If you love apple cider and love baked treats, you will be enamored with these cookies! Cider is reduced to create a more powerful flavor without making the cookies cake-like.

A month or so ago I made a mistake that I make often, which was to grocery shop while hungry. I found a box of apple cider cookies from an allergy-friendly brand, that were soft cookies, and snatched them up! As I tried one while driving home, I was a little disappointed, because even though they were soft, they were quite dry. I knew then, that I had to try my hand at making some!

I made this recipe a few times to tinker with the types of apples and ratios of liquid/fat/etc. and am really happy with how the final cookies turned out. I shared them with both vegan and non-vegan friends and got the thumbs up from all! (We won’t count Corey’s opinion because he ONLY eats crunchy cookies)

Because I don’t have easy access to “apple cider flavor concentrate” like the mass produced cookies, I reduced my own and it was incredibly easy. And, getting more of the water evaporated from the cider helped keep the cookies a nice “regular” cookie texture, not like a whoopie pie-style cookie which can happen when it contains too much moisture.

Substitions + tips:
- Apple cider – if you’re wondering what the difference between apple cider and juice is, apple cider goes through less processing and – to me – has a fuller taste than apple juice. So, I don’t recommend subbing this out with clear apple juice.
- Vegan butter – refined coconut oil can also be used here, but will shorten the refrigeration time to about 15-20 minutes. If it ends up being longer, just let it sit at room temp to soften enough to scoop.
- Cane sugar + brown sugar – this combo deepens the flavor of the sweeteners but without bringing too much molasses into the equation. You can use some coconut sugar to sub out the brown sugar but it will impact the end product slightly.
- All-purpose flour – I have not tried it in this recipe, but using 1:1 gluten-free flour should work fine here; the cookies may be slightly more crumbly.
- Granny Smith or other green apple – even though I prefer pink apples for most applications, I found that the green apple really emphasized the cider flavor after being baked (and the flavor toning down). So, you can use whatever you have on hand, but green apples will be best.
- Other cookie recipes you may love: One-Bowl Vegan Chocolate Chai Cookies, Chocolate Hazelnut Thumbprint Cookies, or Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies.

Vegan Apple Cider Cookies

If you love apple cider and love baked treats, you will be enamored with these cookies! Cider is reduced to create a more powerful flavor without making the cookies cake-like.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (235 ml) apple cider
- 1/2 cup (114 g) vegan butter
- 1/2 cup (120 g) cane sugar
- 1/2 cup (90 g) brown sugar, lightly packed
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) non-dairy milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups (260 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup (60 g) 1/4-inch diced green apple
Instructions
- In a small saucepan over warmed to medium-high heat, place apple cider. Once boiling, adjust heat to medium and simmer for 9-13 minutes, or until the cider has reduced to 1/4 cup (60 ml). Let the cider concentrate cool for 10 minutes before using. (This is when I gather the rest of the ingredients for the cookies).
- In a large mixing bowl, place butter, sugar, and brown sugar. Using a whisk (or stand mixer), whisk vigorously until combined, then add non-dairy milk, apple cider concentrate, and vanilla, whisking again until the sugar starts to dissolve.
- On top of the wet mixture, add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Using a spatula, mix everything together until there are no dry spots left in the dough.
- Next, add the apples to the bowl, folding them into the dough until evenly combined throughout. Place dough in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes.
- In the last 15 minutes of chilling, preheat the oven to 350F (180C or gas mark 4), and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- After the dough has chilled, spoon 2 tablespoon-sized (approx. 35 g) scoops onto the parchment, roughly 2 inches or more apart. Bake for 14-18 minutes, switching rack placement of the baking sheets half-way through. Bake until the bottom edge begins to brown, then cool on a rack for 10-15 minutes before enjoying!
- These will stay fresh (depending on your kitchen and container) for up to 1 week.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
22Serving Size:
1 cookieAmount Per Serving: Calories: 126Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 34mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 0gSugar: 6gProtein: 1g

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Michelle
Wednesday 1st of November 2023
These cookies are absolutely delicious! I made them last night for Halloween and my whole family loved them (from my 4 year old nephew to my 98 year old grandmother)! A true crowd pleaser.
Jackie @ Vegan Yack Attack!
Monday 6th of November 2023
I'm so happy that you all loved them! Thank you for leaving a comment!
Vegan Apple Cider Cookies - Apple News
Monday 14th of November 2022
[…] Love apple cider and love baked treats? You will be enamored with these cookies! Cider is reduced to create a more powerful flavor without …View full source […]
Christine @ RunPlantBased.com
Monday 14th of November 2022
These look and sound wonderful, perfect fall treat. Thanks!
Jackie @ Vegan Yack Attack!
Monday 14th of November 2022
Thank you for the kind words!