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Dutch Apple Pie Cookies

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Three Dutch Apple Pie Cookies stacked on top of each other.

Hello cute little Dutch Apple Pie Cookies!  These are the perfect little three bite apple pie -slash- cookie.  They have a circle of pie crust on the bottom, then a layer of finely diced cinnamon apple filling, with the most delicious, sweet, buttery crumb topping.

They are made in a standard size muffin tin.  I say cookie instead of mini pie because of the ratio of crust to filling to crumb topping.  The filling is thin and subtle, just adding a nice tart flavor to complement the sweetness of the crumb topping.

When these were sitting on my kitchen countertop, I lost all self control.  I had to bring some to my sweet neighbors so I would stop eating them all!

Muffin wells with pie dough and cinnamon apple filling for the Dutch Apple Pie Cookies.

These are really much easier to make than a traditional apple pie, and more fun too!  I took a couple of shortcuts – first, I used a refrigerated pie crust.  When I don’t make my own pie crust, Marie Callender’s is my favorite by far, and it comes in a package with two rolls (look near the refrigerated biscuits).  You will just need one roll for this recipe, and you can freeze the other one for later use.

Dutch Apple Pie Cookies arranged on a small plate, with more cookies on a cooling rack in the background.

I also enlisted the help of an apple peeler, which makes peeling, coring, and slicing the apples so easy!  It literally takes about 15 seconds per apple to get the job done, and my boys think this is the greatest invention ever!

If you enjoy making any kind of apple dessert, this is an inexpensive tool to add to your kitchen that will make your life so much easier.

Dutch Apple Pie Cookies arranged on a small plate.

These would be a lovely dessert to serve on Thanksgiving, maybe for those who only have a tiny bit of room left for dessert after the big feast.  You can make them the day before and check dessert off your list in advance.

Did you make this recipe?

Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #lovelylittlekitchen

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Dutch Apple Pie Cookies

★★★★★ 4.7 from 13 reviews
  • Author: Julie
  • Prep Time: 25 minutes
  • Cook Time: 55 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
  • Yield: 2 1/2 dozen 1x
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Ingredients

  • 1 roll of refrigerated pie dough (I used Marie Callender’s)
  • 5 small Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and diced finely
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch

For the Streusel Topping

  • 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 2/3 cup brown sugar
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 2/3 cups old fashioned oats
  • pinch of salt
  • 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons (14 tablespoons total) butter, melted

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray the wells of a standard size muffin tin with nonstick spray. Roll out dough onto a lightly floured surface, and cut out circles about 2 inches in diameter. Gather and re-roll unused dough and cut additional circles. I used the rim of a small plastic cup. Place the circles in the bottom of each muffin well.
  2. Add the apples, sugar, cinnamon, lemon juice, and cornstarch to a medium saucepan. Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally for about 5-10 minutes until the apples have softened slightly and the juices begin to thicken. Remove from heat.
  3. Add about one tablespoon of the apple filling on top of each circle of pie dough.
  4. In a medium bowl, mix flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, oats, and salt. Add melted butter and mix until well incorporated.
  5. Add a heaping tablespoon of the streusel topping to each muffin well, and gently pat it down over the apples.
  6. Bake for 17-19 minutes. **Allow the apple pie cookies to cool in the muffin tin for at least 10-15 minutes before removing.** I like to use a dull knife to gently remove them from the tin. Cool on a wire rack.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 Cookie
  • Calories: 177
  • Sugar: 12g
  • Sodium: 80mg
  • Fat: 7.6g
  • Saturated Fat: 4.2g
  • Unsaturated Fat: 2.7g
  • Trans Fat: 0.2g
  • Carbohydrates: 26g
  • Fiber: 1.3g
  • Protein: 1.6g
  • Cholesterol: 14mg

Disclaimer: the links in this post for the apple peeler are Amazon affiliate links.

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Comments

    • Scott says

      Oh mymgod, i cant even see the recipe, nothing but a bunch of pop up ads. I understand some ads but atleast post the info ppl look for

      Reply

    • Rosemary says

      I just tried these out with the thought that I would bring them for Thanksgiving. Disaster. I need to put each one in a dessert dish. They completely fell apart. 😖 What did I do wrong?

      Reply

        • Nancy Ashley says

          I made these using puff pastry crust and they were amazing. I was concerned that they might fall apart, so I cut 3″ circles using the lid to a mazon jar, and place the circles in cupcake pans, pushing the edges up the sides about 1/4″ inch. They came out perfectly.

          Reply

      • Carolyn says

        Mine did the same thing. Not sure if maybe it was the apples I used. Had some apples given to me, not sure what kind they were. They were similar to MacIntosh in tenture. But thought I would try. They taste good but had to put them into cupcake paper. Had some papers that were smashed so just used them,
        Seems like the apples maybe had too much juice. Will try again and use Granny Smith.
        Also, the streusel topping was way too much. I even made more due to making my own dough and had more left. But all in all they were tasty.

        Not complaining though.

        Reply

        • Lisa says

          I just made these with Granny Smith apples and mine are falling apart too. Think the cruses may need to be prebaked before adding the filling. I’ll see how they are tomorrow. Good thing they still taste good even if the can’t really be “shared” with others.

          Reply

        • Pamela says

          I agree way too much crumb topping I thought this while making it . This needs to be adjusted. I will use what I have left on another pie it won’t go to waste.

          Reply

      • Tiffany says

        Try adding an extra tablespoon or 2 to the streusel mix so that it become more “dough” like and press them down firmly.

        I had the exact same problem and that’s what I did to solve it!

        Reply

          • Julie says

            Sorry Susan, I’m not sure I understand your question. You don’t add anything to the streusel mixture once it’s made- you just put 1 tablespoon of it on top of the apple filling in each muffin well.

      • Bob says

        Same thing happened to me. This recipe is a complete waste of time, you’d be better of just making a whole pie instead of this mess

        Reply

      • Marcia Gatz says

        I made them, trial and error..the key is not putting too much of the apple filling in, and it’s important to pat down after assembled and I had to bake the full 19 minutes maybe 1 or 2 more and be patient “ let them cool”
        I am wondering though if I can make the filling and topping ahead and just bake a few hours before serving…I like the top and bottom crisp…
        They tend to soften up the next day

        Reply

    • Karen Cowdrey says

      Hi my name is Karen and I live in Australia do you know what our equivalent of corn starch is please.

      Reply

      • Julie says

        Hi Karen, great question! I looked up some alternatives that might be more accessible to you in Australia, and most people said they use cornflour, tapioca starch or arrowroot. You just need a little something to help thicken up the apple juices as they cook. Hope this is helpful and that you enjoy the cookies!

        Reply

    • Kristina says

      Unless I’m mistaken, butter is the only dairy product in this recipe. To make it dairy-free you would just need to substitute a different fat. In order to maintain the flavor of the original recipe, it would need to be butter flavored. Butter flavored Crisco is the first thing that comes to mind. Another option would be a vegan margarine.

      Reply

  9. Lacey says

    These cookies are delicious and will be going into my book of favorite recipes! I made these for my husband to take to work on the 4th of July and everyone loved them. Not only are they delicious, they’re easy to make. Thank you for sharing your recipe!

    Reply

  10. Mary Henson says

    Made these over the weekend and they are GONE. Recipe was great, instructions were perfect. Had to substitute puff pastry for pie crust as my poorly stocked neighborhood grocery store didn’t have any. Like tiny personal apple pies!!!! Thank you for a winning new recipe!

    Reply

    • Julie says

      So happy they worked out for you Mary. I’d love to try them again with puff pastry. I’m glad you used what you could find!

      Reply

  11. Marcia S. says

    I made these to see if they would work for a sweets table at my son’s wedding. They are perfect! I froze some to see if I could make them ahead and that worked too! Thanks for a great make-ahead recipe!

    Reply

  12. Andrea says

    I made them and I had a lot of streussel topping left and no apples. So I tried preparing strawberries instead of apples. They are much jucier so I had to be careful not to use all the juice. They turned out delicious!!!
    Thank you for the recipe, we loved them.

    Reply

  13. Angela says

    I’m making these this weekend for a BBQ. I’m going to use peaches and apples I got at our local farmers market. They look delicious! 🍑🍎

    Reply

  15. Jennifer says

    How did you store these? Just made them and they are delicious!!! I’m thinking Tupperware would make them lose the crispness of the streusel topping. Any advice would be great!

    Reply

  16. Pooh says

    I had some apples that needed to be used. I didn’t want apple sauce, apple butter, apple pie, apple muffins or any of the standard apple dishes. I ran across this beautiful recipe and thought I’d give it a try. I had all the ingredients, with the exception of the pie crust, on hand. This recipe was so simple, quick and easy to follow. The little Dutch Apple pie cookies turned out amazing. I actually had to give some away to keep from eating them all. They are amazing and taste as pretty as they look. Thank you for such a great recipe!

    Reply

  17. Viv says

    If I don’t have any Granny Smith apple and substitute with regular apples, do you think I need to make any modification in the recipe?
    Can’t wait to make them!

    Reply

  18. Melinda says

    I think when I make these I may drizzle some Carmel over the top of these delicious looking cookies! Thank you for the recipe!!

    Reply

  20. SpinninJenny says

    I collect antique apple peelers, and have the kind that clamp onto a table edge. I especially love one that has hearts on the turning wheel. I’ve used them for apples and pears. They still work great and the grandkids love to use them!

    I haven’t tried the recipe, but I plan to this weekend. I have some apples that I need to use and this looks like something my Dad and son would enjoy.

    Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply

  21. Claire says

    Hi there this looks and sounds amazing! I’m in the UK and I’m not sure what you mean by pie dough? Is this the same pastry you might use for mince pies? Thanks for your help, and for sharing something so yummy x

    Reply

  25. Joy says

    One of the best desserts I’ve ever made!! Everyone loves them! I’m definitely going to make them again for Thanksgiving as they are the perfect size. Thank you for sharing!

    Reply

  26. Raeann says

    You could use a muffin top pan? I think it might be easier to get them out. I have fine motor coordination issues with my hands

    Reply

  27. Irene says

    Just wondering, is a mini-muffin pan too small because it’s not deep enough?
    Look yummy!
    Want to make as a dessert for our church fund-raiser.

    Reply

    • Julie says

      I haven’t tried a mini muffin tin before so I’m not sure. I think it could work out okay, you would just have to adjust baking time a little bit.

      Reply

  28. Beverly says

    I made these for an after Hurricane Matthew cookout. They were a hit. Great size. I also had a lot of topping left over, so I just made another batch of apple filling. I love the idea of using another fruit as well.
    Thanks for the recipe.
    Beverly

    Reply

  29. Loo says

    I’m planning on making these very soon. Can you tell me how many cups of apples 5 small would make? I have diced frozen apples in my freezer, so I’ll be adding them by measurement, not whole apples. Thanks for such a beautiful recipe!

    Reply

  30. Alex says

    This looks great! If I make these the day before are they alright to reheat in the oven the following day?
    Can’t wait to try.
    Thanks!

    Reply

    • Pamela Hendrickson says

      Look online for the conversion. I have done that for my students here in Korea, who have all metric measures. Some people posted that we must weigh stuff instead of just measuring, but I didn’t. I think the measuring cups come out close enough.

      Reply

  32. Joyce Brown says

    I made these for a womens event featuring Apple recipes. They were easy to make in a large batch ( I made 100) and the women LOVED them. Thank you for sharing such a great recipe

    Reply

    • Julie says

      I think that could work well, and might be really helpful when you are taking them out. The only concern I have is that it might make the crust on the bottom a little harder to bake thoroughly. Let me know how it goes if you decide to try it!

      Reply

  34. Stephanie says

    I tried making these and had some trouble. The pie crust didn’t seem to cook all the way and even when I let it cool for 20 minutes the apple and topping fell apart. Do you have any hints on what could have gone wrong? The apple and topping was delicious I just wish I could get the actually cookie. Thanks!

    Reply

  36. Iris says

    Well, I just made these, they are absoutly delicious!!.made them for the lady’s auxiliary meeting tonight. They are going to love them! So much flavor in these bite size treasures.
    Thankyou for sharing this recipe…

    Reply

  38. Lisa | Garlic & Zest says

    These cookies look amazing — and your photography is terrific! Was wondering if you use Tailwind — because I am starting a new tribe called CHRISTMAS COOKIES and I’d love for you to participate! If you’re interested, send me an e-mail and I’ll invite you! Thanks — these cookies are going on my MUST TRY list this year!

    Reply

  39. Kristina says

    I was looking forward to trying this recipe, and I’m sorry to say, I’m not a huge fan.

    Firstly, I hate to be disagreeable, but on what planet is this easier than making a pie? This is far more complicated and work intensive. But I digress…

    My real issue is that the streusel didn’t work out at all. The proportions seemed a little off when I read the instructions (too much flour), but I read the reviews and decided to trust. Big mistake. Just as I thought, the streusel was too loose and powdery. It never really came together.

    I never post reviews for recipes. I’m still a novice baker and know I have zero right to criticize. But in this case it’s a significant amount of ingredients(hence money) down the drain. Just trying to save someone else from the same fate.

    Reply

    • Julie says

      So sorry to hear that. I know how frustrating it can be when a recipe doesn’t work out. Wish I could be more helpful and tell you what went wrong.

      Reply

  41. Donnamarie Floyd says

    This is going to be my cookie swap cookie because it came out so good. It tastes exactly like an apple pie. I am trying to make them in my mini-muffin pan for more of a one bit cookie and adding a little heath bar bits to crust…will keep you posted.

    Reply

    • James says

      I just did this in a mini-muffin pan and they came out great. 15min in my oven.

      I cut the pie dough a little bigger than the bottoms so it would go up the sides a bit and then used about a teaspoon of apple filling and heaping teaspoon of streusel topping!

      ★★★★★

      Reply

  43. CM2 says

    Hi, I’m curious why you commented that the mini size wouldn’t work? Have you tried it that way? We have had a cookie walk at our church for the past 10 years early December. Cookie Walk participants purchase a food grade glove and large clear container and walk around 14 eight foot tables and select enough cookies to fill their plastic containers. I always like to take SMALL, DIFFERENT INTERESTING cookies ( these definitely fit the bill) 🙂 and immediately thought to make them in the mini sized muffin tin. I don’t want to try the smaller size if you have done so with poor results. Thanks you for sharing this neat idea.CM2

    Reply

    • James says

      CM2…

      I just did this in a mini-muffin pan and they came out great. 15min in my oven

      I cut the pie dough a little bigger than the bottoms so it would go up the sides a bit and then used about a teaspoon of apple filling and heaping teaspoon of streusel topping!

      ★★★★★

      Reply

  44. Carolyn says

    I made these today but with apples given to me. Not sure what kind of apples. Like a MacIntosh but the not as tart. It seems like they produced too much juice. I also used homemade pie crust chilled. Seems like they were too much apple filling. Also, the struesel was way too much, had a lot left over. Also, it was too crumby and made them loose so I had to put them into paper liners.
    Not really complaining as they taste good. Will see what happens after they sit overnight.
    Next time will make less topping.
    Thanks for the recipe. Not your fault something went wrong. As I said, they taste good.

    Reply

  45. Nicole says

    I just made these amazing pie cookies for the second time yesterday and they have become the talk of the family. So much so that people are now asking me to make sugar free (for the diabetics) any suggestions or is this even possible? Thanks in advance and i appreciate the recipe!!

    Reply

    • Julie says

      The only thing I can suggest is trying to cut the amount of sugar you use with a substitute such as Stevia… You could try using half granulated sugar and half Stevia for baking… Let me know what how it goes if you try it. I’m so glad they were a hit!

      Reply

  46. Gerry says

    I would really like to try this recipe; problem is I can’t find
    Marie Callender’s refrigerated pie dough.

    Is there something else I can use?

    Reply

    • Julie says

      Hi Christine, that’s a great question. I haven’t made these in a while, but I would say just an inch or two all round is fine. Enjoy!

      Reply

  48. Christine says

    Julie, thank you for such an amazing recipe.
    I just returned home from a potluck dinner for 60 people from a Women’s Ukrainian Auxiliary.
    These little gems were the hit of the dessert table.
    Many requests for the recipe.
    I will be moving the recipe to my “Keeper” binder.
    Thank you for taking the time to share your recipes with us.

    Reply

  49. Shannon Hoekstra says

    I made these for my daughters high school October bake sale. They were so good I had a hard time letting her take them! They held together really well but I put them in cupcake wrappers after I baked them so they would be easier to handle at the bake sale! I did eat two of them!

    Reply

  50. Natalie says

    I had a question about the butter in the crumble topping. The recipe says 3/4 cup plus 2 tbs or 14 tbs total. Each 1/4 cup has 8 tbs. If you do 14 tbs, it’s less than a 1/2 cup. I ultimately used 1/2 cup and needed a little more flour, so I suspect it’s actually 14 tbs. This may also point to the root cause when some folks said theirs didn’t hold up. Mine turned out great…I’m very pleased with the taste and color. I am excited to bring them to my office party tomorrow. Thanks for a yummy recipe!

    Reply

    • Julie says

      I know that’s a confusing measurement and it wouldn’t hurt for me to make these one more time and make sure the recipe is accurate, but you said that each 1/4 cup of butter is 8 tablespoons, but 1/4 cup of butter is actually only 4 tablespoons. I’m glad you like how they turned out, and I hope they are a bit hit tomorrow! Thanks for taking the time to leave me a note!

      Reply

      • Minty says

        I think Natalie is confusing 1/4 cup with 1/4 pound. 1/4 cup has four tablespoons. 1/4 pound has eight tablespoons. Confuses me every time! Can’t wait to try this recipe. I’m a huge apple fan and will be making these for my upcoming cookie exchange. One question… how many cookies does this recipe make? Thank you!!

        Reply

  51. Maggie says

    Making these for Thanksgiving gathering and they look great!!
    Read the prior comments and adapted as follows: added 1 teaspoon corn starch, used 1 1/2 pie crust rolls (used another brand), maybe I didn’t roll it too thin, placed pie crust in muffin pan as directed and baked for about 2 minutes, afterwards, I added apple mix and topped with crumb mix. Let them cool off really well and the came out nicely shaped! Firm enough to hold. They taste yummy!!!
    Good recipe…..will use it again.

    Reply

  54. the chief says

    taste excellent, consistency iffy. Had plenty of blueberries that had to be used so why not! Following is recipe for blueberry filling; 4 cups blueberries, 1 cup sugar (use golden coconut sugar),1/4 cup tapioca. 1 tbsp. lemon juice, 1/8 tsp cinnamon. After 20 mins baking looked a little juicy so went another 8 mins. cooled 1 hr . came out of muffin pan fairly well but wouldn’t call it a cookie. refrigeration has helped immensely and now may be called an official cookie. Great recipe, will try apple today.

    Reply

  56. Teresa Johnson says

    These are soooo good.,I made my own homemade lard pie crust & ran it halfway up the tin & it worked perfectly :)) Thank you soooo much 🙂

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  57. Dawn says

    OMG these are delicious. Went apple picking a few weeks ago and am always looking for recipes. This is definitely a keeper. My hubby and dad loved them too! Thanks for sharing.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  58. Roy & Marlene Nordstrom says

    We live in Calgary, Alberta and the elevation causes havoc with recipes. Adjustments need to be made to flour, sugar and liquid. This definitely is one. The small bottom pie crust needs to be up part or all of the side of the muffin tin, otherwise everything falls apart when you try to remove it from the tin. The apple juices stick to the edges and don’t allow for easy removal from the tin. The amount of struesel is too much , could have used 2/3rds of the quantity. The flavour is good. Not worth the effort; a whole apple pie would take less time and effort. Not a keeper.

    ★★

    Reply

  59. Margarita Lewis says

    I baked the apple pie cookies and they are delicious. Only one thing I did different is I used 1 tablespoon of orange juice and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice instead of 2 tablespoon of lemon juice. They are getting eaten fast around here. Thank you and I subscribed to your newsletter looking forward to bake more from your recipes.

    Reply

  64. Michelle G says

    Just finished making these with a few minor tweaks after reading reviews… I used 1/4 cup more flour in crumble to absorb any extra moisture from apples. I used a round cutter slightly larger than the pan and pushed it to the sides slightly and finally i used a teaspoon to measure out crumbs. First two tsp i packed down and 3rd i sprinkled to maintain the crumble effect. Baked & cooled exactly as the times stated and they came out EXACTLY like the picture. For the people who are having them fall apart or saying this recipe is a fail you kind of have to eye your doughs and see if they’re too wet or too dry. All kitchens are different!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  68. Meghan says

    I had a pie crust left over from Thanksgiving. I used that a can of pie crust filling. I chopped the filling so the pieces were smaller like yours. I halved the streusel topping and it was the perfect about to make 20 tarts. I baked about 25 minutes and let them sit that long in the tray. They were very fragile but I expected as much since my pie crust is very delicate. Im so thrilled these came out!

    ★★★★

    Reply

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