Apple Pie Cookies

on Nov 08, 2025

Stop buying Crumbl and make bakery style Apple Pie Cookies at home. These soft and chewy apple spiced cookies topped with apple pie filling and a delicious buttery crumb topping are so much better. Make them mini or jumbo sized.

Apple Pie cookies on a white marble board with bite from one cookie.

If you are a fan of Bakery Style Cookies, this Apple Pie Cookie recipe is for you! Even Crumbl cookie lovers will ditch the pink box and want to make these at home. They are BETTER than Crumbl or expensive corner gourmet bakery cookie shop.
If you are looking for apple cookies try our Caramel Apple Pie Cookies or Caramel Apple Cider Cookies too!

Close up of bitten apple cookie. Showing the apple pie filling and crumb topping.

Making homemade cookies has become my thing this past year. The cost for bakery cookies has skyrocketed. Plus, I can make better copycats as well as healthier cookie versions at home without all the added chemicals and preservatives that they use in commercially baked cookies. Have you seen the amount of harsh flavorings, colorings and corn syrup they pack into their cookies? WOWZA!

Hand holding and showing closeup of the bite taken from Apple cookie. Text on image "with crumb topping"

These apple cookies can be made in a Jumbo version like Crumbl or in a mini version like I have pictured. Both ways are equally delicious. I made these with about 1.5 oz of cookie dough. If you would like a bigger bakery style cookie, I make them with about 3.5-4 oz each.

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Stack of apple Pie Cookies on w awhite Marble board. Text on image 'with crumb topping"

Ok… on to the flavors found in these apple pie cookies. The base of the cookie includes warm and comforting fall spices. The apple pie filling made with fresh apples is packed into the thumbprint allowing you to enjoy its flavors in most every bite. And, the topping! Oh the buttery and over the top delicious crumb topping takes these cookies to another level.

Overhead view of apple cookies with filling and crumb closeup. Text on image "with crumb topping"

Ingredients for Apple Pie Cookies

The ingredient list for these Apple Pie Cookies looks a bit daunting. Don’t walk or run away, ha ha. The cookies come together quickly, are easy to make and are worth a little bit of extra effort.

Flour – All purpose flour is perfectly fine here.
Baking Soda
Baking Powder
Salt
Apple Pie Spice – If you do not have any on hand try our homemade Apple Pie Spice recipe. You only need 3 ingredients to throw it together!
Butter – Let this soften at room temperature for best results. Soft but not too soft.
Sugar – You’ll need white granulated sugar and…
Brown Sugar – Just go with light brown sugar for this dessert recipe.
Egg
Vanilla Extract– adds an additional depth of flavor!
Apple Cider or Apple Juice– Gives the cookie base a punch of apple flavor. Either or these will be fine. If you do not have any on hand, the cookie is still delicious without the juice or cider.

For the Apple Pie Cookie Filling, we’re making something that looks a lot like our Homemade Apple Pie Filling. Here’s what you’ll need for that:

Apples – The best apples for apple pie filling are going to be firm apples that hold their shape really well. For this recipe, go with these green apples- Granny Smith apples.
Brown Sugar
Cinnamon
Cornstarch – for thickening the filling.
Warm Water

Finally, our crumbly streusel topping has it’s own short ingredients list- but it’s stuff we’ve listed already. Still, this is what you need:

Brown Sugar
White Sugar
Flour
Butter – The butter for streusel topping actually works better if it’s VERY cold or chilled butter. Just keep that in mind: have some butter softening at room temperature and some chilling in the fridge.

See recipe card for quantities.

How to make Apple Cookies

Making Apple Cookies like Crumbl is actually pretty easy to pull off. You just have to make cookie dough, cook apple pie filling, prep some streusel topping, and then top cookies with apple pie filling and streusel before baking. We’ve got plenty of pictures to help you through the Apple Pie Cookie Recipe making and baking process- here’s all you have to do:

Start by adding your dry ingredients to a mixing bowl– that’s your flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and apple pie spice. Whisk to combine and then set aside.

Cookie dry ingredients in a clear mixing bowl with a whisk.

To a separate large mixing bowl, add softened butter, white sugar, and brown sugar. Use a hand or stand mixer to beat together until creamy and fluffy.

Butter and sugars in a clear mixing bowl with a hand mixer.

Crack egg in then add vanilla extract and apple cider. Beat together to combine.

Egg, vanilla and apple cider added to sugar and egg mixture for cookies.

Now add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and beat together just until mixed. Do not overmix.

Continue beating together until just combined into a consistent cookie dough.

Combine apple pie cookie dough in a clear bowl with a red spatula.

Line baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat before rolling cookie dough into 1-inch balls. Leave space between cookies for when they flatten out during the baking process.

Six round apple pie cookie dough balls on a cookie sheet.

Use something small like a teaspoon to press an indentation into the top of each cookie dough ball. You could also use your thumb like you do when making a thumbprint cookie.

Measuring spoon pressing into cookie to make a "thumbprint"

Over at a cutting board, core, peel, and finely dice green apples.

Diced green apple on a cutting board with a knife.

Add apples to small skillet, pan, or pot along with brown sugar, cinnamon, cornstarch, and water. Cook over medium-low/medium heat until sugar dissolves and apples are tender– about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

Apple Pie filling ingredients in a pan with a red spatula.

While apple pie filling cools, combine brown sugar, white sugar, and flour in a mixing bowl. Briefly stir or whisk to combine before adding in pats of cold butter. Use a fork or pastry cutter to work streusel ingredients together until they form a crumbly topping.

Streusel Crumb topping ingredients in a clear mixing bowl with a pastry cutter.

Add about a teaspoon of apple pie filling to the indent on each ball of cookie dough.

Apple pie filling in tumbprint of cookie dough.

Sprinkle some of the streusel crumble topping over each cookie dough ball– about a teaspoon per cookie.

Crumb topping added to apple pie cookie dough.

Transfer tray of cookie dough balls to an awaiting 350 degree oven and let bake for 10-12 minutes. The cookie edges should be starting to lightly brown when you pull them.

Large cookie ring "ringing" freshly baked apple cookie.

While cookies are still hot, use something like a 5-inch ring to swirl around the cookie to help it maintain its round shape. Let cool before enjoying!

Storage / Freezing

Storage: If you have any of these cookies leftover- they’re tasty, so don’t be surprised if you eat them all because this recipe is that good- you have a couple options for storage. In any case, you’ll want to keep them in an airtight container or ziploc bag to keep them from getting stale. Expect them to last 3-4 days at room temperature or 5-7 days in the refrigerator.

Fresh homemade apple pie cookies with a bite taken out.

Freezing: For longer term storage, freezing apple cookies seems like the better option. Let cool completely and consider “flash freezing” on a parchment lined baking sheet before transferring to a freezer bag or container. Keep frozen for up to 3 months, let thaw in the fridge overnight, and warm in a low microwave for best results.

Tips for the BEST Apple Pie Cookies

Use room temperature butter and eggs when baking your cookies.
Do not overmix your cookie dough which causes a change in the texture and may cause you to have a flat crispy cookie.
Don’t skip the crumb topping. It makes these cookies better than apple pie.
Do not over bake. If you like a soft and chewy cookie like Crumbl, you need to under-bake and allow the cookie to continue baking on the cookie sheet after being removed from the oven.
If you would like a bigger bakery style cookie, use about 3.5-4 oz of cookie dough for each cookie.
If you chill the dough, baking time will take a bit longer.
For a perfectly round cookie, immediately move a cookie or biscuit ring around the cookie to make it PERFECT!