.

  2. Empty the dough onto a lightly floured counter and shape into a rough ball. Knead a few times just to bring it together, then split into 2 equal portions. Press each into a smooth-edged disc, taking care that no cracks form. Wrap each disc in plastic and refrigerate at least 1 hour, or as long as overnight if it suits your schedule.

  3. Peel and core the apples, then slice them into 1/4 inch thick pieces and chop the slices coarsely. Tip the chopped apples into a large pot along with the brown sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, salt, 2 teaspoons of flour, and 2 tablespoons of water; stir until combined. Set the pot over medium heat and cook, stirring every so often, splashing in extra water (1 tablespoon at a time) if the bottom starts browning. Continue until the apples soften but retain a slight bite, around 10 minutes total. Pull from the heat and cool to room temperature.

  4. Bring the oven to 375°F. Cover a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk the egg and milk together in a small bowl to make the egg wash.

  5. Take one disc of dough and roll it to a round about 13 inches across and 1/8 inch thick. With a 3 inch cutter, punch out 12 rounds and move them to the prepared sheet. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of the apple filling onto each round (resist the urge to pile it higher). Chill the sheet until needed.

  6. Take the second disc and roll it to the same 1/8 inch thickness and roughly 13 inch diameter. Punch out 12 more rounds using the 3 inch cutter. With a leaf-shaped cutter, cut a small hole through the center of each one.

  7. Paint the edges of each filled round with the egg wash. Lay the cut-out rounds on top to form sandwiches, pressing gently around the perimeter to seal each cookie completely. Give the center a light press to flatten the filling evenly.

  8. Brush the tops of the assembled sandwiches with more egg wash and sprinkle demerara sugar across each, if using.

  9. Bake the cookies for 30 to 35 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and the bottoms feel crisp. Cool on the sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.

  10. Storage note: these keep for 2 days ahead, loosely covered with foil at room temperature. Do not seal them in an airtight container or they'll soften.

Tips from the kitchen

  • Don't skip the 15-minute butter freeze before processing; it's what builds those tender, flaky layers. If your dough feels crumbly after mixing, add ice water a tablespoon at a time, no more than 2 Tbsp. total.
  • Keep your apples chunky by chopping thick slices coarsely instead of grating or mincing. They'll hold their shape during cooking and give you actual texture to bite into.
  • Chill both the filled cookies and your second sheet of dough cutouts for at least 15 minutes before baking so they don't puff and spread unevenly in the oven.

Variations

  • Swap the apple filling for spiced pears or a mix of peaches and blackberries, using the same cooking method and spice ratios to match.
  • Use a small leaf-shaped cutter for the top instead of a full round; it's easier to seal and looks more intentional on the finished cookie.
  • Add a pinch of nutmeg or allspice to the filling if you want deeper spice depth, or a touch of cardamom for something unexpected.
  • Brush the egg wash over the top layer only and sprinkle with demerara sugar before baking for visible crunch and shine.

Make ahead and storage

Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. Freezer-friendly for up to 3 months; thaw at room temperature before serving. Reheating in a 300°F oven for 5 minutes refreshes the pastry's crispness.