Yield: 8 apple pie cheesecake cookies // Total Time: 1 hr. 15 min. // Disclaimer: This post includes affiliate links. //
The softest brown sugar cinnamon spiced cookies, topped with a cream cheese frosting and apple pie filling.
apple pie cheesecake cookies
These might be the BEST fall cookies. I absolutely love apples and all of the apple bakes that come along in the fall, hence, these cookies right here. They’re made with a ridiculously soft and delicious brown sugar cookie (the same you see in my twix cookies), that’s spiced with cinnamon. Then, they’re topped off with a cheesecake frosting and apple pie filling.
recipe tips
weigh your ingredients
Weighing your ingredients is important for getting the recipe perfect and getting consistent results. Not weighing your ingredients can lead to adding too much or too little of an ingredient. In a small batch recipe it is especially important to get those correct measurements because there is less room for error. If you haven’t already, I highly recommend purchasing a kitchen scale. This one is super cheap and worked well for me when I was starting out!
room temperature ingredients
It is important for the ingredients to be at room temperature so that they properly incorporate with each other. If you have ever had your batter look curdled, it is most likely due to the ingredients separating from being at different temperatures. Take out the eggs, butter, and cream cheese at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hr 30 min. before starting the recipe. To get an egg to room temperature quickly, you can run it under hot water for 1 minute. To get butter and cream cheese to room temperature quickly, you can slice them and lay them flat on a plate, then microwave in 5 second intervals until they are soft to the touch.
mix the dough carefully
When adding in the flour, only fold the mixture just until no flour streaks remain. Overmixing the dough leads to more gluten formation, which can make the cookies super tough and chewy.
under bake for perfect cookies
Cookies continue baking after they have been taken out of the oven. Once the edges turn slightly golden brown, the cookies are ready to come out. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for an additional 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool.
cookie scooting
Wanna know the secret to perfectly round cookies? It’s cookie scooting! Right when the cookies come out of the oven, take a bowl, cup, or biscuit cutter that is just slightly larger than your cookies and place it over one of the cookies. Gently swirl the bowl around the cookie to make the cookie perfectly round (and slightly thicker). And that’s all there is to it!
ingredients and substitutions
For the brown sugar cookies:
All purpose flour: for structure and chewiness.
Baking powder: for helping the cookies rise.
Salt: to help balance and bring out the sweetness of the cookies
Ground cinnamon: for flavor.
Unsalted butter: for tenderness and flavor. You can use salted butter in place of the unsalted, just be sure to omit the extra salt from the cookies.
Dark brown sugar: for sweetness and for moisture. You could also sub in light brown sugar.
Egg: for binding and for moisture.
Vanilla: for flavor. I use and love this vanilla extract!
For the cheesecake frosting:
Cream cheese: the tanginess from the cream cheese compliments the sweetness of the frosting and cookies so well.
Unsalted butter: a little bit of butter helps thicken up the frosting.
Salt: a little bit of salt helps balance the sweetness and bring out the flavor of the frosting.
Vanilla & heavy cream: for flavor and for thinning out the frosting.
Powdered sugar: to sweeten and thicken up the frosting.
For the apple pie filling:
You can use store-bought filling or make your own! I have a recipe for apple pie filling right here. This recipe makes *way* more than you’ll need for the cookies, so you can scale it down to these amounts –
- 160g diced apples* (after peeling & coring), 1 tsp. lemon juice, 35g dark brown sugar, 3/4 tsp. apple pie spice, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 1 tsp. butter, 1 tsp. corn starch, 1 tsp. water
how to make apple pie cheesecake cookies
- Beat together the butter and brown sugar.
- Followed by the egg and vanilla.
- Fold in the dry ingredients, chill the dough, then bake the cookies.
- Beat together the cheesecake frosting ingredients.
- Wait for the cookies to fully cool to room temperature before frosting.
- Frost generously with the cheesecake frosting, then top with apple pie filling. Enjoy!
apple pie cheesecake cookies q&a
can I double this recipe?
Of course! I even more strongly recommend measuring by weight if you are going to double the recipe for the best results.
can I make these apple pie cheesecake cookies ahead of time?
Definitely! Cookie dough only gets better with time. You can keep the cookie dough tightly covered in the fridge for up to 3 days before baking. For longer term storage, you can also freeze the cookie dough. Just be sure to take the dough out of the fridge at least 30 minutes to 1 hour before you want to bake, so that it becomes soft enough to scoop again. I would recommend waiting to make the frosting until you would like to bake and frost the cookies.
how to store apple pie cheesecake cookies
Because the frosting is made with cream cheese, these cookies do need to be stored in the fridge once they are frosted. Store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. If you’re not a fan of cold cookies, you can let them sit out for 30 minutes before eating them!
why do you measure in grams?
My recipes are all written in grams because it is the most accurate way to bake. When you use a kitchen scale, you ensure that your baked goods turn out as close to the written recipe as possible. Plus, the cleanup is way easier when using a scale! I will provide standard cup measurements but please note that I have not tested the recipe using cup measurements and therefore can not guarantee your recipe will come out how mine did. Here is my favorite kitchen scale.
a note on oven temperature
Ovens vary and fluctuate in temperature and might not always actually be at the temperature they claim to be at. If you love to bake like I do, I highly recommend getting an oven thermometer. They are super helpful for letting you know when your oven might be lying to you! I use this one.
tools and ingredients
You can find all my favorite tools and ingredients that I use on my Amazon Storefront page, here!
did you make these apple pie cheesecake cookies?
If you made these apple pie cheesecake cookies I would love to see them and know your thoughts! Please leave a comment and review down below, and tag me on Instagram @freshbeanbakery. If you have any questions about the recipe I will gladly do my best to answer them in the comments below!
Apple Pie Cheesecake Cookies
Ingredients
Brown Sugar Cookies
- 90 g unsalted butter room temperature (6 ⅓ tbsp.)
- 150 g dark brown sugar (¾ c.)
- 1 egg room temperature
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 160 g all purpose flour (1 ⅓ c.)
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp. salt
Cheesecake Frosting
- 100 g cream cheese room temperature (½ c.)
- 42 g unsalted butter room temperature (3 tbsp.)
- ⅛ tsp. salt
- 160 g powdered sugar (1 ⅓ c.)
- ½ tsp. vanilla
- 1 tbsp. heavy cream
Apple Pie Filling
- 8 tbsp. apple pie filling*
Instructions
Brown Sugar Cookies
- With a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and brown sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy (2-3 min.)
- Beat in the egg and vanilla until well combined.
- Add in the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Use a rubber spatula to fold the ingredients together just until no flour streaks remain.
- Cover the dough and leave it in the fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes, or for up to 2 days.**
- Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or with a silicone baking mat.
- Use a 3 tbsp. cookie scoop to dish out the cookies onto the prepared cookie sheet. Evenly space the cookies apart to allow room for spreading. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the sides of the cookies start to turn golden brown.
- Immediately after taking the cookies out of the oven, you can take a bowl that is slightly larger than the cookies and swirl it around over the cookies to make them a little more uniform and circular.
Cheesecake Frosting
- In a small bowl, beat together the cream cheese, butter and salt until smooth.
- Add in the powdered sugar and mix until the mixture is smooth and free of lumps. Then, mix in the vanilla and heavy cream.
- Wait for the cookies to cool down to room temperature before frosting. Generously frost each cookie with the cheesecake frosting, then top each cookie with 1 tbsp. of apple pie filling. Enjoy!
Notes
160g diced apples* (after peeling & coring), 1 tsp. lemon juice, 35g dark brown sugar, 3/4 tsp. apple pie spice, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 1 tsp. butter, 1 tsp. corn starch, 1 tsp. water **If you’re chilling them overnight, you’ll want to take the dough out for at least 30 minutes before baking until the dough is warm enough to be scoopable again. Store extra frosted cookies in an airtight container in the fridge.