Soft Apple Cider Cookies

I wanted a cookie that tasted like fall in one bite. Warm, cozy, and just a little nostalgic. A major perk of fall is going to an apple orchard. Walking down the rows of apple trees, picking only the best apples, then finally finishing it all off with some fresh cider donuts and a cup of warm apple cider. I wanted to make something that gave all of those core fall perks in one single cookie.

These soft apple cider cookies capture the flavors of fall in every bite. Reduced apple cider enhances the flavor without overpowering sweetness, while cinnamon sugar brings a comforting crunch. The cinnamon sugar coating adds to the warmth of these cookies, enhancing their flavor. This fall baking recipe will definitely be added to your autumn festivities. Paired with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a glass of warm apple cider, you will not be disappointed.

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Ingredients

Wet Ingredients:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, softened to room temperature

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar

• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar (light or dark)

• 2 large eggs, room temperature

• 1/4 cup reduced apple cider (see below)

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Dry Ingredients:

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 2 tsp cream of tartar

• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

• 1/4 tsp ground ginger

• 1/4 tsp salt

Cinnamon Sugar Coating:

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar

• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon

🍎 Step-by-Step Instructions 🍎

1. Reduce the Apple Cider

In a saucepan, pour 1.5 to 2 cups of apple cider and heat over medium. Stir occasionally until it thickens and reduces to 1/4 cup (about 10–15 minutes). It should have a syrup-like consistency.

Tip: Let it cool fully before adding to your dough the warm cider can melt the butter and ruin your cookie texture.

2. Prepare for Baking

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

3. Cream the Butter & Sugars

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using a handheld mixer), beat the softened butter, sugar, and brown sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

4. Add Eggs, Vanilla & Cider

Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing until fully combined. Then add the cooled reduced apple cider and vanilla extract. Mix until incorporated.

5. Add Dry Ingredients

To the same bowl, add the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt. Mix on low speed until the dough just comes together. Don’t overmix.

The dough should be soft and slightly tacky but not sticky.

6. Make Cinnamon Sugar Coating

In a small bowl, stir together 1/4 cup sugar and 1 tbsp cinnamon.

7. Shape & Roll the Dough

Use a medium cookie scoop (about 2 tablespoons of dough) to scoop dough balls. Roll each ball in the cinnamon sugar mixture and place them 2 inches apart on the baking sheet.

Optional: For extra flavor, do a second roll in cinnamon sugar just before baking.

8. Bake

Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until the cookies have puffed up and the edges look set. The centers will still be soft — that’s good! They’ll continue to bake on the tray.

For thicker cookies, chill the dough balls for 30 minutes, then roll in sugar again and bake for 11–13 minutes.

9. Cool & Serve

Let cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

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Ingredient Purposes & Tips

Ingredient	Purpose	Tips or Substitutions
Salted Butter	Adds richness, moisture, and flavor	Use unsalted butter + 1/2 tsp salt if needed
Granulated & Brown Sugar	Sweetness and chewiness	Brown sugar adds moisture and flavor depth
Eggs	Bind ingredients and give structure	Room temp eggs mix better into dough
Reduced Apple Cider	Concentrates real apple flavor	No sub — reduction is key for flavor impact
Vanilla Extract	Adds depth and rounds out flavor	Optional but highly recommended
All-Purpose Flour	Provides structure to cookies	Spoon and level — don’t scoop directly
Baking Soda	Helps cookies rise and spread	Pairs with cream of tartar for best texture
Cream of Tartar	Creates soft, chewy texture with a slight tang	Don’t skip — it's essential to this recipe
Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Ginger	Adds warmth and seasonal spice	Use pumpkin pie spice if you’re in a pinch
Salt	Balances sweetness and enhances flavor	Essential — even in sweet recipes!
Cinnamon Sugar Coating	Adds crunch and flavor to the exterior	Optional second roll for more texture & sweetness

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Substitutions & Add-Ins

• Gluten-Free? Try a 1:1 GF baking blend (like Cup4Cup or King Arthur)

• Dairy-Free? Use vegan butter sticks and reduce the cider a bit more to counter the added moisture

• Want More Apple Flavor? Add finely chopped dried apples or 1/4 tsp apple extract

• Add Texture: Mix in 1/2 cup white chocolate chips or chopped pecans

Storage Tips

• Room Temp: Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days

• Freezing Dough: Scoop and freeze unbaked dough balls up to 3 months, bake from frozen, adding 1–2 minutes

• Freezing Baked Cookies: Cool completely, then freeze in a zip-top bag for up to 2 months

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If you love these cookies let me know in the comments below! Happy baking.

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Apple Cider Cookies

Yield: 31

Author: Jaegar Desjardin

Prep time: 25 MinCook time: 14 MinTotal time: 39 Min

These homemade apple cider cookies are soft, chewy, and bursting with cozy fall flavors. Made with real apple cider and warm spices, they’re the perfect treat for crisp autumn days.

Ingredients

• 1 cup salted butter (2 sticks) (softened at room temperature)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs (room temperature)
• 1/4 cup of reduced apple cider (see instructions)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp cream of tartar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ginger
• 1/4 tsp salt

Cinnamon Sugar coating

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

1. Reduced apple cider: To reduce apple cider, add approximately 1.5 to 2 cups of apple cider to a saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally for about 10-15 minutes, or until the apple cider reaches a syrup-like consistency. Measure 1/4 cup of the reduced cider and allow it to cool before making the cookie dough; we don't want the warm cider to melt the butter. Reducing the apple cider changes its consistency so it's easier to work with and enhances the apple cider flavor.
2. Once the reduced apple cider is cooled, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line the cookie sheet with parchment paper. In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix the butter, sugar, and brown sugar on medium-high until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes).
3. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides and add the eggs, and mix until combined. Then add the reduced apple cider and vanilla extract and mix.
4. Next, add the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt to the mixing bowl and mix until just combined and no streaks of flour remain. The dough should not be too sticky and not too dry.
5. Make the cinnamon sugar mixture. In a small bowl, add 1/4 cup of sugar and one tablespoon of cinnamon and incorporate the two together.
6. Scoop out rounded cookies using a medium cookie scoop or spoon (roughly 2 tbsp). Roll the dough balls in the cinnamon sugar mixture and place cookies 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets. OPTIONAL: Once all dough balls are rolled and placed on the cookie sheet, go through and give each dough ball a second roll in the cinnamon mixture.
7. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cookies have puffed up and crinkled on the edges but are still gooey in the middle.

Equipment

1. Stand mixer
2. Cookie sheet
3. Parchment paper
4. Cookies scoops
5. Wire rack
6. saucepan
7. whisk
8. Spatula

Notes

• If you cookies that hold their shape more and are less flat, roll the dough balls in the sugar mixture once, and place them in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Then roll the dough balls in the cinnamon mixture for a second time and bake for 11-13 minutes.