there’s something about fall that makes me want to bake literally everything with maple syrup in it.
Last October I was having one of those weekends where I couldn’t sit still, you know? Already cleaned the whole apartment, already meal prepped, and it wasn’t even noon yet. So naturally I decided to make cookies. My mom used to make these maple cookies when I was growing up, and I remember sitting at the kitchen counter doing homework while she’d let me lick the icing bowl. The kitchen would smell like butter and maple and it just felt like home.
I tried making them from memory the first time and completely guessed on the measurements. Added way too much flour and they came out like hockey pucks. My boyfriend tried one to be polite and I could literally see him struggling to chew through it. We laughed so hard. But I figured it out eventually, and now these are one of those recipes I make without even looking at measurements anymore.
Contents
They’re soft and cakey, not those flat crispy ones that hurt your teeth. The texture is more like a really good sugar cookie but with actual flavor.
The maple taste is real and warm, not that fake pancake syrup situation. You can actually taste the difference when you use good maple syrup and it’s worth the extra couple bucks.
They’re weirdly easy for how impressive they look. People always think I spent hours on them but honestly it’s like 30 minutes of actual work.
The icing sets just enough that they’re not messy to eat but stays soft and doesn’t crack when you bite into it. I hate when icing shatters everywhere.
They keep really well which almost never happens with homemade cookies. Most of my baking gets stale by day two but these stay soft for almost a week.
what you’ll need
For the Cookies
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Unsalted butter, softened | ¾ cup | leave it out for an hour or I microwave it for like 8 seconds |
| Brown sugar | ¾ cup | packed down when you measure |
| Egg | 1 large | room temp is better but I always forget |
| Pure maple syrup | ⅓ cup | get the real stuff, seriously |
| Vanilla extract | 1 tsp | the good kind if you have it |
| All-purpose flour | 2¼ cups | maybe a bit more if it’s humid out |
| Baking powder | 1 tsp | make sure it’s not expired |
| Baking soda | ½ tsp | |
| Salt | ½ tsp | |
| Cinnamon | ¼ tsp | optional but I always add it |
For the Icing
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Powdered sugar | 2 cups | sift it if you’re not lazy like me |
| Pure maple syrup | 3 tbsp | start here, add more if needed |
| Melted butter | 2 tbsp | |
| Milk or cream | 1-2 tbsp | to thin it out |
| Vanilla extract | ½ tsp |
how to make them
Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a couple baking sheets with parchment paper. I used to skip the parchment and just grease the pans but trust me, the parchment makes cleanup so much easier and the bottoms don’t get as brown.
Beat the softened butter and brown sugar together in a big bowl until it’s fluffy and lighter in color. This takes like 2-3 minutes with a hand mixer. I usually do it while scrolling through my phone with the other hand which is probably not safe but whatever.
Add the egg, maple syrup, and vanilla and mix until everything is combined and smooth. The mixture will look a little loose and that’s totally normal.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. I know it’s an extra bowl to wash but it actually matters here because you want the leavening agents distributed evenly.
Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix just until combined. Don’t overmix or the cookies will be tough. The dough should be soft but not sticky. If it’s super sticky, add a tablespoon more flour.
Scoop the dough onto your prepared baking sheets using a cookie scoop or just a regular spoon. I do about a tablespoon and a half of dough per cookie. Space them maybe 2 inches apart because they spread a little bit but not a ton.
Bake for 10-12 minutes. They should look set around the edges but still soft and pale in the middle. Do not overbake these or they’ll be dry. I set a timer for 10 minutes and then check them every minute after that.
Let them cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. One time I got impatient and tried to ice them while they were still warm and the icing just melted right off and made a huge mess. Learn from my mistakes.
While they’re cooling, make the icing by whisking together the powdered sugar, maple syrup, melted butter, vanilla, and a tablespoon of milk. If it’s too thick, add more milk a tiny bit at a time. If it’s too thin, add more powdered sugar. You want it thick enough to stay on the cookies but thin enough to spread easily.
Once the cookies are completely cool, spread or drizzle the icing on top. I usually just dip the top of each cookie into the bowl of icing and then flip it back over. Gets messy but it’s faster than spreading with a knife.
Let the icing set for like 20 minutes before eating or stacking them. It won’t get fully hard but it’ll firm up enough that it’s not goopy.
tips and random notes
- You can make the dough ahead and refrigerate it for up to 3 days. Just let it come to room temperature for like 15 minutes before scooping or it’ll be too hard.
- If you want thicker cookies, chill the dough for 30 minutes before baking. They won’t spread as much.
- I’ve made these with margarine when I ran out of butter and honestly they were fine. Not quite as rich but still good.
- The icing will stay a bit tacky so if you’re stacking them, put wax paper or parchment between the layers. I forgot once and ended up with cookies stuck together and had to peel them apart like an idiot.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. I keep mine in one of those big Tupperware containers but I’m terrible about labeling so sometimes I open it three days later and I’m like “wait what are these again?”
nutrition info (roughly)
| Per Cookie | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | about 180 |
| Total Fat | 6g |
| Carbs | 30g |
| Sugar | 20g |
| Protein | 2g |
Based on making about 24 cookies, these are estimates because I’m not a nutritionist and I kind of eyeball things
