Apple Cider Snickerdoodles

Apple Cider Snickerdoodles are a snickerdoodle recipe with a delicious twist- the addition of apple cider and fresh apples.

November 18th is Apple Cider Day! Celebrate by baking Apple Cider Snickerdoodles making some slow cooker mulled cider, or pick up a big jug of apple cider to enjoy! Share the apple cider love on social media today using the hashtags #AppleCiderDay and #RecipesForHolidays.

Be sure to follow my November Food Holidays page so you never miss a food holiday in the month of November!

“The heat of autumn is different than the heat of summer. One ripens apples, the other turns them into cider.”

-Jane Hirshfield

The History of Apple Cider:

Smithsonian Magazine shared that there was evidence of apple trees growing along the Nile River dating back to 1300 BC (but we don’t know if cider was made from those apples).

We do know that Romans (55 BC) drank cider fermented from native crabapples. The popularity of drinking cider began to spread across Europe.

Cider was popular 2nd to ale in England.

Early colonists brought cider to the Americas. It was safer to drink than water (which could be polluted), and it contained good nutrition to help get through the winter. Although cider was fermented (boozy), they were able to make cider with a lower alcohol content for children.

In colonial America, cider was the most common beverage. It was also used to pay rents, etc. By the late 1800’s, the popularity of cider waned, and beer became more popular.

Recent years have shown a resurgence of interest in cider making. It’s one of the fastest growing segments of the liquor industry. Non-alcoholic cider is sold too, but the trend is to sample hard ciders.

Ingredients needed:

• apple cider
• all purpose flour
• cream of tartar
• baking soda
• kosher salt
• ground cinnamon
• unsalted butter
• white sugar
• light brown sugar
• eggs
• peeled and diced apple
• apple pie spice

How to make Apple Cider Snickerdoodles:

The complete, printable recipe is at the end of this post.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

The first step is reducing the cider into a syrup. Be patient, this will take about 15 minutes or longer. Heat the cider in a nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat until it comes to a boil. Continue to cook until it’s syrupy and reduced to about 1/4 cup. Set aside to cool slightly. 

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt and cinnamon until smooth. In a separate bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the butter with 1/2 cup of white sugar and the brown sugar on medium-high speed until fluffy and smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in the reduced cider and eggs (the mixture may look slightly curdled). Stir in the flour mixture and the apples, just until combined.

In a small bowl, stir together the 1/3 cup white sugar and the apple pie spice. Roll heaping tablespoons of dough into balls, using lightly moistened hands if the dough is too sticky, and then roll generously in the spiced sugar mixture. Place the dough balls 3-inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake until the edges are just set but centers are still soft, 11 to 13 minutes. Cool 2 to 3 minutes on the baking sheet, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

These are some delicious cookies. If you’re a fan of traditional snickerdoodles, you will most definitely enjoy this apple cider variation. They have that wonderful tang of a snickerdoodle with plenty of cinnamon flavor and chunks of fresh apple throughout.

Can you use apple juice in place of apple cider?

Yes! If you are not able to locate apple cider, it’s okay to use apple juice to make these apple cider snickerdoodles. You can also use chunks of dried apple instead of fresh apple, if you’d like. Enjoy!

Fun Facts about Apple Cider:

• Raw apple juice that has not been filtered to remove pulp is referred to as “cider.”
• Fermented and filtered apple juice turns into hard cider.
• Apples weren’t meant for eating for thousands of years. They were pressed for juice and left to ferment (to make hard cider).
• More than half of the apples grown in the UK become cider. The world’s biggest cider mill (Bulmers) is located in the UK.
• Famous apple farmer Johnny Appleseed planted orchards across the U.S. intended for making cider (not eating!)
• There are over 365 cider apple varieties.
• In the U.S., the average age of apple cider drinkers is 30 to 49.
• Michigan has the apple blossom as its state flower, and it’s known as cider central.