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These Apple Cider Snickerdoodles are deliciously soft, chewy cookies that blend the warm fall flavors of apple cider and apple pie spices for a tasty autumnal twist on the traditional snickerdoodle.
Why You’ll 🫶🏻 these Cookies
If you love snickerdoodles and enjoy sipping apple cider, you’re in for a delightful surprise! These spiced cookies combine the beloved snickerdoodle with comforting fall flavors. Infused with apple cider and aromatic spices, they make an ideal treat for crisp autumn days. Each soft, chewy cookie is rolled in apple pie spice sugar for that signature snickerdoodle flair. The unique twist comes from using reduced apple cider, elevating these cookies to a whole new level of deliciousness. Happy baking! 🍂🍎🍁 ~Nicole
Key Ingredients for Apple Cider Snickerdoodles
Apple Cider is key to achieving that delightful apple-spice flavor, so choose regular apple cider instead of apple cider vinegar. Simmer the cider down to create a rich, syrupy essence, and avoid flavored varieties like cinnamon apple cider, as they can overpower the taste.
Unbleached All-purpose Flour is the foundation of the cookie dough.
Baking Soda serves as the leavening agent, eliminating the need for baking powder.
Cream of Tartar is essential for giving snickerdoodle cookies their signature tang and chewy texture.
Apple Pie Spice is a combination of warming spices: cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. I use my Homemade Apple Pie Spice, but store-bought will work in a pinch.
Unsalted Butter is recommended, but if you prefer salted butter, just skip the added salt.
Granulated Sugar and Light Brown Sugar are the main sweeteners; both go into the cookie dough, and white sugar is used for rolling as well.
Pure Vanilla Extract adds a floral essence and depth to the sweetness.
Extra-large Egg ensure the cookies remain moist and chewy, though a large egg also works well
Equipment Needed
- Stand mixer with paddle attachment
- Rimmed baking sheet
- Silicone baking mat
- #40 (1-ounce) ice cream scoop
Tips for Making Apple Cider Snickerdoodles
- Simmer the cider over medium heat until reduced to 2 tablespoons. Transfer to a small bowl. Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes.
- When measuring flour, avoid scooping directly from the container with your measuring cup. Instead, stir the flour well, spoon it into the measuring cup, and then level it off using an offset spatula, or the back of a knife for accuracy.
- Cream the butter and sugars, add the cider syrup, egg, and vanilla, then blend in the flour mixture until the dough is slightly sticky. I like to finish mixing the dough with a dough scraper to make sure everything is evenly blended
- Chilling the cookie dough for at least two hours is essential, as it ensures the butter is cold when the cookies bake, preventing excessive spreading and resulting in a thinner cookie.
- When portioning the cookie dough, aim for two tablespoons per cookie. You can use either a #40 two-tablespoon (1 ounce) cookie scoop or a measuring tablespoon, and each ball should be about 1 ½ inches in diameter.
Substitutions and Variations
- Substitute apple juice for the apple cider, though it won’t have that unique spiced apple essence.
- Substitute gluten-free flour for the unbleached all-purpose flour.
- Substitute a large egg for the extra-large egg.
- Substitute coconut oil for the unsalted butter.
- Add caramel baking bits for a caramel apple cider snickerdoodle spin.
- Add chopped pecans or walnuts.
- Add chopped dried fruit, like cranberries.
- Add freeze-dried apples for more apple flavor.
Serving Suggestions
When hosting a gathering or enjoying a cozy day at home, consider these fun serving ideas.
- For a warm beverage pairing, hot apple cider is a delightful match for these cookies, creating a perfect fall vibe. Alternatively, savor them with your morning coffee or as an afternoon treat to highlight the cinnamon and apple flavors. A warm spiced tea can also enhance the cookie’s sweetness, adding a comforting element.
- If you’re looking to impress, turn the cookies into ice cream sandwiches with vanilla bean ice cream or caramel ice cream, or dip half in melted white chocolate for a decadent twist.
- These cookies also make a fantastic addition to seasonal celebrations; surprise your guests by serving them as a unique dessert at Thanksgiving or bring them to a holiday cookie exchange where they are sure to be a favorite among friends and family.
A few factors can cause cookies to turn out flat. One common issue is using butter that is too warm, which leads to excessive spreading during baking. If your cookies spread too much, try chilling the remaining dough longer. Another possibility is that your baking soda may not be fresh, which can affect the rise. A silicone baking mat helps and makes a difference, as it gives the cookies better grip and helps minimize spreading in the oven.
Reducing the cider removes excess water while concentrating the sugars and flavors. If you use ¼ cup of regular cider, the flavor would be too weak, and the dough would be too thin.
If you don’t have cream of tartar, substitute an equal amount of baking powder. Just remember to reduce the baking soda in the recipe by half, as baking powder already contains a leavening agent
Other sweet recipes you may enjoy…
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Apple Cider Snickerdoodles
Ingredients
For the Cookies
- 1 cup apple cider
- ½ cup (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup gently packed light brown sugar
- 1 extra-large egg, at room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ½ cups unbleached all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ¼ teaspoons apple pie spice
For the Apple Pie Spice Sugar Coating
- 3 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon apple pie spice
Instructions
- Heat apple cider in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Simmer until the cider has reduced to 2 tablespoons, about 25 minutes. Let cool for about 15 minutes before using the cider in cookies.
- In a small bowl, stir together salt, flour, cream of tartar, and baking soda; set aside.
- Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a handheld mixer, beat butter, sugar, and brown sugar until fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Beat in the egg, vanilla, and the 2 tbsp of reduced, cooled apple cider. Mix until well incorporated, scraping down the sides as needed. Gradually beat the flour mixture into the butter mixture, about ½ cup at a time. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure everything is incorporated. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until firm.
- When ready to bake, place an oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. In a small bowl, stir together the apple pie spice-sugar coating ingredients.
- Using a #40 (1-ounce) ice cream scoop or measuring spoons, scoop dough into about 2 tablespoon-sized round balls. Roll the balls in the coating, then place them on the prepared cookie sheet about 2 ½ inches apart.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until tops are set and edges are golden brown. Let cool on cookie sheets for 2 minutes, then move to a cooling rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining cookie dough. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Source: Adapted from kingarthurbaking.com
I would be thrilled if you could leave a comment or rate the cookie recipe after trying it! Your feedback is incredibly important to me, and I make it a point of responding to every message. Additionally, if you post a picture of your creation on Instagram, don’t forget to tag me! I genuinely love seeing the delicious dishes you’ve prepared. ~Nicole♡
