Caramel Apple Cider Cookies
Caramel Apple Cider Cookies use apple cider mix and caramel bits to create a soft and chewy fall-flavored cookie.
You might also like these other apple recipes: Apple Cider Donut Cake, Apple Butter Cookies, and Apple Fritter Cake.
Fall Flavors
When the weather starts to cool down and I can feel fall on its way, I get a hankering for baking. Two of my many favorite fall flavors are caramel and apple.
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Caramel Apple Cider Cookies
Making homemade caramel apples is fun, but can be somewhat of a project, so I combined the two flavors in these easy caramel apple cider cookies. They are much quicker to make and taste great, just like my easy caramel apple cobbler.
Special Ingredients
The best part about these caramel apple cider cookies is that they are just as simple to make as chocolate chip cookies with a basic cookie dough.
You simply use packets of apple cider drink mix as part of the sugar, which imparts the flavor of apple and spices.
And you use Kraft caramel bits instead of wrapped caramels. Giving you that chewy caramel sensation without all the work of unwrapping and cutting the caramels.
How to Make Caramel Apple Cider Cookies
Let me show you just how easy it is to make these cookies.
*The full ingredient amounts and instructions can be found in the printable recipe card at the end of this post.
- In a large bowl, cream the butter, sugar, and apple cider mix together with an electric mixer.
- Add the egg and vanilla. Mix well.
- In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix until just combined.
- Mix or fold in the caramel bits.
- Use a medium, #40 scoop (about 1.5 Tablespoons) to scoop the cookie dough into balls. Place onto a parchment or silicone-lined baking sheet about 3-inches apart (8 cookies per tray.)
Baking
- Bake the caramel apple cider cookies at 350˚F for 11-12 minutes. Do not over-bake.
- Use a spatula or round cookie cutter to press the edges of the cookies inward while cookies are still warm, especially if caramel has melted at the edges. Allow cookies to cool on the tray or until firm enough to transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Storage
Store cookies in an airtight container or zip-top bag at room temperature for up to 3-4 days.
To freeze the dough to bake later, simply scoop cookie dough balls onto a parchment or silicone lined baking sheet. Set in the freezer for 1-2 hours until firm. Then transfer frozen dough balls into a freezer safe zip-top bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
NOTE: You will need to bake cookies roughly 3-5 minutes longer, if baking from frozen.
Extra Tips
- Line the pan. Using parchment paper or a silicone baking mat works best for the caramel to not stick to the pan.
- Use a cookie dough scoop. This helps the cookies bake evenly and look uniform. I prefer a #30 or #40 scoop. [Affiliate links.] NOTE: The bigger the number, the smaller the scoop, and the smaller the number the bigger the scoop. These two sizes are between 1.5 and 2 Tbsp of cookie dough. I used a #40 scoop for the cookies shown.
- Space cookie dough 3-inches apart, not two. I like to bake 8 cookies per tray compared to the typical dozen (12). (See image of scooped dough in post.) First of all, you don’t want your cookies melting into each other. Secondly, the more cookies on the tray, the thinner the cookies bake because the heat is trying to distribute evenly across all of the cookies.
If You Make This Recipe, Please Rate and Review it in the Comments Below. THANKS!
Caramel Apple Cider Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, (1 stick) room temperature
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 5 packets (105 g) Alpine spiced apple cider mix, NOT sugar free – found near the hot chocolate or in coffee aisle
- 1 large egg
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1½ cups (180 g) all-purpose flour, stir, spoon & level
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 cup (192 g) Kraft Caramel Bits
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Line half sheet trays with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream the butter, sugar, and apple cider mix together with an electric mixer. Add the egg and vanilla. Mix well.
- In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix until just combined.
- Mix or fold in the caramel bits. Use a medium, #40 scoop (about 1.5 Tablespoons) to scoop the cookie dough into balls. Place onto a parchment or silicone-lined baking sheet about 3-inches apart (8 cookies per tray.)
- Bake the caramel apple cider cookies at 350℉ for 11-12 minutes. Do not over-bake. Use a spatula or round cookie cutter to press the edges of the cookies inward while cookies are still warm, especially if caramel has melted at the edges. Allow cookies to cool on the tray or until firm enough to transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Store cookies in an airtight container or zip-top bag at room temperature for up to 3-4 days.
- To freeze the dough to bake later, simply scoop cookie dough balls onto a parchment or silicone lined baking sheet. Set in the freezer for 1-2 hours until firm. Then transfer frozen dough balls into a freezer safe zip-top bag and freeze for up to 3 months. NOTE: You will need to bake cookies roughly 3-5 minutes longer, if baking from frozen.
Nutrition
Did you make this?
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*Originally published 9/23/2012. Post updated August 2023.
I used 3 packets instead of 5, and it was perfect!
These cookies look nice but they are not something I will ever make again.
Could dough be refrigerated and baked the next day? My FCS periods are only 40 min.
I haven’t tried it myself, but that would probably be ok. Most chilled cookie dough won’t spread as much, resulting in thicker cookies. You can always let the dough come to room temperature before baking it so that it’s like it was freshly made. You can even scoop and then chill the cookie dough balls so that the dough warms up quicker at room temperature.
Used only 4 Alpine Spiced Apple Cider packets and left out the caramel bits. For some reason it is a special order item at the grocery store closest to us. Next time we might melt some caramel squares and transfer the gooey goodness into a small ziplock bag, cut off a small part of the closed corner, and drizzle it over the cookies.
Caramel bits are sometime hard to find. I like your idea for the caramel drizzle on top. Thanks for sharing your experience with the recipe Tracy!
That’s definitely one tasty cookie,.The only thing I changed was I added cinnamon chips to the dough. Definitely would make again. Perfect for a change in the fall weather.
Is this a dough you can roll out and use cookie cutters with? Since the day I saw an episode of the Cookie challenge where one of the contestants made apple cider cookies I was on the lookout for the box of cider packets and now a recipe. But I want to make these with my son. Basically let him have some fun using a rolling pin and cutters. Please respond as soon as you can. If it’s not one I can use that way but you know of one can you please share the sites name with me? Thanks!
I haven’t tried doing that before, so I can’t say for sure. It would be really hard to cut into shapes without running into the caramel bits inside the dough, unless you left them out. You would definitely need to chill the dough, like you would for sugar cookie dough, before you roll it out to cut it. It definitely wouldn’t ruin the dough if you chilled it and tried it out. You should still be able to bake it and eat it regardless.
I loved your recipe just the way it was. But I also enjoyed reading what others had to share about the cookies. I’m looking forward to trying it again with some variations. Great taste for fall and my friends who were fortunate to get a taste, loved them. Thanks for sharing!
I’m glad to hear you liked it and are planning to make it again. Thanks Lynn!
The cookies are good but in my option I would only use 3 apple cider packets. These punched me in the face with the flavor of apple cider. I also used butterscotch chips instead of caramel and it was good!
Thanks for sharing your experience with the recipe Taylor!
Love the recipe you guys have!
I made these for our CFF (coffee, food and fellowship) hour after church. They were a huge hit! I had lots of people asking for your recipe so I gave them the recipe link to your website. Thank you for our new fall tradition!
That’s great! Glad they were a hit, and thanks for referring them to my blog for the recipe!
Just baked the cookies and they are AWESOME!!!!! Next time I might double the recipe to get more cookies.
Great! I am glad you liked them! The original recipe was doubled, but I bake so many treats I can’t have that many cookies sitting around, or I might gain back the last 45lbs I just lost this last year! Haha! These are really good though, & I might just finish my box of apple cider & make them again! 🙂