Apple Cider Snickerdoodles

Apple Cider – Be sure to get apple cider and NOT apple cider vinegar for this. Because you will be reducing this quite a bit, be sure to get regular apple cider and not a flavored one like cinnamon apple cider or the added flavor will be overwhelming.

Flour – All-purpose flour works just fine for the base of the cookie dough.

Leavener – Baking soda alone is fine here for the rising agent, no need to add baking powder.

Cream of Tartar – The ingredient that gives all snickerdoodle cookies their unique tang and chewy centers is cream of tartar. If you really don’t want to use it, read below in the variations section, but I do recommend it for these types of cookies.

Spices – For the warming spices you could use apple pie spice, or just what I call for here if you don’t typically keep that on hand. I use cinnamon and nutmeg in the cookies, and cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, and allspice in the rolling sugar.

Butter – I use unsalted butter here, but you can also use salted butter and just omit the added salt if you wish.

Sugar – I use white sugar in both the cookies and the rolling sugar but also add some dark brown sugar in the cookies. Light brown sugar is fine as well, but I do like to add brown sugar for the extra moisture and flavor. It also helps to activate the baking soda when baking.

Vanilla – A bit of vanilla extract helps elevate the flavor here and I used some homemade bourbon vanilla extract. If you only have regular vanilla extract, that is fine as well.

Eggs – I use one whole egg and one egg yolk. The extra yolk keeps the cookies moist and chewy without being cakey.

Start the recipe by reducing and cooling the apple cider. In a small pot set over medium-high heat, add the apple cider and bring to a low boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and keep it at a strong simmer. Stir occasionally with a spatula so that it doesn’t burn or scorch while reducing. Reducing the cider to about a ¼ cup will take around 20-25 minutes.

Once reduced to a ¼ cup, pour into a heatproof container or glass measuring cup and let it cool to room temperature. You can also let it cool for a few minutes at room temperature and then transfer it to the refrigerator for 5-10 minutes to cool faster.

Make the Cookie Dough

In a mixing bowl, add the flour, baking soda, salt, cream of tartar, and spices. Whisk together to fully combine and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer, add the butter and both sugars and cream together at medium speed for 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy.

Now add the apple cider and vanilla extract and mix on low speed for a minute. Next, add the egg and egg yolk, one a time, and mix on medium-low speed until incorporated and no visible streaks of egg remain.

Finally, add the dry ingredients a bit at a time and mix at a low speed until just combined and no pockets of dry flour are visible. Place the bowl in the refrigerator for about an hour before baking.

Roll & Bake the Snickerdoodles

While the dough is chilling, mix the rest of the sugar and spices in a small bowl and set aside.

When it’s almost time to remove the cookie dough from the fridge, preheat your oven to 350°F / 180°C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

Remove the dough from the fridge and, using a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop out about 12 cookies. Take one dough ball at a time, roll it into a smooth ball in your hands, and then roll it through the sugar mixture. Repeat this process until all 12 cookies are shaped and rolled and placed back on the baking sheet about 2-inches apart.

Return the cookie dough to the fridge between batches.

Bake the snickerdoodles for 9-11 minutes. The cookies should just be starting to brown on the edges and look a bit under cooked. Remove them from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes to finish baking and setting enough to transfer to a cooling rack.

Repeat this process until all cookies are baked. Serve and enjoy the cookies with some hot apple cider or a cold glass of milk.

Apple Pie Spice – I don’t typically keep apple pie spice on-hand like I do with my homemade pumpkin pie spice, because I tend to tweak the spices depending on what I’m making. If you do have the spice however, you can use that here instead. For the cookie dough, use 1 teaspoon of apple pie and ½ teaspoon cinnamon. For the rolling sugar, use 1 ½ teaspoons apple pie and another ½ teaspoon cinnamon.

Caramel Apple Snickerdoodle – This version is made almost the same, with the addition of some caramel baking squares or soft caramel candies like Werther’s. You’ll want the cookies to be slightly bigger, so use a 2-tablespoon scoop or a heaping 1.5 tablespoon scoop. Push the caramel into the cookie dough and roll into a ball around it and roll and bake as usual.

If the caramel is leaking out the side of the cookie when you remove them from the oven, grab a biscuit or cookie cutter that’s slightly larger than the cookie. Place around the cookie and make swirling motion to round out the cookie and pull the leaking caramel back into it.

More Apple Flavor – Admittedly, adding apple flavor into baked goods and deserts can be difficult, even with the reduced apple cider. If you really want to add more apple flavor, here’s two options. Dice an apple into small pieces no larger than a ¼” large, about 1 cup total. Cook in a pan over medium heat, adding about 1-2 tablespoons of the brown sugar used in the recipe and a pinch of ground cinnamon. When the apple cider is reduced, add that to the pan as well. Cook until the apples have softened and let it cool. Add this mixture to the wet ingredients just before adding the dry ingredients as continue as normal.

Alternatively, or in addition to the above, you can use freeze-dried apple slices and grind them into a powder. Reduce the cinnamon and nutmeg in the cookie dough to ½ teaspoon and ¼ teaspoon respectively and add ½ - 1 teaspoon of the ground freeze-dried apple to it. Reduce the spices in the rolling sugar by half and substitute in 1 teaspoon of the ground freeze-dried apple there as well. The only reason I don’t do this in the base recipe is that it adds to the cost and you’ll use less than half of a 1oz bag of freeze-dried apple slices.

Baking Mat – Parchment paper is fine, but if you do a lot of baking, I recommend using a silicone baking mat. They work incredibly well, they’re nonstick, and easy to clean.

Cookie Scoop – While you could eyeball the amount of dough for each cookie, or even weigh them, using a medium cookie scoop that’s already measured for 1 ½ tablespoons is much easier and helps making cookies of a consistent size.

❄️ Storing Snickerdoodles

Once cooled completely, apple cider snickerdoodles can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. The baked cookies can also be frozen for 3-4 months.

If you want to make these ahead of time, you can leave the cookie dough covered in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. Let the dough sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes or until soft enough to scoop and roll before baking.

You can also freeze unbaked cookies. Roll into balls and set onto a baking sheet without rolling in the sugar mixture. Place them into the freezer for at least an hour or two, then you can transfer the frozen dough balls into an airtight container for up to 3-4 months. When ready to bake, allow the dough to come to almost room temperature before rolling and baking. You could bake from frozen and add a minute or two to the baking time, but the sugar mixture has a harder time adhering to frozen cookie dough.