These Apple Cider Cookies have crispy edges, sparkly spiced sugar tops, and chewy centers that stay soft for days! The secret is instant apple cider drink mix, which packs in BIG apple flavor with no cider reduction required.
No standing over a pot of cider!
Almost every apple cider cookie recipe out there starts the same way. Pour cider in a saucepan, simmer and reduce it down for 20 minutes to an hour, wait for it to cool, then start your dough.
I also include apple cider, but I use instant apple cider mix to add all the apple cider flavor instead. It is already a concentrate, it is already dry, and it goes right into the ffour. Better yet, because it is a powder, I can also mix it with coarse sugar and sprinkle it over the tops.
The apple pie spice and molasses are what pushes them over the top. They are fully spiced and bake up with perfectly crisp edges and chewy centers. One bite and you will know exactly why I make these every fall!
— ♥︎ Jess —
How To Make Apple Cider Cookies
Visit the recipe card below for the ingredient amounts and full directions.
Key Ingredients
- Instant Apple Cider Mix – This single packet drink mix is found near the hot chocolate in the grocery store. I use the Alpine brand, but any similar brand will work. It’s essentially a dried cider concentrate and is super important for the overall flavor in your cookies. Do not swap it!
- Apple Cider – Just 2 tablespoons goes into the dough for moisture and a fresh apple note. Cloudy unfiltered cider from the refrigerated section has the most flavor.
- Molasses – Use regular unsulphured molasses, not blackstrap, which is bitter.
- Cornstarch – This helps to absorb some of the liquid, softens the crumb, and helps the centers stay tender.
- Turbinado Sugar – This coarse sugar is what makes the tops sparkle and gives that little sweet crunch. Sanding sugar or demerara sugar will also work.
Whisk the dry ingredients. Flour, cornstarch, baking soda, apple pie spice, salt, and 1 tablespoon of the instant apple cider mix go in a medium bowl.
Cream the butter and sugar. Beat softened butter with granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Add the wet ingredients. Apple cider, molasses, egg, and vanilla. Beat until smooth, then add the flour mixture and mix until just combined.
Chill the dough. Cover the bowl of dough and chill it in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Scoop and coat. Use a medium cookie scoop to scoop out 1.5 tablespoons of dough and toss to coat in a mixture of coarse sugar and instant apple cider mix. Space the dough balls well apart on a cool parchment lined sheet.
Bake and cool. Bake for 8 to 9 minutes at 350°F. They will not brown too much because the molasses already made them darker, so go by the timer. Let them set on the pan for 10 minutes, then move them to a cooling rack.
Jessica’s Tips
- Start every batch on a completely cool pan. A warm baking sheet melts the butter before the oven can, which will make these cookies go flat.
- Line with parchment paper, never grease. Greasing the pan adds fat that will make these cookies spread and turn greasy. Parchment paper or a silicone mat is the way to go here.
- Chill the dough. You can chill it for up to 24 hours, but at least 1 hour is enough to firm up the dough so it doesn’t spread too much.
- Do not over bake them. About 8 to 9 minutes is enough! The dough is already dark from the molasses, so you cannot judge by the color.
Apple Cider Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons apple pie spice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons instant apple cider drink mix, divided
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar, divided
- ¼ cup molasses
- 2 tablespoons apple cider
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 tablespoons turbinado sugar, coarse sugar or sanding sugar
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Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking soda, apple pie spice, salt, and 1 tablespoon instant apple cider mix. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream together butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add molasses, apple cider, egg, and vanilla extract, beat until smooth. Add flour mixture and beat until well combined.
- Cover and chill dough for 1 hour. While dough chills, whisk together remaining 2 tablespoons instant apple cider mix and turbinado sugar in a small bowl.
- Scoop 1.5 tablespoons of cookie dough (I use this size cookie scoop) and toss to coat in the sugar mixture. Then place on the prepared baking sheet, leaving plenty of room for spreading.
- Bake for 8 to 9 minutes, the edges will be dark and set but the centers will still be a lighter color. Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle on a little extra sugar while still warm. Let cookies cool for 10 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely.
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Notes
Video
Nutrition
More Apple Favorites To Try
- Mountain Dew Apple Dumplings – An easy southern classic!
- Cinnamon Baked Apples – Served warm with vanilla ice cream.
- Homemade Apple Pie Filling – The best way to use your apples.
- Old Fashioned Apple Dumplings – Wrapped in pie crust and baked.
- Caramel Apple Dump Cake – Made with just 5 easy ingredients.
- Apple Crisp – Old fashioned crisp made with fresh apples.
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Hi! Mine spread out and came out too thin. I followed the recipe so I’m not sure what happened. Help! I love the flavor!
I just tried the apple cider cookies. Unbelievably good and definitely a new holiday must have!
The video shows two sticks of butter.
Hi, I made these as per your recipe. The first batch came perfect, after that each batch came out paper thin, I could not get off parchment as they became greasy?? Help please as I love the flavor and Idea of the cookie. Thank you, Dorothy.
Hmm. That’s super strange. Were you reusing the same cookie sheet each time? Did you let the pan cool in between batches? I wish I knew, that is a strange thing to happen!
Hi, I have 2 sheets but only use 1 at a time and switch off? It is pretty cool by time I put on next batch.??
Gorgeous photos, I want to make the same cookies
Are you using the Alpine Instant AppleCider?
I used a different brand, but any brand will work!
Waiting for a clarification on the butter as well. In the US 1 cube butter is 1/2 cup.
The recipe says 1/2 cup butter or 2 sticks, which would equal 1 cup of butter. Could you clarify this please?
You say 1/2 cup butter (2 sticks)….wouldn’t 1/2 cup butter be only 1 stick?
Hi Nanci – The recipe and video both state 1 cup (2 sticks of butter). 🙂