Copycat Crumbl Apple Crumb Cake Cookies

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These Copycat Crumbl Apple Crumb Cake Cookies are made with a chewy, tender brown sugar cookie, brown sugar glaze, cooked diced apples, and cinnamon streusel! They have amazing flavor and are everything the perfect fall cookie should be!

If you love fall dessert recipes, don’t miss my Caramel Apple Cookie Cups, Apple Fritters and Apple Snickerdoodle Cookies!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

These copycat Crumbl apple crumb cake cookies are more than your average cookie. While I love all cookies, here are a few things that make these ones special.

• Soft and chewy. These apple cookies have that perfect soft and chewy texture. They taste best when just slightly cool or at room temperature. A cool cookie is a firm cookie, and these are best when they aren’t super cold.
• Uses up apples. If you enjoy apple picking (or buying) at this time of year, like we do, these cookies are a great way to use up extras!
• Great flavor. These cookies have the best blend of apple flavor with brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. They complement each other perfectly without anything being overpowering.
• Easy to prep ahead. The cookies can be made a day or so before serving. You can even prep the cookies and apples a day ahead and then assemble them later.
• Perfect for any occasion. These cookies are perfect for any time, but their large size and pretty presentation also make them ideal for festivities. If you have a party or holiday coming up, these would be a great option for a simple dessert that feels special.

What You’ll Need

The brown sugar cookie base and toppings for these apple crumble cookies are all made with minimal ingredients. Check out the recipe card toward the bottom of this post for the full amounts.

Brown Sugar Cookie

• Flour – I use all-purpose flour here. Be sure to measure accurately or you could end up with dry cookies or cookies that spread too much. I recommend a food scale, but you could also use the spoon and level method.
• Baking soda – I find that this leavening agent produces the most tender and chewy results in cookies.
• Salt – This amplifies the other flavors in the cookies. Without it, they’d be kind of bland.
• Unsalted butter – Bring this to room temperature before you begin.
• Sugars – This recipe uses a combination of granulated and light brown sugar for the best flavor and texture.
• Egg yolk – From 1 large egg.
• Applesauce – This is the secret ingredient for an amazingly chewy cookie! However, you are welcome to substitute it out with 1 large egg. If you use an egg, the cookies will be a touch thicker and a little firmer. However, if you let them sit with the toppings on them overnight, they will become super soft, too.
• Vanilla extract – Use a high-quality brand for the best results.

Apple Topping

• Apples – I used Granny Smith apples, but other tart varieties of apples, like Pink Ladies or Honeycrisp, will also work well.
• Lemon juice – This is to help the apples not brown. Freshly squeezed is always best, but you can use lemon juice made from concentrate if that’s what you have at home.
• Water – For steaming the apples in the microwave.

Brown Sugar Cinnamon Glaze

• Powdered sugar – To thicken the glaze and give it a touch of volume.
• Light brown sugar
• Spices – Ground cinnamon and nutmeg add the perfect flavor to complement the apples.
• Vanilla extract
• Heavy cream – For a creamy consistency. Add more or less to get the right consistency of glaze.

Cinnamon Streusel Topping

• Flour – I recommend using an all-purpose flour that has been heat treated, since this streusel is not baked.
• Sugar – Stick with regular granulated sugar this time.
• Spices – Ground cinnamon and nutmeg are used here as well.
• Unsalted butter – You’ll want to use cold, cubed butter for the streusel. It will make it easier to cut it into course crumbles.

How to Make Copycat Crumbl Apple Crumb Cake Cookies

These really aren’t hard to make, but there are several steps. Let’s get started.

Prepare the Dough

• Heat the oven and prep the pans. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
• Combine the dry ingredients. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium-sized bowl, and then set it aside.
• Cream the butter and sugar. Cream the butter and sugars together in a large mixer bowl on medium speed until light in color and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes).
• Add an egg yolk, applesauce, and vanilla. Stir in the egg yolk and mix until well combined. Next, add the applesauce and vanilla extract and mix again.
• Add the dry ingredients. Pour in the dry ingredients and mix until the dough is well combined. It will be thick, but do not over-mix. Once it’s combined, use a rubber spatula to help it come together to form a more cohesive ball.

Prepare the Cookies and Bake

• Make cookie dough balls. Create cookie dough balls with about 6 tablespoons (105g) of dough per ball. You should get 8 balls.
• Flatten the balls into discs. Place the cookie dough balls onto the prepared baking sheets. I baked 4 cookies at a time. Press the balls down a bit (I used underside of a cup). They should be a little more than 2 1/2 inches in diameter. They will spread a good bit.
• Bake and let the cookies cool. Bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes, or until the cookies look done and are just about to brown on the edges. Allow the cookies to cool for 5-10 minutes, then move them to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Prepare the Toppings

• Make the apple filling. While the cookies cool, make the apples. Combine the apples, lemon juice, and water in a microwave-safe bowl, and heat in 30 second increments. Stir between each interval, until the apples are fork-tender or at your desired tenderness. It could take 3-5 minutes, depending on the size of your diced apples. Then, set them aside to cool to about room temperature.
• Prepare the streusel. To make the streusel, add the sugar, flour, and cinnamon to a medium-sized bowl. Cut the butter into the flour mixture until the butter is fully incorporated and the mixture is crumbly.
• Mix the brown sugar glaze. To make the brown sugar glaze, combine the powdered sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla extract, and 5 tablespoons of heavy cream. Whisk everything together until well combined, and add more heavy cream as needed.

Assemble the Cookies

• Cover the cookies with glaze. Spread 1-2 tablespoons of the glaze onto each cookie. 
• Top with apples. Divide the apples evenly between the cookies, with about 1-2 tablespoons on each.
• Sprinkle with streusel. Sprinkle the streusel onto the cookies, dividing it evenly between them. 
• Enjoy! Serve either cool or at room temperature. Cookies are best if eaten within 3-4 days.

Can I Make the Cookies Ahead of Time?

There are plenty of ways to prep these copycat Crumbl apple crumb cake cookies ahead. You could completely make and assemble them ahead of time, if you like. They last very well and get more moist over time.

If you’re interested in making your sugar cookie dough a day in advance, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator. Remove it from the fridge about an hour before you form your dough balls so it gets a chance to soften up.

You can also make the cookies and the apples a day ahead and they will hold up very well. The cookies stay tender and the apples do well in the fridge overnight. After being steamed, they won’t brown. In fact, the apples in the photos were made the day before and assembled before the photos were taken. As for the glaze and streusel, they would do fine being made ahead and refrigerated. The streusel just might stick together a bit.

Tips for Success

Aren’t you surprised by how easily these apple crumble cookies come together? Check out the following tips to make sure they turn out just right.

• Measure your flour correctly. Too much flour can give you cookies that don’t spread well and are dry. I always recommend a food scale to ensure accuracy, but if you don’t have one you can use the spoon and level method. Read more about measuring your flour accurately here.
• Don’t skip the applesauce. The applesauce isn’t totally necessary, but highly recommended. I initially tried adding it to see if it would add much flavor to the cookies. While it didn’t add much to the overall apple flavor of the cookie, I fell in love with how the applesauce adds to the chewy cookie texture. If you don’t have applesauce on hand, you could just swap it out for a large egg.
• Don’t overload the cookie with toppings. While you might think more is better, be careful not to go overboard with the toppings. Adding a thin layer of each topping will balance out the flavors and make the cookies easier to eat. Plus, they’ll look a little prettier.
• Let the cookies cool completely. If you add the glaze before your cookies have cooled to room temperature, they could get melty. Just be patient – I promise these cookies will be worth the wait!
• Enjoy sooner rather than later. Also keep in mind that the moisture from everything on top softens the cookies over time. I think that makes them taste even better, but they do get fairly soft. Store the cookies in an airtight container in the fridge to extend their freshness. The cookies are best if eaten within 3-4 days.

Storage Instructions

• Fridge: Store the cookies in an airtight container in the fridge, and serve them slightly cool or at room temperature. These cookies are best if eaten within 3-4 days.
• Freezer: You can certainly freeze the cookies without all the toppings. Place them in an airtight container or ziplock bag, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw them in the fridge before using.
  • While most of the toppings freeze well, the apples could get a little mushy after thawing.

More Easy Fall Cookie Recipes

Need some more cookie recipes to bake this fall? I’ve got a few suggestions!

• Copycat Crumbl Cinnamon Roll Cookies
• Copycat Crumbl Pecan Pie Cookies
• Snickerdoodle Cookies
• Pecan Tassies
• Salted Butterscotch Cookies
• Chewy Brown Sugar Cookies

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