White Chocolate Apple Butter Cookies Recipe

Ingredients

Cookie Dough

• 1 cup unsalted butter (at room temperature)
• 0.75 cup brown sugar
• 0.33 cup granulated sugar
• 0.5 cup apple butter (homemade or store-bought)
• 1 egg (at room temperature)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2.5 cups all-purpose flour
• 0.5 teaspoon baking soda
• 0.5 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 0.25 teaspoon nutmeg
• 0.125 teaspoon ground clove
• 0.5 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup white chocolate chips
• 0.5 cup chopped white chocolate

Sugar and Spice Coating

• 0.33 cup sugar
• 0.5 teaspoon cinnamon
• 0.25 teaspoon nutmeg
• 0.125 teaspoon ground clove

Caramel Drizzle (Optional)

• 0.5 cup caramel melts
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• sea salt flakes

Instructions

Prepare the Browned Butter

1. In a small sauté or saucepan, melt 1 stick of butter over medium heat, stirring frequently. The milk fats in the butter will begin to darken, about 3 to 5 minutes.
2. As the butter cooks, it will start to foam, about 2 to 3 minutes. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to drag through the butter to check the color.
3. Once the milk fats are a rich brown color and the butter is foamy, remove from heat and transfer to a heatproof bowl. Store in the freezer for 10 minutes.

Prepare for Baking

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices. Set aside.

Make the Dough

1. In the bowl of a standing mixer, beat the browned butter and unsalted butter on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
2. Add the brown and granulated sugar and beat on medium speed until combined and fluffy.
3. Reduce the speed to medium-low and combine the apple butter, egg, and vanilla with the batter.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl and beat to combine, scraping down the bowl if needed.
5. On low speed, mix in the chocolate chips and the chocolate chunks. If you want some white chocolate chunks on the top of each cookie, save about half the chopped chocolate for just before baking.

Shape and Bake

1. In a small bowl combine the sugar and spices for the coating.
2. Scoop about 2 tablespoons of dough, roll gently into a ball, and roll through the sugar and spice mixture.
3. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Optional: top with leftover chopped white chocolate.
4. Bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes, remove the sheet tray from the oven and bang each side of the pan on the stovetop or counter and return to the oven for 4 minutes.

Finish

1. Let the cookies cool slightly and transfer to a cooling rack.
2. Optional: Drizzle the cookies with melted caramels and sprinkle with sea salt flakes.

Notes

• Browned butter adds a rich, nutty flavor that complements the apple butter perfectly.
• The bang on the pan technique creates crispy edges while keeping the center chewy.
• The caramel drizzle and sea salt elevate these cookies from delicious to restaurant-worthy.