Soft Apple Pie Cookies

Name: Soft Apple Pie Cookies
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 95 min
Yield: About 10 large cookies
Ingredients: 220 g unsalted butter softened, for the cookie dough; 100 g brown sugar for the cookie dough; 100 g granulated sugar; 2 eggs; 3 g ground cinnamon for the cookie dough; 3 g baking powder; 15 g cornstarch for the cookie dough; 370 g all-purpose flour; 50 g unsalted butter for the apple filling; 530 g apples weighed after peeling and coring; 100 g brown sugar for the apple filling; 3 g ground cinnamon for the apple filling; 30 g lemon juice; 1 unwaxed lemon finely grated zest only; 40 g water for cooking the apples; 2 g salt; 10 g cornstarch for thickening the filling; 15 g cold water approximately, for dissolving the cornstarch for the filling; chopped pecans as needed, for finishing

Large cinnamon cookies with soft centers, a cooked apple filling with lemon, and chopped pecans on top.

By PedroPublished October 10, 2026 · Updated October 10, 2026

MakesAbout 10 large cookies

Time1 h 35 min

Estimated total time. This covers the full recipe from start to finish, including preparation and any resting, chilling, baking, or cooling. Some of that time is hands-off.

DifficultyMedium

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Large cinnamon cookies filled with diced apples and chopped pecans on a light surface

When you’re craving apple pie, a whole pie can feel like more baking than you had in mind. These cookies give each portion its own apple-filled center, so there’s no slicing before you can have one. You can see the pieces of apple in the middle, with a wide cookie edge around them.

I’d choose these for the topping: small pieces of apple with brown sugar, cinnamon, and lemon, still visible beneath the chopped pecans. The soft cookie around them is substantial enough to hold that center. For another cinnamon batch, try my Honey Cinnamon Cookies.

Ingredients for Soft Apple Pie Cookies

I measure the dough and filling ingredients separately, since each has its own butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and cornstarch. The apple weight is after peeling and coring. Lemon juice and finely grated zest go in the filling, with chopped pecans for the top.

Measured butter, brown and granulated sugar, eggs, and dry ingredients for the cookie dough — The cookie dough ingredients, separate from the filling.

Apples, lemon, butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and cornstarch for the apple filling — The apples and ingredients for their cinnamon filling.

220 g unsalted buttersoftened, for the cookie dough
100 g brown sugarfor the cookie dough
100 g granulated sugar
2 eggs
3 g ground cinnamonfor the cookie dough
3 g baking powder
15 g cornstarchfor the cookie dough
370 g all-purpose flour
50 g unsalted butterfor the apple filling
530 g applesweighed after peeling and coring
100 g brown sugarfor the apple filling
3 g ground cinnamonfor the apple filling
30 g lemon juice
1 unwaxed lemonfinely grated zest only
40 g waterfor cooking the apples
2 g salt
10 g cornstarchfor thickening the filling
15 g cold waterapproximately, for dissolving the cornstarch for the filling
chopped pecansas needed, for finishing

How to Make Soft Apple Pie Cookies

I allow about 1 hour 35 minutes overall with two prepared baking sheets. This estimate includes roughly 45 minutes of preparation, 9 minutes to cook the filling, 26 minutes in the oven across two batches, and 15 minutes for the cookies to rest. The filling cools while I prepare and bake the dough. If it is still warm, or I reuse one baking sheet, I allow extra time before filling the cookies.

Cut the apples

I cut the peeled, cored apples into small, evenly sized cubes.

Peeled apple halves, apple cubes, and a knife on a wooden board beside a bowl of diced apples — Cut the peeled apples into small, even cubes.

Bowl of evenly diced apples on a wooden board — The diced apples ready for the filling.

Start the filling

I melt the butter for the filling in a large skillet, then add the diced apples, brown sugar and cinnamon for the filling, lemon juice, finely grated lemon zest, salt, and 40 g of water. I stir everything together.

Diced apples with brown sugar, cinnamon, and lemon zest in a skillet — The filling ingredients together in the skillet.

Cook the apples

I cover the skillet and cook over medium-low heat for about 8 minutes, until the apples begin to soften but still hold their shape.

Thicken and cool

I mix the cornstarch for the filling with about 15 g of cold water in a small bowl until smooth. I pour it into the skillet and continue cooking for about 1 minute, stirring constantly, until the liquid thickens slightly. I remove the skillet from the heat and let the filling cool completely while I prepare the dough.

Cooked apple cubes in cinnamon filling in a skillet — The apples soften while keeping their diced shape.

Cream butter and sugars

For the dough, I beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar with an electric mixer until soft and creamy.

Softened butter with brown and granulated sugar in a glass bowl — The butter and sugars at the start of the cookie dough.

Add eggs and cinnamon

I add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition, then add the cinnamon for the dough.

Finish the dough

I combine the flour, cornstarch for the dough, and baking powder in a separate bowl. I add these dry ingredients gradually to the butter mixture, mixing on low speed only until an even dough forms.

Flour and other dry ingredients on top of the cinnamon cookie mixture in a glass bowl — Add the dry ingredients gradually.

Finished cinnamon cookie dough in a glass bowl — Stop mixing once the dough is even.

Make the cookie wells

I divide the dough into about 10 portions and roll each one into a ball. I arrange them well spaced on two baking sheets lined with parchment paper, then use the back of a spoon or the bottom of a small glass to make a fairly deep indentation in each center.

Six unbaked cookies with deep center indentations on a parchment-lined baking sheet — Space the shaped cookies apart and leave a deep well in each center.

Bake the cookies

I bake one sheet at a time in a preheated conventional oven at 180°C (356°F), allowing about 13 minutes per batch. Halfway through each batch, I quickly open the oven and gently press the centers down again with the back of a spoon if they have puffed up. I continue baking until the edges are lightly golden and the centers remain soft. The two batches spend about 26 minutes in the oven altogether.

Reshape and rest

As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, I reshape the center indentation again if necessary. I leave the cookies on their baking sheet for about 10 to 15 minutes.

Six baked cinnamon cookies with lightly golden edges and empty centers — The baked centers are ready for filling after the cookies rest.

Fill and finish

I spoon the completely cooled apple filling into each cookie center and finish with chopped pecans.

Six cookies filled with apple cubes and chopped pecans on a baking sheet — The cooled apple filling and pecans go into the baked cookie centers.

Tips that make a difference

Cut the apples into small, even cubes so they soften evenly while keeping their shape.
Mix the cornstarch for the filling with cold water until smooth so it can thicken the liquid without lumps.
Check that the apple filling has cooled completely before you fill the cookies; it may need longer than their 10 to 15 minute rest.
If you have only one baking sheet, allow extra time for the cookies to rest and the sheet to cool before shaping the next batch.

The Apple-Filled Center

I'd scatter the chopped pecans over the apple filling without covering it completely. That way, you can still see the small pieces of fruit inside the lightly golden cinnamon cookie.