Maple Brown Sugar Cookies
These maple brown sugar cookies bake up soft in the center with lightly crisp edges and a simple maple icing on top. Brown sugar and pure maple syrup give them a warm, deep flavor, and the icing adds a little extra sweetness without making the recipe fussy.
The dough is easy to mix, but it does need time to chill before baking. That step helps the cookies hold their shape and keeps them from spreading too thin.
Ingredients for Maple Brown Sugar Cookies
- 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour (290g)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened (170g)
- 1 cup packed brown sugar (200g)
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup (110g)
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 to 2 teaspoons maple extract
- 1 cup chopped pecans (110g), optional
For the maple icing:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened (30g)
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup (40g)
- 1 to 1 1/2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar (120g to 180g)
Use pure maple syrup, not pancake syrup. Light or dark brown sugar both work here; dark brown sugar gives the cookies a deeper molasses flavor. If you leave out the maple extract, the cookies will still turn out well, but the maple flavor will be lighter.
How to Make Maple Brown Sugar Cookies
- Mix the dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined.
- Cream the butter and sugar: In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer for 3 to 4 minutes, until well combined and slightly fluffy. Beat in the egg, maple syrup, vanilla, and maple extract until smooth.
- Finish the dough: Add the flour mixture and mix just until no dry streaks remain. Fold in the pecans, if using. The dough should be soft and cohesive. Do not overmix.
- Chill the dough: Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. The dough should feel firm before scooping.
- Preheat the oven: Heat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Scoop the cookies: Portion the chilled dough into even balls and place them a few inches apart on the baking sheet so they have room to spread.
- Bake: Bake for 9 to 12 minutes, until the edges are set and lightly golden and the centers still look a little soft. Rotate the pan near the end if your oven bakes unevenly.
- Cool: Let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack. Cool completely before icing.
- Make the icing: In a small bowl, stir together the softened butter, maple syrup, and confectioners’ sugar until smooth and spreadable. If it looks too thin, stir in a little more confectioners’ sugar.
- Ice the cookies: Spoon or drizzle the icing over the cooled cookies. Let it set until dry to the touch before stacking or storing.
Why Chilling the Dough Matters
This dough is made with softened butter and maple syrup, so it spreads more if baked warm. Chilling firms the dough, helps the cookies keep a better shape, and gives you a softer center with cleaner edges. If your kitchen is warm and the dough still feels soft after 2 hours, let it chill longer.
How to Tell When the Cookies Are Done
Take the cookies out when the edges look set and lightly golden but the centers still look slightly underbaked. They will continue to set on the hot pan as they cool. If you wait until the centers look fully baked in the oven, the cookies can turn out drier.
How to Store and Freeze Maple Brown Sugar Cookies
Once the icing is fully set, store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. If you need to stack them, separate the layers with parchment paper.
You can make the dough ahead and chill it overnight before baking. You can also freeze unbaked dough balls for later baking, or freeze baked cookies after the icing has set. For frozen iced cookies, let them come back to room temperature rather than reheating them, since heat can soften the icing.
More Simple Baking Ideas
If you like simple homemade bakes, try these Simple Zucchini Muffins next.
For another easy dessert, you might also like these Sourdough Discard Brownies.
If you like thick, soft cookies, check out these Thick Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Nutrition
Nutrition is approximate and will vary based on ingredient brands, exact amounts, whether you use the pecans, and how much icing you add to each cookie.
- Serving size: 1 cookie
- Calories: about 165
- Protein: 2g
- Fat: 7g
- Carbohydrates: 25g
- Per 100g: about 410 calories, 4g protein, 18g fat, 60g carbohydrates
Equipment
- electric mixer
- mixing bowls
- measuring cups and spoons
- baking sheet
- parchment paper
- wire rack
- refrigerator
- small bowl
Ingredients
Cookies
- 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour (290g)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened (170g)
- 1 cup packed brown sugar (200g)
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup (110g)
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 to 2 teaspoons maple extract
- 1 cup chopped pecans (110g), optional
Maple icing
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened (30g)
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup (40g)
- 1 to 1 1/2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar (120g to 180g)
Instructions
- Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl until evenly combined.
- Beat the softened butter and brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer for 3 to 4 minutes until slightly fluffy.
- Beat in the egg, maple syrup, vanilla, and maple extract until smooth.
- Add the flour mixture and mix just until no dry streaks remain; fold in the pecans if using and avoid overmixing.
- Cover the dough and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight until firm.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Portion the chilled dough into even balls and place them a few inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 9 to 12 minutes, until the edges are set and lightly golden and centers still look slightly soft; rotate the pan near the end if your oven bakes unevenly.
- Let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely before icing.
- Stir together the softened butter, maple syrup, and confectioners’ sugar in a small bowl until smooth and spreadable, adding more confectioners’ sugar if the icing is too thin.
- Spoon or drizzle the icing over the cooled cookies and let it set until dry to the touch before stacking or storing.
Tips
- Chill the dough at least 2 hours to prevent excessive spreading and to get clean edges with a soft center.
- Use pure maple syrup (not pancake syrup) for true maple flavor.
- Dark brown sugar gives a deeper molasses flavor; light brown sugar yields a milder taste.
- If the dough still feels soft after 2 hours, chill longer until firm enough to scoop.
- If the icing is too thin, add a little more confectioners’ sugar to thicken it.
Variations
- With pecans: Fold 1 cup chopped pecans into the dough for added crunch and a nutty flavor.
- Deeper maple flavor: Use dark brown sugar and the higher amount of maple extract for a stronger maple and molasses note.
- No maple extract: Omit the maple extract for a subtler maple flavor relying on the pure maple syrup.
