These Chewy Apple Butter Snickerdoodle Cookies are the classic cinnamon-sugar cookie, scaled way up. Real apple butter is folded right into the dough for a deep, spiced sweetness with crackly tops and soft, chewy centers.
If you love a good snickerdoodle, this one is a cozier cousin of my Chewy Brown Butter Snickerdoodle Cookies — same tangy cinnamon-sugar crunch, but with apple butter adding a fall-forward warmth all its own.
Quick Look: Apple Butter Snickerdoodle Cookies
⏱️ Ready In: about 3 hours (includes chilling)
🔥 Bake Time: 13-16 minutes
🍽️ Serves: 10-12 large cookies
✨ Calories: 332 per cookie
🥄 Main Ingredients: apple butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, cream of tartar
🌿 Dietary: vegetarian
💛 Why You'll Love It: thick bakery-style texture, warm apple spice flavor, classic cinnamon-sugar crackle
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Why you'll love this recipe
- Real apple butter, not apple pie spice. It brings deep, concentrated apple flavor and moisture that spices alone can't replicate — the same reason I love working it into fall bakes like my Sourdough Apple Muffins.
- They're genuinely bakery-sized. At 100-110g of dough per cookie, these bake up thick and substantial, not flat and thin.
- Cream of tartar gives them that signature tang. It's what separates a true snickerdoodle from a plain cinnamon-sugar cookie, the same base I use in my Sourdough Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies.
- No chilling required. These bake up thick and bakery-style straight from mixing to the oven; ready in about an hour, not tomorrow.
Jump to:
- Quick Look: Apple Butter Snickerdoodle Cookies
- Why you'll love this recipe
- Ingredients You'll Need
- Easy Substitutions & Variations
- How to Make Apple Butter Snickerdoodle Cookies
- Expert Tips
- What Makes This Recipe Special?
- Apple Butter Snickerdoodles FAQs
- Apple Butter Snickerdoodle Cookies Troubleshooting Guide
- Storage
- Other Apple Flavored Recipes to Consider
- Apple Butter Snickerdoodles
Ingredients You'll Need
Wet Ingredients
- Unsalted butter, softened – the base of the dough; make sure it's truly softened, not melted, for the right structure.
- Granulated sugar and light brown sugar – the combination gives these cookies both crisp edges and a chewy center.
- Apple butter – the star ingredient, adding deep apple flavor and moisture; use a thick, well-spiced variety for the best flavor.
- Egg and an extra egg yolk – the extra yolk adds richness and helps keep the centers soft.
- Vanilla extract – rounds out the spice.
Dry Ingredients
- All-purpose flour – the structural base; weigh it for the most accurate texture.
- Cream of tartar – the ingredient that makes a snickerdoodle a snickerdoodle, giving it that signature soft tang.
- Baking soda – for lift and spread control.
- Fine sea salt – balances the sweetness.
- Cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves – a warm fall spice blend; the cloves are optional but add real depth.
For the Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- Granulated sugar and cinnamon – rolled generously around each dough ball for that classic crackly, sparkly finish, just like the coating on my Sourdough Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies.
See recipe card for quantities.
Easy Substitutions & Variations
- No apple butter on hand: pumpkin butter works as a swap and pairs just as well with the warm spices, similar to the flavor we get in my Pumpkin Cream Cheese Cinnamon Rolls.
- Smaller cookies: use a 2-tablespoon scoop (about 50g) instead, and reduce the bake time to 9-10 minutes.
- Extra warmth: swap the cloves for a pinch of ground ginger for a flavor closer to my Chewy Sourdough Gingerbread Cookies.
- Gluten-free: a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend can work here, though the texture will be slightly more delicate.
- Dairy-free: a plant-based butter substitute works, though the cookies will spread a little more and taste less rich.
How to Make Apple Butter Snickerdoodle Cookies
Note: I bake by weight for accuracy. Cup measurements are approximate and may vary depending on how you scoop.
Step 1: Cream the butter and sugars. Beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium speed for 3-4 minutes, until light and fluffy.
Step 2: Add the apple butter and eggs. Mix in the apple butter until fully incorporated. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract and beat until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Step 3: Whisk the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.
Step 4: Combine. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed just until no dry streaks remain. Do not overmix.
Step 5: Prep to bake. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Step 6: Make the coating. In a small bowl, stir together the granulated sugar and cinnamon for the coating.
Step 7: Portion and roll. Using a 4-tablespoon cookie scoop (about 100-110g of dough), portion the dough into balls. Roll each generously in the cinnamon sugar mixture and place them on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 3 inches between each cookie.
Step 8: Bake. Bake for 13-16 minutes, or until the edges are set and lightly golden while the centers still appear slightly underbaked.
Step 9: Round them out (optional). Immediately swirl a large round cookie cutter around each cookie to create perfectly round bakery-style cookies.
Step 10: Cool. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Weigh your ingredients! Using a kitchen scale ensures your measurements are accurate, which is key for getting consistent results in baking. It takes the guesswork out of measuring and helps your recipes turn out exactly as intended every time.
Expert Tips
- Use a thick, well-spiced apple butter. Thin or watery apple butter will add extra moisture the dough isn't built for — look for a jarred variety that's thick enough to hold its shape on a spoon.
- Bake straight from mixing — no chilling needed. These are built to hold their shape unchilled; skip the fridge and go right from bowl to scoop to oven.
- Roll generously in the cinnamon sugar. A thick coating is what gives these their crackly, sparkly bakery finish — don't be shy with it.
- Pull them before they look done. The centers should still look slightly underbaked when you take them out; they'll finish setting as they cool on the pan.
- The swirl trick really works. Circling a round cutter or glass around each warm cookie right out of the oven nudges any uneven edges into a perfectly round, bakery-style shape; the same trick I use on my Brown Butter Chocolate Chipless Cookies.
What Makes This Recipe Special?
Most snickerdoodles rely on cinnamon sugar alone for their fall flavor, but folding real apple butter into the dough adds a deeper, more concentrated apple spice flavor along with extra moisture, similar to how I build flavor in my Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls.
Unlike most snickerdoodle recipes, this dough doesn't need a rest in the fridge — the generous scoop size and the structure the apple butter gives the dough are enough to hold that thick, bakery-style shape straight out of the mixing bowl.
And pulling the cookies while the centers still look underbaked, the same approach behind my Chewy Pumpkin Cookies, is what keeps them soft and chewy days later instead of dry.
Apple Butter Snickerdoodles FAQs
I don't recommend it — applesauce is much thinner and less concentrated in flavor, and it will make the dough too wet. Apple butter's thickness and deep flavor are essential here.
No — these are designed to bake straight after mixing. I tested this dough chilled and unchilled, and unchilled gave the best texture and spread, so there's no need to plan ahead.
Yes. Portion and roll the dough balls in cinnamon sugar, then freeze on a baking sheet until solid before transferring to a freezer bag. Bake from frozen, adding 2-3 extra minutes.
Cream of tartar is what gives snickerdoodles their signature soft tang and chewy texture — it's a defining ingredient of the cookie, not an optional swap.
Yes, it will make 30-34 cookies with a 2-tablespoon scoop and 20-23 cookies with a 3-tablespoon scoop. I'd recommend baking for 9-10 minutes for 2-tablespoon cookies and 10-11 minutes for 3-tablespoon cookies.
Apple Butter Snickerdoodle Cookies Troubleshooting Guide
| Problem | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Cookies spread too thin | Butter was too warm or melted when mixed, or apple butter was thin | Make sure butter is softened, not melted, and use a thick, well-spiced apple butter |
| No crackly cinnamon sugar top | Coating layer was too thin | Roll each dough ball generously and fully in the cinnamon sugar before baking |
| Centers taste doughy after cooling | Pulled from the oven too early, before edges were fully set | Bake until edges are set and lightly golden, even if centers look slightly underdone |
| Cookies aren't perfectly round | Swirl step was skipped, or done too late | Swirl a cutter or glass around each cookie immediately after baking, while still warm and soft |
| Dough is too sticky to roll | Apple butter was thin, or dough sat out too long before scooping | Use a thicker apple butter, and portion the dough soon after mixing |
Storage
Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Unbaked, rolled dough balls freeze well for up to 3 months — bake straight from frozen, adding 2-3 minutes to the bake time.
Baked cookies also freeze well for up to 2 months; thaw at room temperature before serving.
Other Apple Flavored Recipes to Consider
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Apple Butter Snickerdoodles
Equipment
- Stand mixer with paddle attachment
- Two baking sheets
- Parchment Paper
- 4-tablespoon cookie scoop
- Wire cooling rack
- Large round cookie cutter or glass, optional
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- 227 g unsalted butter softened (1 cup)
- 200 g granulated sugar 1 cup
- 100 g light brown sugar packed (½ cup)
- 120 g apple butter ½ cup
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
- 420 g all-purpose flour about 3⅓ cups + 2 tablespoons
- 1½ teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves optional
Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- 75 g granulated sugar ⅓ cup
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium speed for 3-4 minutes, until light and fluffy.227 g unsalted butter, 200 g granulated sugar, 100 g light brown sugar
- Mix in the apple butter until fully incorporated. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract and beat until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.120 g apple butter, 1 large egg, 1 large egg yolk, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.420 g all-purpose flour, 1½ teaspoons cream of tartar, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed just until no dry streaks remain. Do not overmix.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, stir together the granulated sugar and cinnamon for the coating.75 g granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- Using a 4-tablespoon cookie scoop (about 100-110g of dough), portion the dough into balls. Roll each generously in the cinnamon sugar mixture and place them on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 3 inches between each cookie.
- Bake for 12-13 minutes, or until the edges are set and lightly golden while the centers still appear slightly underbaked.
- If desired, immediately swirl a large round cookie cutter around each cookie to create perfectly round bakery-style cookies.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- No chilling needed. This dough is meant to be scooped and baked right after mixing — chilling it isn't necessary and doesn't improve the texture here.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
- For smaller cookies: The dough will make 30-34 cookies with a 2-tablespoon scoop and 20-23 cookies with a 3-tablespoon scoop. I'd recommend baking for 9-10 minutes for 2-tablespoon cookies and 10-11 minutes for 3-tablespoon cookies.
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