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Apple Pie Cookies

Apple pie cookies with caramelized apple filling tucked into flaky pastry rounds and baked until golden. Each cookie gets a cinnamon-sugar top, a sealed fork-crimp edge, and a caramel drizzle for bakery-style finish.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 24 cookies
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For apple pie filling
  • 2 cup apples finely diced
  • 3 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1.5 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 tbsp butter for cooking the filling
For cookie dough (option 1: refrigerated pie crust)
  • 2 count refrigerated pie crusts cut into 3-inch circles (bottom) and smaller circles (tops) with cookie cutters
For cookie dough (option 2: shortbread dough)
  • 1 cup butter for shortbread dough
  • 0.25 cup powdered sugar for shortbread dough
  • 2 cup flour for shortbread dough
  • 0.5 tsp cinnamon for shortbread dough
  • 0.25 tsp salt for shortbread dough
Topping
  • 1 egg wash for brushing
  • 1 cinnamon sugar for sprinkling over tops
  • 1 caramel for drizzling

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Make apple pie filling
  1. Cook the apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, cornstarch, and butter in a pan for 5 minutes until thickened, stirring as it cooks. Remove from heat and cool completely so the filling stays put inside the cookies.
Prepare dough and cut rounds
  1. Preheat the oven to 375F and line baking sheets. Keep the dough cold while you cut circles so the tops seal cleanly.
  2. Roll pie crust or shortbread dough and cut 3-inch circles for the bottoms and 2.5-inch circles for the tops. Set the circles on the lined baking sheets in pairs for easier assembly.
Assemble and bake
  1. Place the bottom circles on the baking sheets and spoon about 1 teaspoon of apple filling in the center. Leave a small border so you can seal the edges.
  2. Set a top circle over each filled bottom and press the edges with a fork to seal. Cut a small vent in the center of each cookie to let steam escape.
  3. Brush the tops with egg wash and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Arrange cookies with space between them for even browning.
  4. Bake for 12–15 minutes at 375F until golden. Cool on the pan before drizzling so the caramel doesn’t run.
Finish
  1. Drizzle caramel over the cooled cookies in a thin line. Let the caramel set briefly before serving.

Notes

Choose either refrigerated pie crust or shortbread dough, but keep the dough cold until assembly to prevent leaking. Cool the apple filling fully before filling so the pastry stays crisp and the filling doesn’t make the dough soggy. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 4 days; freeze baked cookies up to 2 months. For a lighter option, use reduced-sugar caramel and reduce brown sugar to 2 tablespoons if desired.