Gluten-Free Apple Pie Cookies
yields: 20 cookies
Award-winning gluten-free apple pie cookies, for when you want pie without the hassle. These cookies have an almond flour shortbread base with apple pie filling and a drizzle of salted caramel sauce on top.
Ingredients
Apple Pie Filling
- 4 medium apples, such as granny smith or honeycrisp, peeled and cut into ¼ to ½-inch cubes
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons light or dark brown sugar, light or dark
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1½ tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon water
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Caramel Sauce
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons (125 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup water
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Cookie Base
- 1¼ cups (140 g) Bob's Red Mill super-fine blanched almond flour
- 1 cup (112 g) Bob’s Red Mill tapioca flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus ½ teaspoon more for rolling
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup (8 tablespoon) unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons (78 g) granulated sugar, plus ¼ cup more for rolling
- ¾ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
INSTRUCTIONS
- Prepare the apple pie filling. Melt the butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the apples, cooking until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes (more or less, depending on the variety of apple). Stir in the remaining ingredients and cook until the apples are tender, but not mushy, 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let cool completely in the fridge.
- Prepare the caramel sauce. Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally just until the sugar melts. Let cook until the sugar begins to turn amber-colored. Remove from heat and immediately stir in the cream, butter, and salt until smooth. Transfer to a heat-proof container and let cool while you prepare the cookies.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix ¼ cup sugar with ½ teaspoon cinnamon in a small bowl for rolling and set aside.
- Sift together almond flour, tapioca flour, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and mix to combine.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter, mixing until well combined. Mix for 30 seconds longer to moisten the dough until very pliable.
- Working one at a time, roll 1-1½ tablespoons (~20g) of dough into a tight 1-inch circle, smoothing any cracks (the tighter you roll the dough, the less likely it is to crack). Tip: use a small cookie scoop for even cookies. Gently flatten into a disc and toss the disc in the bowl of cinnamon sugar to coat. Place 1-inch apart on the baking sheet and carefully and slowly use your thumb or the back of a 1-teaspoon measuring spoon to make a deep indent, smoothing any cracks if desired. Repeat with the remaining dough.
- Bake for 14-15 minutes, until the cookies are set and the bottoms are just barely golden brown. Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Fill each thumbprint with 1 tablespoon of cooled apple pie filling (tip: use a small cookie scoop for easy mounds). Drizzle with caramel sauce and serve.
- Store any leftover cookies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
