Hey, y'all! I am more of a cook than a baker - that said, I'm excited to share the recipe for Apple Butter Cookies with you today. This recipe stems from my Auntie JJ and is a part of a larger series, #CookingLikeJJ, which you can read more about here.
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This post is in partnership with Horse Cave/Hart County Tourist Commission. Thank you all for supporting those that make JCP Eats possible. All opinions expressed are my own.
Apple Butter Cookies
Frequently Asked Questions
Apple butter is a highly concentrated form of apple sauce produced by the slow cooking of apples. It has a wonderful flavor and is absolutely delicious!
There are many store-bought varieties of apple butter; that said, I pick up my apple butter while shopping in the Amish stores of Hart County, KY.
Yes, it makes absolutely all of the difference in the world. Do not skip this step!
The closest cookie, in my opinion, is a snickerdoodle. This cookie, however, has an apple-forward flavor profile.
Pumpkin pie spice is not just for pumpkin pie -- it includes: cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, and ginger.
Ingredients, Shopping List: Apple Butter Cookies
Dairy: unsalted butter
Dry Ingredients: granulated sugar, all-purpose flour, cream of tartar, baking soda
Seasonings/Spices: kosher salt, pumpkin pie spice
Wet Ingredients: egg, vanilla, apple butter
How To Make Apple Butter Cookies
- Mix vanilla, butter, apple butter, and sugar until well-combined. I use my stand mixer with the paddle attachment.
- Add egg; mix until incorporated.
- Combine cream of tartar, baking soda, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and flour.
- In small batches, add the dry ingredients to the mixture. Mix until combined.
- Wrap dough in cling wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Roll dough out into small, even-size balls. Mix together ⅓ c. granulated sugar + 2 tbsp. pumpkin pie spice in a bowl. Roll each ball into the sugar coating and place on the baking sheet. Bake cookies for roughly fifteen minutes; allow cookies to cool + enjoy!
Apple Butter Cookies: Tips and Tricks
- As apple butter is a prominent flavor in this recipe, purchase good-quality.
- Refrigerate dough for the full hour before baking.
- The cookies will be done when the edges + bottom are brown. The tops should still look soft when you remove them from the oven!
Other Dessert Recipes
The Recipe
Apple Butter Cookies
Equipment
- Stand mixer paddle attachment
Ingredients
For The Cookies
- 2.75 c. all-purpose flour
- 2 c. granulated sugar
- 1 stick butter room temperature
- ¾ c. apple butter
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
- 2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
- ½ tsp. cream of tartar
- ½ tsp. baking soda
- ½ tsp. kosher salt
For The Sugar Coating
- ⅓ c. granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp. pumpkin pie spice
Instructions
- Mix vanilla, butter, apple butter, and sugar until well-combined. I use my stand mixer with the paddle attachment.
- Add egg; mix until incorporated.
- Combine cream of tartar, baking soda, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and flour.
- In small batches, add the dry ingredients to the mixture. Mix until combined.
- Wrap dough in cling wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Roll dough out into small, even-size balls. Mix together ⅓ c. granulated sugar + 2 tbsp. pumpkin pie spice in a bowl. Roll each ball into the sugar coating and place on the baking sheet. Bake cookies for roughly fifteen minutes; allow cookies to cool + enjoy!
Notes
- As apple butter is a prominent flavor in this recipe, purchase good-quality.
- Refrigerate dough for the full hour before baking.
- The cookies will be done when the edges + bottom are brown. The tops should still look soft when you remove them from the oven!
Nutrition
Where I Purchased My Apple Butter: Amish-Owned Businesses in Hart County, KY
Approximately 200 Amish families live throughout Hart County, making it the most densely populated Amish region in Kentucky. While the businesses are spread out throughout the county, you’ll find several of them in the Cub Run area in the western part of the county. The Amish have a multitude of business models in the county, including: greenhouses, bakeries, window + lawn furniture manufacturing, meat processing, sawmills, salvage groceries, and general merchandise stores. Learn more about Hart County's Amish-owned businesses here. I love shopping for ingredients there!
About Hart County
Hart County, located in South Central Kentucky, lies predominately within the central portion of the Pennyroyal region of the state. Nolin River forms the western boundary of the county and the Green River winds through the center. Hart County contains five of Kentucky’s ten largest springs, including Gorin Mill Spring, the largest in the state. Further, they are home to world-famous Hidden River Cave, part of Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky Down Under, and an award-winning trail system.
About the Series: Cooking Like JJ
My Auntie JJ was the quintessential southern woman. She was classy, tasteful, always refined; an amazing cook and hostess; and did everything that she balanced – teaching, running businesses, raising a family, and keeping an immaculate home – with ease. She is one of the main inspirations behind JCP Eats, as she was the one who taught me about timeless, southern food and entertaining. When JJ passed away, I planned this series as a way to pay homage to her 91 years here on Earth; in a way, it’s a form of mourning – in another, it seems like my final gift to her. I hope y’all will enjoy this deep dive into the culinary archives of my family + Phelps Acres Farm. While I’ll never be able to cook as good as JJ, I can only strive to cook like JJ (hence the title of the series). Learn more here.
Y’all come back now, ya hear?
My best,
JC
Keep Up With JCP Eats
Thank you so much for visiting the blog today! I’d love to keep in touch via social media. You can follow my content on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Tik Tok, Twitter, and LinkedIn. I also author a second website, Notable Kentucky, on which I write about all things of note in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Read Notable Kentucky here.
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