These Vegan Apple Fritter Cookies are filled with chunks of fresh apples and topped with a maple icing! They taste just like your favorite apple fritters, but in the form of a cookie.
Fall is my FAVORITE time to bake cookies. There's just something about a cookie packed with spices and fresh Fall produce that is simply irresistible. If you loved my viral Apple Pie Cookies or Apple Pie Bars, then you need to bake these apple fritter cookies next!
Ingredients:
Ingredient & substitution notes:
- Apples: Using the right variety of apple really matters, as some get a bit too mushy once baked.
- Honeycrisp (which I used), Granny Smith, Braeburn, or Pink Lady are all awesome choices for these cookies!
- Vegan butter: I used Country Crock Olive Oil sticks for this recipe.
- Swap 1:1 with regular dairy butter or your favorite baking sticks!
- Flax Egg: My preferred egg substitute for baking. For the best texture and color, I highly recommend using golden ground flaxseed.
- Apple pie spice: I used a store-bought spice blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice.
- To make your own blend, use 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, and ¼ teaspoon allspice for similar results.
How to make apple fritter cookies
Make the cookie dough:
First, cream the butter and sugar together. Creaming incorporates air into the batter and helps to build structure in these cookies.
Then, mix in the flax egg and vanilla.
Finally, mix in the dry ingredients, including the all-purpose flour, apple pie spice, baking powder, and salt.
As a last step, use a spatula to fold in the chunks of apples. I chose to keep the skin on, but feel free to peel the apple skin off if you prefer.
Bake the apple cookies:
Use a 2 Tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop out 10 evenly sized cookies. Add them to a parchment-lined baking tray so they are at least 2 inches apart on the tray.
If all the cookies can't fit on one tray, bake the cookies in batches so there is only ever one tray in the oven.
Bake the cookies at 350F for 13-15 minutes, until cooked through. Because of the fresh apples, these cookies come out pretty soft and will remain soft even as they cool.
Top with maple icing:
Move the cookies to a wire rack to finish cooling. You want the cookies warm when icing them, but not so hot that all the icing melts off.
To make the maple icing, whisk together powdered sugar, maple syrup, and soy milk until you have a thick but smooth icing.
Then, use a spoon to spread the icing over the tops of each cookie.
Let the icing set and harden on the cookies for at least 10 minutes. Then, serve & enjoy!
FAQ & Tips:
Can I make these apple fritter cookies gluten-free?
I haven't tested it myself, but I've heard from readers that Gluten-Free 1:1 Baking flours work with my cookie recipes. Just know it will affect the overall look and texture of the final cookie.
Substituting in flour alternatives such as almond flour, coconut flour, or oat flour will not work in this recipe as it's not a 1:1 substitution.
How do I store apple maple cookies?
Since these cookies have fresh apples in them, they can't be stored at room temperature.
You can store them in a closed container in the fridge for about 2 days (any longer and they get a bit mushy).
The best way to store these apple cookies is in a closed container in the freezer for up to 1 month.
I can't wait for you to try these Vegan Apple Fritter Cookies! They are perfect for Fall, and make a great treat for Thanksgiving too. Enjoy!
-TSG
More fall cookie recipes you will love:
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Apple Fritter Cookies
Ingredients
Apple Cookies:
- ½ cup apple cut into small chunks
- ½ cup vegan butter room temperature
- ½ cup sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 1 flax egg 1 tablespoon (8 grams) ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tablespoon water and left to sit 5-10 minutes
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons apple pie spice
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Maple Icing:
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 Tablespoon maple syrup
- ½-1 Tablespoon soy milk start with ½ Tablespoon and add more if needed
Instructions
- Before making the dough, cut your apple into small chunks and set aside. You can also make the flax egg, so it has about 5 minutes to sit before adding it to the dough.
Make the cookie dough:
- Add the vegan butter, sugar, and brown sugar to a bowl. Cream together with an electric mixer until soft and fluffy (about 2 minutes)
- Next, add in the flax egg and vanilla and whip together for another 30 seconds.
- Then, add in the all-purpose flour, apple pie spice, baking powder, and salt. Make sure to add the flour first, and then add the other ingredients on top. Mix until a thick cookie dough forms.
- As a final step, add in the chopped apples and use a spatula to fold them into the cookie dough.
Chill the dough:
- Cover the bowl of cookie dough with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes.
Bake the cookies:
- About 10 minutes before removing the dough from the fridge, preheat the oven to 350F and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Remove the dough from the fridge and use a cookie scoop to scoop out 10 evenly sized cookies.
- Place each cookie dough ball at least 2 -inches apart on the tray. If all of the cookies will not fit on one baking sheet, bake 5-6 cookies at a time on one tray rather than putting two trays in the oven at the same time.
- Add the tray of cookies to the oven and bake for 12-13 minutes, until the bottoms are lightly browned and the cookies are cooked through, but have slightly soft centers.
- Remove the tray of cookies from the oven and let them sit on the tray for about 5-10 minutes. For rounder cookies, use a round cookie cutter or a mug that is slightly larger than the cookie and swirl the cookies around inside to form them into a round cookie. This step will only work if you do it while the cookies are still warm.
- Move the cookies to a wire rack to continue cooling while you make the icing.
Make the maple icing:
- Add the powdered sugar, maple syrup, and soy milk to a small bowl and whisk together until a thick but smooth icing forms. Start with ½ Tablespoon of soy milk and add more if needed to thin the icing.
- Use a spoon to spread the icing over the warm (but not piping hot) cookies. Then, let the cookies rest for another 10 minutes until the icing sets and hardens.
- Serve the cookies warm or cold and enjoy!
Notes
- Please see the blog post for recipe tips & substitutions.
- These cookies do not store well at room temperature because of the fresh apples. They also do not store as long in the fridge because the apples keep the cookies moist.
- The best way to store these apple cookies is in a closed container in the freezer for up to 1 month.
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