These caramel apple crumble cookies are a chewy, gooey fall dream dessert. The cookies are stuffed with caramel and dried apples then baked with a streusel topping. We all love them so much!
Who needs a new fall cookie?!
Me me me! These caramel apple crumble cookies are now a staple in my fall baking routine and they are fabulous. Spiced, cinnamony, apple-y, chewy, gooey and more. Topped with a crisp streusel that is everything you want in an autumn dessert.
And I can’t believe I’m going to say this but sometimes you just need a cookie without chocolate!
I know. Who even am I?!
I’m not even a giant fan of fruit inside my cookies so this is huge!
The cookies don’t even look alarmingly special. But they taste SO good. They are very unassuming in appearance and yet taste just like apple crumble or cobbler.
I made them after my cousin bought a similar cookie at a local pumpkin patch. It sounded SO good to me. And I still have my caramel pretzel cookies on the brain – the recipe for those is in Easy Everyday!
I knew the base for those cookies would be ideal for these. It’s a very similar cookie and I love how it’s thick but still chewy. It holds the caramel so well and the apple bits add a ton of chewiness too! In the best way possible.
And I just have to tell you how much I love the streusel on top. It’s a tiny amount but we all know that streusel is the best part of any warm fruit dessert. It’s always a fight for the last of the streusel!
So while it barely shows up on these cookies when you look at them, you can most certainly taste it. And you’re going to love it!
Let’s talk about the caramels inside for a minute. I love using these caramel bits because, frankly, they are so EASY. There is no unwrapping caramels and chopping them, etc. However, they also don’t really melt in the cookie! They have great caramel flavor but they don’t get super gooey. Which is fine and sometimes it’s welcomed.
If I’m really feeling ambitious and want the caramel to be melty, gooey and even messy, I’ll unwrap the square caramels and chop them up. Or even add them whole to the batter! The squares are what I use most often with my caramel pretzel cookies and they are great.
These cookies here have another focus: the apple and the streusel on top are really the showstoppers. So the caramel bits are a great option. I like to buy a few bags and have them on hand because they can be hard to find. Oh and as a note, these are the dried apples I use too!
Taste like the best bite of fall.
Caramel Apple Crumble Cookies
Caramel Apple Crumble Cookies
These caramel apple crumble cookies are a chewy, gooey fall dream dessert. The cookies are stuffed with caramel and dried apples then baked with a streusel topping. We all love them so much!
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Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
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Make the streusel first. Whisk together the sugar, cinnamon, salt and melted butter until combined. Whisk for a good minute or two until the sugar begins to dissolve, then use a wooden spoon to stir in the flour. The mixture will be crumb-like and dry. Almost like sludge or sand. This is what you want! Set it aside until you’re ready to use it.
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Now make the cookies. In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, powder and salt.
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Beat the butter and sugar together in an electric mixer for 5 minutes until fluffy. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time until combined. Beat in the vanilla, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed.
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Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Stir in the caramels and the apple pieces on low speed or with a spatula.
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Scoop the dough into 2 or 3 tablespoon size scoops on a baking sheet at least 2 inches apart. Top with a spoonful of streusel and gently press it into the cookie scoop. You can add as much as you’d like!
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Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes, until just barely baked through. Let cool completely before removing from the pan.
Ooooh that crumble.
