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This caramel apple cookie recipe brings the flavor of your favorite fall treat into chewy cookie form! Rich cookie dough is packed with caramel bits and apple pieces before baking to chewy perfection. The dough can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days for make-ahead planning!
I love making all of the apple recipes during fall, but there’s something extra special about caramel apple goodies.
Yes, homemade caramel apples are incredible. But putting those same flavors into other baked goods? Elite.
This year, these caramel apple cookies were a need, not just a want. I took the cookie dough base from my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe and added caramel bits and pieces of freeze-dried apple. You get gooey caramel and tart apple in every single bite of the chewy cookies.
I know the long chilling time seems excessive, but I promise that it makes all the difference in this recipe. The flavor and texture of the cookies is unbeatable—try them just once and you’ll get it.
Jamie’s testing notes and tips
Use freeze-dried apples instead of fresh. I’m usually all about using fresh apples, especially in recipes like my glazed apple scones. But using fresh apples added too much moisture to this dough and made the cookies more cakey than I wanted. Using freeze-dried apple pieces gave all the tart apple flavor without messing up the texture of the cookies.
You can use caramel baking chips instead of caramel bits. I usually grab a few bags of the salted caramel baking chips from Trader Joe’s each fall, and they’re perfect in this recipe. Just keep in mind that the flavor isn’t as strong as the Kraft caramel bits, so the caramel apple vibe is more subtle if you go that route.
Yes, the long chill time is needed. I’ve tried baking this dough before the 24-hour mark and the cookies just weren’t as good. Letting the dough “age” in the fridge really deepens the flavor and gives them the perfect texture. (If you need a recipe with a shorter wait time, my apple spice cookies only need to chill for 2 hours.)
Helpful resources
⬇️ For the full recipe, including ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card below!
Most of the ingredients for these caramel apple cookies are pretty standard, especially if you’ve made any of my chocolate chip cookie recipes. But I’ve got a few helpful resources to keep in mind as you’re baking:
- Don’t have cake flour on hand? You can make a simple cake flour substitute that works great in a pinch.
- When measuring both flours, make sure to use the fluff, scoop, and sweep method or weigh your flour. Measuring flour correctly is a big part of your final cookies turning out perfect every time.
- Make sure your butter is at room temperature before you start baking. If you forget to set it out ahead of time, check out my tips for softening butter quickly.
- Brown sugar is one of the key ingredients for getting the perfect texture in these cookies. If you’re out, make a quick brown sugar substitute to use instead. If yours hardened in the pantry, don’t throw it out! Learn how to soften brown sugar instead.
Make ahead and storage
The dough for these cookies can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 72 hours, so you can make the dough up to 3 days before you plan to bake it. The dough will be pretty hard when you pull it out of the fridge, so let it rest on the counter for about 30 minutes before you try to scoop it.
You can also freeze the dough balls before baking them. Then you can bake as many cookies as you like whenever you’re craving a fresh-from-the-oven caramel apple cookie!
For more info on that process, check out my post on how to freeze cookie dough.
Cooled cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Caramel Apple Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups minus 2 tablespoons cake flour
- 1 ⅔ cups bread flour
- 1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons coarse salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon optional
- 1 ¼ cups unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 ¼ cups packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- 1 (11-ounce) bag Kraft Caramel Bits
- 1 (1.25-ounce) bag freeze-dried apple slices chopped into bite size pieces (roughly 1 heaping cup)
- flaky sea salt optional
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.2 cups minus 2 tablespoons cake flour, 1 ⅔ cups bread flour, 1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda, 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder, 1 ½ teaspoons coarse salt, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla.1 ¼ cups unsalted butter, 1 ¼ cups packed light or dark brown sugar, 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, 2 large eggs, 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Add in caramel bits and freeze-dried apples and mix just until they are evenly incorporated. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.1 (11-ounce) bag Kraft Caramel Bits, 1 (1.25-ounce) bag freeze-dried apple slices
- When ready to bake, remove dough from the refrigerator and preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Use a large (3-tablespoon) cookie scoop to portion the dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets, leaving 3 inches between each cookie.
- If desired, sprinkle each cookie with flaky sea salt and bake in the preheated oven for 16-20 minutes.flaky sea salt
- Allow cookies to cool on the pans for a few minutes before removing them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Repeat with remaining dough or reserve remaining dough in the refrigerator for baking remaining batches the next day.
Notes
Ingredients
- If you do not like cinnamon, you can completely omit it.
- I have used caramel baking chips instead of Kraft caramel bits and the cookies are delicious, but they have a little less of a caramel apple vibe.
- I would not recommend substituting fresh apples for freeze-dried apples. I purchased my freeze-dried apples from Target.
- If you like nuts in your cookies, feel free to add some into the dough. Chopped pecans and walnuts would work beautifully.
Chilling the dough
- I have baked these before the full 24 hour chill time and the flavor and texture simply aren’t as good. I highly recommend waiting the full 24 hours if possible.
Storage
- Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 4 days.
- Cookie dough can be portioned and frozen prior to baking. For more details, check out how to freeze cookie dough.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Variations and additions
If you don’t care for the cinnamon in these caramel apple cookies, feel free to leave it out and they’ll still taste amazing. Similarly, you can easily swap the cinnamon for apple pie spice if you have it on hand.
Chopped nuts would also be a great addition to the cookies. I recommend using chopped pecans or walnuts; add them to the dough at the same time as the caramel bits and apple pieces.
If you don’t want to use freeze-dried apples, King Arthur Baking makes these amazing apple cinnamon jammy bits that would be incredible in these cookies.
No matter how you make them, these cookies have a cozy, nostalgic vibe that makes me think of trick-or-treating as a kid. I know you’ll enjoy them as much as my family did!
More caramel apple desserts
If you’re as into caramel apple treats as I am, you’ll love my caramel apple cheesecake, which makes an incredible Thanksgiving dessert.
Caramel apple crisp adds a twist to the classic fall favorite, and cream cheese caramel apple dip gives you a new way to dig into orchard-fresh apples.
And we can’t forget my caramel apple cake with salted caramel frosting. The cooked frosting is unbelievably rich and decadent—you’ll want to put it on everything!
