CARAMEL APPLE COOKIES

Caramel Apple Cookies are such a fun treat to make, your family will absolutely love them. This sugar cookie on a stick recipe is a fun twist on caramel apples but in cookie form.

Just to be clear, this caramel cookie does not actually contain any apples. This is just a fun recipe to take what we love about caramel apples and then turn them into a festive cookie. These caramel sugar cookies are delicious and are a portable dessert because of the stick. Really, what’s not to love about these?

Caramel Sugar Cookies

My kids had a singing performance this week and I wanted to make something special for dessert afterward. I was flipping through an old Betty Crocker magazine and found these darling cookies and immediately began assembling ingredients to make them. I have glanced at these cookies a few times over the years but never made them because I thought they looked too time-consuming. I am happy to report that they were much, much easier than I thought they would be! The dough came together quickly and decorating the cookies was a snap! Plus~ look how they turned out. They are so cute and taste amazing!

Caramel Apple Cookies ingredients

For the cookie dough, you will need:

-Sugar: You will need ½ cup of granulated sugar to sweeten these cookies well.

-Butter: Use ¼ cup of softened butter or margarine to make these cookies taste nice and rich.

-Shortening: Adding in ¼ cup of shortening will help to give the cookies more fats to stay moist and soft. If you do not have shortening, add another ¼ cup of butter.

-Vanilla extract: Use 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract to help make the cookies taste fabulous.

-Egg: You will need 1 egg to help bind the dough together well.

-Flour: The base of the cookie dough recipe is 1 ½ cups of all-purpose flour.

-Baking soda: You will need ½ teaspoons of baking soda to help the cookies puff up perfectly as they bake.

-Salt: Adding in ¼ teaspoon of salt will help to enhance the flavors in this cookie dough.

For the caramel, you will need:

-Caramel ice cream topping and flour: You can use ½ cup of your favorite ice cream topping caramel and 1 ½ tablespoon of flour to thicken it up to a good consistency.

or

-Caramel squares and water: If you would rather unwrap 24 squares of caramel and mix in 2 tablespoons of water, you can go that route instead.

-Wooden sticks: While these are not an actual “ingredient” you will need 18 wooden sticks like popsicle sticks or wide craft sticks to help make these cookies more fun and portable.

Step by step on how to make Caramel Apple Cookies

Prep

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.

Then, line a baking sheet with parchment paper, or grease it with non-stick cooking spray, and set it aside.

Make the dough

In a large bowl beat together the butter and shortening with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth.

Next, mix in the vanilla extract and the egg and combine well.

Now, stir in the flour, baking soda, and salt until the dough comes together.

Roll out

Proceed to roll the cookie dough out onto a lightly floured surface so that it is ⅓ of an inch thick.

Cut the dough with an apple-shaped cookie cutter. If you do not have an apple shaped cookie cutter, use a pumpkin-shaped one and turn it upside down as I did. No one will ever know it is not an apple shaped cookie!

Bake

Then, place the cookie cutouts two inches apart on your prepared baking sheet.

Next, carefully insert 1 inch of the wooden stick into the side of each cookie (where the stem will be). Use a light-handed touch to not disturb the cookie too much. You should be able to feel exactly where the stick is as you are doing this.

Bake in the oven for 6-8 minutes or until the edges are a light brown in color.

Let the cookies cool for 2 minutes on the pan before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Add caramel

If you are using the caramel ice cream topping, add in the flour and mix well until smooth.

If you are using caramel squares, heat them (unwrapped) with the water in a 2-quart saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently until smooth and melted.

Assemble

Spread caramel on the top third of the cookies and hold the cookies upright to allow the glaze to drizzle down the cookie. If it is not spreading, try adding some more caramel until it begins to drizzle down.

If you want to add some extra flair to these cookies, sprinkle with multi-colored candy sprinkles. Other great options for added decoration would be mini M&M’s, chopped nuts, mini chocolate chips, really the possibilities are endless!

Be sure to let the cookies set for about an hour for the caramel to harden a bit. Store flat in an airtight container.

Serve fresh and enjoy!

Adapted from Betty Crocker

How long are apple cut out cookies good for?

These cookies if left undecorated can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or a week. Once the caramel has been added the cookies should be kept in a single layer in the fridge in an airtight container. This will help to prevent some of the cookies from sticking to one another and can help the caramel from sliding off of the cookies.

How to store unused caramel sauce

Keep your unused caramel stored in an airtight container in the fridge (I like to use a sealed mason jar) for maximum freshness. Then when you’re ready to use it, microwave for about 15 seconds and stir to get it to a nice drizzling consistency. After your cookies have been covered, If you still find yourself with leftover caramel, go ahead and use it over ice cream, brownies, or other delicious treats!

Nothing quite says Fall like caramel apples but you are going to love these other Fall inspired recipes!

• CARAMEL APPLE SNICKERDOODLES
• MAPLE SWEET POTATO PIE
• FALL FRUIT BREAKFAST CRUMBLE
• BAKED SWEET POTATO FRIES
• HOMEMADE PUMPKIN BAGELS
• CAKE MIX APPLE PIE BARS
• HERSHEY’S PUDDING AUTUMN BLOOM TOPPERS
• MAPLE PUMPKIN SPICE POPCORN
• PECAN CARAMEL APPLE PIE
• BROWN SUGAR FRIED APPLES
• PUMPKIN PIE BARS
• MAPLE PECAN SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE

Caramel Apple Cookies are a treat your family will love and about for weeks to come! They combine our love for cookies and the yummy caramel on caramel apples.