A cookie bursting with warm and cozy maple flavor? Yes, please!
When my kids were little, we went to a maple sugaring event at a local forest. They got to burn off some energy, running from tree to tree, checking the taps and collecting syrup from the buckets. The best part was a pancake breakfast afterwards, with maple syrup produced the previous season. Besides tired kids and full bellies, the best part was learning about how much work goes into that bottle of maple syrup sitting on the grocery store shelf!
While maple syrup is amazing for pancakes and waffles, it’s not the only role this syrup can play. Maple syrup is a flavorful, natural sweetener that can enhance cookies, muffins, and quick breads as well. While it is natural and better for you than processed sweeteners or sugars, maple syrup is still high in sugar—but it’s nature’s sugar, not chemically enhanced.
You will love maple cookies because they are perfectly sweet, full of maple flavor, and easy to make. They also freeze well, so you can make a batch and enjoy some now, but freeze the rest for later! Maple cookies are the perfect treat on a snowy day, after shoveling the walk or simply to enjoy curled up on your couch with a mug of hot tea or coffee. You can sprinkle the tops with sugar or even add on a frosting.
What Is Pure Maple Syrup?
Standing in the grocery store aisle, looking at the syrups, you may wonder at all the choices and the price ranges. While it might be tempting to grab a large container of “pancake syrup” and shell out only a few bucks for it, you’re not getting real maple syrup. The majority of those pancake syrups are high fructose corn syrup with maple flavor added. For this recipe, look for pure, 100% (or “Grade A”) maple syrup. Yes, it’s sold in smaller containers and pricier, but there’s a reason: there are no additives or chemically produced sweeteners. It’s Mother Nature’s own and is normally produced in fairly small batches.
FAQs & Tips
How Do I Store Leftovers?
Maple cookies will keep at room temperature (in an airtight container) for up to 5 days. If you want to save some for later, freezing them is easy. Flash freeze on a baking sheet first, then place them in an airtight container (I prefer gallon-sized resealable plastic bags) and freeze for up to 3 months.
Help! I Don't Have Unsalted Butter!
If you do not have unsalted butter, simply omit the 1/4 teaspoon of salt and use regular, salted butter. You can still add a dash of salt if you’d like to, even with the salted butter.
Try Using Dark Brown Sugar
For the 3/4 cup of brown sugar called for, use dark brown sugar if you like a strong molasses flavor. That’s the primary difference between dark and light brown sugar—the amount of molasses. If you’re not a molasses fan or only have light brown sugar on hand, it works perfectly fine as well.
Serving Suggestions
Maple cookies are delicious little gems that go well with a tall glass of milk or your favorite warm beverage. However, if you want to amp up the cookies a bit, you can add either a Glaze or Cream Cheese Frosting on top of the cooled cookies. If adding the glaze or frosting, omit the sprinkled sugar on top of the cookies. For a cookie tray or dessert table, consider serving maple cookies alongside baked goods like Hot Cocoa Cookies, Cinnamon Cookies, or even Starbucks Pumpkin Bread.
Maple Cookies
Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 3/4 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 8 ounces unsalted butter softened
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar plus more for sprinkling
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt into a bowl.
- In a separate large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream together butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Mix in maple syrup, egg, and vanilla until well blended.
- Gradually mix in the flour mixture until well blended.
- Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place on greased or parchment-lined cookie sheets 2 inches apart. Flatten slightly with the bottom of a glass.
- Sprinkle each cookie with granulated sugar. Bake until golden, about 8-10 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool.
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