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Caramel apple snickerdoodles – a fall twist on snickerdoodle cookies! These actually taste like caramel apple and remind me of those green caramel apple suckers

caramel apple snickerdoodle cookies stacked on top of each other on a metal cooking rack with apples in background
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A few weeks ago I shared a recipe for turtle cookies (they are so delicious!) and in that post I vowed to share more cookie recipes. So I’m keeping good on my word!

Growing up I loved snickerdoodles – what kid doesn’t like any kind of cookie though?! But it’s been years since I’ve had one.

rolling snickerdoodle cookie in cinnamon sugar topping in glass bowl

The mixture of cinnamon sugar that the cookie is rolled in is spot on and irresistible. Plus one of the draws to snickerdoodle cookies is the tanginess from the cream of tartar. The cream of tartar reacts with the baking soda to leaven the cookies and it also gives snickerdoodles their chewy texture.

I decided to take the traditional snickerdoodle recipe and give it a fall twist with 2 iconic flavors – caramel and apple!

So I got to work and baked and baked and baked. I baked 6 batches of caramel apple snickerdoodles to find the best recipe! I tried apple juice, apple cider and powdered apple cider drink mix to add apple flavor to the cookies.

Caramel apple snickerdoodle dough balls lined up on silicone baking mat on metal baking sheet

The verdict?

The apple juice and apple cider didn’t really provide any apple flavor to the cookies after I baked them.

Apple Cider Drink Mix in Cookies

But the apple cider drink mix added nice apple flavor to the cookies! I also added caramel bits (the tiny caramel balls that Kraft makes for baking and melting for caramel apples) to the dough making these cookies truly caramel apple snickerdoodles!

caramel apple cookie on wire cooling rack with caramel bits, cinnamon sticks and apple in the background

The cookies actually remind me of those caramel apple suckers – the green ones that are dipped in caramel – mmmmm!! The cookies have a sweet and sour taste and I think they smell like sour apple candy!

I also experimented with chilling the dough in the bowl, chilling the dough in balls and not chilling the dough. Not chilling the dough at all produced cookies that spread out more.

But I couldn’t really see a significant difference between chilling the dough in the bowl versus chilling the dough in balls. The dough chilled in balls maybe seemed to produce a slightly taller cookie – but again, nothing that made a significant difference.

I chilled the dough for 30 minutes in the fridge before scooping them into balls and baking them.

These little fall cookies are irresistible.

Caramel apple snickerdoodles lined up on silicone baking mat on metal baking sheet

Total Time Required

  • 5 minutes to prep the dough
  • 30 minutes to chill the dough
  • 10 minutes to bake
  • 10 minutes to cool

Tips

  • Properly measure the all purpose flour using the spoon and sweep method.
  • Use room temperature butter for easier creaming of the butter and sugar.
  • Refrigerate the cookie dough for 30 minutes.
  • Use a cookie scoop to form cookie dough balls.
  • Bake cookies on a silicone baking mat.
caramel apple snickerdoodle cookies stacked on top of each other on a metal cooking rack with apples in background

More Fall Recipes

Caramel apple snickerdoodles - a fall twist on snickerdoodle cookies! These actually taste like caramel apple and remind me of those green caramel apple suckers!
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Caramel Apple Snickerdoodles

By: Beth
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Additional Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 26 -30 cookies
Caramel apple snickerdoodles – a fall twist on snickerdoodle cookies! These actually taste like caramel apple and remind me of those green caramel apple suckers!

Ingredients 

Cookies

  • 2 ½ cups all purpose flour
  • 2 tsp cream of tartar
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 2 packets apple cider drink mix, .74 oz each (make sure you see the . ◀️ it's .74)
  • 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened, 1 cup
  • 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • ½ cup caramel bits, like Kraft brand

Topping

  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tbsp cinnamon

Instructions 

  • In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt and apple cider drink mix. Set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer for 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs. Mix in the caramel bits with a spatula. Slowly add the flour mixture to the wet mixture, mixing until the flour is just combined. 
  • Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
  • In a small bowl, mix together the cinnamon sugar topping.
  • Remove the dough from the fridge. Using a small cookie dough scoop, scoop dough and roll it into a ball. Roll the ball into the cinnamon sugar mixture. Place them on a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until the tops become a little crackly. Allow the cookies to cool for 5-10 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack or eating them!

Nutrition

Calories: 187kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 33mg | Sodium: 105mg | Potassium: 79mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 241IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 1mg
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About Beth

I believe that everyone should have a go-to dessert to bring to parties! With hundreds of recipes, I'll help you find yours!

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