Description
Soft Caramel Apple Spice Cookies are a fall dream! Chewy, spiced, and loaded with tender apples and gooey caramel. Easy recipe for cozy baking.
Ingredients
Scale
- Cookie Dough Essentials:
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Apple & Spice Blend:
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 cup finely diced fresh apple (Granny Smith or Honeycrisp)
- Caramel Swirl:
- 12–15 soft caramels, unwrapped
- Finishing Touches:
- Flaky sea salt (optional, for sprinkling)
Instructions
- Prep Your Apples and Caramels:: First things first, get those apples diced up really small, about 1/4 inch. If they’re too big, your Soft Caramel Apple Spice Cookies won’t hold together as well, trust me on this. Then, unwrap all your caramels and set them aside. This little prep step makes a world of difference when you’re mid-dough-mixing and don’t want sticky fingers wrestling with wrappers. I always forget this part and end up rushing!
- Cream the Butter and Sugars:: In a large bowl, or your stand mixer if you have one, cream together the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until it’s light and fluffy. This usually takes about 2-3 minutes. Don’t rush this step; it incorporates air, which makes for a lighter, softer cookie. I used to under-cream, and my cookies were always a bit dense, so learn from my mistakes!
- Add Egg and Vanilla:: Crack in that large egg, then pour in the vanilla extract. Beat it all together until just combined. You’ll see it start to look glossy and well-emulsified. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure everything gets mixed in properly. This is where the magic starts to smell really good, honestly!
- Whisk Dry Ingredients:: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Give it a good whisk to make sure all those spices are evenly distributed. Nobody wants a bite of cookie that’s all cinnamon, right? I sometimes forget to whisk properly, and my cookies have uneven flavor, so don’t be like me!
- Combine Wet and Dry & Fold in Apples:: Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until *just* combined. Stop as soon as you see no more streaks of flour. Overmixing develops the gluten, making your Soft Caramel Apple Spice Cookies tough. Then, gently fold in your diced apples. This part always smells heavenly!
- Scoop, Swirl, and Bake Your Soft Caramel Apple Spice Cookies:: Scoop dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Gently press a few unwrapped caramels onto the top of each cookie dough ball. Bake in a preheated oven until the edges are golden and the centers are just set. They’ll look a little soft, but they’ll firm up as they cool. This is where the caramel gets all gooey and delicious, a wonderful sight!