Easy Apple Pie Cookies – Vegan

These vegan apple pie cookies are like miniature apple pies you can hold in your hand! With a buttery and flaky golden pastry base, chewy vanilla cinnamon cookie and spiced apple filling on top, they’re the perfect afternoon treat for your tea time or dessert after a meal. They are completely dairy-free and egg-free, but trust me – no one will be able to tell it’s vegan!

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So one day, a friend asked me, “Can you make apple pie cookies?” Then I thought, wooo, that is an interesting combo I’ve never thought of! So here I am, sharing this vegan apple pie cookie recipe that sure will be your next favourite thing to bake!

Just imagine now with your creative mind, if a traditional apple pie and a buttery cookie had the most delightful bake-off. Each cookie has the soft and chewy texture that I adore in cookies, on top of a flaky buttery puff pastry, just like an apple pie, filled with a warm, cinnamon-kissed apple compote. Everything you could ever ask for in one heavenly bite. Mmmm, honestly, you should try making them asap.

They’re wonderfully easy to make, as usual, requiring just nine simple ingredients. Just nine! They fill your kitchen with the most amazingly cosy autumn-winter aroma. Like an apple pie candle. These are a must-bake!

Must read: The Ultimate Guide to Perfect Cookies – A complete guide to baking your perfect vegan cookies with easy and delicious cookie recipes!

Main ingredients and substitutions

*Use room temperature ingredients unless otherwise instructed.

Plain flour: Use plain flour for the base of the cookies and also for the puff pastry if you are making it from scratch at home (This is my easy homemade puff pastry recipe!). My go-to flour for simple baking. You can substitute with a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend if you want to make it gluten-free.

Brown sugar: I used brown sugar alone for this recipe for a deep and rich flavour and soft and chewy texture. If you want, you can just use caster sugar or coconut sugar instead. No problem!

Soy milk: My go-to is soy for baking, but you can sub with any unsweetened plant milk.

Vegan butter: I used a vegan block from Flora. It’s salted butter and works well for my recipes! Oil does not work in place of butter. Use any block-style vegan butter for the best results.

Apples: So I used Gala apples, because I like the crunchy texture, and the sweetness is on point for me. But, you can use any apples that you like for this recipe! Fuji, Honeycrisp, Jonagold, granny smiths are all great choices. 

Pie sheet: You can use either a store-bought ready-made pie sheet or make your own! I have a recipe for homemade puff pastry here.

Other ingredients: Cornflour, cinnamon, maple syrup, and vanilla extract.

Note: Substitution may change the final taste and texture of this recipe.

*I use bone char-free sugars for all of my recipes. I cover the topic in my article Vegan Baking 101. Go to the “Is sugar vegan?” section to learn more!

Recommended equipment for this recipe

Mixing bowls: I used 2 mixing bowls. One for mixing dry ingredients and one for mixing liquid ingredients and sugar together. I recommend using 2 bowls, but you can use just 1 bowl if you want to reduce the washing. 

8.5cm round cookie cutter: Use a cookie cutter to cut out the pie sheet. I used an 8.5cm cookie cutter for this recipe.

5cm cookie scoop: I have a 5cm cookie scoop for making cookies. It portions out cookie dough evenly, and it’s a perfect size for this recipe, together with the 8.5cm cookie cutter.

Small saucepan: Use a small saucepan for cooking your apple filling. A large wooden spoon is perfect for stirring too. 

Rolling pin: It comes in handy if you are making your puff pastry at home and it needs a little extra rolling.

*The ingredient list and measurement for this recipe can be found in the recipe card at the bottom.

How to make vegan apple pie cookies

Step 1: Prepare your apple filling

Let’s start with making the apple pie filling! 

Finely dice your apples into small, even pieces first, about half a centimetre is perfect. In a saucepan over medium heat, cook the apples with vegan butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon on medium heat until softened and fragrant. Lower the heat and mix a little cornflour with water to create a slurry, then stir it into the apples until the mixture thickens nicely. Set aside to cool.

Step 2: Make the cookie dough

Now onto the cookie dough! In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the plain flour, cornflour, and cinnamon. Then, in another bowl, combine the melted vegan butter, brown sugar, soy milk, and vanilla extract until everything is combined well.

Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and mix with a silicone spatula until a soft dough forms. Be careful not to overmix! Overmixing can spoil the texture of the cookies. Now rest the dough in the fridge for 30 to 60 minutes.

Step 3: Cut and assemble

Once the cookie dough has rested in the fridge, preheat your oven to 190°C (375°F).

Now the fun creative part! This would be fun to do with your little kids. Unroll your vegan pastry sheet and use the round cutter to cut out circles. Place them on your lined baking tray. Using the cookie scoop, portion the dough onto the centre of each pastry.

In a small bowl, whisk together the maple syrup and soy milk, then lightly brush this mixture onto the edges of the pastry before baking. This will give your cookies a beautiful, golden, glossy finish, just like a classic apple pie!

That’s our apple pie cookie base done! We are halfway through. 

Step 4: Bake the cookies

Bake in a preheated oven until the cookie bases are golden, and the pastry edges are crisp. Remove from the oven and, while still warm, use the back of a tablespoon to carefully make a small well in the centre of each cookie.

Step 5: Fill and finish

Finally, spoon the apple filling into each well. Allow them to cool slightly on a cooling rack before serving, these are lovely warm, but just as good at room temperature! 

Serving tips and ideas

• They can be enjoyed just like a slice of apple pie. Take a warm cookie and top it with a scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream, as you do with apple pie!
• Make some icing and drizzle for a cute Christmassy presentation.
• Or simply dust with some icing sugar for a simple, pretty finish.
• Some caramel drizzle with a little sprinkle of coarse sea salt would be lovely too!
• Add a dollop of vegan whipped cream on top for added creaminess!

Expert tips and tricks

Choosing the right apples

For the best texture and flavour, use firm apples that hold their shape when cooked. If your apples are soft, the apple pie filling will turn mushy and not very nice. I like using sweet apples, but tart ones are lovely for this recipe too!

Getting the perfect pastry lid

Make sure your pie pastry is chilled before baking. This helps them hold their shape and become beautifully flaky. If the pastry feels soft after cutting, pop the tray in the fridge for 10 minutes to firm up a bit before placing the cookie dough.

Use a digital scale to weigh ingredients

Always use a digital scale rather than measuring cups when you are baking. It’s so much more accurate and measuring correctly is very important to achieve the best result.

Recipe variations

• An extra crunch is always nice in baking, isn’t it? Add some chopped pecans or walnuts to the apple filling for extra nice texture.
• If you want to experiment with the recipe, use a pear instead of an apple for a different fruity twist. Ensure that the pear is firm before cooking!
• Adding a handful of raisins or sultanas to the filling would create some extra juicy and flavourful filling for your pie cookies!
• Add a tablespoon of vegan caramel and a pinch of salt to the filling to make salted caramel apple filling!

How to store

• Room temperature: Keep in an airtight container for up to 1-2 days. They’re best enjoyed straight away though! If you live in a warm climate or are baking in the summer and your kitchen is hot, do not leave the cookies out at room temperature, as they can spoil quickly.

• Refrigerator: If you want to keep your cookies longer than 1-2 days, store in an airtight container for up to 2-3 days in the fridge. The pastry may soften slightly, but otherwise they’ll still taste delicious.

• Freezer: Freeze the cookies on a tray covered with cling film until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag. They can be frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature and warm slightly in the microwave or oven before serving.

*Although you can store this recipe in the fridge or freezer, it’s always best to consume it fresh and as soon as possible.

Q and A

Want to master the basics of vegan baking?
Check out Vegan Baking 101 – the beginner’s guide to vegan baking for you to become an excellent vegan baker and familiar with the basics of vegan baking, ingredients, and techniques with useful tips!

You will LOVE these apple pie cookies because they are:

• super sun to make
• perfect for the festive season
• easy!
• fun family activity

Want more recipes like this?

Try my other delicious cookies and dessert recipes you might enjoy!

• Apple Crumble Muffins
• Apple Bread
• Apple Turnovers
• Apple Crumble Cake
• Apple Cinnamon Muffins
• Apple Crumble Coffee Cake
• Apple Banana Muffins

Visit the cookies page and recipe page for more delicious recipes!

Please leave a comment and rate this recipe with 5 stars in the comment section below if you like the recipe! Let me know and tag me @thechestnutbakery on Instagram too. Thank you for making my recipe, friends!

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