Irresistible Salted Caramel Apple Pie Cookies: The Perfect Fall-Inspired Treat

If you love cozy fall flavors, warm spices, buttery cookies, and gooey apple desserts, these Irresistible Salted Caramel Apple Pie Cookies are about to become your new obsession. Imagine everything you adore about apple pie — tender cinnamon apples, caramel sauce, brown sugar sweetness, and warm buttery dough — transformed into a soft, chewy cookie that melts in your mouth.

These cookies are pure comfort: thick, golden, and chewy with a soft apple-caramel center that tastes like a miniature apple pie wrapped in a warm bakery cookie. They’re the perfect cross between a cinnamon apple crumble, caramel drizzle, and classic holiday cookie — all in one bite.

Whether you’re hosting Thanksgiving, planning a fall dessert board, making holiday cookie boxes, or simply craving something warm and sweet for a cozy night in, these cookies deliver big flavor with little effort.


Why These Cookies Are Truly Irresistible

🍎 1. A gooey apple pie center

The warm cinnamon apples create a pie-like filling inside every cookie.

🍪 2. Thick, soft, bakery-style cookie base

Made with brown sugar and butter for a chewy texture and caramel notes.

🍯 3. Salted caramel drizzle

Rich and buttery with the perfect salty-sweet balance.

🎃 4. Fall flavors in every bite

Cinnamon, nutmeg, and caramel give these cookies cozy seasonal warmth.

5. Easy to make

No chilling required — bake them the same day.


Ingredients

For the Cinnamon Apple Filling

  • Apples (Honeycrisp or Granny Smith)
  • Butter
  • Brown sugar
  • Cinnamon
  • Nutmeg
  • Cornstarch (optional, to thicken)

For the Cookie Dough

  • Butter
  • Brown sugar
  • White sugar
  • Egg
  • Vanilla extract
  • Flour
  • Baking soda
  • Salt
  • Cinnamon

For the Salted Caramel Drizzle

  • Caramel sauce
  • Flaky sea salt

How to Make Salted Caramel Apple Pie Cookies

1. Make the Apple Pie Filling

  1. Peel and dice apples into small pieces.
  2. Add apples, butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg to a pan.
  3. Cook 5–7 minutes until apples soften.
  4. Stir in cornstarch if mixture needs thickening.
  5. Cool completely before using.

2. Make the Cookie Dough

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
  2. Cream butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until fluffy.
  3. Add egg and vanilla.
  4. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
  5. Add dry ingredients to wet and mix until dough forms.
  6. Scoop dough balls, flatten slightly, and add 1 tsp apple filling.
  7. Seal dough around the filling and place on a baking sheet.
  8. Bake 10–12 minutes until edges are set but centers soft.
  9. Cool for 10 minutes to allow filling to set.

3. Add the Salted Caramel

  1. Warm caramel sauce until slightly runny.
  2. Drizzle generously over each cookie.
  3. Top with flaky sea salt for the perfect finish.

Irresistible Salted Caramel Apple Pie Cookies

Soft, chewy cookies filled with warm cinnamon apples and drizzled with salted caramel for a cozy fall-inspired treat.
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 37 minutes
Servings: 12 cookies
Course: Cookies, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 245

Ingredients
  

Apple Filling
  • 2 cups diced apples Honeycrisp or Granny Smith
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 0.25 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp nutmeg
Cookie Dough
  • 0.75 cup butter softened
  • 0.75 cup brown sugar
  • 0.25 cup white sugar
  • 1 egg large
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 cups flour
  • 0.5 tsp baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
Topping
  • 0.5 cup caramel sauce
  • flaky sea salt for garnish

Equipment

  • Mixing bowls
  • Baking sheet
  • Parchment paper
  • Skillet

Method
 

  1. Cook apples with butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg until soft, then cool.
  2. Cream butter and sugars, then add egg and vanilla.
  3. Whisk flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon, then add to wet ingredients.
  4. Flatten dough balls, add apple filling, and seal.
  5. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 10–12 minutes.
  6. Drizzle cookies with warm caramel and sprinkle with flaky salt.

Notes

Cool filling fully to prevent cookie spreading.

Tips for Perfect Apple Pie Cookies

✔ Use crisp apples

Honeycrisp or Granny Smith hold their texture best.

✔ Cook apples until soft, not mushy

This creates a gooey filling that doesn’t leak.

✔ Don’t skip the cooldown

Warm filling can make dough slippery.

✔ Bake until just golden

Soft cookies = perfect gooey centers.

✔ Add caramel after baking

Drizzling before baking burns.


Fun Variations

🍏 Apple Crumble Cookie Version

Add crumble topping on each cookie before baking.

🍪 Apple Snickerdoodle Cookies

Roll dough in cinnamon sugar before baking.

🍯 Salted Maple Apple Cookies

Use maple syrup instead of caramel for a fall twist.

🍫 Caramel Apple Chocolate Chip Cookies

Add chocolate chips to the dough.

🍁 Thanksgiving Mini Dessert Bites

Make tiny versions for dessert platters.


Storage & Freezing

Room Temperature:

Keep in airtight container 2–3 days.

Refrigerator:

Keeps up to 5 days.

Freezer:

Freeze baked cookies (without caramel) for 2 months.
Thaw and drizzle with caramel before serving.


Serving Suggestions

These cookies pair beautifully with:

  • Hot apple cider
  • Caramel lattes
  • Spiced chai
  • Vanilla ice cream
  • Whipped cream
  • Coffee or espresso

Perfect for cozy nights, fall gatherings, holiday parties, and school events.


Why This Recipe Works So Well

Instead of complicated pie dough, this recipe uses soft buttery cookie dough to hold a gooey spiced apple filling. The combination of warm apples and salted caramel creates a dessert that tastes like a festival treat, a bakery cookie, and a bite of apple pie all at once.

Every cookie is soft, comforting, warm, nostalgic—and absolutely irresistible.