Caramel Stuffed Apple Cider Cookies

Apple, caramel, cinnamon, and more! These caramel stuffed apple cider cookies combine all the best flavors of Fall into one truly delicious treat.

Whether it’s dipped caramel apples or a piping hot glass of fresh apple cider, there’s no other combo that screams Fall quite like apples and caramel. These caramel stuffed apple cider cookies have a slightly tart apple flavor, all the spice you’d expect from a glass of cider, and best of all they bake up super soft and have a chewy caramel center.

Key Ingredients-Caramel Stuffed Apple Cider Cookies

• Spiced Apple Cider Instant Drink Mix: I prefer using the dry drink mix because it packs a lot more flavor than adding in liquid cider. Plus, the dry mix doesn’t alter the texture of the cookie the way liquid cider does.
• Sugar: This recipe calls for a combination of white and brown sugar. The brown sugar is going to add even more flavor AND give us a wonderfully chewy cookie! If you prefer a crispy cookie, try trading the brown sugar for all white.
• Spices: You can’t have apple cider without spices! In addition to the apple cider mix I’ve included some favorite Fall spices-cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves.
• Soft Caramels: I used Werther’s Soft Caramels, but any brand should do. Important! Make sure you use SOFT caramels. If you use plain caramel candies, they won’t melt fully during baking and will just harden right back up once cooled. The soft caramels melt completely during baking, making these a perfect treat fresh out of the oven! Once cooled they will firm back up slightly, but will retain a soft, chewy texture.

How to Make Caramel Stuffed Apple Cider Cookies

1. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl add the flour (spooned and leveled), baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves and stir to combine. Set the bowl aside for later.
2. Mix Wet Ingredients: Start with softened (but not melted) unsalted butter. If you only have salted butter on hand that’s ok! Just make sure you omit the salt from the previous step. In a stand mixer, or large bowl with a hand mixer, cream together the butter, sugar, brown sugar, and the apple cider drink mix. Beat together on medium speed until well combined. The mixture should be fluffy and lighter in color. Add eggs and vanilla to the butter mixture and mix on low speed just until combined.
3. Combine Wet and Dry: Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix on low just until combined. Make sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl so that all the dry mixture is incorporated.
4. Chill: This step is completely optional! The batter will be slightly sticky but still workable. However, if you have a little time to spare and would like to make the next step a lot smoother, go ahead and chill the dough. Cover in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for about an hour.
5. Prep the Caramels: While the dough is chilling, go ahead and unwrap about 24 of the caramels and set them aside for later. Hint: These are very soft and melt easily, so make sure they are kept somewhere cool. I made the mistake of leaving mine near a window once and they melted into a large caramel puddle!
6. Stuff and Roll: Scoop rounded tablespoons of dough and roll into a rough ball. Take one of the caramels and press it into the center of the ball. Then take the sides and pinch them together to seal the dough around the caramel. Roll the dough once more into a ball, making sure the caramel isn’t visible. In a shallow dish or plate, mix the cinnamon and sugar. Roll each dough ball into the mixture and place about 3 inches apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
7. Bake: Bake the cookies at 350 degrees for approximately 10-12 minutes. Exact cooking times may vary from oven to oven. When “done” the cookies will no longer appear wet on top and the edges will have just started to turn a golden brown. Allow these to cool slightly before attempting to remove them from the pan. If you notice the caramels have seeped to the bottom and are sticking, allow the cookies to cool a bit more before moving.

Storage and Making in Advance

Storing Baked Cookies: After baking you can store the cookies in an airtight container for several days. Baked cookies also freeze really well! When freezing, I prefer to use a double barrier method. That means I’ll place the baked and cooled cookies in a freezer bag. Then I’ll additionally place them in a plastic container with a lid or wrap the entire bag with plastic wrap. This just ensures that your packaging stays airtight and therefore your cookies stay fresh! When ready to eat, pull the package from the freezer and allow the cookies to come to room temp while still wrapped. This keeps any condensation that forms on the packaging and off your cookies.

Storing Unbaked Cookies: You can also choose to make the dough in advance and freeze prior baking. Simply follow the recipe as usual. Instead of placing the balls of dough in the oven, place them in an airtight container and straight into the freezer. Again, I typically place the balls of dough in a freezer bag. If I plan to store them for a while, I will additionally wrap the bag in plastic wrap or aluminum foil.

Prepping the dough in advance makes things easier later on. For example, if I’m having company I can pull out the entire batch and they’re ready to go into the oven. Otherwise, if I’m craving a late night snack, I can grab out just one or two balls of dough at a time, bake as few (or as many!) as I want, and save the rest for another time.

Baking Frozen Dough:

When baking from frozen, I prefer to place the dough right onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat and then straight into a preheated oven. No need to thaw, just be be aware that if you’re baking from frozen it may add about 2-4 minutes to your baking time. Start watching the cookies at their regular “done” time (about 10-12 minutes) and add more time as needed. You can also allow the dough to come to room temperature prior to baking. If opting for this method, I would recommend leaving the dough inside the freezer bag while it thaws. This way, any condensation that forms will do so on your bag and not your dough. Once thawed, just bake as usual.

Happy Baking!

If you make this recipe, I’d love to know what you thought about it. Please leave a comment and/or rating. If you share your creation on social media, please tag @simpleighsweets. I love to see your bakes!