Cozy Cinnamon Apple Cider Cookies with Sweet Cider Glaze
These Cozy Cinnamon Apple Cider Cookies are soft, chewy, and full of real fall flavor. Reduced apple cider, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice create a warmly spiced cookie, while a sweet apple cider glaze adds the perfect finishing touch. Bake these easy fall cookies for Thanksgiving, Halloween, cookie exchanges, or cozy afternoons at home.
Ingredients
For the apple cider reduction
- 1¼ cups apple cider not apple cider vinegar
For the cinnamon apple cider cookies
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- ¾ cup packed light brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons cooled reduced apple cider
For the sweet cider glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon cooled reduced apple cider
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 to 2 teaspoons apple cider only if needed to thin the glaze
Instructions
- Pour 1¼ cups apple cider into a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cider has reduced to ¼ cup. Remove from the heat and let it cool completely.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt.
- In a large bowl, beat the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar with a hand mixer or stand mixer until light and creamy, about 2 minutes.
- Add the egg, vanilla extract, and 3 tablespoons of cooled reduced apple cider. Beat until smooth and fully combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix on low speed just until no dry flour remains. Do not overmix.
- Cover the dough and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Scoop the dough into 1½-tablespoon portions and place them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers no longer look wet or glossy. Do not overbake.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- For the glaze, whisk the powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon reduced apple cider, vanilla extract, and cinnamon in a small bowl until smooth. Add regular apple cider a few drops at a time only if needed for a drizzle-able consistency.
- Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cookies. Let it set for 15 to 20 minutes before serving or storing.
Notes
- Apple cider: Use apple cider, not apple cider vinegar. Unfiltered cider gives the strongest apple flavor.
- Reduced cider: Cool the cider reduction completely before using it in the dough. Warm reduction can melt the butter and make the dough spread too much.
- Soft cookies: Do not overbake. Remove the cookies when the edges are set and the centers still look slightly soft.
- Chilling: Chilling the dough for 30 minutes helps control spreading. If the dough is chilled longer, let it sit for 10 minutes before scooping.
- Glaze: Glaze only fully cooled cookies. Add cider in very small amounts because the glaze can become thin quickly.
- Storage: Store glazed cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate for up to 5 days.
- Freezing: Freeze unglazed baked cookies for up to 2 months. Thaw and glaze before serving.
- Cinnamon sugar option: Instead of glazing, roll dough balls in cinnamon sugar before baking for an apple cider sugar-cookie variation.