Apple Spice Cookies with Brown Butter Icing

Apple Spice Cookies with Brown Butter Icing

These Apple Spice Cookies were one of my most popular cookies last fall so I decided to bring them back a little early this year. The combination of cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla in this cookie dough will remind you of cinnamon rolls and apple pie and inspire you look forward to fall.

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 usually not a good idea. If you’ve ever baked an apple pie, you know that apples release liquid as they cook 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!

apple spice cookies with brown butter icing

Make sure to head over to Instagram to watch the video of these Apple Spice Cookies being created: Click here

Print Recipe
Apple Spice Cookies with Brown Butter Icing
Spice cookies with fresh apples and brown butter icing
Course Dessert
Servings
cookies
Ingredients
Cooked Apples
Brown Butter Icing
Course Dessert
Servings
cookies
Ingredients
Cooked Apples
Brown Butter Icing
Instructions
Cooked Apples
  1. Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add apples, sugar and cinnamon to the skillet.
  2. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples are tender, about 4-5 minutes.
  3. Remove from heat and let cool completely. Drain any excess liquid from the cooled apples.
Apple Spice Cookies
  1. Preheat the oven to 375ÂşF (190ÂşC). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy.
  4. Beat in the egg, egg yolk and vanilla extract, one at a time, until well combined
  5. Stir in the flour mixture, just until combined.
  6. Fold the the cooled apples into the cookie dough.
  7. Divide the dough into 12 equal golf ball size portions and place them 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
  8. Bake until golden brown, about 11-13 minutes. Let cool 1 minute on the baking sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Brown Butter Icing
  1. In a small saucepan, cook the butter over medium heat until golden brown and fragrant. When brown specks start to form in the bottom of the pan, remove from heat.
  2. Immediately transfer the browned butter to a small bowl. Whisk in the the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, salt and 1 tablespoon milk. Add more milk as needed to reach desired consistency.
  3. Drizzle the icing over the cooled cookies.
Recipe Notes

NOTE:  If your cookies spread too much when baking, refrigerate dough for 30 minutes, then bake as directed.

8 thoughts on “Apple Spice Cookies with Brown Butter Icing

  1. Emma Covell says:

    I think i did something wrong 🧍‍♀️ the puffed up and i expected them to deflate and they just didn’t 🧍‍♀️ i think i ended up putting too much baking soda in them ? idk 🙏 they slayed but mine were more muffin like than cookie

    • Mari Vasseur says:

      Hi Emma, it sounds like you may have added too much baking soda, too much flour or not enough butter. Weighing your ingredients is the most accurate way to get consistent results.

    • Mari Vasseur says:

      Hi Damaris! Yes you can freeze the unbaked dough. Freeze individual portions on a baking sheet. When they’re frozen place them in a freezer bag. Add a couple minutes onto the baking time.

  2. Jay says:

    How much do the cookie balls weigh right before baking? Like what is “golf ball size”? Lol I just want to know if the “12 cookies” means 12 small ones or 12 jumbo bakery cookies

    • Mari Vasseur says:

      Hi Jay! The cookie dough balls weigh approximately 48g each before baking. The diameter of the baked cookies is approximately 3 1/2 inches. “Golf ball size” is a visual comparison. It means the dough balls should be about the size of a golf ball.

    • Mari Vasseur says:

      Hi Jess, the cookies will stay fresh for a few days at room temperature, loosely covered. You can freeze the baked cookies without icing or freeze the unbaked dough balls. The baking time for the frozen dough balls will be slightly longer.

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