Ultimate Soft Caramel Apple Drop Cookies

I love making old fashioned cookies like these and taking them up a notch, don’t you?  These cookies have little bits of apple and hints of nutmeg, clove and cinnamon in the cookie dough and when baked, you get soft, mellow apple-icious cookies.  The ‘taking them up a notch’ is the delicious, buttery caramel frosting swirled on top!

For those who like salted caramel, give it a pinch of sea salt.  I tried it, it’s really good! 🙂

August is gone…makes me sad.  Thank goodness, I have these cookies to make it better, thank you!  I love summer, and fall is wonderful too, it’s just that next season that really bugs the crap out of me.

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3.8 from 5 votes

Ultimate Soft Caramel Apple Drop Cookies

These cookies have little bits of apple and hints of nutmeg and cinnamon in the cookie dough and when baked, you get soft, mellow apple-icious cookies. The 'taking them up a notch' is the delicious, buttery caramel frosting swirled on top! For those who like salted caramel, give it a pinch of sea salt.

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time10 mins

Total Time30 mins

Author: Kim Lange

Ingredients

Apple Drop Cookies

• 1/2 cup butter softened
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup apple juice or apple cider
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup finely chopped peeled apple

Caramel Frosting

• 6 Tbsp . butter
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tsp . vanilla
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• Pinch of salt

Instructions

Apple Drop Cookies

• In a large mixing bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds.
• Add granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg and cloves and beat until well combined.
• Beat in the egg and apple juice until well combined.
• Add flour and diced apples and beat until just combined not overmixing.
• Drop dough by a rounded teaspoon 2 inches apart onto prepared cookie sheet.
• Drop dough by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart onto lightly greased cookie sheets or by using parchment paper.
• Bake in a 375 degrees oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are light brown or until tops spring back when pressed.
• Cool on sheets for 1 minute, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Caramel Frosting

• In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, cream, brown sugar and salt, and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir in vanilla.
• Cook, stirring occasionally until mixture just begins to boil; remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
• Let cool, then stir in the powdered sugar to make a good frosting consistency.
• Spread the frosting over the cooled cookies.
• Sea Salt optional.
• If you like, sprinkle with freshly grated nutmeg.
• Store in an air-tight container in refrigerator.

Notes

These cookies were made with a large cookie scooper - 1/4 cup. Makes 18 cookies and bake 15 minutes.
You could add your favorite nuts or caramel bits in the cookie dough too.

(Besides this recipe) Do you have some delicious apples you want to use in other recipes?

I highly recommend this Easy Gooey Caramel Apple Monkey Pull Apart Bread!  Caramel Glazed Apple Crumble Coffee Cake is super yummy too!  And of course, I have to mention this Awesome Country Apple Fritter Bread.  It’s a definite winner.