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Apple Butter Cookies

Apple butter cookies with cinnamon-sugar edges and a tender, soft crumb. The dough is mixed until fluffy, portioned into rolled balls, then baked at 375°F for set edges.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
chilling 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 2 minutes
Servings: 30 cookies
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 160
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dry ingredients
  • 2.25 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1.5 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp nutmeg
  • 0.25 tsp allspice
  • 0.5 tsp salt
Cookie dough
  • 0.75 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 0.5 cup apple butter
  • 0.75 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 0.25 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
Rolling and finishing
  • 3 tbsp sugar
  • 1.5 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 Salted caramel drizzle for finishing

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Preheat and prep
  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F and line baking sheets with parchment, so cookies bake evenly and release easily.
Mix the dry ingredients
  1. Whisk the all-purpose flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt in a bowl until evenly combined, with no visible clumps.
Make the dough
  1. Beat the softened unsalted butter, apple butter, and both sugars until combined and fluffy, then stir in the egg and vanilla extract.
  2. Fold the flour mixture into the wet ingredients until just combined, keeping the dough soft with no dry streaks.
  3. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes if it feels sticky, until it firms up enough to roll.
Roll and bake
  1. Mix the rolling sugar and cinnamon, then scoop dough into 1-1/2 tablespoon balls and roll them to coat.
  2. Bake at 375°F for 10-12 minutes until the edges are set and the centers still look tender.
Finish and cool
  1. Drizzle with salted caramel while the cookies are warm, so it melts slightly and clings to the tops.
  2. Cool the cookies for 5 minutes on the pan, then transfer off-sheet to firm up before serving.

Notes

For neat rolling, let the dough rest the full 30 minutes if it feels sticky—this improves shaping and helps the cinnamon-sugar coating stick. Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days, or refrigerate up to 7 days; freeze baked cookies up to 2 months. For a lower-sugar option, reduce brown sugar to 1/2 cup and use an equal amount of a brown-sugar substitute designed for baking (the texture will be slightly less caramel-forward).