Spiced Apple Butter Linzer Cookies
These Spiced Apple Butter Linzer Cookies might just be the easiest and most fun cookie that anyone can bake! A simple almond cookie, spiced with cinnamon, cut into cute shapes, and baked in the oven, then topped with the best-ever spiced apple butter. The cookie is then topped with yet another cookie to have perfectly Fall treat! They’re so much fun to make and so GOOD, but most importantly…absolutely everybody loves them! They are truly the perfect cookie for your Thanksgiving table, but equally great for Christmas and holiday gifting too!
→ This post is also available as a Web Story: Apple Butter Linzer Cookies
About The Recipe
Honestly, I love these cookies so much. They were a spontaneous idea we had one day, decided to try, and fell in love! We had some left over spiced apple butter that we needed to do something with, we had found some almond flour, and a pre-heated oven.
Sometimes, things just work out the way they’re supposed to!
We had heard of linzer cookies before, but had never made any before. After a bit of research, we gave it a try!
I am totally and completely in love! These little sandwich cookies are kinda the best of both worlds. Crunchy, sweet, cinnamon-y cookie with a thick layer of homemade apple butter sandwiched in the middle…
So. Good.
The apple butter gives this creamy, smooth, sweet, spicy element that is SO beyond needed with this cookie. Not that the cookie itself isn’t delicious..but there’s just something about making it into a little sandwich, and then dusting it with powdered sugar.
It makes for a a fun and delicious holiday treat that is just way too good for it’s own good. One bite and the whole cookie practically just melts in your mouth.
If you’re looking for the ultimate explosion of Fall flavor, this is it!
Equipment Needed
- A Mixer
- Plastic Wrap
- Parchment Paper
- Rolling Pin
- 2 Inch Fluted Cookie Cutter
- 1/2 Inch Cookie Cutter
- Sheet Pans
Ingredients
- All-Purpose Flour
- Almond Flour
- Cinnamon
- Baking Powder
- Salted Butter
- Sugar
- Egg
- Vanilla
- Apple Butter
Instructions
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, almond flour, cinnamon, and baking powder. Set aside.
In the mixer with the beater attachment, beat the sugar and butter until the mixture is creamy. About 3-5 minutes.
Mix in egg and vanilla on high until well combined.
Add in half of the flour mixture. Mix until just barely combined. Add in the other half. Mix until combined.
Separate the dough in half. Flatten each piece into a disc and wrap in plastic wrap individually. Refrigerate for at least an hour, or overnight. We tend to do this overnight, but that’s just us. Take the dough out and let each piece come to room temperature. Roll out each disc one at a time on a heavily floured surface. The dough should be about 1/4 inch thick.
Using a small 2 inch cookie cutter, cut the dough. Try and keep the cuts as close as possible so you have less to re-roll! Place cut cookies onto a lined sheet pan. You will need to re-roll the dough at least two times to get all the cookies possible. Between the two discs of dough, you should have a total of 82 cookies.
Using a very small cookie cutter, cut a shape out of the middle of every other cookie. Feel free to bake the smaller shapes, too! They will take less time in the oven than the cookies.
Bake the linzer cookies for 10-12 minutes, or until just starting to brown. Take them out of the oven and let cool on the pan. Separate the tops (the cookies with the shape cut out of the middle) and the bottoms into two separate pans. Spoon 1 teaspoon of apple butter onto each of the bottom cookies. Once that’s done, use a sieve and lightly dust the top cookies with powdered sugar.
Gently press the tops onto the bottom cookies. Serve immediately!
How To Store
After assembly, these apple butter linzer cookies need to be kept in an airtight container. You can leave them out on the counter for a day or so, or keep in the fridge for about 2-4 days. The cookies will soften, but don’t worry! They’re actually just as good the next day as they are freshly baked!
Substitutions
- Don’t have almond flour? No worries! Using a food processor, you can grind some almonds and have the same thing! Just remember it needs to be a very fine grind. No chunks!
- You can use store-bought apple butter.
Expert Tips
- Be careful not to over-mix the cookie dough!
- The dough should be refrigerated for at least an hour, but you can refrigerate it up to 24 hours.
- Don’t press too hard when assembling the cookies! You don’t want the apple butter to smush out.
- These cookies are really meant to be made and eaten within 24 hours of assembly. They won’t keep for very long so, plan accordingly!
- Feel free to bake the small cut outs from the top cookies.
When you make these Spiced Apple Butter Linzer Cookies, leave a comment down below! We love hearing from you and answering any questions you might have! Also, be sure to tag us on social media and hashtag it #BakersTable.
Spiced Apple Butter Linzer Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup salted butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 2 ½ cups apple butter
- Powdered sugar,, for finishing
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, almond flour, cinnamon, and baking powder. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter and sugar until creamy, about 3-5 minutes.
- Beat in egg and vanilla.
- Stir in dry ingredients. Dough will be a little sticky.
- Divide in 2.
- Flatten each half of dough into a disc.
- Wrap tightly with plastic wrap.
- Refrigerate at least 1 hour.
- Working with one disc at a time, on a floured surface, roll dough out to 1/4".
- Cut out with 2" cookie cutter.
- Using a 1/2" cutter, cut shape in center of half of cookies.
- Place on prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes, until just starting to show color.
- Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes on sheet pan.
- Remove to cooling rack to finish cooling.
- When cool, flip over the whole cookies and spoon 1 teaspoon of apple butter on each.
- Sift a little powdered sugar on tops of the cookies with cut outs and place on top of apple butter.
Notes + Tips!
- Don’t have almond flour? No worries! Using a food processor, you can grind some almonds and have the same thing! Just remember it needs to be a very fine grind. No chunks!
- You can use store-bought apple butter.
- Be careful not to over-mix the cookie dough!
- The dough should be refrigerated for at least an hour, but you can refrigerate it up to 24 hours.
- Don’t press too hard when assembling the cookies! You don’t want the apple butter to smush out.
- These cookies are really meant to be made and eaten within 24 hours of assembly. They won’t keep for very long so, plan accordingly!
- Feel free to bake the small cut outs from the top cookies.
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Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.