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The Ultimate Soft & Chewy Caramel Apple Cookies (Easy Fall Recipe)

A stack of three soft caramel apple cookies dusted heavily with powdered sugar on a white plate.
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Bake the essence of autumn with these soft and chewy caramel apple cookies. They are loaded with fresh apple pieces and sweet caramel, spiced perfectly for fall baking and holiday platters.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 cup finely diced fresh apple (such as Honeycrisp or Granny Smith)
  • 1/2 cup soft caramel bits or small soft caramels, chopped
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar (for dusting, optional)
  • 1/4 cup caramel sauce (for drizzling, optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. This step helps create a soft texture.
  3. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then mix in the vanilla extract.
  4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
  5. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. Do not overmix to keep the cookies chewy.
  6. Gently fold in the diced apple and the chopped caramel bits using a spatula.
  7. Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie. For a thicker cookie, slightly press the dough balls down.
  8. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden but the centers still look slightly underdone. This ensures a soft and chewy result.
  9. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
  10. If desired, dust the cooled cookies with powdered sugar or drizzle them with extra caramel sauce before serving.

Notes

  • For the softest cookies, use room temperature eggs and do not chill the dough before baking.
  • Finely dicing the apple prevents large pockets of moisture in the cookie.
  • If you want a Crumbl copycat style, consider adding a cream cheese frosting layer after the cookies cool.
  • These cookies are excellent for Thanksgiving Cookies platters.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://www.unfoldrecipes.com/caramel-apple-cookies-easy-fall-recipe/