Soft + Chewy Apple Cider Sugar Cookies
Get ready to experience the softest, chewiest apple cider sugar cookies ever. Easy to make and irresistibly flavorful, these small batch cookies are perfect for sharing (or solo snacking).
What you’ll love about this cookie recipe:
- Autumn in a bite. Imagine your favorite apple cider doughnut transformed into a convenient cookie form.
- The perfect texture. Crisp edges with a soft and chewy middle — everything a sugar cookie should be.
- Speedy small batch recipe. The dough comes together quickly (no chilling required!) and the small batch recipe means you’re not stuck babysitting the oven making tray after tray of cookies.
Fall in Love with these Apple Cider sugar Cookies
Growing up in upstate New York, Fall always meant one thing: apples! Every year as soon as the air turns crisp, I start craving everything and anything made with apple.
I got the idea for these apple cider sugar cookies in my head a few weeks ago and I just couldn’t let it go.
I won’t lie; it was a tough job getting these cookies just right. I’m talking a dozen trials, with plenty of “whoops.” But hey, someone’s got to do it! Even my “not-so-perfect” batches had my taste testers begging for more.
When I tell you these cookies have it all, believe me, they’ve got it:
The crackly top.
The chewy center.
The touch of cinnamon that enhances the apple flavor without taking them into cinnamon cookie territory.
I’ve made them so many times that I don’t even need a recipe anymore, but that first bite still makes me want to cry because it’s so good.
My friend, these apple cider sugar cookies are a cookie to end all cookies.
Key Ingredients
For the most part, these cookies use pretty straightforward pantry items, but there is one specialty ingredient that you’ll need: boiled cider.
Boiled cider is made by simmering pure apple cider into a syrupy reduction. It concentrates the apple flavor and is great for baking becuase it doesn’t introduce too much liquid into your recipe.
Whether you buy a bottle or make your own, boiled cider is key to getting the right balance of apple flavor and that soft, chewy texture I was looking for. It’s pricy, but a little goes a long way so it lasts (in all of my trials of this recipe, I didn’t even use a full cup.)
Tips For Making Air Fryer Apple Cider Sugar Cookies
Start with melted butter. This is key to throughly hydrating the dry ingredients and get a super chewy cookie. As an added bonus, is means you don’t need to wait around for butter to soften!
Mix the sugar into the hot butter until it starts to melt (it should resemble very wet sand) then let it cool before adding the egg yolk.
Once the wet ingredients are all combined, stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. The dough will be very soft, but still scoopable. If the dough seems to wet to form into balls, let it sit for 5 minutes. If it’s still too wet, stir in 1 more tablespoon of flour.
Rolling the dough balls in cinnamon-sugar helps the dough dry out as it bakes, helping you get those beautifully craggy tops.
These cookies are delicious traight from the oven, or you can glaze them with a simple apple cider glaze for even more fall flavor.
Frequently asked questions
Give it a couple of extra minutes to firm up, but don’t chill it, or you’ll lose that tender texture. If the dough still seems too wet to handle, stir in one more tablespoon of flour.
The cookies are done when the edges are golden and the top is crinkly and set. It’ ok if they look slightly puffy and underdone; they’ll sink down as they cool.
For this recipe, fresh is best. Bake ’em and eat ’em!
They’ll stay soft and delicious for about a week if you keep them covered, but I guarantee you’ll eat them faster than that! I’m lucky if a batch makes it through the night.
This recipe can be doubled, but once you try to scale it up more than that the ratio of ingredients gets all wonky. If you want to make more than 12 cookies, I suggest just making a second batch. The dough comes together so quickly anyway, you can do it while the first trays are in the oven.
Yup! In fact that’s my preferred way since it preheats so quickly!
Other apple recipes you might like:
- Spiced Applesauce Bread with Candied Ginger
- Apple Butter Latte
- Turkey Apple Panini
- Instant Pot Applesauce
- Pork Loin with Apple Salsa
Soft + Chewy Apple Cider Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons boiled apple cider
- 1 large egg yolk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon fine salt
- 2 tablespoons cinnamon-sugar
For the glaze (optional)
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 1 – 1 ½ teaspoons boiled apple cider
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F and line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicon baking mat.
- Mix the melted butter, granulated sugar, egg yolk, boiled cider, and vanilla in a bowl.
- Stir in in flour, baking soda, and salt until combined into a very soft dough. Let the dough sit as the oven preheats; it will get firmer but stay soft.
- Roll dough into 6 balls. Roll each ball in cinnamon-sugar and arrange them on the baking sheet.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, until edges are golden and the tops are set.
- Let cool on the baking sheet.
- For the glaze, if desired, mix the powdered sugar and boiled cider. Drizzle over the cooled cookies.
