Looking for a fresh new way to add a bit of apple flavor into your fall baking? These Apple Pie White Chocolate Chip cookies combine applesauce and apple pie spices into a delicious traditional treat you can enjoy all season long.
COOK + BAKE | Updated June 28, 2023
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As if right on cue, the approaching Labor Day weekend seems to be bringing with it cooler temperatures and feelings of fall. The mornings are crisp, visions of pumpkins are popping up on Instagram, and my mind is beginning to wander to adding autumn flavor into a few desserts and treats.
For the past few years, I've been joining in with Kristen from Ella Claire and other blogging friends in her Tastes of the Season tour where we share seasonal recipes for the fall and Christmas holiday. The first week has always been an apple inspired recipe and my mind instantly went to experimenting with the idea of Apple Chocolate Chip Cookies. I shared a delicious Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe one fall and have been thinking nonstop about how to make an apple version for months.
SOME MORE APPLE RECIPES YOU MIGHT ENJOY
Believe it or not, but there are very few recipes out there for this flavor of cookie and most involve actual apples in the ingredients, which in my mind turns it into more of a regular apple cookie than a traditional chocolate chip cookie. Not what I was looking for.
Although I've never been one to really experiment with creating my own recipes aside from a few substitutions or changing amounts of spice, I had my heart set on figuring out how to make an apple version of everyone's favorite cookie. I made batch after batch, adjusting amounts of ingredients and using different techniques, and I'm excited to say that I finally found the right combination and method to add an apple pie twist to chocolate chip cookies.
What was really fun about this whole process was, not only did I get the chance to see how different amounts of certain ingredients like sugar can change the outcome of a recipe, but I also got to observe how important details like oven temperature and baking equipment can be to how your cookies turn out.
What makes Apple Chocolate Chip Cookies different from other cookies?
- The recipe includes cornstarch in the ingredients which tends to give cookies a soft and chewy consistency and helps them maintain their thickness as they bake.
- Although you commonly see light brown sugar in recipes, this one uses dark brown giving it more of a caramelized, toffee like-flavor that complements the apple pie spice. It will also lend a darker color to your cookies.
How can you find success at making Apple Pie Chocolate Chip Cookies?
- Chilling the dough, both after it is mixed and after the balls are placed on the cookie sheet, helps them to maintain their shape.
- I like to use a 1 1/2 teaspoon cookie scoop to get even amounts of dough for each cookie. But rather than place the balls of dough directly onto the cookie sheet, they will spread best if then formed into tall cylinders of dough instead. The dough will be slightly sticky, so you may want to roll them in a little flour before forming them between your hands. And if the dough gets too sticky to work with, place it back into the refrigerator for a short period of time.
- The cookies should be placed in the lower third of the oven on a parchment lined baking sheet without sides. Using a silpat liner (which I normally do) results in flatter cookies as does using a cookie sheet with sides. The cookies are baked at a lower than normal temperature for a longer period of time, which also helps them to keep their shape.
APPLE PIE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
INGREDIENTS
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 Tablespoon apple pie spice
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 8 Tablespoons (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips
HOW TO MAKE APPLE PIE WHITE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
STEP 1: Combine the flour, salt, cornstarch, apple pie spice, baking powder, and baking soda in a medium bowl. Stir with a wire whisk and then set aside.
STEP 2: In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine room temperature butter and the white and dark brown sugars. Mix on medium speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes.
STEP 3: Add in the egg, vanilla, and applesauce to the sugar mixture and beat until combined. Pour in the flour mixture and mix just until combined. You may need to scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula to ensure that everything is mixed.
STEP 4: Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold in the chocolate chips. I like to reserve a 1/2 cup of chips to press into the tops of the cookies when they are removed from the oven, but that step is optional.
STEP 5: Place the dough in a glass bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 24 to 48 hours.
STEP 6: When you are ready to make your cookies, preheat the oven to 325 degrees with the rack in the lower third of the oven. Line a baking sheet that doesn't have sides with parchment paper.
STEP 7: Using a 1 1/2 teaspoon sized ice cream scoop, measure out equal sized balls of dough. Form each ball into a tall cylinder shape. The dough will be sticky so you may need to coat your hands or lightly roll the dough ball in flour to keep it from sticky to your hands. If the dough becomes too sticky to work with, place it back in the refrigerator for a short time.
STEP 8: After the balls of dough are formed and placed on the cookie sheet, place it back into the refrigerator for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile you can continue creating the balls of dough for baking.
STEP 9: Bake the cookies for approximately 13 to 14 minutes until they are browned on the bottom and look cooked from the top. You may want to rotate the pan halfway through cooking time to ensure they bake evenly.
STEP 10: Remove the pan from the oven and immediately press the extra chocolate chips into the top if desired. Allow them to rest for one minute on the pan before removing them with a metal spatula to a wire rack to cool completely.
These cookies will last for three days in an air-proof container or up to two months in the freezer.
*Side note: Apple pie spice contains nutmeg, so these are not peanut-allergy friendly cookies.
MORE DELICIOUS APPLE RECIPES YOU'LL WANT TO TRY
My friends below are also sharing their recipes inspired by apples . I'd love for you to take a moment and visit some of the links for more ideas!
Apple Cinnamon Streusel Muffins by Ella Claire & Co. | Puff Pastry Apple Strudel by Inspired by Charm | Apple Crumb Pie Bars by Tidy Mom | Stovetop Applesauce by Tidbits | Apple Cheesecake Tart by Rooms for Rent
Gluten/Dairy Free Apple Crisp by Zevy Joy | Apple Pie Chocolate Chip Cookies by Anderson + Grant | Easy Apple Dumpling Dessert by Happy Happy Nester | Gluten Free Apple Fritters by Home Made Lovely | Sheet Pan Apple Crumble by My Sweet Savannah
Salted Caramel Apple Tart by Shabby Fu Fu | Cinnamon Apple Bread by Julie Blanner | Apple & Blackberry Topped Waffles by French Country Cottage | Sugar Free Apple Butter by Farmhouse on Boone | Puff Pastry Apple Pie by Jenna Kate at Home
Apple Walnut Bread by On Sutton Place | Apple Cake with Homemade Caramel Sauce by Town and Country Living | Mini Apple Pies by My 100 Year Old Home | Apple Scones by Boxwood Avenue
