Snickerdoodle Apple Pie Cookie

Snickerdoodle Apple Pie Cookie

Old-fashioned apple pie filling is sandwiched between two layers of browned butter snickerdoodle cookie dough, topped with cinnamon sugar, and baked in cast iron for a rustic pie that has the best crisp edges. This cookie is a masterpiece of warm, feel-good flavors and is exceptional topped with ice cream and vanilla bean caramel sauce.

Cooking in cast iron is something new to me as I have only been doing it for the last 5-6 years. I married into it. My husband is very vocal of singing high praises about his beloved cast iron, some of which is over 100 years old. Funny, isn’t it? To be cooking with a pan holding so much history, so many stories, and flavors baked into it. I am nothing but a hopeless romantic and have fallen in love with using this sturdy cooking vessel. I cannot argue food just tastes different when cooked in cast iron. It’s science the heavy iron is a great conductor of heat but, there is a little magic in the way it transforms food and creates a wonderful crispness and flavor that is hard to replicate in aluminum or stainless-steel cookware.

This snickerdoodle cookie is made for cooking in a cast iron pan. If you are without, no harm, you can easily bake in your favorite 8-inch pan. However, the crisp edges, the brown crust on the bottom, the soft doughy inside, and the rustic presentation of a cast iron cookie pie cannot be beat.

The cookie dough and apple pie filling can be made up to 5 days in advance and kept in the fridge until ready to assemble and bake. Alternatively, the cookie dough can be stored in a freezer bag and the apple pie filling can be stored in a freezer bag for up to 4 months in the freezer. This is a great way to prep well in advance of any holiday gathering. Win!

Now, let me explain to you the absolute flavor bomb this dessert is and why I love it. I guarantee everyone you will share this with will rave about it, it’s that good.

Why I Love This Recipe

FLAVOR- All caps. See what I did there? There is no shortage of flavor in this cookie and even though there isn’t an elaborate or crazy flavor story, the simple classic flavors are married so well together making it unforgettable dessert. The base of this snickerdoodle cookie has Browned Butter which adds a warm toffee/caramel-like flavor to the cookie pie. Snickerdoodles are a  staple cookie in my house during the holidays, they are sweet and simple with just a touch of tanginess from the cream of tartar. The apple pie filling is thick and packed with cinnamon and nutmeg adding to the warm notes of the dessert. It also has a good amount of thick apple syrup that cooks with the apples and when baked in the middle of the cookie, it creates a caramel apple flavor in the middle. The top of the cookie pie is topped with a healthy amount of cinnamon sugar that brings the flavors of the apple pie filling and snickerdoodle cookie dough together in sweet symphony of warm spices. I paired this cookie pie with ice cream and the vanilla bean caramel sauce I had made earlier in the week to bring out the flavors of the cinnamon, apple, and vanilla in the cookie pie. Simple flavors that are done well cannot be beat and this cookie will have you singing in yummy euphoria.

Texture-I am big fan of contrasting flavors and textures in desserts and this cookie pie has many. Baking the cookie in cast iron does produce a wonderfully crisp crust and exterior on the cookie and this pairs well with the soft and caramel like center of the apple filling. The cinnamon sugar topping, which is a must have on regular snickerdoodle cookies, creates a crunchy topping that mixes so well with the crisp cookie edges and soft middle of the cookie pie. If you are to take this cookie to the next level, by pairing with a scoop of ice cream and caramel sauce, you will have a bite of cookie pie that has a soft caramel texture, crunchy cinnamon sugar, soft apple filling, and a doughy snickerdoodle cookie. It is no joke why I had to give most of this pie away almost immediately after trying it. It’s dangerously good and if left with a spoon in my kitchen, I would probably have eaten the whole thing.

Make Ahead-I am no different than anyone else when it comes to running out of time to bake something during the holidays. There is only so much time to do all the things needed, shopping, planning to visit family, on top of keeping track of holiday events and gatherings we’d like to have in our home. This recipe can be made up to 5 days in advance and kept in the fridge. The dough and filling can also be frozen then thawed and assembled when you need it. If freezing, I recommend storing the cookie dough and pie filling in separate freezer bags then thawed in the fridge the night before. I made a double batch of this recipe when making it this week and will be baking this stress-free to share with family and friends later this month.

Easy-if making the cookie dough and pie filling ahead of time, this recipe is so easy to put together. It’s much easier than having to scoop and portion out snickerdoodle cookies, let alone stuffing cookies. It takes 5 minutes to layer the cookie dough and pie filling and only 30 minutes to bake. If you can wait 10 minutes for the cookie pie to cool prior to serving would be best, but who am I kidding? A hot snickerdoodle apple pie is very hard to resist fresh from the oven.

All the Good Smells- A nice perk to this cookie doesn’t even include eating it! This cookie will fill your house with the most charming cinnamon, apple, vanilla aromas and will beat out any candle or air freshener in making your house smell heavenly for the next 24 hours. I am still enjoying the lingering smells of buttery cinnamon as I type this, and it’s making me feel quite happy and cozy.

Ingredients You Need

Browned Butter -please refer to this recipe for details on how to brown butter. It takes 10 minutes and will give these cookies a flavor boost. If you don’t want to fuss with brown butter, you can use room temp or melted butter just the same.

-Granulated & Brown sugar-most of the granulated sugar is for the cookie dough and I have outlined an extra 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar for the cinnamon sugar topping.

-Eggs-

-Salt-for flavor.

-Vanilla extract

-Flour-all-purpose flour

-Cake Flour-I like using a portion of cake flour in my snickerdoodle cookies. Cake flour is very finely milled and has a lower protein percentage than all purpose flour. This gives the cookie a finer crumb which I like in my snickerdoodle cookies. If you don’t have cake flour, you can sub all-purpose flour.

-Baking Soda

-Cornstarch- I like the soft texture cornstarch gives the cookie.

-Cream of Tartar-This gives the cookie a nice tangy flavor to offset the sweetness of the cinnamon sugar.

-Cinnamon-for the sugar topping.

-Ice Cream- for serving.

–Vanilla Bean Caramel Sauce

Apple Pie Filling

This is an old-fashioned apple pie filling. I have scaled it down to layer inside of this cookie with a bite or two to spare, for taste testing. This can also be used as a pie filling, a topping for yogurt with granola, on top of ice cream, or as a filling for cakes or cupcakes.

I prefer to make my apple pie filling cooked down with flour as my thickening agent instead of cornstarch. I feel like it has a better texture and flavor, holds up to baking, and it reminds me of the apple pies I would eat with my dad at diners driving up to Michigan every winter.

-Apples- I am not picky when it comes to variety of apples. There really hasn’t been an apple I didn’t like baking with to be quite honest. Please use your favorite variety, local apples if you can get them!

-Brown and granulated sugars

-Cinnamon- A necessary spice for apple pie filling.

-Nutmeg- a warm spice that adds to the warmth of the cinnamon and apples.

-Butter

-Salt-for flavor.

-Flour-you can substitute cornstarch.

-Apple Juice-you can also use apple cider or water.

-Lemon Juice-brightens up the filling by adding an acid. Also helps balance the sweetness of the sugar and warm spices. You can also use apple cider vinegar if you want to keep true to the apple theme.

-Vanilla Extract

Apple Pie Filling

I make my brown butter in the same pan I will cook the apple pie filling in . Why? Flavor. Those little bits of browned butter that are stuck to the bottom of the pan that I couldn’t quite scrape out will now add flavor to my apple pie filling. Waste not want not. I am trying to maximize as much flavor as I can while also washing the least number of dishes when I am done in the kitchen.

To make the apple pie filling I start by washing, peeling, coring, and dicing my apples. You can use slices, but I find they are a little messier to cut through in the cookie pie.

I add my chopped apples to the pan I just browned butter in (the brown butter I poured into a mixing bowl to make the snickerdoodle cookie dough in after I am done with the apple pie filling.) then add the butter, brown sugar, lemon juice or ACV, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.

I turn my stove on medium heat and sauté the apples for 5 minutes or until just getting tender. Depending on the type of apple you use this could take longer or shorter so keep an eye out for the apples to just begin to soften around the edges.

I add the flour, apple juice, and granulated sugar to the softened apples and continue to cook on medium heat while stirring.

I continue cooking for another 5 minutes or so until the mixture is very thick. I stir in the vanilla then pour the apple pie filling in a glass bowl to cool while I make the cookie dough.

If freezing, be sure to cool the pie filling completely before placing in a freezer bag to store in the freezer.

Let’s Cookie

**I have posted video on how I make this cookie pie on: Instagram , Facebook , and Pinterest , if you want a visual aide on how I make the cookie dough along with video of how I assembled the cookie pie**

The snickerdoodle cookie dough is easy to throw together and does not need a mixer to prepare. No chill time is necessary for the cookie pie since the cookie is contained and will spread evenly in the cast iron pan.

The brown butter should be cool by the time the apple pie filling is done, if putting this cookie together on the same day. If you are making this recipe in advance, you can keep the brown butter in a container in the fridge then warm in the microwave until it is melted to proceed with the recipe.

In a bowl I mix the brown butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until mixed together.

I add in the eggs one at a time and mix thoroughly after each addition. This should take a minute or two of mixing, there should not be any visible egg white, or yolk and the mixture should look cohesive. I stir in the vanilla after the eggs are combined.

I sift my flours, cream of tartar, salt, cornstarch, and baking soda in a bowl then add to the wet ingredients. I mix just until the flour is combined, do not overmix. No one wants tough cookies.

I butter the bottom of a 8-inch cast iron pan lightly and spread out half of the snickerdoodle cookie on the bottom. I carefully press the cookie dough about an inch up the sides of the pan to create a lip of cookie dough.

Then I take the apple pie filling and spread over the bottom of the cookie dough. I avoid the edges since I don’t want the filling to burn on the sides of the pan.

With the remaining cookie dough, I take small handfuls and flatten them out between my palms. I lay the flattened piece of cookie dough on top of the apple pie filling and repeat with the remaining cookie dough. I pinch the edges together to seal the cookie dough, kind of like a patchwork quilt. It’s not perfect but that is what makes this cookie pie beautiful and rustic.

I combine the two tablespoons of sugar with cinnamon and sprinkle evenly over the top of the cookie dough.

I bake this cookie pie in a 350*F oven for 30 minutes. I know when it’s done by the golden-brown color on top. The cookie will continue to bake from the residual heat of the cast iron so be sure not to overbake it. Cast iron holds heat well and will stay hot a lot longer than regular baking pans.

Allow the cookie to cool at least 10  minutes before serving. Enjoy your house smelling like heaven and maybe do a happy dance just for fun.

This snickerdoodle apple pie cookie is best served warm with ice cream and a drizzle of vanilla bean caramel sauce. You can warm the sauce in the microwave for 30 seconds so it can be poured by the spoonful on top of the cold ice cream and warm cookie pie.

It was difficult for me to articulate how wonderful this dessert tasted when I first took a bite. It’s not a recipe that is overcomplicated or uses a lot of fancy ingredients, these are simple flavors which pair so well that make it taste like heaven on a plate. Eating this is a spiritual experience, an experience that will transport you to warm memories of the past and inspire you to create warm moments with the people you love around you.

Enjoy and I hope you try this recipe soon. Happy Baking!

If you try this recipe and love it as much as I do, please tag, follow, and like @sunshinetxcookies on Instagram and Facebook. New posts every Thursday so be sure to follow me for more delicious cookie recipes.