Apple butter is the best fall filling for snickerdoodle sandwich cookies

Nothing says fall like the flavors of apples and cinnamon, which means this easy dessert is ideal for autumn. These sandwich cookies are the perfect balance of sweet and spicy and are great for the holidays too.

Homemade sugar cookie dough gets rolled in a cinnamon sugar coating and baked up into soft and fluffy snickerdoodles. The best part? The creamy apple butter frosting that’s sandwiched in between. It’s an epic fall treat.

Snickerdoodle apple butter sandwich cookies recipe

Yields 18 

Prep time: 30 minutes | Bake time: 15 minutes | Inactive time: 30 minutes | Total time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients:

For the frosting

• 1 cup buttercream frosting (homemade or store-bought)
• 1 teaspoon apple pie spice
• 1/2 cup apple butter

For the cookies

• 1 cup vegetable shortening
• 1-1/4 cups cane sugar
• 2 whole eggs
• 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cream of tarter
• Pinch sea salt

For the coating

• 1/4 cup cane sugar
• 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. In a bowl, combine the prepared frosting, spices and apple butter.
2. Mix with a hand mixer until smooth and creamy.
3. Chill until ready to use.
4. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F, and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
5. Combine the shortening and the sugar, and using a hand mixer, beat until smooth and creamy, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add in the eggs, and beat another minute or until combined.
6. To a separate bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cream of tarter and sea salt.
7. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until a soft, sticky dough forms.
8. In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the coating, and mix well.
9. Using a tablespoon or small cookie scoop, roll balls of dough, coat each in the cinnamon sugar, and place on the baking sheet.
10. Bake the cookies for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven, and let the cookies cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes.
11. Once cooled, take a cookie, spread the apple butter frosting evenly on 1 side, and then sandwich it together with a second cookie. Repeat until all the cookie sandwiches are made.
12. Serve, or store in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

More apple butter recipe ideas

Slow cooker apple butter
Open-faced pastrami-apple butter sandwiches
Apple butter grilled cheese