These Apple Crisp Cookies are packed with chunks of fresh apple, topped with a brown sugar cinnamon streusel, and finished with a maple glaze. You get all the flavors of an apple crisp in one chewy cookie!
If you’re a sucker for an apple crisp dessert like me, check out these Apple Crisp Cheesecakes, Overnight Apple Crisp French Toast, and Baked Maple Glazed Apple Crisp Doughnuts (Donuts)!
Table of Contents
These Apple Crisp Cookies are like a homemade apple crisp in cookie form!
They’re made with a brown sugar cookie base packed with fresh apples, topped with streusel, and finished with a maple glaze.
With some basic ingredients, you can make these chewy, fall-inspired cookies that taste better than anything you can buy at the store.
The hardest part about this recipe is waiting for the cookie dough to chill in the fridge!
If, like me, you love anything with crumble on it, try these Coffee Cake Cookies next!
Why we love these Apple Crisp Cookies:
- Easy: This recipe comes together in 20 minutes and uses basic pantry staples you probably have in your kitchen right now!
- Flavors of fall: Tart apples, cinnamon sugar streusel, and maple are the classic flavors of fall that make you feel warm and cozy as soon as you take a bite.
- Make-ahead friendly: You can freeze the unbaked cookie dough balls for months, so you can enjoy them whenever those fall cravings strike!
What others are saying:
“I have made this recipe multiple times over the years, and always for special events. Whether it be someones birthday or a bridal shower, I can show up with enough cookies for 4 per person and they are the first dessert to go every time. Thankful for the creativity that went into developing this amazing recipe!” Meg
Ingredients for Apple Crisp Cookies:
- Butter: gives us the perfect crisp chewy texture.
- Brown sugar: Adds a warm caramel flavor and sweetness. You’ll also need it for the streusel topping! Dark or light brown sugar will work.
- Granulated sugar: Adds the right amount of sweetness while helping the cookies spread into perfectly round, slightly crispy edges. It also helps sweeten the streusel topping!
- Vanilla: Adds a depth of flavor.
- Eggs: These act as a binder and give those cookies that perfect chewy texture we all love.
- Flour: Helps create the dough and the streusel topping.
- Baking soda: Helps the cookies spread out and rise slightly!
- Apple: Granny Smith apples have the perfect tart flavor that is balanced by the sweetness in these cookies.
- Cinnamon: The warm, cozy spice that pairs perfectly with apples and streusel!
- Rolled oats: These add texture to the streusel, making it chewy and hearty.
- Maple glaze: This is a mixture of powdered sugar and maple syrup. I recommend pure maple syrup for the best flavor!
How to make Apple Crisp Cookies:
All it takes is 20 minutes to make a batch of these chewy apples cookies! Check out the recipe card for the full list of recipe instructions.
- Cream together softened butter and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla, mixing until smooth.
- Add dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
- Mix in the chopped apples and chill.
- Combine cold butter, sugars, cinnamon, flour, and oats. Use your fingers or a pastry cutter to make it crumbly. Roll the cookie dough and top with streusel before baking.
Variations and Substitutions
- Walnuts or pecans: Swap the apple chunks for chopped nuts like walnuts or pecans to add a crunchy texture and extra flavor to the cookie.
- Maple glaze alternative: If you’re not a fan of maple, you can make a vanilla glaze instead. Just mix powdered sugar with a splash of milk and a drop of vanilla extract for a more subtle flavor.
How to store Apple Crisp Cookies:
Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one day, or refrigerate them for up to one week.
For longer storage, you can freeze the cookies for up to three months.
Make-ahead option:
Making these maple glazed Apple Cookies ahead of time is super easy!
You can prepare the cookie dough and store it in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Just cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it chill until you’re ready to bake.
You can also scoop the dough into balls and freeze them. Just place the dough balls on a baking sheet, flash-freeze them for about 30 minutes, then transfer them to a freezer bag.
When you’re ready to bake, pop them right onto a baking sheet and bake as usual. No need to thaw!
More apple recipes you’ll love:
- Apple Fritter Cake — serve this one warm from the oven!
- Easy Apple Crisp — you can’t beat this crispy streusel
- Apple Coffee Cake with Crumb Topping Recipe — breakfast or dessert?
- Apple Upside Down Cake — don’t forget the vanilla ice cream!
Maple Glazed Apple Crisp Cookies
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
- 1¼ cups butter room temperature
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 large eggs
- 3¼ cups flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 medium apple, peeled and finely chopped, (about 1 ¾ cups of apple)
Streusel
- ¼ cup butter, cold
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ cup flour
- ⅓ cup rolled oats
Glaze
- ½ cup powdered icing sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons maple syrup
Instructions
- In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until smooth.
- Add the flour, salt, and baking soda and beat just until combined.
- Dry chopped apples on a paper towel to remove excess moisture. 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).
Streusel
- 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.
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- 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 set. Refrigerate any extra pans of cookies that are waiting to be baked. Cookies will be slightly puffed but will sink down as they cool.
Glaze
- Combine powdered icing sugar and just 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).
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Want to save this recipe?
Create an account easily save your favorite content, so you never forget a recipe again.
Tried this recipe?
Tag @thereciperebel or hashtag #thereciperebel — I love to see what you’re making!
Tag @thereciperebel
Jeri Ellis says
The maple glazed apple cookies are heavenly. I love anything with a maple or caramel flavor.
barry says
yummy
Rene says
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.
Ashley says
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!
Kimberly Broussard says
Did you try baking these again?
Kimberly says
It’s always funny when people assume that the problem is anything but themselves. Almost all of the reviews are positive and problem free, but because you had an issue you’re convinced the recipe is the problem. Oh, you can tell me that you’ve been baking over one thousand cookies a day for the last eighty years. That still doesn’t change the fact that the other reviewers managed to struggle on and eek out the cookies correctly regardless of the fact that you are the expert in the room.
Emily says
These sound so delicious! I’m wondering how to sub for the cake mix using plain flour, etc. Any ideas, Ashley?
Ashley says
You’d want to just find a regular vanilla cookie recipe you enjoy and add the fresh apple, streusel and glaze. Hope that helps!
Pernilla says
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 🙂
Ashley says
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!
Jess @ Flying on Jess Fuel says
Apple crisp cookies were definitely a brilliant idea!! They sound amazing and are so perfect for the holidays!! 🙂
Ashley says
Thanks Jess! They kind of blew my mind!
Thalia @ butter and brioche says
How delicious are these cookies?! Definitely adding these onto my Christmas baking list. Pinned!
Ashley says
Thanks Thalia!
Jessica @ Sweet Menu says
Wow these cookies look wonderful! Love the drippy glaze – I could eat a few right now!
Ashley says
Thanks Jessica!
Nora @ Savory Nothings says
This is such a great idea Ashley! I LOVE apple crisp and I love cookies – I bet they taste amazing!
Ashley says
Thanks Nora! They worked surprisingly well – one of my favorites to date for sure!
Marcie says
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.
Ashley says
Thanks Marcie! I was surprised how good they were!
Medha @ Whisk & Shout says
Wow! These sure aren’t the run of the mill chocolate chip or peanut butter cookies… some seriously creative baking 🙂 Shoutout to your husband for making these happen!
Ashley says
Haha, if he read these comments I think it’d go to his head a little bit! Lol. Thanks Medha!
Kevin | keviniscooking says
Ashley these look amazing. I grew up with my Gramma’s Apple Crisp and can’t wait to try these cookies. With a streusel AND glaze, wow! Thanks!
Ashley says
Thanks Kevin! You can’t go wrong with streusel!
ATasteOfMadness says
Omg, these cookies look amazing!! I am addicted to making cookies! I am very glad your husband suggested you bake some cookies. You are inspiring me to make some myself!
Ashley says
Thanks so much! He’s usually pretty good at that kind of stuff… Lol
Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom says
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! 😛
Ashley says
Haha, ya know, I hadn’t thought to thank him! He’s usually pretty supportive when it comes to my baking…. Lol. Thanks Alice!
Denise | Sweet Peas & Saffron says
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 🙂
Ashley says
What?! That’s crazy! My husband loves his sweets, so our self-control is pretty much non-existant…. Lol. Thanks Denise!
Isadora @ she likes food says
What an awesome idea!! I love creative cookies like these that I would probably never think of myself! I’m glad you didn’t tell you husband to make his own cookies and that you came up with these gems instead!!
Ashley says
Haha, I’m pretty glad I didn’t, too! Who knows what he would have come up with…
Amanda says
Your breakthrough looks delicious! 🙂
Ashley says
Thanks Amanda!
Kelly - Life Made Sweeter says
Apple crisp cookies? Love that idea! I am a sucker for anything with a streusel topping and topping soft and chewy baked cookies with a maple glaze sounds like the ultimate treat! They look phenomenal! Pinning!
Ashley says
Thanks so much Kelly! I was SO happy with the way they turned out!
Cyndi - My Kitchen Craze says
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!
Ashley says
Thanks Cyndi! When I’ve got nothing else to do, I usually end up in the kitchen…. Lol.
Stacey @ Bake.Eat.Repeat. says
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!
Baby June says
Mmm those look great! I love apple crisp, but cookie form is awesome too! Especially since they are more portable 🙂
Ashley says
I just couldn’t believe how well they turned out! Thanks!