Apple Cider Caramel Cookies
These apple cider caramel cookies are chewy, buttery, and bursting with fall magic in every bite. Think gooey caramel, cozy spice, and a cider-kissed drizzle that’ll have you baking batch after batch.
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter browned
- ½ cup white sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¾ cup sourdough starter discard or fed
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1½ tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- ½ tsp salt
- ¾ cup chopped dried apples
- ½ cup chopped pecans optional
- 1½ cups apple cider
- ½ cup brown sugar for caramel
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 3 tbsp butter for caramel
- Pinch of salt for caramel
Instructions
- Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir as it foams, then darkens to a golden brown and smells nutty. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
- In a separate pan, simmer the apple cider over medium heat until it reduces to about ¼ cup. Set aside.
- Add brown sugar, cream, butter, and the reduced cider to a saucepan. Stir constantly over medium-low heat until the mixture thickens and turns glossy about 8 to 10 minutes. Add a pinch of salt and let cool until drizzle-thick.
- In a large bowl, beat together browned butter and both sugars until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, then vanilla and sourdough starter. Mix until smooth.
- In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Gradually stir into wet mixture. Fold in dried apples and pecans.
- Cover and chill the dough for at least 1 hour (overnight preferred).
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Scoop dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake for 10–12 minutes or until edges are golden. Let cool, then drizzle with apple cider caramel.
Notes
Chill your dough for thicker cookies, and don’t skip the apple cider reduction it makes that caramel drizzle unforgettable!