A unique and tasty dessert; these are not your traditional apple pie cookies. These Award-Winning Toffee Apple Pie Cookies combine apple pie and toffee flavors with a fresh lemon glaze. They won the Grand Prize in the Home Baking Cookie Category at "Canada's Baking and Sweets Show 2015". They are like a toffee apple pie in cookie form. They pair perfectly with a cup of coffee or tea, or a glass of milk.
Fall is just such a cozy time of year, and apple is one of the most comforting of all the fall flavors. That was my inspiration for these Toffee Apple Cookies. If you are looking for fall baking ideas, look no further! They are the perfect way to enjoy those apples. These cookies embody the essence of autumn; they are crisp, but make you feel all warm inside. The lemon adds the perfect balance of tart to the sweetness of the apple pie, and the toffee, well, the toffee bits make them sing!
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These delicious cookies combine apple pie and toffee flavors with a fresh lemon glaze. But it's the whipped cream that's my secret weapon in this easy apple cookies recipe. I always use whipped cream in my apple pie, so I thought I'd give it a try in these easy apple pie cookies. Well, it really worked!
If you LOVE apple pie, then give my award-winning Deluxe Apple Pie a try! *You can also make it into mini apple pies.
🥘 Ingredient Notes
For this apple pie cookie recipe, you will need:
- Apple. While you can use any apple variety, firm and slightly tart apples (like Cosmic Crisp, Honeycrisp, or Granny Smith) hold their shape better and balance the sweetness of the toffee. Cosmic Crisp apples also take longer to brown.
- Applesauce. Make sure you use unsweetened applesauce
- Milk. I use 1% milk, but you could use 2% or whole milk.
- Cream cheese. I recommend using a good quality brand such as Philadelphia.
- Whipped cream. Make sure you are using it in the whipped cream form, not whipping cream (the liquid form). You can use a spray can of whipping cream.
- Toffee bits. I use Skor toffee bits.
- Powdered sugar. This is also known as "icing sugar" or "confectioners' sugar".
- Butter. I use unsalted butter.
*Please see recipe card for full list of ingredients and quantities
🔪Step-by-Step: How to Make Toffee Apple Cookies
PREP: Heat oven to 350° F/175 degrees C. Spray cookie sheets with nonstick spray or line them with parchment paper.
STEP 1-MAKE THE APPLE PIE MIX: Mix cinnamon, ¼ cup of the brown sugar, and white granulated sugar together. Set aside (IMAGE 1). Cook apples in butter in the microwave on high for 1 minute (IMAGE 2). Combine the apple mixture with the sugar and cinnamon sugar mixture until coated (IMAGE 3).
STEP 2 -MAKE THE DOUGH: In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside (IMAGE 4). With an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and remaining ½ cup brown sugar together until smooth, then add apple sauce, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, vanilla and whipped cream, and milk. Beat for 30 seconds longer. Add egg and mix until incorporated. (IMAGE 5). Gradually add half the flour mixture, then fold in chopped pecans, toffee bits, and apple/sugar mixture. Add the remaining flour mixture and stir until incorporated (IMAGE 6).
STEP 3- BAKE THE COOKIES: Drop cookie dough onto prepared cookie sheet with cookie scoop (about 1 tablespoon-sized) (IMAGE 7). Bake cookies in prepared oven for 18-22 minutes, or until bottoms are golden brown (these cookies will not brown on top like typical cookies) (IMAGE 8). *This will depend on how big you make the cookies. If you do a heaping tbsp. With the medium OXO cookie scoop, 21 minutes was perfect for me. But if you want smaller cookies, like in the photos, do a level tbsp, and bake 18 minutes. Cool on a pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack and let cool for another 5 minutes.
STEP 4 - GLAZE AND GARNISH THE COOKIES: Glaze: Mix powdered sugar and lemon juice together in a small bowl (IMAGE 9). Glaze should be thick, yet pourable. (Add more or less sugar or lemon juice to achieve the desired consistency.) Once cookies are cooled, drizzle glaze over cookies using the back of a spoon (or put glaze in a Ziploc bag and snip off a small corner, then drizzle).
It helps if you leave them close together (closer together than I show in this photo) on the wire rack, and put parchment paper underneath, then drizzle across in large batches (IMAGE 10). Garnish: Sprinkle lemon zest over cookies, dividing evenly between all cookies (IMAGE 11).
Expert Recipe Tips
- Dice apples small for even baking - Cut the apple pieces into small, uniform cubes so they soften quickly and blend well into the dough without creating wet pockets.
- Cook apples just until tender - Microwaving the apples for about a minute helps release their juices and prevents them from being too firm once baked into the cookies. Don't overcook, or they'll turn mushy.
- Use room-temperature cream cheese - Softened cream cheese incorporates smoothly into the batter and prevents lumps, giving you a silky cookie dough texture.
- Measure flour correctly - Spoon flour into the measuring cup and level it off with a knife instead of scooping directly from the bag. Too much flour will make the cookies dense and dry.
- Check doneness from the bottom - These cookies don't brown on top like typical cookies. Look for golden-brown bottoms to know they're ready.
- Cool completely before glazing - If the cookies are warm, the lemon glaze will melt and soak in. Cooling them fully ensures the glaze sets beautifully on top.
- Glaze in batches for less mess - Place cooled cookies close together on a rack with parchment underneath, then drizzle across several at once to save time and keep cleanup easy.
- Balance sweetness with tart apples - If using very sweet apples, the cookies can become overly sweet with the toffee. A tart variety like Granny Smith adds balance.
- Avoid overmixing - Once you add the flour, stir just until combined. Overmixing develops gluten, which can make the cookies tough instead of soft and tender.
- Freeze without glaze for best results - For make-ahead baking, freeze cookies unglazed. Add glaze and zest once thawed so they taste fresh and look bakery-perfect.
👪 Serving Size
This Apple Toffee Cookie recipe makes 36 servings. However, you can half, double or triple the recipe by clicking on the serving number and selecting the number of servings you'd like. The ingredient quantities will automatically adjust.
🌡️Storing
Storing: The best way to store these apple cookies is in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. They can be made in advance and frozen.
Freezing: You can add the glaze and lemon zest in advance (prior to freezing), but I don't recommend that. Instead, add the glaze once they are completely defrosted, just prior to serving.
❔ Recipe FAQs
Caramel and Toffee are very similar in taste, as is butterscotch, so I also consider these caramel apple pie cookies. Toffee is simply the hard candy version of butterscotch (butterscotch that's cooked longer). And the only difference between butterscotch and caramel is that butterscotch is made with brown sugar, and caramel is made with white sugar.
Yes, because they contain cream cheese, they should be stored in the refrigerator. This also helps keep them fresh and maintains the texture of the glaze.
You can prepare the dough a day in advance and refrigerate it (covered tightly). Just allow it to sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before scooping and baking.
Make sure the cookies are completely cooled before glazing. If they're even slightly warm, the glaze will melt and absorb rather than sit on top.
So, if you're looking for fall cookie recipes, apple desserts, or an award-winning cookie that tastes like caramel and captures the taste of fall in a delicious and unique way, give these Toffee Apple Pie Cookies a try. They're the perfect fall dessert!
Happy fall baking!
🍎More Apple Recipes!
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📋 Toffee Apple Pie Cookies Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
Cookies:
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¾ cup packed brown sugar
- ¼ cup white granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 medium apple, peeled, cored and cut into small pieces about 1 cup
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup applesauce unsweetened
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened (at room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice (from concentrate)
- ⅓ cup whipped cream not whipping cream, it has to be whipped- you can use the spray can of 'real whipped cream'
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1 egg
- ⅔ cup toffee bits *I use Skor
- ¾ cup finely chopped pecans
Fresh Lemon glaze:
- 2 cups powdered/icing sugar
- 4 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Garnish:
- 2 tablespoon fresh lemon zest
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350° F/175 degrees C. Spray cookie sheets with nonstick spray or line it with parchment paper.
- Mix cinnamon, ¼ cup of the brown sugar and white granulated sugar together. Set aside.
- Cook apples in butter in microwave on high for 1 minute. Combine apple mixture with sugar and cinnamon sugar mixture until coated.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- With electric mixer, beat cream cheese and remaining ½ cup brown sugar together until smooth, then add apple sauce, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, vanilla and whipped cream and milk. Beat for 30 seconds longer. Add egg and mix until incorporated.
- Gradually add half the flour mixture, then fold in chopped pecans, toffee bits and apple/sugar mixture. Add the remaining flour mixture and stir until incorporated.
- Drop cookie dough onto prepared cookie sheet with cookie scoop (about 1 tablespoon sized).
- Bake cookies in prepared oven for 18-22 minutes, or until bottoms are golden brown (these cookies will not brown on top like typical cookies). This will depend on how big you make the cookies. If you do a heaping tbsp. with the large OXO cookie scoop, 21 minutes was perfect for me. But if you want a smaller cookies, like in the photos, do a level tbsp, and bake 18 minutes
- Cool on pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire cooling rack and let cool for another 5 minutes.
Glaze:
- Mix powdered sugar and lemon juice together in a small bowl. Glaze should be thick, yet pourable. (Add more or less sugar or lemon juice to achieve desired consistency).
- Once cookies are cooled, drizzle glaze over cookies using the back of a spoon (or put glaze in a Ziploc bag and snip off a small corner then drizzle.)It helps if you leave them close together, on the wire rack, and put parchment paper underneath, then drizzle across in large batches.
Garnish:
- Sprinkle lemon zest over cookies, dividing evenly between all cookies.
Notes
- Dice apples small for even baking - Cut the apple pieces into small, uniform cubes so they soften quickly and blend well into the dough without creating wet pockets.
- Cook apples just until tender - Microwaving the apples for about a minute helps release their juices and prevents them from being too firm once baked into the cookies. Don't overcook, or they'll turn mushy.
- Use room-temperature cream cheese - Softened cream cheese incorporates smoothly into the batter and prevents lumps, giving you a silky cookie dough texture.
- Measure flour correctly - Spoon flour into the measuring cup and level it off with a knife instead of scooping directly from the bag. Too much flour will make the cookies dense and dry.
- Check doneness from the bottom - These cookies don't brown on top like typical cookies. Look for golden-brown bottoms to know they're ready.
- Cool completely before glazing - If the cookies are warm, the lemon glaze will melt and soak in. Cooling them fully ensures the glaze sets beautifully on top.
- Glaze in batches for less mess - Place cooled cookies close together on a rack with parchment underneath, then drizzle across several at once to save time and keep cleanup easy.
- Balance sweetness with tart apples - If using very sweet apples, the cookies can become overly sweet with the toffee. A tart variety like Granny Smith adds balance.
- Avoid overmixing - Once you add the flour, stir just until combined. Overmixing develops gluten, which can make the cookies tough instead of soft and tender.
- Freeze without glaze for best results - For make-ahead baking, freeze cookies unglazed. Add glaze and zest once thawed so they taste fresh and look bakery-perfect.
Terri Gilson
These Toffee Apple Pie Cookies are like autumn in a bite. The combo of apple pie flavors with toffee bits is so cozy and delicious. I love how the lemon glaze adds a fresh zing that balances out the sweetness. They're a fun twist on regular apple pie and perfect for fall baking!
Linda
Looks sooo delicious!
Food Meanderings
Thank you!
Sue Slaght
I can't get through this without drooling. Not great for my keyboard but very positive feedback for this delicious recipe!
Food Meanderings
Thank you, Sue! I appreciate the drool-worthy seal of approval 🙂
Eddie
I'm rating this recipe a 5 just by reading the recipe! One question I have: can I replace the whipped cream with light whipped cream cheese?
Terri Gilson
Hi Eddie,
Glad to hear it!
I think whipped cream cheese would be too heavy to replace the whipped cream. You can use a light spray whipped cream I steD, if they helps?
Enjoy!
Terri