Think of a warm slice of apple pie with sweet caramel and cold ice cream and put it into cookie form! That's exactly how this Caramel Apple Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich tastes! It's a beautiful cookie mash up of caramel apples and apple pie!
Fall season is perfect for all things apple! From caramel apples, to apple cider, to apple pie, I love each and every single one of them!
These Caramel Apple Cookies are delicious all on their own but even better with a scoop of vanilla ice cream sandwiched in the middle! It's like a mini apple pie but even better with the chewy caramel centers!
If you're on board the apple train, try out this Apple Cider Donut Loaf!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
If you don't feel like following all the steps of making an apple pie this holiday season, you're in luck! These Caramel Apple Cookies give all the apple pie vibes, without any of the stress! Plus, they have caramel, which makes them even better!
Types of Caramel
When it comes to caramel, there's a ton of options out there: caramel sauce, soft caramel, hard caramel. It's hard to choose just one!
However, for these cookies, it's best to use a soft caramel. The caramel firms up a bit after baking, so if you use a harder caramel, it can turn into a sweet caramel brick after baking!
Using soft caramels makes sure you have soft, chewy caramel even after baking!
Freeze-dried Apples
This recipe requires freeze-dried apples for a few different reasons! When it comes to baking, liquid to dry ratios are really important to get the right cookie texture! If you add fresh apples, they have more moisture that could release when baking and throw off the ratios!
On the same hand, if you use dehydrated apples, they can have a slightly chewier texture, especially after baking!
Using freeze-dried apples is best to get a slight crunch from the apples and still getting that perfect apple flavor!
Ingredients
- Flour
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Butter
- Sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Egg
- Vanilla Extract
- Freeze Dried Apple Slices
- Soft Caramel Candies
- Flakey Salt
See recipe below for all the details!
Step-By-Step Instructions
- Step 1: After mixing together the butter and sugars together, add in egg and vanilla. Then add dry ingredients.
- Step 2: Add in chopped freeze-dried apples.
- Step 3: Place caramel in the middle of the cookie dough.
- Step 4: Bake for about 13-15 minutes.
Hint: Try to wrap the cookie dough mostly around the caramel to make sure the caramel doesn't drip out when baking.
Variations and Substitutions
These Caramel Apple Cookies are essentially the cookie form of a caramel apple pie! It's absolutely delicious! Here are a few other options to make these cookies even better!
- Nuts - add some chopped pecans to the dough with the freeze-dried apples to get a little extra crunch with the dough!
- Crumble Topping - leave out the caramel and add a crumble topping that would be super delicious!
If you like the crumble topping idea, try out these Pumpkin Chai Coffee Cake Cookies!
Equipment
Baking Sheet - I like to use a large baking sheet for these cookies, so I can give them plenty of room while they're baking! They don't spread out out too much, so give them about 2 inches of space!
Cookie Scoop - I like to use a 2 oz cookie scoop for large, thick cookies! These make the best for the ice cream sandwich!
Top tip
Make sure to wrap the caramel either completely in the cookie dough or about 75%. It's okay if the caramel peaks out of the top slightly! But you want to make sure that caramel is secure in the cookie dough so it doesn't leak out and burn in the oven (speaking from experience here!).
Storage
- Room Temperature - store in an airtight container for about 4-5 days!
- Fridge - I don't recommend storing in the fridge, as the caramel can get too hard!
- Freezer - to store in the freezer, scoop the cookie dough out into balls first, add the caramel, then place in an airtight container and freeze!
FAQ
I suggest using any type of soft caramel! Usually there's a few different types in the candy section of the grocery store! Go for a soft caramel instead of a hard caramel! But don't use jar caramel because that would melt out of the cookie and could burn!
You could, but it could affect the texture slightly! Fresh apples have more liquid in them than the freeze-dried apples so they could throw off the ratios of the cookies! If you use fresh apples, you might have to add a tablespoon or more of flour!
Cheers!
-Holly Michelle
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Caramel Apple Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich
Equipment
- 2 oz Cookie Scoop
- Baking Sheet Pan
- Parchment Paper
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups Flour
- ½ teaspoon Baking Powder
- ⅛ teaspoon Salt
- 1 stick Butter room temperature
- ½ cup Sugar
- ½ cup Brown Sugar packed
- 1 Egg
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ½ cup Freeze Dried Apple Slices
- 12 Soft Caramel Candies
- Flakey Salt for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Cream together butter with brown sugar and sugar.1 stick Butter room temperature, ½ cup Sugar, ½ cup Brown Sugar packed
- After the sugar has been fully incorporated, add in the egg and vanilla extract.1 Egg, 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- Then add in flour, baking powder, and salt.1 ¾ cups Flour, ½ teaspoon Baking Powder, ⅛ teaspoon Salt
- Once the mixture is almost mixed together, add in freeze dried apple slices½ cup Freeze Dried Apple Slices
- Using a medium cookie scoop, scoop out the dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Unwrap the caramel candies and roll into a ball. Gently press the caramel ball into the middle of the cookie dough.12 Soft Caramel Candies
- Bake for about 15 minutes when the edges are golden brown and the caramel is soft and melty,
- Sprinkle with some flakey salt, and enjoy!Flakey Salt for garnish
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