This post may contain affiliate links, please see the privacy policy for details.
These apple pie muffin top cookies are like a wonderful combination of cookies and muffins. Apple cinnamon cookies are perfect for the fall. These glazed apple cookies are finished off with the most exquisite vanilla maple glaze. If you are a fan of soft apple cookies, you will love this muffin top cookies recipe.
These tasty apple pie muffin cookies are the best of both worlds for something that loves muffin tops and cookies. This delicious apple cookie recipe is sure to be a hit!
Fans of sweet treats might also enjoy pistachio muffins, DIY caramel apples, apple cinnamon fritters, or pumpkin cheesecake.
Apple Muffin Top Cookie Ingredients
Along with sugar, egg, butter and flour, you need baking soda, salt and fresh apple. The warm, earthy cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg really complement the apple flavour. I often add extra spices, just because they’re so good with the apple. This muffin top cookies recipe also calls for vanilla. As for the glaze, that’s confectioner’s sugar, cream, butter, and maple syrup.
How to Make these Soft Apple Cookies
These glazed apple cookies are simple to prepare. You need to cream the butter and sugar then mix in the egg and vanilla. In a second bowl whisk the flour with the salt, cinnamon, baking soda, ginger, and nutmeg. Now mix some of the dry mixture into the egg mixture then add maple syrup and flour. Repeat these additions until everything is mixed. Stir in the apples.
Add spoonfuls of the batter to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and bake. Mix the glaze ingredients together then pipe it over the cookies. You won’t believe how amazing these apple pie muffin top cookies smell during baking! Or how great they taste!
Tips for Perfect Apple Cinnamon Cookies
When you’re mixing the ingredients together, don’t over-mix them. As soon as the flour mixture, egg mixture and maple syrup are combined, you can stop stirring. If you do over-mix it then the apple pie muffin top cookies will come out hard instead of gorgeously soft.
If you like big chunks of apple you can chop them rather than grating them. Grating is fine if you want a finer texture of course. Perhaps you’d like to add other ingredients. White chocolate chips could be great in these glazed apple cookies. Or you could throw in a handful of raisins. Or some chopped walnuts.
I like to put the vanilla maple glaze in a Ziploc bag and snip off the corner so I can pipe zigzag patterns on the cookies. You can do this or use a piping bag with a fine nozzle. Alternatively just use a butter knife to spread the glaze over the soft apple cookies.
If you’re making these amazing apple cookies for a holiday, you can add some gel food dye to the vanilla maple glaze. Consider red for Christmas, or make half the mixture red and half green.
You could make the glaze pink for Valentine’s Day. The possibilities are endless!
Something else you can do is add some sprinkles on top of the apple pie cookies while the glaze is still warm. Get creative with the coloring and decorating. I promise you these cookies are seriously fun to make!
How to Store Soft Apple Cookies
The recipe makes 24 apple muffin tops cookies so you’re likely to have some leftover over. Put them in an airtight container and keep them refrigerated. They should be good for 3 days and then they will start to dry out a bit.
For freezing them, you need to let them completely cool down and then put them in freezer bags. They should be fine in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw them at room temperature. Alternatively (if you don’t want to wait!) microwave them for 30 seconds on high or bake them for 10 minutes in the oven at 350 degrees F.
What Makes Apple Cinnamon Cookies So Good?
It’s a combination of factors that make apple pie muffin top cookies so amazing. The best part of a muffin is of course the slightly soft, slightly crispy top. Cookies tend to be either crisp or soft but these apple cinnamon cookies combine both textures. Trust me when I tell you that they are delicious with a cup of cinnamon tea.
The spices in this recipe also ensure it’s full of amazing flavour. This muffin top cookies recipe is simple to make as well, so they’re a winning cookie in my book! The apple pie muffin top cookies are already good but the vanilla maple glaze just makes them incredible!
These soft apple cookies are perfect for any season or occasion, although they’re especially delicious during the fall when apples and warm spices are the order of the day!
Try them with your favourite drink. They make a tasty late morning or late afternoon pick-me-up or you could serve one (or two!) for dessert. Have these glazed apple cookies as they are or make them extra indulgent by serving them with a scoop of tasty vanilla ice cream. So make this muffin top cookies recipe to really wow your taste buds.
Apple Pie Muffin Top Cookies Recipe
Apple Pie Muffin Top Cookies with Vanilla Maple Glaze
Ingredients
- 3/4 Cup butter, softened
- 1/2 Cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 Tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 Cup all purpose flour, all-purpose
- 1 Tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 Tsp. salt
- 1 Tsp. cinnamon
- 1/4 Tsp. ground ginger
- 1/8 Cup nutmeg
- 1/2 Cup maple syrup, real
- 1 1/2 Cup apple, grated, Granny Smith or Honey Crisp
Cookie Glaze
- 1 Cup icing sugar
- 1 Tbsp. heavy whipping cream
- 1 Tbsp. butter, melted
- 1 Tsp. maple syrup, real
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large bowl cream together butter and brown sugar on medium high speed until light and fluffy with an electric mixer.
- Add vanilla and egg and mix until combined.
- In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt , cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg.
- Add a third of the dry mixture to the batter mix until just combined on medium low speed. Then add half the maple syrup followed by another third of flour. Finally add the remaining maple syrup and then the last third of flour until combined. Do not over mix!
- Fold in grated apples until evenly dispersed.
- Prepare 2 cookie sheets lined with parchment paper (or bake one batch at a time).
- Use a medium cookie scoop to drop batter onto the pan 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet. 12 cookies per sheet.
- Bake for 12 to14 minutes until lightly golden. Leave on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes to set and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- While cookies are cooling, prepare the cookie glaze. In a small deep bowl, whisk together the confectioners sugar, whipping cream , melted butter and vanilla until smooth it will be slightly thick. Transfer to a ziplock bag and cut out a small corner to pipe on the cookies.
- Pipe cookies with glaze or spread with a butter knife.
Notes
- These cookies can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- If you like chunkier apple pieces feel free to dice them as opposed to grating them.
- If you like spicier cookies feel free to add more cinnamon and ginger!
Nutrition
Let me know if you try out this apple pie muffin recipe with vanilla maple glaze. This tasty soft apple cookie recipe is always a big hit! A muffin top cookie recipe is perfect for anyone that loves just eating the top of the muffin…is that you?
Other Recipes to Try
Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
I love muffin top cookies. Saving these to try out.