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    Home » Dessert Recipes » Cookie Recipes

    Nutmeg Ginger Apple Snaps

    Lindsay Moe

    18609 shares

    Where did you get that Nutmeg Ginger Apple Snap? Recreate this fictional favorite recipe from the popular movie Fantastic Mr. Fox and you’ll be as infamous as Mrs. Bean.

    a plate of nutmeg ginger apple snaps with apple slices and sugar
    Jump to Recipe

    This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases. All opinions are my own.

    If you’re a Fantastic Mr. Fox fan, you definitely know about these cookies!

    I originally recreated them for my daughter’s third birthday. This has been our favorite family movie since she was a baby, so it was really fun to enjoy some food inspired by it!

    nutmeg ginger apple snaps cooling on a cooling rack

    If you’re not familiar with the plot, a fox, who used to take food from farmers for a living, is now married with a child and working as a newspaper man.

    I won’t spoil the whole movie for you, but after a while he gets the itch to start grabbing chickens again, and after a lot of shenanigans we come face to face with one farmer’s wife, Mrs. Bean.

    close up photo of Mrs. Bean's famous cookies from Fantastic Mr. Fox
    dvd cover for Fantastic Mr. Fox with a plate of cookies

    What are nutmeg ginger apple snaps?

    In the movie Fantastic Mr. Fox, one of the antagonists, Mrs. Bean, always has a plate of her famous nutmeg ginger apple snaps sitting out. They’re an irresistible cookie that gets more than one character into trouble.

    They’re basically a big, spiced cookie topped with an apple slice and plenty of sparkly sugar.

    The cookies I made turned out large and strangely indulgent. There is a lot of butter in this recipe and plenty of fall spice.

    The sugar within the cookies is minimal but there’s a lot sprinkled on top. I was happy with how authentic they looked and everyone that had one thought they were great.

    Nutmeg ginger apple snap ingredients

    • Butter
    • Granulated sugar
    • Brown sugar
    • Molasses
    • Fresh ginger
    • Ground ginger
    • Vanilla extract
    • Nutmeg
    • Cloves
    • Flour
    • Eggs
    • Salt
    • Apples
    • Coarse sugar and/or cake sparkles
    ingredients for nutmeg ginger apple snaps from fantastic mr. fox

    How to make nutmeg ginger apple snaps

    1. In an electric mixer, cream butter on medium speed until light and fluffy.
    2. Add granulated sugar, brown sugar, molasses, and fresh ginger and mix until fluffy.
    3. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until combined.
    4. In a bowl, combine flour and spices.
    5. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in three parts on low speed until fully blended.
    6. Roll 2-3 tablespoons of dough into balls, flatten out with your hand, and top each cookie with a thin apple slice.
    7. Sprinkle with coarse sugar
    8. Bake at 325ºF for 15-25 minutes or until the bottom of the cookies are crisp and the edges are lightly browned.
    9. Sprinkle with cake sparkles and additional coarse sugar if desired and allow to cool completely.
    apple snap cookies on a baking sheet before going in the oven

    Top tips

    Should I refrigerate the dough?

    It isn’t necessary to refrigerate the dough. However, refrigeration can help intensify the flavors and create a puffier cookie.

    a plate of nutmeg ginger apple snaps

    What kind of sugar is on top?

    I topped these cookies with a combination of coarse sugar and cake sparkles for the photos, and I used turbinado sugar in the video. If you only have regular granulated sugar you can definitely use that, they just won’t be as sparkly.

    I added the sugar both before and after baking, but you could choose to do one or the other if you want to cut down on the amount of sugar you’re consuming.

    What kind of apples should I use?

    You can use any apple you would use in baking. I liked Gala apples for these cookies, but I think Fuji, Braeburn, or Honeycrisp would be great as well.

    an apple on a cutting board next to ginger apple cookies on a cooling rack
    fresh ginger ready for making cookies

    How do you slice the apples?

    Be sure to slice the apples horizontally to get the pretty core. I do this by grabbing a medium sized serrated knife, turning the apple on it’s side, and slicing it thinly.

    More Mr. Fox fun

    Keep scrolling below the recipe to see the Fantastic Mr. Fox cake I created for Lola’s birthday! I also used gold edible pens to draw stars on apples for the party. It was very whimsical!

    More cookie recipes

    • Giant Ginger Cookies
    • Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
    • Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
    • Christmas Cut Out Cookies
    • Buttery Bourbon Cherry Cookies
    • Whole Wheat Chocolate Fudge Cookies
    • Spicy Pistachio and Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
    a child's hand reaching in to grab an apple cookie from a plate

    If you make this recipe, be sure to rate it, leave a comment, or tag #theliveinkitchen on Instagram!

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    This post was updated in October 2021 with new photos, a video, and a few changes to improve the consistency of the recipe. See recipe notes for instructions on the original recipe.

    a plate of nutmeg ginger apple snaps on a wood table

    Nutmeg Ginger Apple Snaps

    A large spiced apple cookie just like the ones in the movie Fantastic Mr. Fox
    4.12 from 120 votes
    Print Pin Rate SaveSaved!
    Prep Time: 40 minutes
    Cook Time: 25 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
    Servings: 28 cookies
    Calories: 234kcal
    Author: Lindsay Moe

    Ingredients

    • 4 cups all-purpose flour
    • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, plus more for topping if desired
    • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
    • 1 teaspoon grated nutmeg
    • 1 pinch ground cloves
    • 1 pinch salt
    • 2 cups butter, softened
    • ½ cup granulated sugar
    • 6 Tablespoons brown sugar
    • 2 Tablespoons molasses
    • 1 Tablespoon fresh grated ginger root
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 2 eggs
    • 4 gala apples
    • Organic refined sugar and cake sparkles for sprinkling, or any coarse sugar, like turbinado

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat.
    • In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Set aside.
    • In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter on medium speed until light.
    • Add the granulated sugar, brown sugar, molasses, and fresh ginger and beat until fluffy.
    • Add the eggs and vanilla extract. Beat on medium speed until fully blended.
    • Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in three parts, carefully and on low speed, until the ingredients are fully blended.
    • Working in batches as necessary, roll 2-3 Tablespoons of dough into balls and use your hand to flatten them on the prepared cookie sheet about ¼ inch high and 2 inches apart.
    • Slice the apples as thinly as you can (crosswise so you can see the star of the core in the middle) and press slices firmly into the center of each cookie. Sprinkle coarse sugar and extra cinnamon evenly over cookies to coat, making sure to cover the edges.
    • Bake 20 minutes or until the edges are golden. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with more sugar, if desired, and cake sparkles. Let cool a few minutes on the cookie sheet before moving to a cooling rack to cool completely.

    Notes

    Adapted from Vancouver Observer
     

    Nutrition

    Calories: 234kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 47mg | Sodium: 122mg | Potassium: 84mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 437IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @theliveinkitchen or tag #theliveinkitchen!

    Lola also requested a Mr. Fox cake.

    Fantastic Mr. Fox Cake

    I spent a long time trying to figure out what it should look like to put Mr. Fox on a cake. I landed on baking a cake in a football shaped pan and cutting it into the shape of his head.

    I used a cake recipe from Smitten Kitchen and a frosting recipe from I Am Baker. I’m obviously no cake decorator, but I placed the frosting in zip top bags and used knives to spread it around until it looked a little bit like Mr. Fox. Overall, I was pretty happy with the outcome.

    More Cookie Recipes

    • Maple nut breakfast cookies on a plate next to a mug of coffee and a bowl of nuts.
      Pillowy Maple Nut Breakfast Cookies
    • Whole wheat chocolate fudge cookies on parchment paper next to chocolate chips.
      Whole Wheat Chocolate Fudge Cookies
    • a close up of peanut butter pretzel cookies on a wood cutting board
      Peanut Butter Pretzel Cookies
    • bourbon cherry cookies on a wire cooling rack
      Buttery Bourbon Cherry Cookies

    Reader Interactions

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    1. Selene says

      July 17, 2017 at 9:59 pm

      This recipe is absolutely bland! I had to add much more of all the spices to make it actually taste like something.

      Reply
    2. JLowe says

      November 24, 2019 at 7:42 pm

      4 stars
      I creamed the sugars and spices with the butter before adding the flour. When I tasted the cream, it definitely needed more sugar, and just a pinch more of clove. They are far from bland!
      However, is this recipe missing egg? The cookies are not holding together, no matter how long or little they are baked.
      Additional tip . . . brush the cookies with egg wash to add a shine and allow the sugar to stick.
      Other than that, they are truly fabulous!

      Reply
      • Lindsay Moe says

        November 25, 2019 at 4:37 pm

        I’m sorry to hear the cookies fell apart, but I’m glad you enjoyed them anyways! If you added more sugar that might be why they wouldn’t hold together. The recipe does not require eggs.

        Reply
    3. Lori Welsh says

      October 13, 2020 at 10:29 am

      Made these today. Very easy to do and completely delicious. Thanks for the recipe.

      Reply
    4. Kathleen Noll says

      October 18, 2020 at 6:02 pm

      i’m not sure what’s wrong with this recipe, maybe the fact that it doesn’t have eggs or a chemical leavener, but these cookies are not firming up, they’ve been in the oven for 15 minutes and theyre still very soft. I’m hoping if I cook them longer they will firm up.

      Reply
      • Lindsay Moe says

        October 21, 2020 at 10:56 am

        It can take up to 25 minutes for them to cook completely. Hopefully it worked out for you!

        Reply
    5. Helen says

      October 21, 2020 at 2:44 pm

      4 stars
      The shortbread base of these cookies was absolutely delicious. However, I didn’t think the apple slices contributed much other than to the visuals. They made the middles a little soggy, there wasn’t enough for a strong apple flavour to come through, and I always find apple skins a pain in baked goods. I made them a second time with a little less sugar (1/4 cup each brown and white, just my personal preference, nobody else found them too sweet!), and added some fresh ground black pepper for a subtle kick. I left the apple slices off, and instead topped with a reduced apple cider glaze that was intensely apple-y, and I thought it worked better. Delighted to have found the base recipe, it’s definitely a keeper. I think if anyone finds it bland, it might be because their spices are stale, because it really has a lot of flavour!

      Reply
    6. Megan says

      October 22, 2020 at 9:16 pm

      5 stars
      Very good! These were great and my family loved them. I used a mandolin to get the apples thin and even. I live at high altitude and they worked great with no adjustments. Cured my craving for ginger cookies and apples as well as my craving for these cookies after the first time I watched this movie years ago!

      Reply
    7. Cei says

      October 28, 2020 at 9:46 pm

      2 stars
      The concept of these cookies are really great but the middle of my cookies (underneath the apple slices) were completely raw. I guess you should press your apple slices to get as much moisture out as possible.

      Reply
      • Madison Forde says

        November 25, 2020 at 12:28 pm

        3 stars
        I had to add an egg to make the crumbly batter stick together. As I tried to ball it up in my hands it completely crumbled. The batter tasted fanatic although!

        Reply
      • Benjamin kane-nichols says

        November 28, 2020 at 8:45 pm

        that doesn’t work (or at least for me) I did that and they were raw and soggy we tried to cook them for longer and then they BURNED

        Reply
    8. carlie says

      November 10, 2020 at 10:53 pm

      5 stars
      this recipe came out so well. very yummy and not too sweet. tastes like fall <3

      Reply
    9. Rebecca says

      January 13, 2021 at 4:41 pm

      2 stars
      I followed the recipe exactly. I had no issues with molding dough balls and all-together presentation.
      However, the cookie part turned out very dry and brittle. The flavor is great but is compromised by dryness. I think you’d be better off making gingersnap cookies and placing apple slices on top. They’d be way more moist and overall a lot more enjoyable to eat. I think the only way to enjoy these cookies is with hot cider, tea, or some coffee. Even then, the offer a weird floury/grainy texture in your mouth.
      Maybe a recipe with eggs would be better.
      I appreciate the visual and the inspiration. I just don’t think this recipe was for me! I’m sure it is astounding for others.

      **** If you don’t mind the shortbread likeness of the cookie, maybe change the ratio of the apple slices to cookie. Make sure the outer ring of the cookie is about a centimeter out from the apple slice or same size. So each bite you get has apple!! 🙂 ****

      Reply
    10. Arabella Du Bois says

      March 04, 2021 at 3:42 pm

      1 star
      I never ever leave reviews, but this was just a crappy recipe. I followed the recipe to a T. The dough was super bland and once baked it was super dry (there was wayyyy too much butter). The cookies baked fine but the apples made the middle hella soggy. I spent three hours trying to remake and fix the dough. Regardless of what the author of this recipe says, use eggs. Overall, they’re cute but very much inedible. Save yourself the time an energy, find another recipe.

      Reply
      • Lindsay Moe says

        March 08, 2021 at 8:56 am

        I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy this recipe. I will continue to test solutions to create a more consistent outcome.

        Reply
    11. Andie says

      April 27, 2021 at 6:15 pm

      2 stars
      I followed the recipe to a tee and I found them very dry; it was like eating mix.

      Reply
    12. kosi says

      August 04, 2021 at 1:30 pm

      i lve ur work! Ur BaKiNg is AwEsOme! Keep up the good baking WoRk!

      Reply
    13. Dana says

      September 19, 2021 at 8:55 am

      5 stars
      Haven’t tried these yet but this is exactly the recipe I was looking for !!(as my kids are STILL obsessed with the movie 😉 The cake you decorated is definitely going on a platter; maybe for Halloween we’ll have a Fantastic Mr Fox party!! Excellent decorating,it really looks like his face from the movie!(it’s the thought the counts with kids,people!) THANKS FOR SHARING!!

      Reply
    14. haz says

      October 30, 2021 at 10:05 am

      i was so excited to find a fantastic Mr fox recipe however after following this I felt I had wasted time and money on ingredients. There is way too much butter for these and when I added in the eggs there was no way you can ‘roll’ these into balls.

      Also cut the apples as thin as I could ans after baking they were still raw underneath.

      Think it’s needs modifying.

      Reply
      • Lindsay Moe says

        November 05, 2021 at 8:31 am

        I’m very sorry you were disappointed by this recipe. It is difficult to help troubleshoot through a computer, but the dough should be very thick and easy to roll, so perhaps something went wrong with your measuring or ingredients.

        Reply
      • M says

        August 21, 2022 at 1:01 pm

        In the directions it reads a “flour mixture” and states cornstarch but in the recipe itself no cornstarch is listed?

        Reply
        • Lindsay Moe says

          August 22, 2022 at 11:19 am

          Thanks for pointing this out, and I apologize for the inconsistency. There is no cornstarch in the recipe, and I have updated it for clarity.

          Reply
    15. julia says

      November 24, 2021 at 10:07 am

      3 stars
      okay this is a few tips for anyone who struggled with the recipe. here’s what I did:
      -add more ginger and nutmeg for a kick
      -bake the cookies alone first without the apple for about 15 minutes
      -take them out, add the apple and cinnamon/sprinkles topping, then back in the oven for the rest of the time
      I struggled with the apple adding too much moisture to the cookies, flattening them out and making them raw underneath. I did this with the 2nd batch in the oven, and they turned out perfect

      Reply
      • Lindsay Moe says

        November 29, 2021 at 8:58 am

        Thanks for adding your tips!

        Reply
    16. Jill says

      September 29, 2022 at 10:28 am

      5 stars
      Just a quick heads up—the post mentions at first that there aren’t any eggs in the recipe, and eggs are not mentioned in the basic directions (before you get to the recipe card), but eggs are pictured in the ingredients image as well as the ingredients list and recipe card.

      Reply
      • Lindsay Moe says

        September 29, 2022 at 11:42 am

        Thanks for letting me know, and I apologize for the oversight. I have updated the post for clarity.

        Reply
    17. A says

      October 20, 2022 at 5:35 am

      How many grams are 2 cups of butter???
      Thx

      Reply
      • Lindsay Moe says

        October 26, 2022 at 9:19 am

        453.6 grams in 2 cups of butter

        Reply
    18. Connie says

      November 25, 2022 at 8:22 pm

      4 stars
      The flavor of these cookies is amazing! I made these for Thanksgiving and we all agreed that they tasted delicious, but that they were simply so dry. If they were crispy as well I think it would have been fine, but they are soft and dry. Don’t want to tank this recipe at all, as the taste is still very good, I just wish they were moist or crispy!

      Reply

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    Hi, I'm Lindsay! I've been creating easily customizable vegetarian recipes since 2011. I love the outdoors, brownies, and brand new books. I live and work in La Crosse, Wisconsin and founded Wild Flour Media to expand on my love for food photography and videography to my community and beyond.

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