These dreamy Salted Caramel Apple Cookies are chewy, sweet a little salty and just all around YUM. Gooey caramel, tart apples and flaky sea salt… I mean… come on!
Can we talk love for a minute? Cookie love. I have two cookie love languages.
The first is chewy. I am a sucker for a chewy cookie. It is the cookie texture I seriously crave.
The second is sweet ‘n salty. It’s just food combination perfection. It’s above PB&J, Mac & Cheese, Bacon & Eggs… it is the top of the food combo pyramid.
And these cookies… these cookies satisfy both of my love languages and that is why I just can’t stop eating them and I would very much like someone to come and take them away from me please.
Scroll past the recipe if you’re looking for tips, substitutions, questions, etc. and details on how to make this recipe, but if you want to get straight to it, here’s my recipe-ish…
Salted Caramel Apple Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 Granny Smith apple diced small
- 2 cups flour
- 2 Tbsp milk powder
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1 cup melted butter cooled
- 1/2 cup cane sugar
- 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
- Mix well and add in:
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1 egg
- 20 Caramels diced*
- Flaky salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375
- Prepare the apples:
- Spread the diced apple pieces on a parchment lined baking sheet and put them in the oven for 10 minutes to slightly dry them out.
- Remove from the oven and set aside.
- Make the cookies:
- În a medium bowl combine the flour, milk powder, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Mix well and set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer combine the butter, sugar and brown sugar.
- Mix well – for several minutes – until very light and fluffy.
- Add in dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Fold in the apple pieces and 3/4 of the caramel pieces.
- Scoop the cookie dough onto the baking sheet.
- Top each ball of dough with a couple of the remaining caramel pieces.
- Bake for 9-11 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the flaky salt.
Notes
my pro tips for making the best salted caramel apple cookies
Baking – never over bake your cookies. A little underdone is better than overdone. Would you rather eat cookie dough or cookie bricks?
Apples – a quick bake in the oven dries the apples out a bit so we don’t make soggy cookies. Not so long of a bake that we make apple chips, but enough to force out some of the moisture.
Sprinkling – sprinkle on the flaky salt as soon as they cookies come out of the oven so it sticks well to any warm sticky spots.
recipe substitutions and variations
Swap the Granny Smith Apples for Honey Crisp or Fuji apples. You just want to be sure they’re tart and crisp varieties that will hold up to cooking.
Try caramel bits instead of caramels to make it easier. I don’t mind chopping regular caramels and mostly because I eat half of them as a reward for all my chopping work.
Butter – if you want to get a little more fancy you can brown the butter before making the cookies, just make sure it’s cooled before making the cookies.
Spiced Apple Cookie Version – add in a tsp of cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg for ultimate fall flavours.
Nutty Version – add in a handful of chopped pecans for added texture.
serving suggestions
One of my favourite ways to eat these cookies is warm from the oven, on a plate, topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Along that same line, you can use them to make ice cream sandwiches! These are so good with a caramel swirl ice cream if you can find it.
You can also serve them with a steaming cup of hot chai tea or apple cider for a cozy afternoon snack.
storing leftovers and make ahead details…
Fridge – after the first day I keep these cookies in the fridge. Wait until they’ve cooled completely and store them in a single layer.
Freezer – freeze the cookies on a baking tray in a single layer. Once frozen you can transfer them to an air-tight container or freezer bag, with wax paper or parchment between layers of cookies. You can also freeze the unbaked cookie dough balls and bake straight from frozen, you just have to increase baking time by a minute or two.
questions about these salted caramel apple cookies
How do you keep the caramels from sticking to the pan? I don’t find this to be much of a problem, but you can line the baking sheet with parchment if you want to ensure an easy release.
What kind of salt is best? any kind of flaky sea salt is best. I like Maldon salt. You don’t want to use regular table salt or fine salt or you’ll end up with a harsh saltiness when what you want it a subtle bite of salt.
If you like this easy Salted Caramel Apple Cookies Recipe let me know what you think in the comments below and please find and follow me on Social Media! And if you like it I think you’ll also like my: Brown Butter Oatmeal Cookies, Pistachio White Chocolate Cookies and Chocolate Chip Molasses Cookies. All cozy cookie favourites.
