Description
Delight in these Vegan Apple Pie Cookies, featuring a spiced cookie dough filled with a warm, glossy apple pie filling. Perfectly soft with a crisp edge, these cookies combine classic apple pie flavors with a tender, vegan cookie base, making a comforting treat for any time of year.
Ingredients
Scale
Apple Pie Filling
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 Tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 large honeycrisp apple, peeled and cut into small chunks
- 3 Tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons vegan butter
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Spiced Cookie Dough
- 1/2 cup vegan butter
- 1/2 cup sugar (for dough)
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 flax egg (1 Tablespoon ground flaxseed mixed with 3 Tbsp water)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour + 1 Tablespoon for dough
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 Tablespoons sugar (for rolling dough balls before baking)
Instructions
- Make the Apple Pie Filling: Mix cold water and cornstarch until cloudy paste forms; set aside. Peel and finely chop the honeycrisp apple. In a saucepan, combine apple, brown sugar, vegan butter, lemon juice, and pumpkin pie spice. Cook over medium heat until butter melts and mixture bubbles. Stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook for 5-10 minutes until thick and glossy. Remove from heat and let cool.
- Prepare the Spiced Cookie Dough: In a mixing bowl, cream together room temperature vegan butter, 1/2 cup sugar, and brown sugar with an electric mixer for about 2 minutes until fluffy. Add the flax egg and vanilla bean paste, mix for 30 seconds. Add all-purpose flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt (flour first, then other dry ingredients on top). Mix to form a thick dough. Cover dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour, or up to 24 hours.
- Preheat and Prepare Baking Tray: About 10 minutes before removing the dough from the fridge, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Shape and Coat Cookies: Scoop out 10 even dough portions using a cookie scoop. Roll each into a ball between your palms, then roll in 2 tablespoons of sugar to coat.
- Assemble Cookies: Place dough balls on the prepared tray spaced at least 2 inches apart. Press each dough ball slightly with your palm to flatten. Using your thumb, make a small indent in the center of each cookie, then gently enlarge the indent with your fingers to hold the filling. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the cooled apple pie filling into each indent.
- Bake: Bake the cookies for 14-16 minutes until edges are crisp and centers are set but still gooey.
- Cool and Serve: Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy your vegan apple pie cookies!
Notes
- You can refrigerate the dough for up to 24 hours to develop more flavor and ease of shaping.
- Using honeycrisp apple gives a sweet and tart balance; however, any firm, crisp apple works well.
- Ensure apple pie filling is cooled before adding it to dough to prevent spreading during baking.
- Flax egg is used as an egg substitute to keep cookies vegan.
- Cookies will spread, so keep spacing at least 2 inches apart on baking sheet.
