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Caramel Apple Cookies

Caramel apple cookies with soft, golden edges and pockets of chopped caramel baked with finely diced, fully-dried apple. Finished with a caramel drizzle and flaky sea salt for a sweet-and-salty cookie you can bake on repeat.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 37 minutes
Servings: 30 cookies
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 310
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dry ingredients
  • 2.25 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1.5 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp nutmeg
  • 0.25 tsp allspice
  • 0.5 tsp salt
Wet ingredients
  • 1 lb unsalted butter, softened
  • 0.75 cup granulated sugar
  • 0.75 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
Add-ins
  • 1 cup apples, peeled and very finely diced (patted completely dry)
  • 1 cup caramel bits or soft caramels, chopped
Finishing
  • Caramel sauce and flaky sea salt for finishing Use enough for a drizzle and a light sprinkle on warm cookies.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep and mix
  1. Preheat the oven to 375F and line baking sheets with parchment, then set them aside.
  2. Dice the apple very finely and blot completely dry with paper towels to prevent soggy cookies.
  3. Whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt in a bowl until evenly combined.
  4. Beat the butter and both sugars until fluffy, then mix in the eggs and vanilla extract.
  5. Fold the flour mixture into the wet ingredients just until no dry streaks remain.
  6. Fold in the dried apple and the chopped caramel bits until distributed throughout the dough.
Bake and finish
  1. Scoop the dough into 2-tablespoon rounds and place them on the lined baking sheets with spacing between cookies.
  2. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are golden and the centers look slightly set.
  3. Drizzle with caramel sauce and sprinkle with flaky sea salt while the cookies are warm.

Notes

Pro tip: blotting the diced apples completely dry is what keeps these cookies tender instead of wet. Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days; refrigerate up to 5 days if needed. Freeze baked cookies up to 2 months. For a lighter option, use reduced-sugar caramel bits and slightly reduce the brown sugar by 2 tbsp while keeping the dough structure intact.