These apple cider cookies are wonderfully soft little bites packed with apple and warm spice flavors. They're a bit like an apple cider doughnut in cookie form - easier to make, wonderfully shareable and perfect any excuse you can find.
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I'm not generally a huge doughnut fan - I tend to find them a bit too sweet for my liking - but I will definitely make an exception for freshly made apple cider doughnuts when we go apple picking. The mix of sugar, spice and tender crumb is all so good. It's a classic New England fall treat that I can definitely get on board with.
Unfortunately (or maybe luckily), I'm not particularly set up to make them at home. But these tasty bites allow us to enjoy the same flavors in cookie form. There's apple cider in the dough, cinnamon sugar coating the outside and a apple cider icing drizzled over the top. They're deliciously good.
Apple cider v apple juice
Apple cider can be a slightly confusing term, espeically as it has different meanings in different places. In the US, apple cider means freshly pressed apple juice that's unfiltered, and often unpasteurized. It's cloudly and relatively dark in color, though this can vary depending on if it's a mixed apple variety or not.
Outisde of the US, apple cider is generally called cloudy apple juice. In the UK, you will often get single variety versions of cloudy apple juice as it has become a lot more popular in recent years.
Apple juice, meanwhile, is clear as it's both filtered and pasteurized. Since it's more processed, the end result is smoother and usually sweeter, as well as being more shelf-stable.
And just to complete the loop on definitions, cider in most places other than the US refers to the alcoholic drink (sometimes referred to as apple cider to distinguish it from pear cider or perry). This, in the US is called hard cider.
Here, we're using the American-named apple cider, or cloudy apple juice, which gives a lovely gentle apple flavor to these cookies.
Ingredients for apple cider cookies
These cookies use a fairly easy-to-find set of ingredients:
- Apple cider - they wouldn't be called what they are without it! You make a reduced apple cider to flavor the dough then use a little more as you make the icing to drizzle on top.
- Flour - just regular all purpose/plain flour is fine here.
- Butter - this adds richness and flavor. Use unsalted so you can control the amount of salt you add separately.
- Sugar - use a mixture of plain white sugar and brown sugar to give them a little crispness around the edges but keep them soft in the middle.
- Cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves - these combine to give a lovely warm spice flavor.
- Egg - this helps bind the mixture and give a little rise.
- Baking powder and salt - only a little of each to help be a little lighter and for flavor.
- Vanilla extract - just a little to add to the flavor. It also helps bring out the other flavors.
As I say, they're all pretty common ingredients, so then all you need is a little time to get yourself baking.
Steps to make these cookies
While these are easy to make, you do need a little bit of extra time compared to some cookies as you need to reduce the apple cider first then cool it. All you do is heat the cider in a small pan over medium heat so that it simmers and goes down in volume. By reducing it, you intensify the flavor without adding too much liquid into the cookie dough.
Then, the process is much like other cookies and baked goods - cream together the butter and sugar, and separately mix the dry ingredients. Mix the egg and reduced cider into the butter mixture, then add the dry ingredients.
Mix well, but stop yourself from over-mixing, then place the mixture in the fridge to chill. It will be relatively soft, but don't worry, it will firm up a little by chilling. And the softness is what helps them be soft chewy little bites. While you should give the dough a good 30 minutes to chill, longer is also fine if it helps to make the mixture ahead a few hours.
As the mixture chills, mix the cinnamon and sugar together for rolling. Then, scoop and roll balls of the batter and carefully roll in the cinnamon sugar . Place the dough balls spaced apart on a lined baking sheet. The cookies will spread a little as they bake but not a huge amount.
Top tip: work quickly
You want to handle the dough as little as possible as your hands will warm it and make it more sticky. Also, just being at room temperature longer will make the dough softer. This makes it harder to keep the cinnamon sugar just on the outside where it can form a nice crisp crust. And the cookies may end up more oddly shaped.
So, try to work quickly and roll just enough, but not too long. Use your fingertips and a small bowl to roll in the cinnamon sugar.
Bake the cookies until they are dry and you can see the underside is gently browned. You don't want them brown all over as they will be drier. Let the cookies cool completely to room temperature before mixing up the cider and confectioner's sugar (icing sugar) for the icing and drizzling it on top.
These apple cider cookies are full of lovely warm autumnal spice flavors, have a lovely soft texture and a gently crisp outside. They're easy to make, and easy to enjoy. So be sure to find an excuse to make them soon.
Try these other tasty cookies:
- Coconut oatmeal chocolate chip cookies (these easy cookies have a delicious mix of flavors and textures)
- Cucidati (a lovely Sicilian cookie with a flavorful fig-based filling)
- Meyer lemon cookies (a shortbread-like cookie with a lovely citrus flavor)
- Pignoli cookies (chewy almond cookies studded with pine nuts - so tasty)
- Plus get more snack recipes, both sweet and savory in the archives.
I'd recommend using a Silicone Baking Mat on top of a Half Baking Sheet to make these. (affiliate links)
Apple cider cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup apple cider cloudy apple juice, to reduce to ¼ volume
- 2 cups all purpose flour plain flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves or allspice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ cup unsalted butter (½ cup is 1 stick/4oz)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar dark brown is also fine, packed
- 1 egg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Cinnamon sugar for rolling (won't need all)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
For icing/glaze
- ½ cup confectioner's sugar icing sugar
- ½ tablespoon apple cider cloudy apple juice
Instructions
- Place the apple cider in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over a medium heat. Simmer, stirring now and then, for around 10 - 15 minutes until the volume has reduced to a quarter of the original (for 1 recipe volume, you want 1 cup, 240ml to reduce to ¼ cup, 60ml). Leave to cool.
- Place the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, salt and baking powder in a bowl and whisk gently to mix so the additions are well distributed.
- Cream the butter, regular and brown sugars with a stand mixer, or use a handheld mixer until well mixed and gently glossy. Add in the egg, reduced cider and vanilla and mix in.
- Add the flour mixture - you can add part at a time if easier - and mix together so the dough comes together, but be careful not to overmix.
- Refrigerate the mixture for around 30 minutes, or longer if it suits you better, to help it firm up slightly.
- Shortly before ready to bake, preheat oven to 350F/180C. Line a couple of baking sheets/trays with silicone mats or parchment paper. Mix together the sugar and cinnamon for rolling in a small, shallow bowl and mix so the cinnamon is evenly distributed.
- After chilling, use a small cookie scoop then roll balls of dough briefly in your hands to smooth off (you can also use a tablespoon measure if you don't have a scoop). Roll each ball in the cinnamon sugar then place on the lined baking sheet with a little space between them. Repeat with the rest of the mixture.
- Bake the cookies for around 10-12 minutes until the cookies look dry and are just about starting to brown on the base and edges. Allow to cool a minute before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Once cookies are completely cool, combine the confectioner's/icing sugar and apple cider in a bowl and mix until smooth. If it is a little too thick to drizzle, add a drop or two more apple cider, but only add a very small amount at a time as it can easily become too liquid. Drizzle the icing over the cooled cookies with a small spoon (or you can use a piping bag to be more precise), making a few lines over each cookie. Leave to firm up before serving/storing.
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Ed Parkinson says
I made these last week with my 7 year old granddaughter. She had so much fun rolling them into balls and then into the sugar. They were delicious and reminded very much of the cider donuts that are around this time of year. Thank you for a great recipe and a great time with my granddaughter .
Caroline says
So glad you enjoyed them, and what an honor to be part of some special bonding time!