Apple Butter Snickerdoodle Cookie Sandwiches
Apple butter snickerdoodle cookie sandwiches are the answer when you want a fall dessert that feels a little special without spending all day in the kitchen. You know that moment when a regular cookie just isn't cutting it? These are that next step - two soft, cinnamon-sugary snickerdoodles hugging a swirl of apple butter cinnamon frosting - and they come together faster than you'd think.
Recipe Overview: Apple Butter Snickerdoodle Cookie Sandwich
⏱ Prep Time: 20 minutes
⏳ Total Time: 35 minutes
👥 Serving: 6 sandwiches
🔥 Calories: ~780 kcal per serving
🥣 Main Ingredients: Apple butter, butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, powdered sugar, flour, vanilla.
👌 Difficulty: Easy - soft snickerdoodle cookies filled with cinnamon frosting and sweet apple butter
⭐ Why You'll Love It: These Apple Butter Snickerdoodle Cookie Sandwiches are packed with cozy fall flavor. Soft, cinnamon-sugar coated cookies are sandwiched with fluffy cinnamon frosting and a sweet apple butter center for an irresistible autumn dessert!
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These are one of those desserts that looks like it came from a fancy bakery but uses ingredients you probably already have on hand. My boys saw these cooling on the counter and immediately started asking when they could eat them. That's always a good sign! 😄
I made these after having a big jar of apple butter sitting in the fridge and wanted to do something more fun than just spreading it on toast. If you love baking with apple butter, you also have to check out my apple butter snickerdoodle dough used in these fun fall cookie sandwiches - it's the same cozy flavor in a totally different format!
Key Ingredients
Here are a few ingredient notes worth calling out before you get started:
- Butter - I always start with real butter in my cookies.
- Dark brown sugar - Using dark brown sugar gives these cookies a richer, more molasses-forward flavor than light brown sugar. Either will work, but dark is our favorite.
- Apple butter - This goes into both the cookie dough AND the filling. It keeps the dough moist and adds that warm, spiced apple flavor throughout.
- Egg yolk - Just the yolk here, not the whole egg. This keeps the cookies soft and chewy instead of cakey.
- Heavy cream - This is for the frosting. Add it one tablespoon at a time until you get a consistency that's easy to pipe but still holds its shape.
How to Make Apple Butter Snickerdoodle Cookie Sandwiches
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350°F.
Add the sugars and butter to a medium size bowl and mix until light and fluffy.
Step 2: Add the apple butter, egg yolk, and vanilla. Beat well.
Step 3: Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Mix until just combined.
Step 4: In a shallow bowl, stir together the cinnamon and sugar for coating.
Scoop dough into 12 equal balls and roll each one in the cinnamon sugar. Place on a baking sheet.
Step 5: Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. They'll look slightly underdone - that's what you want! Let them rest on the pan for 5 minutes before moving to a cooling rack.
Step 6: While the cookies cool, make the filling. Beat together the butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and 1 tablespoon of heavy cream until light and fluffy. Add a second tablespoon of cream if needed.
Once cookies are completely cool, add frosting to a piping bag and pipe a ring around the edge of half the cookies. Spoon 1 to 2 tablespoons of apple butter into the center of each frosted cookie. Top with a second cookie and press gently to sandwich them together.
Tips for the Best Cookie Sandwiches
Underbake just slightly. These cookies will look a little soft when you pull them out of the oven. That's the goal! They firm up as they cool and stay perfectly chewy in the sandwich. If you bake them until they look fully done in the oven, they'll be too crispy for sandwiching.
Cool completely before filling. If your cookies are even a little warm, the frosting will melt and slide right off. Be patient - it's worth it!
Pipe the frosting in a ring. Leaving that open circle in the middle is what holds the apple butter in place so it doesn't squish out the sides when you bite in. I love using a piping bag for this but a zip-top bag with the corner snipped works just as well.
My browned butter maple pecan bakery style cookies use the same browned butter technique and they are another fall bake I make on repeat - so if you fall in love with that nutty flavor here, you're going to love those too!
Can I Make These Ahead of Time?
Yes! These are actually a great make-ahead dessert. You can bake the cookies and make the filling up to 2 days ahead. Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature and keep the frosting in the fridge. When you're ready to serve, let the frosting come to room temperature for a few minutes so it's easy to pipe, then assemble and enjoy.
Once assembled, store the cookie sandwiches in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Set them out for about 15 minutes before eating so the cookies soften back up to that chewy texture.
Apple Butter Cookie Sandwich FAQs
Absolutely! Store-bought apple butter works great here. Any brand you love is fine. If you happen to have homemade, even better!
No problem at all. Just use a zip-top bag with a small corner snipped off, or you can spread the frosting with a spoon. The piped ring just helps keep the apple butter from sliding out, but it doesn't have to be perfect.
You can freeze the cookies before assembling. Stack them with a piece of parchment between each one and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature and then fill when you're ready. I wouldn't freeze the assembled sandwiches since the apple butter filling can get a little watery when it thaws.
Looking for more fun cookie recipes to add to your fall baking list? I've got so many good ones waiting for you!
Cookie Sandwich Storage Tips
- Room temperature: Store assembled sandwiches in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
- Fridge: Keep them in the fridge for up to 3 days. Let them sit out for 10 to 15 minutes before eating for the best texture.
- Freezer: Freeze unassembled cookies only for up to 2 months.
If you tried this Apple Butter Snickerdoodle Cookie Sandwich or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
📖 Recipe
Apple Butter Snickerdoodle Cookie Sandwiches
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Add the sugars and butter to a medium size bowl and mix until light and fluffy.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add in the apple butter, egg yolk, and vanilla. Beat well to combine.
- Add in flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Mix until just combined.
- Mix together the cinnamon and sugar for coating in a shallow bowl.
- Scoop dough into 12 equally sized balls and coat each into the cinnamon sugar mixture. Place onto a baking sheet.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes.
- Remove the pans from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before removing to a cooling rack.
- In a medium sized bowl combine butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon and 1 tablespoon heavy cream. Mix until light and fluffy adding additional heavy cream if needed to get the frosting to the desired consistency.
- Once cookies have completely cooled add frosting to a piping bag and add a circle of frosting to ½ of the cookies. Fill the center of each cookie with 1-2 tablespoon of apple butter and top with a second cookie to create a sandwich.
- Store in an airtight container and enjoy.
