How to Make Perfect Spiced Apple Cider Cookies for Fall
The perfect combo of soft, chewy, and packed with fall spices. The cozy flavors of cinnamon, cloves, and apple cider blend perfectly to create an apple cider cookie you’ll obsess over.
They’re similar to molasses cookies yet delightfully different. Don’t forget to use boiled apple cider for that rich, concentrated apple flavor – it’s a totally essential ingredient for this cookie recipe.
Apple Cider Cookies
Equipment
- Baking Sheet
- Cookie scoop or tablespoon
- Hand mixer or stand mixer
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup boiled apple cider (see notes)
- ½ cup shortening
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup sanding sugar for rolling the cookies
Instructions
- Make the dough. In a large bowl, beat together the shortening, granulated sugar, and egg with an electric mixer for 3-4 minutes until creamy. Add the boiled apple cider and continue beating until well blended. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and allspice in another bowl. After that, gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing on low until just combined.
- Chill dough and preheat the oven. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. Towards the end of the chilling time, preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and position a rack in the center of the oven.
- Shape and roll. Shape the dough into tablespoon-sized balls and roll each ball in sanding sugar. Then, place the dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
- Bake and cool. Bake for 9-11 minutes, depending on your desired crispness at the edges. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to five days.
Notes
More Tips:
Make sure you scoop the flour into your measuring cup and even it out with a knife. This will stop the flour from being packed too tightly, which can dry out the cookies.
Be careful not to mix the dough too much, as this will make the cookies tough instead of soft and chewy.
Use an oven thermometer to check if your oven is at the correct temperature. Ovens can often be hotter or colder than the temperature shown on the dial.
Keep an eye on the cookies as they bake. They should be set and slightly golden around the edges, but still soft in the middle. They will become firmer as they cool down.
Key Ingredients and Tools
Here are some important items and ingredients you’ll need to make these cookies successfully:
- Boiled Apple Cider. This concentrated apple cider, which can be purchased online or made at home by boiling regular apple cider, provides the cookies with a rich apple flavor.
- Shortening. Using shortening instead of butter helps maintain the soft and chewy texture of the cookies. You can find it in the baking aisle of your local grocery store.
- Sanding Sugar. This sugar adds a pleasant crunch and shimmer to the cookies. If you don’t have coarse sugar, you can use regular granulated sugar instead.
- Cookie Scoop. A cookie scoop ensures that your cookies are all the same size, promoting even baking. You can purchase these at most kitchenware stores or online.
Using these tools and ingredients will help you achieve perfect cookies every time.
Here are some easy replacements for important ingredients in the Apple Cider Cookies recipe:
- Shortening: Replace it with the same amount of unsalted butter.
- Boiled Apple Cider: If you can’t find or make boiled apple cider, use apple juice concentrate instead.
- Sanding Sugar: Regular granulated sugar can be used to roll the cookies.
These substitutions may slightly alter the texture and flavor, but feel free to experiment and see how you like the outcome!
These cookies are the truly perfect treat for fall, bringing warmth and a touch of spice to your kitchen. Give them a try and enjoy the cozy flavors of the season.
Don’t forget to share them with friends and family, and let me know how they turn out for you.
By Katie Shaw
Katie lives in Virginia with her husband, three daughters, a chocolate lab, and over thirty chickens. She loves creating simple tutorials for sourdough, bread, and soap. Her recipes, articles, and YouTube videos reach millions of people per year.