These melt in your mouth cookies have a tender cinnamon sugar cookie base filled with apple pie filling that is topped with a toasty oat crumble. They're like little bite-sized apple crumble cookies!
In the late Summer I made what I called peach cobbler cookies and I just couldn't get enough...This apple crumble cookie is a cozy Fall version of my new Summertime favorite.
For a quick and easy apple crumble recipe... try our apple and plum crumble. It's even better a la mode!
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Ingredients
Key Ingredients
- Apples - I like to use a baking apple with a firm texture and a tart taste. As pictured we used Honeycrisp apples but any combination of Honeycrisp, Cortland, Granny Smith or Braeburn apples will work great.
- Cornstarch - Cornstarch is a key ingredient for this recipe. It helps to keep the cookie dough super soft and tender and helps to create a thick and gooey apple filling.
- Oats - For the crumble topping, use old-fashioned rolled oats. You do not want to use instant or steel cut oats for this recipe.
How To Make Cinnamon Apple Crumble Cookies
This recipe is made from three components: 1.) a soft sour cream cookie dough rolled in cinnamon sugar, 2.) an apple pie filling, and 3.) a buttery oat crumble. Here's how it's done:
Cinnamon Sugar Cookie Dough
- Start by sifting the cookie doughs' dry ingredients (flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt) together. Set aside.
- Next, using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a mixing bowl and electric hand mixer), cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy - about 5 - 8 minutes. Scrape the bowl, as necessary.
Pro Tip: Creaming Butter & Sugar - The KEY to soft, cake-like texture is properly creaming the butter and sugar. Your end result should be pale, nearly white, light and fluffy.
- Add the vanilla extract and egg and mix until combined. Scrape the bowl, as necessary.
- Next add in the room-temperature sour cream. Mix to combine. The dough may have a slightly curdled appearance at this stage. That's okay.
- Add in the sifted dry ingredients. Pulse the mixer on the lowest speed until just combined and a soft dough has formed. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
Apple Pie Filling
- In the meantime, prepare the apple pie filling. (If you are using prepared apple pie filling, chop it up into small, pea-sized pieces.) Small dice the apples into tiny pieces. Add them to a pot with water, brown sugar, cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently for about 20 minutes, or until the apples are very soft and beginning to break down.
- In a small bowl, whisk together cold water and cornstarch to create a slurry. Stir the slurry into the apple pie filling. Cook, while stirring, until the apple filling comes to a simmer and becomes clear and thick. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice. Set aside to cool at room temperature.
Oat Crumble Topping
- In a small mixing bowl, combine all of the oat crumble ingredients (flour, rolled oats, brown sugar, salt and melted butter). Stir with a fork to combine into a crumbly dough. Transfer the mixture onto a small baking sheet, breaking the dough into finer crumbles. Refrigerate until fully chilled and ready to bake.
Baking & Assembling
- In a 375° Fahrenheit oven, bake the oat crumble for 10 - 15 minutes, stirring halfway through, until crispy and golden brown. If the pieces are very large, you can use a bench scraper to chop them up a bit, while still warm. Set the crumble aside to cool and lower the oven to 325° Fahrenheit.
- In the meantime, use a scoop or scale to portion the chilled cookie dough into 1 inch balls (30 grams) Roll each ball of dough in cinnamon sugar. (I like to roll the first dusting of sugar into the cookie, and then re-roll it in more cinnamon sugar, for good measure.) Space the cookies on a baking sheet.
- Bake the cookies for 13 - 15 minutes or until the dough is just set and springs back when lightly poked in the center.
- Work quickly (and carefully - the sheet tray is hot!) while the cookies are still warm and fresh from the oven. Use the back of a ½ Tablespoon measuring spoon to create indentations in the center of each cookie.
- Then, fill each indentation with a heaping ½ Tablespoon of apple pie filling. The warm cookie helps the filling melt into the center and stay put.
- Then, top each heap of apple filling with a spoonful of oat crumble topping. Gently press the crumble topping into the filling, to help it stick. (Of course, treat yourself to a cookie, fresh and warm from the tray!) Transfer the assembled cookies to a cooling rack and repeat the process with the remaining cookie dough and components. Enjoy!
Saving & Storing
One of the best parts of these cookies is that they stay soft and tender for days after baking! You can store these cookies in an airtight container on the countertop for 3 - 5 days. This year, I made a batch of apple crumble cookies on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving and the crowd raved about how soft and yummy they were on Thursday evening!
The cookie dough can be made ahead of time and frozen for 2 - 3 months. I haven't tried freezing the completed cookies (we never have leftovers!) but please let me know if you try it!
When I was making this recipe, I had a little leftover oat crumble. I ate mine over a big scoop of freshly spun vanilla bean ice cream!
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Recipe
Cinnamon Apple Crumble Cookies
These unique cookies have a tender, buttery dough filled with cinnamon apple compote and topped with a toasty oat crumble. They're delicious!
ADJUST SERVINGS
Special Equipment
- Stand Mixer with the Paddle Attachment (or electric mixer)
- Small Cookie Scoop (or kitchen scale)
- ½ Tablespoon Measuring Spoon
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- 2 ½ Cups all-purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon fine kosher salt*
- ½ Cup butter (1 stick) softened to room-temperature
- 1 Cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg room-tempearture
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- ½ Cup full-fat sour cream
Apple Pie Filling
- 3 medium apples tart baking apples such as Honeycrisp, Braeburn or Granny Smith; small diced
- ¾ Cup water
- ½ Cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch fine kosher salt*
- 1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch whisked to a slurry with a splash of cold water
- ½ Tablespoon lemon juice
Oat Crumble Topping
- ½ Cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ Cup Old-Fashioned (Rolled) Oats
- ¼ Cup brown sugar
- 1 pinch fine kosher salt*
- ¼ Cup butter (½ Stick) melted
Cinnamon Sugar
- ½ Cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Instructions
Cookie Dough
- In medium mixing bowl sift the cookie dough flour, corn starch, baking powder, baking soda and salt together. Set aside.2 ½ Cups all-purpose flour + 1 Tablespoon cornstarch + 1 teaspoon baking powder + ½ teaspoon fine kosher salt*
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a medium mixing bowl with an electric mixer), cream the butter and sugar together on medium speed until pale, light and fluffy, about 5 - 8 minutes.½ Cup butter (1 stick) + 1 Cup granulated sugar
- Add the egg and vanilla and mix, scraping the bowl as necessary, until combined.1 large egg + 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- Add the sour cream and mix, scraping the bowl as necessary, until combined.½ Cup full-fat sour cream
- Add the flour mixture and pulse on low speed until the flour is just absorbed. Use a rubber spatula to stir once or twice to ensure the dough is cohesive. Do not over mix. Chill the dough, covered in the refrigerator for 2 hours, or overnight. In the meantime, prepare the other components.
Apple Pie Filling
- In a medium pot combine diced apples, water, brown sugar, cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently until most of the water has evaporated and the apples are very tender, about 15 - 20 minutes.3 medium apples + ¾ Cup water + ½ Cup brown sugar + 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon + 1 pinch fine kosher salt*
- Stir in the cornstarch slurry (1 ½ teaspoons of corn starch whisked with a small splash of cold water) and bring to a simmer. Cook 1 - 2 minutes, until thickened. Stir in lemon juice and set aside to cool at room-temperature.1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch + ½ Tablespoon lemon juice
Oat Crumble Topping
- In a small mixing bowl combine all of the oat crumble topping ingredients. Stir with a fork until all ingredients are saturated with butter and a crumbly dough has formed.½ Cup all-purpose flour + ¼ Cup Old-Fashioned (Rolled) Oats + ¼ Cup brown sugar + 1 pinch fine kosher salt* + ¼ Cup butter (½ Stick)
- Transfer the crumble topping to the center of a parchment lined baking tray. Use a fork or your fingers to break the crumbles into small pieces. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to bake.
Baking & Assembling
- Arrange a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375° Fahrenheit (190° celsius).
- Once preheated, bake the chilled oat crumble topping for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and carefully stir the mixture, to prevent the edge pieces from burning. Return to the oven and continue baking for an additional 5 minutes or until lightly golden. Set aside.
- Lower the oven temperature to 325° Fahrenheit (165° celsius) to bake the cookies.
- Prepare the Cinnamon Sugar by combining granulated sugar and ground cinnamon in a small bowl.½ Cup granulated sugar + 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- Scoop cookie dough into 2 Tablespoon/1 inch balls (30 grams). Roll each ball of cookie dough in cinnamon sugar until completely coated. (I like to twice roll mine.)
- Arrange balls of cookie dough on baking sheets to allow space for spreading. Bake cookies for 13 - 15 minutes, rotating halfway through, or until the centers are barely set and bottoms are lightly golden.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and immediately begin assembling. Use the bottom of a round ½ Tablespoon measuring spoon to create indentations in the center of each freshly baked cookie.
- Fill the center of each cookie with a heaping ½ Tablespoon of apple pie filling. Top each apple filled cookie with a generous spoonful of oat crumble topping. Gently press the crumble topping into the gooey apple filling.
- Carefully transfer the cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely. For the best results, bake off remaining trays of cookies, one at a time. Share and enjoy!
* A Note About Salt
Unless otherwise noted, all recipes on The Sage Apron are developed using Diamond Crystal Kosher salt. It is a great all-purpose salt for cooking and baking. If using table salt, reduce quantities by about half.
Nutrition
Calories: 260kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 149mg | Potassium: 80mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 281IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 1mg
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