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    Home » All Recipes » Vegan Cookies + Brownies

    Vegan Apple Butter Cookies

    Published: Feb 1, 2021 · Modified: Sep 6, 2021 by Megan · This post may contain affiliate links.

    134 shares
    Jump to Recipe

     Smooth & creamy homemade apple butter gets sandwiched between vegan shortbread cookie for the best Vegan Apple Butter Sandwich Cookies! If you have never had linzer cookies before, this is truly the best way to make them.

    shot of heart shaped apple butter linzer cookies surrounded by apples

    This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Superfresh Growers. The opinions and text are all my own. Thank you so much for your support!

    If you've been following SGTO for a while, then you know I am a big fan of Superfresh Growers Autumn Glory Apples. Luckily, they are in season from November-June making them the perfect apple to bake with all winter long. While I always enjoy them fresh because of their crisp texture & caramel flavor, they also taste absolutely amazing when cooked into thick and creamy apple butter.

    If you're looking for a truly unique vegan apple cookie recipe, you're going to love these dairy-free apple butter cookies!

    overhead shot of heart shaped cookies filled with apple butter

    How to make apple butter

    When trying apple butter recipes in the past, I found that so many of them were unnecessarily complicated or just took too long! That's why I wanted to create a simple, yet still delicious, apple butter recipe for you that can be ready in 1 ½ hours or less! Here's a breakdown of the simple steps to make this recipe:

    Chop the apples

    It's important to core the apples and chop them into large pieces so they cook faster. However, don't peel them! The peel is what provides all the pectin to this recipe which is what gives apple butter that nice thick jammy texture. 

    Cook the apples

    Once the apples are chopped, add them to a large pot (or dutch oven)  with the apple juice and apple cider vinegar. Then, bring to a simmer and cook for about 30 minutes until the apples are soft and have absorbed a lot of the liquid.

    The apple juice really adds a lot of natural sweetness to this recipe where the apple cider vinegar adds the perfect tart flavor. If you can't find apple cider vinegar, you can substitute it for white wine vinegar or champagne vinegar for similar results.

    two pictures of apples in pot with apple juice before and after cooking
    Left: Apples in apple juice & vinegar before cooking, Right: Apples after being cooked 30 minutes

    Blend with sugar and spices

    Once the apples have softened, they will go from being a white color to a deep yellow color as they soak up the apple juice & vinegar.

    At this time, add in the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a dash of salt. Then, use an immersion blender (or pour into a standing blender) and blend together until nice and smooth.

    The mixture will be pretty runny and thin at this point. However, don't worry, it will thicken up a ton after cooking a bit longer!

    Cook another 20-30 minutes

    Once blended, cook the apple butter in the pot for another 20-30 minutes uncovered at medium heat. Make sure to stir every 5-10 minutes so the apple butter doesn't burn or stick to the bottom of the pan.

    You will know the apple butter is ready when it becomes super thick and can no longer be drizzled from a spoon.  Just look at the picture below to see that golden thick texture!

    cooked-apple-butter-in-pot
    Cooked apple butter in a pot

    Steps to make vegan butter cookies

    As soon as the apple butter is ready, let it cool and make the cookies!

    Make & chill the cookie dough

    Luckily, this linzer cookie dough can be made in one bowl!

    First, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Then, mix in the vanilla and flax egg. Finally, add in all the dry ingredients and mix them into a thick dough.

    Since there is no leavening agent added, it's super easy to make this dough without sifting the dry ingredients first. For this recipe, we use powdered sugar vs. cane sugar, pastry flour vs. all-purpose flour, and almond flour to give us really tender delicate cookies.

    Once the dough is ready I like to add it to the fridge to chill for 10-15 minutes. This really helps to make this dough easier to roll out and cut out the cookie shapes. Plus, it's a great time to preheat the oven!

    Roll out dough

    My favorite trick for rolling out cut-out cookies? Rolling the dough between two sheets of parchment paper! This way, you don't have to waste any extra flour rolling out dough. It's one of my absolute favorite baking hacks.

    two pictures of cooking dough in bowl and dough getting rolled between parchment paper
    Left: Linzer Cookie Dough, Right: Rolling out the dough between two sheets of parchment paper

    Cut out cookies & bake

    Now that the dough has been rolled out, use your favorite cookie cutter to cut out the cookies. I used these Wilton heart cookie cutters, but any cookie cutter will work.

    After that, add the cut-out cookies to a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 350F for 10-12 minutes or until firm and beginning to brown. Unlike my other sugar cookie recipes, you do not want to under-bake Linzer cookies as they need to hold their shape after baking.

    two pictures of cookie dough being cut into heart shapes
    Left: Using heart-shaped cookie cutters on rolled out dough, Right: Cut out cookies on the baking tray before baking

    Dust top cookies with powdered sugar

    Once the cookies have cooled completely, take the top cookies and dust them with powdered sugar. This is totally optional, but leads to the most gorgeous vegan apple cookies!

    Add apple butter & sandwich together

    Next, take the bottom cookies and put about 1 Tbsp of apple butter on top of each cookie. Then, sandwich together with the top cookies for the perfect apple butter cookies!

    two pictures of heart cookies getting dusted with powdered sugar and apple butter added in

    FAQ & Expert Tips:

    Can I make apple butter cookies gluten-free?

    I haven't personally tried it, but if you do a 1:1 Gluten-Free Baking flour should work in place of pastry flour. Using coconut, almond, or other alternative flours in place of the pastry flour will not work in this recipe

    Is there a good substitute for pastry flour or almond flour?

    For pastry flour, you can use 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour and 2 Tbsp cornstarch for similar results.

    There is not a good substitute for almond flour in this recipe.

    Can I make apple butter in advance?

    Yes! In fact, I recommend it.

    To make things easy I like to make this apple butter the day before making the cookies. That way it's completely chilled and as thick as possible when added to the cookies

    How do I store apple butter cookies?

    Since these cookies are filled with apple butter, they are best stored in the fridge or freezer and should not be stored at room temperature.

    In the fridge, they can be stored in a closed container between sheets of parchment paper for 3-4 days. In the freezer, they can be stored up to 1 month. Please keep in mind the cookies will get softer as they are left to sit as the cookie layer will soak up some of the moisture from the apple butter.

    You can also store the apple butter separately from the cookies and it will keep in the fridge for about 2 weeks. Apple butter can be used on toast, oatmeal, or even added to savory foods for a sweet twist.

    heart shaped linzer cookie leaning against plate on stacked cookies

    I can't wait for you all to try these absolutely delicious Vegan Apple Butter Cookies! They are perfect for any occasion and, when made with Autumn Glory Apples, they are the perfect sweet treat for Valentine's Day. Enjoy!

    -TSG

    More vegan cookie recipes you will love:

    • Vegan Blood Orange Linzer Cookies
    • Vegan Salted Espresso Brownie Cookies
    • Vegan Earl Grey Sugar Cookies
    • Vegan Apple Pie Bars

    If you loved this recipe, please leave a 5-star review on the recipe card. I always appreciate your feedback and support! You can also follow along on my Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Pinterest or sign up for our newsletter!

    Vegan Apple Butter Cookies

    Delicious buttery vegan linzer cookies filled with a creamy homemade apple butter!
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Pin
    Course: Vegan Cookies + Brownies
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 2 hours
    Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
    Servings: 24 cookies
    Author: Megan Horowitch

    Ingredients 
    US Customary - Metric

    Apple Butter

    • 3 large Autumn Glory Apples chopped
    • 1 ¾ cups apple juice
    • 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
    • ½ cup brown sugar
    • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
    • ¼ tsp nutmeg
    • dash of salt no more than ⅛ tsp

    Linzer Cookies

    • ½ cup vegan butter
    • 1 cup organic powdered sugar
    • 2 flax egg mix 2 Tbsp (16 grams) ground flaxseed with 6 Tbsp water and let sit 5 minutes
    • 2 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
    • 2 ½ cups pastry flour
    • ½ cup finely ground almond flour
    • ¼ tsp salt
    • 1 tsp ground cinnamon

    Topping

    • ¼ cup organic powdered sugar

    Instructions

    First, make the apple butter

    • Core and chop the apples into large pieces. Then, add the apples, apple juice, and apple cider vinegar to a large pot or dutch oven. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 30 minutes or until the apples have softened.
    • Add in the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a dash of salt. Then, use an immersion blender or pour into a standing blender and blend together until smooth.
    • Pour the blended apple butter back into the pot and cook uncovered over medium heat another 20-30 minutes. Make sure to stir every 5-10 minutes so the apple butter does not burn. Apple butter will be ready when it is thick and can no longer be easily drizzled from a spoon.

    Make the linzer cookies

    • Add the butter and powdered sugar to a mixing bowl and cream together for about 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
    • Once creamed, add in the flax eggs and vanilla and mix together. Then, add in the sifted dry ingredients and mix until a thick dough is formed.
    • Form the dough into a large ball and place in the fridge for 10-15 minutes to help the dough firm up. While the dough is in the fridge, preheat the oven to 350F.
    • Remove the dough from the fridge. Then, roll the dough between 2 pieces of parchment paper until about ½" thick in height. Make sure not to roll the dough out too thin or it will be hard to cut out shapes.
    • Next, use your Linzer cookie cutter to cut out an even amount of top and bottom cookies (with and without the heart-shaped insert). Each time you cut out cookies, form the scraps into a ball and roll out again until no dough is left.
    • Add the cookies to a lightly greased baking sheet or a baking sheet covered in parchment paper and bake for 10-12 minutes until the cookies are cooked through and beginning to brown. Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking tray for another 5 minutes. Then, move to a cookie cooling rack to cool to room temperature.

    Assembling the cookies

    • Once cooled, take the heart shaped top cookies and dust with an additional ¼ cup of powdered sugar.
    • Top each bottom cookie with about 1 Tbsp of apple butter. If you are using smaller cookie cutters, use less apple butter. Then, sandwich the cookies together and enjoy!

    Notes

    • Apple butter is best made the day before baking the cookies so it can cool completely.
    • To sub pastry flour you can use 2 ¼ cup  all-purpose flour and 2 Tbsp cornstarch for similar results. There is not a good substitute for almond flour in this recipe.
    • For this recipe, I used these Wilton Heart Cookie Cutters, but also highly recommend these linzer cookie cutters for a more traditional cookie.
    • Leftover cookies can be stored in a closed container in the fridge for 3-5 days or in the freezer up to 1 month. Cookies are best stored between sheets of parchment paper so they do not stick together.
    • Leftover apple butter can be stored in a closed container in the fridge up to 2 weeks.
    • Apple butter can be subbed for any thick jam or filling in these cookies.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 159kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 58mg | Potassium: 77mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 196IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @shortgirltallorder or tag #sgtoeats!

     

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    Hi, I'm Megan! I believe eating plant-based food can be enjoyable for everyone. Eating plants doesn't have to be hard and it certainly shouldn't be boring. I am here to help you on your journey to eating food you actually feel good about and to make cooking at home fun again! 

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