These Apple Fritter Butter Cookies have crisp edges, a buttery center, and a warm cinnamon sugar topping. No chilling, no spreading, just roll, cut, and bake.
Apple Fritter Butter Cookies
These cookies are inspired by classic apple fritters. Buttery, soft, and warmly spiced with cinnamon and vanilla.
The dough is simple: butter, sugar, flour and vanilla extract
Grated apple blends into the dough for even flavor, while finely chopped apple adds bits of apple pieces in every bite
Sprinkled with cinnamon sugar while still warm, they taste just like a fritter only in crisp, cookie form.
How to make Apple Fritter butter cookies
These are the visual steps. For the full recipe with exact measurements, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post
Mix sugar, cinnamon, and butter
- In a large bowl, combine the sugar, cinnamon, and cold cubed butter. Rub in with fingertips or mix on low speed for 2–3 minutes.
- The mixture should be soft and holds together with a slightly sandy texture.
Add apples, vanilla and flour
- Add the grated and chopped apple (well squeezed to remove liquid) and the vanilla. Mix just until combined.
- Stir in the flour and salt. Mix gently with a spatula or on low speed, just until combined.
Form the dough
- Gather the mixture together, gently forming it into a soft ball. It should hold easily without feeling sticky.
- Place the dough between two sheets of parchment paper and roll it out to about 10–12 mm (½ inch) thick.
Cut the cookies
- Cut the dough using a 2-inch (5 cm) round cutter—or any shape you like.
- Arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet, about 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart, they won’t spread as they bake
Bake and cool
- Bake at 350°F (175°C) or 160°C fan for 15–20 minutes, until edges are light brown.Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar while still warm.
- Shake off excess sugar and transfer to a cooling rack. They’ll be soft out of the oven but crisp up as they cool.
Recipe tips
This recipe is easy, but the following tips make all the difference, give them a quick read before you start.
Why cold butter works best
- Cold butter helps the dough keep its shape and prevents greasy, spread-out cookies.
- Take it out about 15 minutes before starting. It should still feel cold but be easy to cut and mix into the sugar.
How to test it:
It won’t leave a fingerprint when pressed, but it should cut cleanly, think firm cheddar: solid to the touch, but easy to cut.
Apples: Grate, Chop, Squeeze, Then Measure
Grated apple adds flavor and softness, but also releases liquid, especially once chopped or grated. If you leave that in, the dough turns sticky and won’t roll or cut cleanly.
- Give it one firm squeeze over the sink using your hands, a kitchen towel, or cheesecloth. No need to dry it completely, just take off the extra.
- Weigh or measure after squeezing. The recipe is balanced for that amount. Measuring before means too much apple, and the dough won’t hold shape.
Why sprinkling sugar on warm cookies works best - not rolling
While the cookies are still hot on the tray, sprinkle cinnamon sugar over the tops. The warmth helps it stick evenly.
- Rolling doesn’t work here. The first cookie might coat well, but the heat and steam from the cookies make the sugar damp, and it stops sticking to the rest.
- Shake off any excess, then transfer to a cooling rack.
Recipe
Apple Fritter Butter Cookies
Video
Apples: (squeeze before weighing)
- 1¼ Tablespoons (20 g) grated apple
- 1¼ Tablespoons (20 g) finely chopped apple
For the cookies
- ½ cup (100 g) white granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¾ cup (170 g) cold salted butter, cubed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2½ cups (300 g) all-purpose flour (plain flour)
- ¼ teaspoon salt (use ½ teaspoon if using unsalted butter)
For the sugar topping
- 3 Tablespoons (40 g) white granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Preheat the oven: Start heating the oven about 8–10 minutes before the cookies go in. If it's on too long, it can get too hot. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (baking paper) or a silicone baking mat
- Mix the sugar and cinnamon: In a large bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon.
- Add the cold butter: Add cubed butter straight from the fridge (about 15 minutes out). Rub it into the sugar with fingertips or use a hand mixer on low speed until the mixture is soft with a slightly sandy texture
- Add the apple and vanilla: Stir in the grated and chopped apple (make sure to squeeze the grated apple before measuring), and vanilla. Mix gently just to combine.
- Add flour and salt: Add the flour and salt. Mix on low speed or stir with a spatula until a dough forms.
- Form the dough: Gather the mixture together, gently forming it into a soft ball. It should hold easily without feeling sticky.
Roll and cut
- Roll and cut: Roll the dough between two sheets of parchment paper to about 10–12 mm (½ inch) thick.
- Cut out shapes using a 2-inch (5 cm) round cutter (I used this size and got 24 cookies). Gather the dough, re-roll between parchment, and cut again until all the dough is used
- Arrange the cookies: Place the cut cookies on a parchment-lined tray, spaced about 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart.
- Bake the cookies: Bake at 350°F (175°C), or 160°C fan, for 15–20 minutes until the edges are lightly golden. They’ll feel soft but firm up as they cool.
Sugar topping
- In a small bowl, stir together the sugar and cinnamon for the topping.
- As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, sprinkle the mixture evenly over the tops while they’re still hot and on the baking sheet. The heat helps the sugar stick.
- Shake off any excess, then transfer to a cooling rack.
Storage
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
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