Frosted Apple Cider Cookies
This Post May Contain Affiliate Links. Please Read Our Disclosure PolicyThe Frosted Apple Cider Cookies are a traditional drop cookie. Loaded with applesauce, cinnamon, cloves, and apple cider frosting, they have a wonderful flavor that’s perfect for fall!
Well, dear friends, we did it. The sixth year of Fall Cookie Week (FCW) here on Inspired by Charm is almost complete. Today, we’re wrapping it up with these Frosted Apple Cider Cookies. ‘Cause, what’s fall without apple cider?
In case you missed anything, you can find my cookie recipes here . Finally, if you make any of our cookies, please share a picture on social media. We’d love to see what you do.
For my final cookie, I took some inspiration from these Brown Sugar Pecan Cookies I made back in 2015. They were (and still are) one of my favorites, so I wanted to bring them back in a new way: Frosted Apple Cider Cookies!
Since this year’s collection of cookies was lacking something “apple-y,” I used the flavor of apple cider to guide my recipe creation.
The cookies are a traditional drop cookie and are easy to make. Loaded with applesauce, cinnamon, and cloves, they have a wonderful flavor. They are also a soft cake-like cookie if that’s your jam.
How to Make Frosted Apple Cider Cookies:
The frosting is where I went bold with the flavor of apple cider. I used a spiced apple cider instant drink mix. I discovered this stuff during the first FCW in 2012 when I made these Caramel Stuffed Apple Cider Cookies. The spice mix punched up the flavor of the cookies, so I used it again in this frosting. As usual, it didn’t disappoint.
I thought the cookies needed a little something to dress them up, so once they were frosted, I topped half of them with chopped pecans.
If pecans aren’t your thing, use a different nut or maybe a sprinkling of cinnamon sugar.
Frosted cookies have long been among my faves. I have a feeling the apple cider frosting will make you a fan as well.
It’s such a pretty and flavor-packed cookie. I hope you’ll give this recipe a try.
It has been my pleasure to present Fall Cookie Week again this year. If you want to see the full collection of recipes from this and past years, you can find them here.
And that’s a wrap for FCW, folks. Stay tuned to IBC for lots more fall inspiration and Halloween ideas. See you next week!
Frosted Apple Cider Cookies:
Frosted Apple Cider Cookies
Ingredients
- 4 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon cloves
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups applesauce
- 1 cup chopped pecans optional
Apple Cider Frosting:
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup milk
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 1/2 packets spiced apple cider instant drink mix
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
Instructions
- Begin by preheating your oven to 375 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and cloves. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, using a mixer, cream together the butter, shortening, and sugar for about 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Then add the eggs and applesauce, mixing to combine.
- Add in the dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated.
- With a medium scoop, drop spoonfuls of the batter onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the edges of the cookie just start to brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
- While the cookies cool, prepare the frosting. In a pot over medium heat, combine the brown sugar and milk. While constantly stirring bring the mixture to a boil; then remove from the heat. Stir in the butter, spiced apple cider drink mix, and salt.
- Add the confectioners’ sugar and beat with an electric mixer until smooth. The frosting will firm as it cools, so work quickly to frost your cookies. If the frosting seems too thin, add a bit more confectioners’ sugar.
- Use about 1 tablespoon of frosting for each cookie. Top with chopped pecans (if desirebefore the frosting sets. Pack and store in an airtight container.
Do you use original or sweetened applesauce?
I used unsweetened.
xo Michael
There is definitely something wrong with this recipe. I am am very skilled baker and followed your recipe to a T. The dough is very wet, almost a batter, and the cookies are flat and extremely soft, really too soft to handle. I wonder how you measure your flour. I weigh mine and as a result probably use a lot less than if you scoop the flour up. Scooping packs it and you get significantly more flour in the measuring cup than by weighing it out. I tried different scoop times, different bake times, different racks in my oven, and using silpats instead of greasing (with PAM) the pan. Always flat, flimsy and varying shades of tan. I’m glad I didn’t make the icing before trying all the different options for trying to get these right. These were meant to be a gift, but will instead be little bland apple cake like things that my husband and I will snack on.
Susan, I’m so sorry you had troubles with them. I’m not sure what could have went wrong. As you can see from some of the comments above, others had great success and loved them. Many apologies.
xo Michael
Michael, thanks for your reply. How do you measure the flour? Do you weigh it or scoop it? A cup of flour weighs 120 grams, but a scooped cupful weighs 140 or more grams. Since I weigh mine it’s possible I used a lot less flour than you intended. I could literally pour the dough out of the mixing bowl.
I scoop. I don’t weigh it. I assume that’s what must have happened. The only truly “wet” ingredient in the recipe is the applesauce. Two cups in four cups of flour shouldn’t make for a batter that is that runny.
Again, sorry you had troubles.
xo Michael
That must be it. I’m trying another very similar recipe today that calls for 1 1/2 cups flour and 1/3 cup applesauce- a smaller batch but you can see the ratio is much different.
These cookies are amazing. They are more a cakey cookie in texture, and flavor is dead on fall! I made some today and they turned out great! I also didn’t have any instant cider packets laying around, so I looked up how to make it homemade and it’s a pretty simple, 4 step process with amazing results. I used dark brown sugar (I prefer the stronger brown sugar flavor) and regular applesauce (although I bet the cinnamon applesauce would be good too!) . Thank you for the amazing recipe!
5 star recipe for sure!
Made these cookies, oh my HEAVEN! So good, really, they came out perfect. Frosting them was the hardest part. I will say with a regular cookie scoop I got 7 dozen out of the recipe with out doubling it for the cookies themselves. I did need to make twice as much frosting to cover them all but I was quite messy with how I frosted them. I did leave off the nuts and instead dusted them with cinnamon sugar.
Also some points to make, I used sweetened apple sauce in the cookie recipe. And light brown sugar for the frosting.
Do these freeze well?
Cookies were soft and delicious. I halved this recipe and added a pinch of salt to the dough. I used Walgreen’s “Nice” brand cinnamon apple sauce; I couldn’t find apple cider mix at my local store so I substituted Celestial Cinnamon Apple Spice Tea, turned out great!
I don’t normally comment, but these were so good! Thank you for sharing!
I was excited to make these cookies. Had to search for the cider mix which I finally found at Target. Let’s just start by saying I am a good baker. These were a flop for me. I knew it before I baked them. I used Motts applesauce which was like water! The batter was just not a good consistency. Cookies came out very inconsistent. Some very flat and a few puffed. I’ll be able to salvage a few. I will try again with a better quality apple sauce and will start with one cup and add as needed. Really disappointed.
Hey Carol – thanks for letting me know. I’m so disappointed to hear that too. I’m not sure why some would turn out and others wouldn’t. I’ve doubled checked the recipe and it looks good. It could be the applesauce, but I’d assume most are the same. Was everything mixed well? Used vegetable shortening (criso), not vegetable oil? I’m not sure what else. Best of luck if you try them again.
xo Michael
Definitely the applesauce. Would not recommend Motts and yes I did use crisco.
Thanks for the update!
xo Michael
Michael, I have just finished drooling over all of your cookie recipes & pictures. (and Julie’s too!) I’m ready to dust off the mixer and try some of these fall goodies. Perfect for a holiday cookie making party. Thanks for sharing your wonderful recipes & ideas!
Thanks Lindy! Yes, a lot of these recipes would totally work for the holidays too.
xo Michael
Wow, these look absolutely divine!
It’s such a pretty cookie! I love how smooth and stackable that frosting is, too!