Apple Slice & Bake Cookies

These are the cutest apple slice & bake cookies to make for your favorite teachers as a thank you, or to make during the Fall to celebrate Apple Picking Season. These cookies are made using a delicious sugar cookie dough dyed red, green and brown to help make the details. I hope that you enjoy this recipe as much as I do! :)

If you love this recipe, you might also enjoy some of my other slice and bake cookie recipes!

Valentine’s Day Slice And Bake Cookies

There is something so exciting and nostalgic about slice and bake cookies. Back when the classic Pillsbury Sugar Cookies used to have seasonal slice and bake logs of cookie dough you were able to enjoy that part of the experience before baking and reveal a cute design. Aside from this recipe being so delicious, my…

Read More Valentine’s Day Slice And Bake Cookies

Copycat Pillsbury Pumpkin Sugar Cookies

Seeing Pillsbury Pumpkin Sugar Cookies in grocery stores for the first time every year is the warmest feeling I know. As a kid, my sisters and I would eat most of the cookie dough before we could actually get them in the oven. I still get that same excited feeling when I see them on…

Read More Copycat Pillsbury Pumpkin Sugar Cookies

How To Make Apple Slice & Bake Cookies

This recipe is made with one of my favorite sugar cookie recipes. The cookies are so soft, buttery, and tender and are perfect for creating so many different fun shapes for every season so that you can enjoy these delicious festive cookies year round!

• Make the cookie dough by creaming butter and sugar until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla, then mix in the dry ingredients until a soft dough forms.
• Divide and color the dough: dye ½ cup red, 1 tbsp green, and 1 tbsp brown. Leave the rest uncolored.
• Shape and assemble:
• Roll the red dough thin to create the apple “skin.”
• Form a log with the uncolored dough for the “apple flesh.”
• Use a straw to create a small indent on top of the log.
• Wrap the red dough around the uncolored dough.
• Roll the green and brown dough into tiny logs and press them into the top indent for the “leaf” and “stem.”
• Chill and slice: Let the dough chill until firm (this keeps the shape SUPER clean!), then slice into cookies!
• Decorate and bake: Add two black sesame seeds for “seeds,” bake until just lightly golden at the edges, and cool.

How to store Apple Slice & Bake Cookies

Like most desserts, these cookies are best enjoyed when they’re fresh and warm from the oven but don’t worry! THey’re still a great made-ahead dessert to fit into your busy schedule :)

Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. For longer storage, place them in a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze for up to 2 months. If freezing the dough, slice and freeze on a sheet tray first, then store the slices flat in a container with parchment between layers.

Recipe Tips

• Use gel food coloring for the most vibrant results without adding extra moisture to the dough. My favorite brand of food gel is Americolor Food Gel which you can find on Amazon, here!
• Chill thoroughly between each shaping step. This helps keep the details clean and prevents spreading in the oven.
• Roll between parchment to prevent sticking and to make transferring dough easier.
• Don’t over-bake! These cookies are best soft—pull them out as soon as the edges begin to look golden :)

Recipe Variations

• Make green apples by dyeing the outer layer green instead of red.
• Add apple flavoring by mixing in a small amount of apple extract or cinnamon to the base dough.
• Mini cookies: Make a smaller log and slice into bite-sized apples!
• Glazed cookies: Drizzle with a simple powdered sugar glaze for extra sweetness.

Apple Slice & Bake Cookies

Recipe by Maddison Koutrouba – thesqueakymixer.com

4.6 from 9 votes

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Servings

12-15

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

10

minutes

Cook Mode

Keep the screen of your device on.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 tsp. baking powder

• 1/4 tsp. salt

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened

• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

• 1 egg

• 2 tsp. vanilla extract

• 2 drops red food dye

• 1 drop green food dye

• 1 drop brown food dye

• 1/2 Tbsp. black sesame seeds

Directions

• In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Then set aside.
• In a separate bowl (or in a stand mixer fit with the paddle attachment) mix together the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy. About 2 minutes on low speed.
• Add the egg and vanilla to the butter mixture and continue to mix until fully combined and smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as you go.
• Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until a soft dough forms.
• Once you have a nice dough formed, remove about 1/2 cup of it to dye red. Next, take out 1 Tbsp. of dough to be dyed green. Then remove 1 more Tbsp. and dye it brown. Keep the remaining dough in the bowl.
• Use gloves if you have them to dye the first removed portion of dough red, then the small amount green, and then brown . To do this, add a drop of food gel at a time to the dough and work it into the dough until it is evenly distributed and has reached the perfect shade.
• Roll the red dough out to 1/8 of an inch thick. This should be very thin. I find it easiest to roll the dough between two pieces of parchment to prevent it from sticking. Roll the green and brown dough out into a long thin log. Lastly, roll the uncolored dough into a log about 1 1/2″ in diameter. Place all of the dough in the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours.
• After two hours remove the uncolored log of dough then use your finger, a sturdy straw or a skewer to make an indent on top of the dough. Next, place the log of dough on top of the rolled out red dough. Wrap the red dough around the whole log of uncolored cookie dough.
• Once the log of dough is wrapped in red, gently press it to help add any details to perfect the apple shape. You can re-make the indent shape on top of the apple to help exagerate it more.
• Next, take the green and brown log of dough and place it on top of the indent to make the stem and leaf. Transfer the log back into the fridge for at least 1 hour so everything firms up nicely.
• Once the log has chilled, slice the log into about 1/4″-1/2″ slices. Place each cookie about 1 1/2″ – 2″ apart on the prepared cookie sheets. Use a skewer to make a small indent on the bottom of the apple. Use the images as reference to see where both indents are. Place two black sesame seeds in the center of each cookie and press them in slightly.
• Bake for 10-12 minutes at 375 degrees F. or until the edges just barley look brown. We want these nice and soft so as soon as you see a bit of browning on the edges, take them out of the oven and let sit on the cookie sheet for an additional 10 minutes on the sheet to firm up a bit/ finish baking and cooling.
• Enjoy!

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