Caramel Apple Pie Cookies with Fresh Apple Filling
Flaky miniature pie-crust cookies filled with fresh cinnamon apples and finished with a drizzle of salted caramel. Each cookie is individually filled and sealed to help prevent the apple filling from leaking while baking.
Ingredients
Fresh Apple Filling
- 2 cups peeled and finely diced Granny Smith apples
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ⅛ tsp ground nutmeg
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp water
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Apple Pie Cookies
- 1 package refrigerated pie crusts containing 2 crusts
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp water
- 1 tbsp coarse sugar or granulated sugar
- ¼ cup thick salted caramel sauce
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat.
- Add the diced apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and lemon juice. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apples begin to soften.
- Stir together the cornstarch and water in a small bowl. Pour the mixture into the skillet and continue cooking for 1 to 2 minutes, until the liquid thickens and coats the apples.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Transfer the apple filling to a bowl and allow it to cool completely. The filling should be thick and no longer warm before assembling the cookies.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Unroll the first pie crust onto a lightly floured surface. Use a 2¾- to 3-inch round cookie cutter to cut approximately 10 circles, gently rerolling the scraps once as needed. Arrange the circles on the prepared baking sheet.
- Unroll the second pie crust and cut it into ¼- to ½-inch-wide strips. Weave the strips together on a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper to create a lattice crust. Cut approximately 10 lattice circles using the same cookie cutter.
- Spoon about 1 level tbsp of cooled apple filling into the center of each bottom crust, leaving approximately ¼ inch of uncovered crust around the edge. Avoid overfilling the cookies.
- Place one lattice circle over each portion of filling. Press the edges together, then seal them firmly with the tines of a fork.
- Whisk the egg with 1 tsp water. Lightly brush the tops of the cookies with the egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
- Bake for 16 to 20 minutes, until the crust is crisp and golden brown. Begin checking the cookies at 16 minutes since baking time can vary by pie-crust brand and cookie size.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack.
- Once the cookies have cooled for at least 15 minutes, drizzle them with salted caramel sauce. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Dice the apples into pieces no larger than ¼ inch so they fit neatly inside the cookies.
- Granny Smith apples provide a tart flavor and hold their shape well, but Honeycrisp apples may also be used.
- The apple filling must cool before assembly. Warm filling can soften the pie crust and make the cookies harder to seal.
- Keep the caramel as a finishing drizzle rather than placing it inside the cookies. This reduces leaking and keeps the crust crisper.
- If the pie crust becomes soft while assembling the cookies, refrigerate the baking sheet for 10 minutes before baking.
- Store the cookies in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Reheat them briefly in a 325°F oven or toaster oven to restore some crispness.
Nutrition
Calories: 147 kcal | Carbohydrates: 22 g | Protein: 2 g | Fat: 6 g | Saturated Fat: 2 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3 g | Trans Fat: 0.05 g | Cholesterol: 19 mg | Sodium: 97 mg | Potassium: 62 mg | Fiber: 1 g | Sugar: 12 g | Vitamin A: 78 IU | Vitamin C: 1 mg | Calcium: 17 mg | Iron: 1 mg
Nutrition information has been calculated using an autogenerating online calculation and is intended for informational purposes. For accurate nutritional information, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used.
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