Caramel Apple Snickerdoodles
Caramel apples. Something every dentist and parent fears.
They are usually beautifully decorated and wrapped up in cellophane just to prove they are, in fact, the singular most gigantic piece of candy ever designed. And they trick parents AND kids by being mostly apple and still 100 percent sugar. It’s fool proof.
But making them is messy and not nearly as rewarding as eating them, so I tried to think of a fun way to marry those flavors in a more suitable, likeable format. And honestly, can you think of anything more likeable than a cookie? Me neither. And since nothing screams fall quite like a snickerdoodle cookie, I decided to play with two perfect classics.
Snickerdoodles are thicker, chewier and tangier than your classic sugar cookie, and so full of warmth from the crunchy cinnamon and sugar topping. It’s the perfect only ever-so-slightly blank canvas for the rich caramel and tart apples.
A few important notes about the ingredients before we get to the recipe!
I highly recommend getting freeze-dried green apples for this recipe. The freeze dried apples will soften without adding extra moisture to the cookie, and I chose the green ones because the tartness really shines and cuts the sweetness of the caramel and cinnamon. Plus, the rest of the bag can be used for snacking! Snacks are always a bonus.
I bought Kraft caramel bits and incorporated them much like you would chocolate chips, but you could also buy Kraft caramel squares or use homemade caramels cut into squares and wrap the cookie dough around them so it’s stuffed! Either would work beautifully.
Okay, that’s it. I’ve got nothing left to say. Are you ready for the ultimate way to eat a caramel apple? Dentist approved!*
*Fact Check: Absolutely no dentist has approved this.
Caramel Apple Snickerdoodles
Ingredients
Cookies
2 3/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 sticks (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg + 1 yolk
1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
1 cup (about 1.6 ounces) freeze dried apples, roughly chopped
6 ounces caramel candies, either Kraft bits or chopped fine (or 1/2” squares if you’re making stuffed cookies!)
Topping
1/2 cup white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Process
In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside.
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter, white and brown sugars and vanilla for 3-5 minutes, working up to medium speed until fluffy in texture. Add egg and yolk and bring back up to medium speed for another 3 minutes, until airy, and almost creamy and lighter in color.
Add flour mixture into wet mixture in three parts, on medium-low, scraping down the sides of the bowl each time. Stir in apples and caramel (if not stuffing) until evenly dispersed. Cover dough directly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour, or overnight.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350F. Take cookies out of fridge and let sit for about 10 minutes.
While cookies are resting, make topping by whisking together white sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in a shallow bowl.
Using your hands and a scale, roll cookies into 1.5 ounce balls and roll in topping mixture. If you’re stuffing your cookies, create a flat disk with the cookie dough, placing caramel in the center, and wrapping the cookie dough around it, creating a dough ball around the caramel before rolling in topping mixture.
Place cookies on parchment lined cookie sheet, about 3-4 inches apart. If you like thicker cookies, let sit in fridge for 10 minutes before baking. If you prefer thinner cookies, bake from room temperature.
Bake at 350F for 12-15 minutes, or until the space between the topping where the cookies spread are no longer shiny. Once cookies are out of the oven, If you chose to spread smaller caramel bits throughout the cookie, use a butter knife to gently wipe the loose caramel back into the edges of the cookie.
Let cookies cool completely and enjoy! These cookies have incredible longevity and will taste incredibly fresh for 4-5 days if stored in an airtight container at room temperature!