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apple pie cookies with icing

Easy Apple Pie Cookies Recipe


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  • Author: Sweet Simple Vegan
  • Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes

Description

These Apple Pie Cookies are filled with a homemade apple pie filling and wrapped in a buttery, flaky pie crust! They’re the perfect holiday cookie for sharing with friends and family on Thanksgiving or throughout the fall season. Give them a try the next time you go apple picking!


Ingredients

Dough

  • 1 1/4 cup (150g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon (15g) granulated sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon all-spice
  • 1/4 teaspoon ginger
  • 1/2 cup dairy-free butter, cold and cubed
  • 24 tablespoons ice water

Filling

  • 23 small apples, diced small (2 heaping cups diced)
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar plus more for sprinkling on the cookies
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar, tightly packed
  • 1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons (28g) dairy-free butter
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • Pinch of nutmeg

“Egg Wash”

  • 2 tablespoons almond milk
  • 1 teaspoon agave nectar

For the Glaze:

  • ¾ cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tablespoon water

Instructions

Make the Crust

  1. Pulse together the dry ingredients. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together the flour, spices, sugar and salt. 
  2. Add the butter. Into the food processor, add in the vegan butter and pulse together until the mixture reaches a sand-like consistency. 
  3. Add water. Add in the ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough is moist enough to hold together and forms a ball. 
  4. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and shape the dough into a disc. Wrap it in plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
  5. Prepare by hand. This dough can also be made manually. In a large bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, sugar, and salt until uniform. Using either a pastry cutter or a fork, cut the vegan butter into the flour mixture until a sand-like consistency forms. It’s okay if the butter pieces are uneven. Add the ice water, one tablespoon at a time. Mix together with a wooden spoon or spatula. You most likely won’t need all the ice water; the dough should still be crumbly but should hold together when squeezed.

Prepare the Apple Pie Filling

  1. Coat the apples in sugar and lemon. Add the fresh apples to a medium-sized mixing bowl along with the sugar and lemon juice. Mix together until evenly combined. 
  2. Sauté the apples. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Once the skillet is warm and the butter is melted, add in the apple mixture. Cook, stirring often, for about 2 minutes, or until the sugar dissolves and begins to simmer. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook until the apples soften and release their juices, about 7 minutes. 
  3. Strain and thicken the apple pie filling. Transfer the apples to a colander or fine mesh sieve over a medium bowl to catch all of the juice. Mix the apples and shake the colander to remove as much of the liquid as possible. Return the juices to the skillet, and simmer over medium-low heat until thickened and lightly caramelized, about 4 minutes. 
  4. Toss to combine. Transfer the drained apples back to the medium-sized mixing bowl, and toss the apples with the reduced juice, vanilla extract, and spices. Set aside to cool. 

Make the Cookies

  1. Preheat the oven. Set your oven to 350 degrees F. 
  2. Roll out half the dough and cut into circles. Cut the chilled dough in half and place the second half back in the refrigerator until ready to use. Roll half of the dough out until about 1/4″ thick. Using a pastry cutter or a cup, cut circles in the dough. 
  3. Brush with “egg” wash. In a small bowl, combine the almond milk and agave. Using a pastry brush, brush each round with the “egg” wash. 
  4. Add pie filling. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the apple pie filling onto the center of each cookie. 
  5. Roll out the remaining dough. Remove the remaining dough from the refrigerator and roll it out to about 1/4″ thick. Slice into strips to use as lattice tops. 
  6. Decorate the tops of the cookies. Arrange the strips of dough on top of the cookie rounds in a lattice top, then press them together around the cookie to seal. Remove any excess lattice around each cookie with the round cookie cutter. Using a fork, crimp the edges around the cookie to ensure it is fully sealed. Brush with “egg” wash again.
  7. Bake. Sprinkle each apple pie cookie with sugar and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the dough is lightly golden. 
  8. Prepare the glaze. While the cookies bake, prepare the glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and water until a smooth icing forms. Set aside. 
  9. Serve. Let the apple pie cookies cool completely on a wire rack, then drizzle the cookies with the glaze as desired, and enjoy!

Notes

  • ​The apples can be peeled, but it isn’t entirely necessary. If you prefer a really smooth, gooey apple filling, it is a good idea to peel them before sautéing. If you don’t mind a bit of extra texture in the filling, no need to peel!
  • If you prefer to use a store-bought pie crust for simplicity, feel free! You may need to purchase and roll out two store-bought crusts. 
  • Storage Instructions: Leftover cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. If you want your cookies to last longer, store them in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. 
  • Freezing: We have not tested freezing these cookies, but it may work. If you give it a try, let us know in the comments how it works for you!
  • Prep Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Oven