These Chewy Salted Caramel Apple Spice Cookies are the ultimate fall treat, capturing the essence of a warm apple pie inside a buttery, spiced cookie. Unlike standard apple cookies that can turn cakey, this recipe uses a homemade apple caramel reduction to concentrate the fruit flavor while maintaining a chewy, dense texture.
Swirled with amber caramel and finished with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt, these cookies are sophisticated, comforting, and absolutely unforgettable.
Recipe Details
- Flavor Profile: A complex blend of caramelized sugar, tart apples, and warm spices like cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg, balanced by the savory crunch of flaky sea salt.
- Texture: These cookies feature crispy golden edges and a chewy interior, textured with sticky, concentrated bits of apple caramel throughout.
- Time: 45 minutes active prep (making the caramel), 13–16 minutes bake time.
- Difficulty: Advanced. The homemade apple caramel requires attention to detail, but the result is worth the effort.
What You’ll Need
To make this recipe, you will need a box grater or food processor to shred the apples and a clean kitchen towel to squeeze out the juice. A large saucepan is essential for boiling the caramel safely. You will also need a stand mixer with a paddle attachment for the dough and baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
Ingredient Notes
- Apples – You need about 1½ lb total. Peeling and coring them is essential. The variety matters less here than in a pie, but firm apples like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp work well.
- Cream of Tartar – Used in both the caramel and the dough. In the caramel, it prevents the sugar from crystallizing. In the dough, it adds tang and tenderness (like a Snickerdoodle).
- Spices – A blend of ground cinnamon, ground cardamom, and freshly grated nutmeg gives the caramel a deep, aromatic spice profile.
- Sugars – The caramel relies on granulated sugar, while the dough uses a mix of granulated and dark brown sugar for moisture and chew.
- Butter – Chilled unsalted butter is used. It is stirred into the hot caramel and beaten into the dough.
- Flaky Sea Salt – A finishing touch that makes the caramel flavor pop. Maldon is a great choice.
Add-ins and Substitutions
- Spices – If you do not have cardamom, you can increase the cinnamon slightly or use allspice, though cardamom offers a unique floral note.
- Apple Variety – While firm apples are standard, you can use whatever you have on hand since they are grated and cooked down completely.
How to Make Chewy Salted Caramel Apple Spice Cookies
- Prep the Apples: Grate the peeled and cored apples on the large holes of a box grater or in a food processor. Transfer the grated apples to a clean kitchen towel and squeeze firmly over a medium bowl to extract as much juice as possible. Measure out 1/4 cup of this apple juice and set it aside for the caramel (you can save the rest for drinking!). Set the dry grated apples aside (you should have about 2½ cups).
- Start the Caramel: In a large saucepan over medium heat, bring the granulated sugar (for the caramel), cream of tartar, and the reserved 1/4 cup apple juice to a rapid boil. Stir just once to dissolve the sugar, then stop stirring. Cook, swirling the pan often, until the bubbles slow down and the caramel turns a deep amber color. This usually takes 5–7 minutes.
- Season the Caramel: Remove the caramel from the heat. Carefully stir in the 1 1/2 Tbsp chilled butter, salt, cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg.
- Cook Apples in Caramel: Set the pan over medium-low heat. Add the reserved dry grated apples and stir quickly to combine. (Don’t panic if the caramel seizes up at first; it will melt back down). Cook this mixture, stirring constantly, until the liquid from the apples has evaporated and the bubbles noticeably slow down, about 9–11 minutes. The apple caramel should be sticky and clump together.
- Cool Caramel: Scrape the apple caramel onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and spread it into an even layer to cool for 30 minutes. Reserve 1/4 cup of this mixture for topping the cookies later.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: Place oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 375°. Whisk the flour, salt, baking soda, and cream of tartar in a medium bowl.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the 1 cup chilled butter pieces, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Start on low speed, then increase to medium, beating until combined (about 2 minutes).
- Add Wet Ingredients: Add the eggs one at a time, incorporating thoroughly before adding the next. Add the vanilla extract.
- Finish Dough: Reduce speed to low. Add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Add the cooled apple caramel (minus the reserved portion) and pulse the mixer two or three times to swirl it through, or fold it in with a rubber spatula.
- Scoop and Top: Using a #20 ice cream scoop (about 3 Tbsp), portion out 16 balls of dough and divide them between 2 parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing them at least 2 inches apart. Top each cookie with a few small pieces of the reserved apple caramel and sprinkle with flaky sea salt.
- Bake: Bake the cookies for 13–16 minutes, rotating the baking sheets top to bottom and front to back halfway through. They are done when they are golden brown at the edges.
- Cool: Let cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with any remaining dough.
Pro Tip: Do not skimp on squeezing the apples! You want to remove as much liquid as possible. If the apples are too wet when added to the caramel, it will take much longer to cook down, and extra moisture can make the cookies puffy instead of chewy.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t Overmix: When adding the apple caramel to the dough, pulse or fold gently. You want distinct swirls of caramel, not a uniform brown dough.
- Watch the Caramel: Sugar burns fast. Once the caramel starts turning amber in step 2, watch it like a hawk. It goes from perfect to burnt in seconds.
- Cooling Matters: Ensure the apple caramel is fully cooled before adding it to the dough. If it is hot, it will melt the butter in the dough and affect the structure.
FAQs
- Can I make the caramel ahead of time? Yes, you can make the apple caramel a day in advance. Store it in the refrigerator, but let it come to room temperature before folding it into the dough so it incorporates easily.
- Why did my caramel seize? Adding cold apples to hot sugar causes a temperature shock. Just keep stirring over low heat; the sugar crystals will dissolve again as the apples release steam.
- How do I store these? Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. They keep well for up to 5 days.
Serving Suggestions
- Ice Cream Sandwich: Sandwich a scoop of vanilla bean or salted caramel ice cream between two cookies.
- Coffee: The cardamom and nutmeg notes make this the perfect companion for a hot latte.
- Warm: Microwave a cookie for 10 seconds to make the caramel pockets gooey again.
Make This Recipe in Advance
- Dough: The dough can be made ahead and stored in the fridge for a few days, or scooped and frozen.
- Storage: As noted in the instructions, cookies can be made 5 days ahead and stored airtight at room temperature.
Chewy Salted Caramel Apple Spice Cookies
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 16 Large Cookies 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
These Chewy Salted Caramel Apple Spice Cookies are the ultimate fall treat, capturing the essence of a warm apple pie inside a buttery, spiced cookie. Unlike standard apple cookies that can turn cakey, this recipe uses a homemade apple caramel reduction to concentrate the fruit flavor while maintaining a chewy, dense texture. Swirled with amber caramel and finished with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt, these cookies are sophisticated, comforting, and absolutely unforgettable.
Ingredients
The Apple Caramel
- 1 1/4 cups (250g) granulated sugar
- 1 1/4 medium apples (approx. 1 1/2 lbs total), peeled and cored
- 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
The Dough & Assembly
- 3 1/2 cups (438g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (2 sticks / 226g) chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) dark brown sugar, packed
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- Flaky sea salt (for topping)
Instructions
Prep Apples
Grate the peeled apples. Place them in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze firmly to extract as much juice as possible. Crucial Step: Measure out 1/4 cup of this juice and set it aside for the caramel. Discard or drink the rest. You should have about 2 1/2 cups of dry grated apple.
Start Caramel
In a large saucepan over medium heat, bring the granulated sugar (1 1/4 cups), cream of tartar (2 tsp), and the reserved 1/4 cup apple juice to a boil. Stir once to dissolve, then swirl the pan often until the mixture turns a deep amber color (approx. 5–7 minutes).
Season & Cook
Remove from heat. Carefully stir in the small amount of butter (1 1/2 Tbsp), salt, cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg. Return to medium-low heat.
Add Apples
Add the dry grated apples. Stir constantly. Note: The caramel may seize up initially this is normal. Keep stirring and cooking until the liquid evaporates and the mixture becomes sticky and clumps together (approx. 9–11 minutes).
Cool
Spread the apple caramel onto a parchment-lined sheet to cool for 30 minutes. Reserve 1/4 cup of this mixture for topping later.
Make Dough
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Whisk flour, salt, baking soda, and cream of tartar in a medium bowl.
Cream Butter
In a mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the chilled butter pieces, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on medium speed until combined (about 2 minutes). Add eggs one at a time, then the vanilla.
Combine
Reduce speed to low. Add dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Add the cooled apple caramel (minus the reserved portion) and pulse a few times to swirl it in. Do not overmix.
Scoop & Top
Scoop dough into balls (about 3 Tbsp each) onto parchment-lined sheets spaced 2 inches apart. Top each cookie with a bit of the reserved apple caramel and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt.
Bake
Bake for 13–16 minutes, rotating pans halfway through. Cookies are done when edges are golden brown. Cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
Notes
Squeeze the Apples: You must squeeze the grated apples until they are very dry. Excess moisture will make the cookies cakey and puffy rather than chewy.
Caramel Safety: When you add the butter or apples to the hot sugar, it will bubble violently. Use a large pot and stand back to avoid burns.
Make Ahead: The apple caramel can be made a day in advance and stored in the fridge. Bring it to room temperature before mixing it into the dough.
Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking / Candy Making
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Cookie
- Calories: 310
- Sugar: 34g
- Sodium: 290mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 48g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 55mg
Keywords: apple spice cookies, salted caramel cookies, fall baking recipes, apple pie cookies, gourmet cookies, chewy apple cookies, cardamom recipes
