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Apple Butter Snickerdoodles

Apple butter snickerdoodles are tender, crinkled cookies coated in cinnamon-sugar and baked at 375°F until the edges just set. The apple butter keeps the centers soft with caramelized fruit depth and a classic snickerdoodle spice finish.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
chill 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 2 minutes
Servings: 36 cookies
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 180
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dry ingredients
  • 2.75 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp cream of tartar
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp nutmeg
  • 0.25 tsp salt
Wet ingredients
  • 1 lb unsalted butter, softened
  • 1.25 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 0.333 cup apple butter
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
For rolling
  • 3 tbsp sugar
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.5 tsp apple pie spice

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Preheat and prep
  1. Preheat the oven to 375F and line baking sheets with parchment, so the cookies bake evenly without sticking.
Mix the dry ingredients
  1. Whisk together all-purpose flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until the spices are evenly distributed.
Cream the butter and sugar
  1. Beat unsalted butter, softened and granulated sugar until very light and fluffy.
Add wet ingredients
  1. Add eggs, apple butter, and vanilla extract and mix until the mixture looks smooth and cohesive.
Combine into a soft dough
  1. Fold the flour mixture into the wet ingredients until a soft dough forms.
Chill if needed
  1. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes if it’s very sticky, to make scooping and rolling easier.
Make the cinnamon coating
  1. Mix sugar, cinnamon, and apple pie spice in a shallow bowl.
Shape and coat
  1. Scoop dough into 1-1/2 tablespoon balls, then roll generously in cinnamon-spice sugar until well coated.
Bake
  1. Bake for 10-12 minutes at 375F until the cookies are crinkled and the edges are just set.
Cool
  1. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes; the centers will firm as they cool.

Notes

Pro tip: if the dough feels too soft, chilling for the full 30 minutes will help you roll clean, thick-coated balls. Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days, or refrigerate for up to 7 days; freeze baked cookies for up to 2 months. For a dairy-light swap, use a plant-based unsalted butter stick (solid, not whipped) to keep the snickerdoodle texture similar.