
Any respectable autumn baking recipe needs to have the three C’s. Cozy. Comforting. And of course, cinnamon! Would pumpkin-spice-anything even exist without the three C’s? I think not! These Apple Spice Cookies understood the assignment. The combination of cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla in this cookie dough will remind you of cinnamon rolls and apple pie.
The apples in this recipe are cooked briefly on the stovetop to bring out the flavor and create the perfect texture. Dropping raw apple chunks into cookie dough or cake batter is never a good idea. If you’ve ever baked an apple pie, you know that apples release liquid as they’re cooked and that liquid will end up in your baked cookies, creating soggy spots. So definitely don’t skip this step!
These gorgeous, golden brown cookies are perfectly delicious on their own, but extra credit goes to the Brown Butter Icing for taking them over the top!

Make sure to head over to TikTok to watch the video of these Apple Spice Cookies being created.
Servings |
cookies
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- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 cup diced apples I used one large Granny Smith apple
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- pinch salt
- 1-2 tablespoons milk
Ingredients
Cooked Apples
Brown Butter Icing
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- Melt butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add apples, sugar and cinnamon to skillet.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, until apples are tender, about 4-5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and let cool completely. Drain any excess liquid from cooled apples.
- In a small saucepan, cook butter over medium heat until golden brown and fragrant.
- Immediately transfer browned butter to a small bowl. Whisk in powdered sugar, vanilla extract, salt and 1 tablespoon milk. Add more milk if necessary to reach desired consistency.
- Drizzle icing over cooled cookies.
NOTE: If your cookies spread too much when baking, refrigerate dough for 15 minutes, then bake as directed.