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Maple-Glazed Apple Crisp Cookies

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You guys, I had a total breakthrough.

Maple Glazed Apple Crisp Cookies: the perfect combination of flavours and textures, in an easy cake mix cookie! Perfect for holiday baking! www.thereciperebel.com

So I was telling my husband how I had not much to do on a particular Saturday, besides a few things on the blog and maybe bake some buns. So he says to me, “you should make cookies.”

Now normally, I’d be all like, “make your own cookies!”

Except he was right. I did want to make cookies.

So I was thinking about what kind of cookies to make… maybe something new and exciting to try for the blog? Or an old favorite and skip the photographing, writing, editing, etc., etc..

I was thinking about how I made these Cinnamon Roll Cookies once and totally raved about them, and then my sister made them and was totally disappointed because they were so much work and didn’t turn out that well. So I thought maybe I should try taking my cake mix cookie recipe from my Grandma’s oreo cookies (that also inspired these cookies), and turn them into an easy cinnamon roll cookie.

And then I started thinking about other holiday flavours and Christmas baking. And I started thinking about streusel, because that’s totally a normal direction for my brain to go on a Saturday morning.

And it came to me: Apple Crisp Cookies.

Maple Glazed Apple Crisp Cookies: the perfect combination of flavours and textures, in an easy cake mix cookie! Perfect for holiday baking! www.thereciperebel.com

I could start with my Grandma’s cake mix cookie recipe as a base, add chunks of apple, and a brown sugar oat streusel on top. And it would be amazing.

I was a little nervous though, that something wouldn’t work and they would bake too flat or the apples would be crunchy, and on and on.

Except they were perfect.

I mean, they are totally, insanely delicious.

You don’t even need the maple glaze…. but if you’re feeling like you need a little extra indulgence? Do it. Maple + apples + streusel + cookies rocks my world.

Maple Glazed Apple Crisp Cookies: the perfect combination of flavours and textures, in an easy cake mix cookie! Perfect for holiday baking! www.thereciperebel.com

 

*Update March 21, 2015: Because this is one of my favorite cookie recipes, and cake mixes can be somewhat fickle (with different weights, ingredients, etc.) I wanted to create a scratch version. I. LOVE. THEM. You’ll find the scratch recipe just below.

Maple-Glazed Apple Crisp Cookies - Cake Mix version

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 36 cookies
Calories: 160 kcal
Author: Ashley Fehr
Maple Glazed Apple Crisp Cookies: the perfect combination of flavours and textures, in an easy cake mix cookie! Perfect for holiday baking! www.thereciperebel.com
Print

Ingredients

Cookies:

  • 2 boxes vanilla cake mix about 16.5 ounces each
  • 4 eggs
  • 1/4 cup oil
  • 1 medium apple diced very finely

Streusel:

  • 1/4 cup butter cold
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1/3 cup large oats

Glaze:

  • 1 tbsp icing sugar
  • 1 tsp maple syrup

Instructions

  1. For the cookies:Combine all ingredients until well mixed. Set in the refrigerator for 15-30 minutes while you make your streusel.
  2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and make your streusel.
  3. Combine all streusel ingredients until crumbly -- if you squeeze some between your fingers, it should be moist enough to hold together.
  4. Using a 1" cookie scoop or spoon, drop cookie dough about 1.5-2" apart on a baking sheet (I do 12 to a sheet). Using your fingers, press some of the streusel into the top of the cookie.
  5. Bake for 9-10 minutes, until just slightly golden at the edges and slightly puffed and dry in the center. They will sink down a bit as they cool, as long as they aren't overbaked.
  6. Combine glaze ingredients if desired -- the 1tbsp to 1 tsp ratio will do about 3-4 cookies. I've given you a small enough ratio to work with so that you can double, triple or quadruple as desired if you wish! Drizzle over cooled cookies and let set (or stuff in your face immediately).
Nutrition Facts
Maple-Glazed Apple Crisp Cookies - Cake Mix version
Amount Per Serving
Calories 160 Calories from Fat 36
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 4g 6%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Cholesterol 21mg 7%
Sodium 217mg 9%
Potassium 34mg 1%
Total Carbohydrates 28g 9%
Sugars 15g
Protein 2g 4%
Vitamin A 1.4%
Vitamin C 0.3%
Calcium 6.8%
Iron 4.1%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

 

Maple-Glazed Apple Crisp Cookies

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 8 minutes
Total Time: 23 minutes
Servings: 36 cookies
Calories: 186 kcal
Author: Ashley Fehr
A scratch-made cookie filled with fresh apple chunks and topped with brown sugar cinnamon streusel, drizzle with maple glaze. All the flavors of apple crisp in a chewy cookie!
Print

Ingredients

Cookies

  • 1 1/4 cups butter room temperature
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 large eggs
  • 3 1/4 cups flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 medium apple finely chopped (I used a Macintosh and got about 1 3/4 cups of apple)

Streusel

  • 1/4 cup butter cold
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1/3 cup large oats

Glaze

  • 1/2 cup powdered icing sugar
  • 2-3 tbsp maple syrup

Instructions

  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or you can use a handheld), cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until smooth.
  2. Add the flour, salt, and baking soda and beat just until combined. Add apples and mix until just combined. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour (I find the juices from the apples makes the dough a bit stickier than normal -- the chilling helps with this).
  3. While your cookie dough is chilling, make the streusel. Combine butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, flour and oats with a pastry cutter (or your fingers!) until crumbly. Set aside until needed. (Can be stored in the fridge if needed)
  4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease baking sheets.
  5. Roll cookie dough into 1" balls and dip in streusel, pressing the streusel into the top of the cookie with your fingers if needed (you only want the streusel on the top half). Place on a baking sheet 2" apart and bake for 8-9 minutes, until edges are just golden and centers are just barely set (if you overbake, they will puff up and be dry). Cookies will be slightly puffed but will sink down as they cool.
  6. Combine powdered icing sugar and enough maple syrup to make a smooth glaze. Drizzle over cookies and allow to cool until set (the glaze will firm up nicely so the cookies can be stacked).
Nutrition Facts
Maple-Glazed Apple Crisp Cookies
Amount Per Serving
Calories 186 Calories from Fat 72
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 8g 12%
Saturated Fat 4g 20%
Cholesterol 29mg 10%
Sodium 173mg 7%
Potassium 38mg 1%
Total Carbohydrates 27g 9%
Sugars 17g
Protein 1g 2%
Vitamin A 5%
Vitamin C 0.3%
Calcium 1.4%
Iron 3.9%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

 

Maple-Glazed Apple Crisp Cookies
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 3-4 dozen
A scratch-made cookie filled with fresh apple chunks and topped with brown sugar cinnamon streusel, drizzle with maple glaze. All the flavors of apple crisp in a chewy cookie!
Ingredients
  • Cookies
  • 1 1/4 cups butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 large eggs
  • 3 1/4 cups flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 medium apple, finely chopped (I used a Macintosh and got about 1 3/4 cups of apple)
  • Streusel
  • ¼ cup butter, cold
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • ¼ cup flour
  • ⅓ cup large oats
  • Glaze
  • 1/2 cup powdered icing sugar
  • 2-3 tbsp maple syrup
Instructions
  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or you can use a handheld), cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until smooth.
  2. Add the flour, salt, and baking soda and beat just until combined. Add apples and mix until just combined. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour (I find the juices from the apples makes the dough a bit stickier than normal — the chilling helps with this).
  3. While your cookie dough is chilling, make the streusel. Combine butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, flour and oats with a pastry cutter (or your fingers!) until crumbly. Set aside until needed. (Can be stored in the fridge if needed)
  4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease baking sheets.
  5. Roll cookie dough into 1″ balls and dip in streusel, pressing the streusel into the top of the cookie with your fingers if needed (you only want the streusel on the top half). Place on a baking sheet 2″ apart and bake for 8-9 minutes, until edges are just golden and centers are just barely set (if you overbake, they will puff up and be dry). Cookies will be slightly puffed but will sink down as they cool.
  6. Combine powdered icing sugar and enough maple syrup to make a smooth glaze. Drizzle over cookies and allow to cool until set (the glaze will firm up nicely so the cookies can be stacked).

 You might also like these 4-Ingredient Double Chocolate Cookies!

 Easy 4 Ingredient Double Chocolate Cookies -- but you'd never know! Perfectly soft and chewy, with much less time and effort! www.thereciperebel.com

 

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Comments

  1. Just wow.

    This recipe is a complete stunner! Can’t wait to bring these to my office cookie swap tomorrow.

    Protip for any of you concerned about spreadage from the moisture in the apple – I diced mine up fine as directed, and then very gently pressed it between two paper towels. This absorbed the excess moisture (I’m sure the juice level varies apple to apple).

    This recipe will be a new holiday tradition for me!

    Reply

  2. The apples in your cookies look like they still have the peel on – is this correct? Gonna try this recipe this week for a cookie exchange!

    Reply

  3. My daughter is going to try baking these. Have you ever tried baking them again? Are the amounts right with the butter?

    Regarding and earlier complaint about them: Made the scratch recipe, as they sounded delicious. Unfortunately, there are some issues with the recipe. Too much butter, no matter how long the dough chilled, led to a serious case of cookie spreadage. Upped the oven temp 25 degrees, still a mess. The streusel recipe produced way too much for the amount of dough, had over half of it left over, and after baking, I can’t see the streusel. Again, with all the butter in the dough combined with the butter in the streusel, the streusel just melted into the cookies while spreading. I might try again, using at least half shortening for part of the butter, and cutting the streusel recipe in half.

    Reply

    • The dough recipe is my mother’s chocolate chip cookie dough that she’s been using for more than 20 years — there’s nothing wrong with the amount of butter in the recipe. If you add too much apple, there might be extra moisture which could cause spreading, but I personally have never had that issue.

      Reply

      • I have made the from scratch recipe many times and have found that if the apple(s) are NOT finely chopped there does seem to have moisture issue. Also one trick that I use to get even sized cookies is to use my small melon scoop instead of hand rolling them, gives a perfect size and allows for easier dipping in the streusel. This recipe is a favorite among my husband and kids- they call them the “crack” cookies for how addictive they are!

        Reply

  5. Made the scratch recipe, as they sounded delicious. Unfortunately, there are some issues with the recipe. Too much butter, no matter how long the dough chilled, led to a serious case of cookie spreadage. Upped the oven temp 25 degrees, still a mess. The streusel recipe produced way too much for the amount of dough, had over half of it left over, and after baking, I can’t see the streusel. Again, with all the butter in the dough combined with the butter in the streusel, the streusel just melted into the cookies while spreading. I might try again, using at least half shortening for part of the butter, and cutting the streusel recipe in half.

    Reply

    • I’m sorry you had issues with the recipe Rene. I used the chocolate chip cookie base that my mom has used since my childhood, and I’ve never had any issues with it. I will have to test the recipe again and see if it needs adjusting! Thanks for letting me know!

      Reply

    • You’d want to just find a regular vanilla cookie recipe you enjoy and add the fresh apple, streusel and glaze. Hope that helps!

      Reply

  7. I’m in Sweden and came across this recipe,I wonder about the golden cake mix,is it a soft cakemix like spoungecake?just wondering so I can find something simular here 🙂

    Reply

    • It’s just a regular vanilla cake mix. Here we have regular white and golden, and I prefer golden in this recipe. I hope that helps!

      Reply

  12. I love your thought process behind how you made up your mind about what kind of cookies to make. I toil about all kinds of different variations, too, then pray they work! Glad these worked out for you, because they look incredible, Ashley! So easy and so delicious.

    Reply

  16. These cookies look amazing!!! Anything that starts with Grandma’s cake mix cookie recipe as a base, and has chunks of apple, and a brown sugar oat streusel on top sounds pretty fantastic to me!! love love love and you probably need to thank your husband for the idea to bake cookies! 😛

    Reply

    • Haha, ya know, I hadn’t thought to thank him! He’s usually pretty supportive when it comes to my baking…. Lol. Thanks Alice!

      Reply

  17. YUM! These cookies are so creative! Love that you brought apple crisp flavors into a cookie. And it’s nice that your husband asks for cookies; mine is more like ‘what on earth are you baking now?!’ Totally not a sweet tooth (how is that even possible!?) Anyways, these cookies look amazing 🙂

    Reply

    • What?! That’s crazy! My husband loves his sweets, so our self-control is pretty much non-existant…. Lol. Thanks Denise!

      Reply

  21. Haha Ashley, I love your response to your hubby…”make your own cookies”. But then you wanted some. Made me giggle! Sounds like my hubby and I. These cookies look better then your average cookie. They look like they should be sold in those expensive stores and cost an arm and leg. They are so pretty looking too. So going to make these, so I can impress my hubby co-workers!! 😉 Pinned!

    Reply

  22. I love that thought tangent that brought you to these cookies! I’m like that too, starting thinking about one thing and ending up with something else entirely! These cookies look amazing – apple crisp cookies was a great idea! Pinned!

    Reply

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