Vegan Apple Pie Cookies Recipe tastes like a bite-sized slice of cozy fall, works perfectly for busy bakers who want a 45–55 minute dessert, and feels like a hug from your oven. These cookies suit vegans, dairy free eaters, and anyone who loves soft, spiced, apple-filled treats without fuss. I tested these on my very picky neighbors, and they walked home with a second container.
Why Make This Vegan Apple Pie Cookies Recipe at Home
You control the sweetness, spice level, and texture, so every batch fits your taste. Store bought cookies rarely pack real apple chunks and warm spices the way a homemade Vegan Apple Pie Cookies Recipe can.
You also skip weird additives and use pantry staples like oats, flour, and coconut oil. The recipe stays simple enough for weeknights but feels special enough for holidays and potlucks.
These Vegan Apple Pie Cookies taste like mini pies in cookie form, soft, cozy, and perfectly spiced ★★★★★
Ingredients You Need
For the apple pie filling
- 2 medium apples, peeled and finely diced
- Use firm, sweet-tart apples like Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, or Granny Smith.
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter or refined coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar or coconut sugar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch or arrowroot starch
- 1 tablespoon water
For the cookie dough
- 1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
- Use gluten free 1 to 1 baking flour if you need gluten free Vegan Apple Pie Cookies.
- 1 cup rolled oats
- Quick oats work in a pinch, but rolled oats give better texture.
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ cup coconut oil, softened but not melted
- Vegan butter also works and gives a slightly richer flavor.
- ½ cup brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup cane sugar
- ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
- This replaces eggs and adds extra apple flavor.
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Optional toppings
- 2 tablespoons coarse sugar for sprinkling
- Extra cinnamon for dusting
- Simple glaze
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 to 2 tablespoons plant milk
- Tiny pinch cinnamon or vanilla
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Medium saucepan or skillet
- Rubber spatula or wooden spoon
- Hand mixer or stand mixer, or a sturdy whisk and strong arm
- Baking sheets
- Parchment paper or silicone baking mats
- Cookie scoop or tablespoon
- Cooling rack
Tips & Mistakes
- Use firm apples so they hold shape and do not turn mushy.
- Dice the apples small so they tuck into the cookies without falling out.
- Chill the dough 20 to 30 minutes if it feels sticky, so the cookies keep shape.
- Do not overbake, because the cookies firm up as they cool and stay soft inside.
- Line the baking sheets, since apple sugars can stick and burn on bare metal.
- Measure flour by spooning into the cup and leveling, so the dough stays tender.
- Keep the apple filling thick, not runny, or it will leak out of the cookies.
- Let the apple filling cool to room temperature before you mix or top, so it does not melt the dough.
- Use room temperature coconut oil or vegan butter, not melted, so the cookies do not spread too much.
- Taste the apple filling and adjust sugar and cinnamon to match your apples.
How to Make Vegan Apple Pie Cookies Recipe
Step 1: Cook the apple pie filling
Add vegan butter or coconut oil to a medium skillet over medium heat. When it melts, add diced apples, brown sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon juice. Stir and cook 5 to 7 minutes until the apples soften and the juices bubble.
Whisk cornstarch with water in a small bowl until smooth. Pour the slurry into the apples while you stir. Cook 1 to 2 more minutes until the mixture thickens and looks glossy, then remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature.
Step 2: Mix the dry ingredients
In a large bowl, add flour, rolled oats, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Whisk until everything looks evenly combined. Set the bowl aside.
Step 3: Cream the wet ingredients
In another bowl, add softened coconut oil, brown sugar, and cane sugar. Beat with a hand mixer or stand mixer 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture looks light and fluffy. Add applesauce and vanilla, then beat again until smooth.
Step 4: Combine dough and chill
Pour the dry ingredients into the wet mixture in two additions. Mix on low or stir with a spatula until no dry streaks of flour remain. The dough should feel thick and slightly sticky.
Fold in about half of the cooled apple filling if you want apple bits inside the cookies. If you prefer a neat thumbprint style cookie, keep all the filling aside for topping. Cover the bowl and chill the dough in the fridge for 20 to 30 minutes while you heat the oven.
Step 5: Preheat the oven and prep pans
Heat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Take the chilled dough out of the fridge.
Step 6: Shape the cookies
Use a cookie scoop or tablespoon to portion the dough into balls about 1 ½ tablespoons each. Roll them gently between your palms to smooth them, then place them on the baking sheets with a little space between each cookie. Press each ball slightly to flatten.
If you use the filling as a topping, press a small well in the center of each cookie with your thumb or the back of a teaspoon. Spoon about ½ to 1 teaspoon of apple filling into each well. Sprinkle the tops with coarse sugar and a tiny pinch of cinnamon if you like.
Step 7: Bake
Place the baking sheets in the oven. Bake 10 to 13 minutes until the edges look set and lightly golden and the centers still look slightly soft. Rotate the pans halfway through baking if your oven heats unevenly.
Take the cookies out and let them sit on the baking sheet 5 minutes. Transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely. They firm up as they cool but stay soft and chewy.
Step 8: Add optional glaze
If you want a glazed Vegan Apple Pie Cookies Recipe, whisk powdered sugar with 1 tablespoon plant milk and a pinch of cinnamon or vanilla. Add more milk a few drops at a time until you get a drizzle friendly consistency. Drizzle the glaze over cooled cookies in thin zigzags.
Let the glaze set for about 15 minutes. Then stack or pack the cookies. Glaze adds sweetness and a bakery style look, so kids usually go straight for those.
Variations I've Tried
I swap half the rolled oats with finely chopped pecans or walnuts for a nutty crunch. I also stir in a small handful of raisins or golden raisins with the apple filling for a classic apple cinnamon cookie vibe. When I want a lighter treat, I cut the brown sugar in the dough by two tablespoons and use extra cinnamon to keep flavor strong.
I sometimes use half whole wheat flour and half all purpose flour for a heartier cookie. If I bake for gluten free friends, I use a 1 to 1 gluten free baking blend and certified gluten free oats, and the texture still stays soft and chewy. A sprinkle of coarse sugar and cinnamon on top always makes the Vegan Apple Pie Cookies look bakery ready.
How to Serve Vegan Apple Pie Cookies Recipe
Serve these Vegan Apple Pie Cookies slightly warm with a glass of cold oat milk or almond milk. They taste amazing with a scoop of dairy free vanilla ice cream or a spoonful of coconut yogurt on the side. Kids love them in lunchboxes, and adults treat them as a cozy afternoon snack with coffee or tea.
You can plate them on a big platter for holidays, brunch spreads, or bake sales. Add a small bowl of extra apple filling as a dip for extra fun. They also travel well, so you can pack them for road trips or picnics.
How to store
- Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 to 3 days.
- Keep them in the fridge up to 5 days if your kitchen runs warm or you use a lot of apple filling.
- Freeze baked cookies in a single layer on a tray, then move them to a freezer bag or container for up to 2 months.
- Reheat from room temperature in a 300°F oven for 5 to 7 minutes or in the air fryer for 2 to 3 minutes until warm and soft.
- Thaw frozen cookies overnight in the fridge or at room temperature for about 30 minutes, then warm them gently if you want that fresh baked feel.
Vegan Apple Pie Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
- Add vegan butter or coconut oil to a medium skillet over medium heat. Once melted, add the diced apples, brown sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon juice.
- Cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring often, until the apples soften and the juices are bubbling.
- In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch with the water until smooth, then pour this slurry into the apples while stirring.
- Cook for 1–2 more minutes until the mixture thickens and looks glossy, then remove from heat and let the filling cool to room temperature.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, rolled oats, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg until evenly combined.
- In another bowl, beat the softened coconut oil with the brown sugar and cane sugar for 2–3 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add the applesauce and vanilla to the creamed mixture and beat again until smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture in two additions, mixing on low or stirring with a spatula just until no dry streaks of flour remain. The dough will be thick and slightly sticky.
- Fold in about half of the cooled apple filling if you want apple bits inside the cookies, or leave all of the filling aside to use as a topping. Cover the bowl and chill the dough in the fridge for 20–30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Use a cookie scoop or tablespoon to portion the chilled dough into balls of about 1 1/2 tablespoons each. Roll gently between your palms to smooth and place on the prepared baking sheets, leaving space between cookies.
- Lightly flatten each dough ball. If topping with filling, press a small well in the center of each cookie with your thumb or the back of a teaspoon and spoon about 1/2–1 teaspoon of apple filling into each well. Sprinkle with coarse sugar and a pinch of cinnamon if desired.
- Bake for 10–13 minutes, until the edges look set and lightly golden and the centers still look slightly soft. Rotate the pans halfway through baking if needed.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. The cookies will firm up as they cool but stay soft and chewy.
- For a glazed finish, whisk the powdered sugar with 1 tablespoon of plant milk and a pinch of cinnamon or a drop of vanilla until smooth, adding a few more drops of milk as needed for a drizzleable consistency.
- Drizzle the glaze over cooled cookies in thin zigzags and let it set for about 15 minutes before stacking or serving.
Notes
Approximate per cookie, assuming 24 cookies and glaze: 135 calories; fat 6 g; saturated fat 4.5 g; carbohydrates 20 g; fiber 1 g; sugars 11 g; protein 1.5 g; sodium 70 mg. Values are estimates and will vary based on specific ingredients, exact cookie size, and toppings used.
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