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Apple Cider Doughnut Cookies, all the flavors we love most in apple cider, but in a yummy cookie instead! Homemade chocolate chip cookies made with browned butter, a mix of warming autumn spices, sweet brown sugar, apple butter, and oats. A classic cookie made better with the addition of apples, spices, and, of course, plenty of melty chocolate. These cookies are finished off with a light dusting of cinnamon-sugar for a sweet cinnamony bite. The perfect fall cookie.
If there’s one cookie you need to make this fall, I do think it’s these. They’re kind of like fall, baked up into a super sweet cookie. Such a delicious treat as the weather begins to cool off.
Ever since September first hit, I’ve wanted to make my favorite apple cider doughnuts. I’ve been craving those warm, sweet fall flavors for a while now. Since I’ve already shared my go-to baked apple cider doughnut recipe with you all, I wanted to share something new.
I was stumped for a while. Other than a muffin, which was just not exciting me, I was not sure what to create. But when I had the idea for a cookie, it sounded so fun, and, of course, really good.
I love to use apple butter in cookies, I swear it’s the secret to a great fall cookie.
To make these I used my homemade apple butter and added a mix of warm spices. Cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, and even some all-spice. These are the spices commonly found in chai and what I often use when making homemade cider.
Adding them to these cookies makes them perfectly spiced!
Here are the steps for the perfect fall cookie
Step 1: brown the butter
As with a lot of my cookie recipes, start with browning the butter. I like to use a medium skillet and brown both sticks of butter over medium heat. Then simply let the butter cook until it bubbles up and foams on top. This is when I turn the heat off and continue to allow the butter to cook in the pan.
Little brown bits will form on the bottom of the pan. Those are the nutty little bits that will make your recipes extra delicious. Especially with the oats. I found the pairing to be really special.
Step 2: mix in the wet ingredients
When the butter has browned, the rest goes pretty much as you would think. You can use a mixer, but a good old-fashioned spatula will do the trick too. Mix the butter with brown sugar, apple butter, maple syrup, eggs, and vanilla.
While I love using my recipe for apple butter, I understand that time does not always allow for that. So store-bought is great too!
Step 3: mix in the dry ingredients
Add flour, oats, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, all-spice, and a pinch of salt to the bowl with all of the wet ingredients.
Then mix, mix, mix, and fold in chocolate chips, chocolate chunks, or a combination! I like to use both!
Step 4: let the dough sit, then bake
Next, let the dough sit and hang out for 10 minutes. As dough sits, it will stiffen up and be easier to form into cookies.
Once the dough has chilled out, roll it into dough balls and bake away!
Step 5: cinnamon sugar
While the cookies bake, mix the sugar and cinnamon. Then when the cookies come out of the oven, you can sprinkle each with cinnamon-sugar to make these just like a cinnamon-sugar coated doughnut.
So heavenly. I’m telling you all, you will love every bite! So simple, and so delicious. It’s hard to beat a great fall flavored chocolate chip cookie – these are pretty special!
Looking for more sweet fall recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Vanilla Chai Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew
Chai Spiced Maple Sugar Cookies with Browned Butter Frosting
Healthier Homemade Nutter Butter Cookies
Baked Cinnamon Sugar Apple Cider Doughnut Holes
Baked Apple Cider Doughnuts with Cinnamon Maple Glaze
Lastly, if you make these Apple Cider Doughnut Cookies be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Apple Cider Doughnut Cookies
Servings: 24 cookies
Calories Per Serving: 224 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 sticks (1 cup) salted butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1/3 cup apple butter
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups old fashioned oats
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon all-spice
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups chocolate chunks or chips
Cinnamon Sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons salted butter, melted
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.2. Add the butter to a skillet set over medium heat. Cook until the butter begins to brown, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer to a heatproof bowl. Let cool 5 minutes or so.3. To the brown butter, mix in the brown sugar, maple syrup, apple butter, eggs, and vanilla, mixing until smooth. Add the flour, oats, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt. Gently fold in the chocolate. Let the dough sit and set up, about 10 minutes. 4. Roll the dough into rounded tablespoon-size balls and place 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Gently flatten the dough down. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove from the oven, rotate, and tap the baking sheet on the counter 1-2 times to flatten. Bake another 2-3 minutes or until the cookies are just beginning to set on the edges.5. Mix the cinnamon and sugar. Brush each cookie very lightly with melted butter, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet. They will continue to cook slightly as they sit on the baking sheet. Eat warm (highly recommended) or let cool and store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
I made these cookies over the weekend. Love to bake when it rains, had to try this recipe with all the great fall flavors. Interesting cookie dough…I used cinnamon chips instead of chocolate, and a cookie scoop to form the cookies. The oatmeal gives it that donut feeling. Great with a cup of tea! And by the way your apple butter is the best I have tasted!
Thank you so so much Debbie! xT
Delicious and will make again. Was worried about the chocolate and so substituted butterscotch chips. Only thing that is confusing is that 1T dough balls makes a little more than 4 dozen, not 2 so I was worried I had it wrong but the timing worked.
Thank you so so much for trying out the recipe! Have an amazing week! 🙂 xT
Love! Very close to a cider doughnut. I left out the chocolate chips and did not flatten the cookies so they maintained a softer, cake like “doughnut.” Just what I had been craving. I used store bought apple butter but will try your recipe in the future. Also, I let them cool on a cooling rack and didn’t coat in butter before sprinkling on the cinnamon sugar. They were just fine. Thank you!
Thank you so so much for trying out the recipe! Have an amazing week! 🙂 xT
LOVED these cookies! They are a perfect bite for Fall- mornings or afternoons. I substituted white chocolate chips for semisweet and they worked really well. Will definitely add to the Fall cookie rotation!
Hi there! Thank you so so much! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe! Have an amazing weekend 🙂 xT
These are really delicious! Such a treat on a chilly day!
Hi there! Thank you so so much! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe! Have an amazing weekend 🙂 xT
Made these cookies last weekend. Very tasty and soft. Consensus was to leave the chocolate chips out next time or maybe use caramel or butterscotch chips. We thought the chocolate did not go with the spice cookie. Would definitely make them again
Love to hear this! Thank you so so much! xT
So delicious! Everyone loved these
Love to hear this! Thank you so so much! xT
They didn’t really taste like a donut. It was more like a spiced oatmeal chocolate chip cookie.
Thanks for the feedback Brynne! xT
I was excited to make these cookies for my hubby because he’s a cider doughnut lover and he loved these cookies!
I myself didn’t have any issues with the recipe as some other reviewers mentioned but I did refrigerate the dough while the oven preheated and they rolled out perfectly.
I used all the spices mentioned and thought they were quite balanced but I have to say, to me, they tasted more like an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie but hey, great is great and I will definitely be making them again! Thanks for sharing!
Hey Susan! Thank you so much! So glad you enjoyed these cookies! xT