Description
Apple Cider Cookies Recipe for soft, chewy treats brimming with autumn spice. Learn my favorite tips for these delightful fall cookies!
Ingredients
Scale
- Cookie Base:
- 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Wet & Sweet:
- 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) light brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup apple cider reduction (from 2 cups cider)
- Glaze Essentials:
- 1 cup (120g) powdered sugar
- 2–3 tbsp apple cider (unreduced)
Instructions
- Reduce the Cider: Pour 2 cups of apple cider into a small saucepan. Bring it to a gentle simmer over medium heat, then reduce the heat to low. Let it bubble away, uncovered, for about 20-30 minutes, until it’s thickened to about 1/4 cup. It should look like a syrup, deep amber, and smell incredibly fragrant. Honestly, this step is where all the magic starts for these Apple Cider Cookies – don’t rush it! Let it cool completely before you even think about adding it to the dough. I once added it warm, and my butter started melting – not ideal!
- Whisk the Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together your flour, baking soda, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Give it a good whisk, making sure there are no lumps of spice hiding. This ensures all those lovely fall flavors are evenly distributed throughout your Apple Cider Cookies. I always forget to salt the flour, then remember halfway through and have to re-whisk everything. Oops! Don’t be like me.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a large bowl (or stand mixer), beat the softened unsalted butter with the granulated sugar and light brown sugar until it’s light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. It should look pale and airy, like a cloud. This step incorporates air, which helps make the Apple Cider Cookies soft and tender. I used to under-cream, and my cookies were always a bit dense. Don’t skimp on this!
- Add Wet Ingredients: Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until just combined. Then, slowly pour in your cooled apple cider reduction, mixing until it’s fully incorporated. The mixture might look a little curdled at first, but keep going, it’ll come together. This is where you really start to smell that amazing apple goodness for your Apple Cider Cookies!
- Combine Wet and Dry: Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. Be careful not to overmix! Overmixing develops the gluten too much, and we want soft, chewy Apple Cider Cookies, not tough ones. Stop as soon as you see no more streaks of flour. Sometimes I get a bit excited and go too far, ending up with tougher cookies.
- Bake the Apple Cider Cookies: Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, leaving a couple of inches between each. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and the centers are just set. They’ll still look a little soft in the middle, and that’s exactly what you want for a chewy cookie. Let them cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
- Glaze ’em Up: While the cookies cool, whisk together the powdered sugar and apple cider until you have a smooth, pourable glaze. If it’s too thick, add a tiny bit more cider; too thin, add more powdered sugar. Drizzle this glorious glaze over your cooled Apple Cider Cookies. It sets pretty quickly, adding that perfect tangy-sweet finish. Honestly, this glaze takes them from “good” to “oh my word, I need another one!”