These Brown Sugar Maple Cookies have a thick, soft and chewy maple cookie base and are topped with a delicious maple glaze! They're made with Grade A maple syrup and are the perfect cozy autumn cookies! They are so simple to make; all you need is a whisk and spatula! No mixer required! If that wasn't enough, these fall cookies are gluten free, nut free, egg free and can easily be made vegan!
I'm always trying to come up with new fall cookie ideas, but these Brown Sugar Maple Cookies seem like a classic! The warm richness from the dark brown sugar combined with the delicate sweetness from the pure maple syrup create the perfect medley of flavors.
For more Fall Cookie Recipes, try my Apple Butter Cookies, my Chocolate Chipless Cookies, my Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies and my Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Cookies!
Reasons to Love These Brown Sugar Maple Cookies
- Allergy Friendly- These cookies are gluten free, nut free, egg free and can easily be dairy free (vegan)!
- Thick & Fluffy- These cookies are so super thick, moist and delicious.
- Pure Maple Syrup- These maple cookies use pure maple syrup in the cookie dough and also in the glaze!
- Covered in Sugar- The cookies are rolled in a granulated sugar and dark brown sugar coating to give them a little extra crunch!
Ingredient Notes
- Gluten Free Flour- If you also have nut allergies, make sure to use a brand that’s made in a nut free facility. I really love to use this gluten free flour because it’s free of the top 9 allergens. It also contains xanthan gum which really helps give baked goods their bounce and prevents them from falling apart.
- Milk- If there are no dairy allergies or if you’re not vegan, you can use regular whole milk. For non-dairy, use a dairy-free milk of your choosing.
- Butter/ Vegan Baking Stick- For this recipe we are actually using melted butter. Make sure to cool it so it's creamy in texture.
- Cornstarch and Water- This mixture binds everything together, since the recipe is egg free.
- Dark Brown Sugar- The dark brown sugar in these cookies create a mild molasses flavor and helps to make the cookies thick and fluffy.
- Granulated Sugar- When used in combination with the dark brown sugar, it creates a lovely sweetness and crunch on the outside of the cookie.
- Maple Syrup- For this recipe I use pure Grade A Maple Syrup. I buy one with a gluten free and vegan label. If you use a store brand such as Pearl Milling Company, the cookies will be more dense than if you use pure maple syrup.
- Vanilla- Make sure to only use pure vanilla extract otherwise the cookies can have a chemical flavor.
See my recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements.
Substitutions and Variations
How to Make these into Vegan Maple Cookies
- Use a gluten free flour that’s free from dairy.
- Make sure the brand of sugar you use is vegan.
- Use vegan baking sticks instead of butter.
- Only use a non-dairy milk of choice.
- Buy a maple syrup with a vegan label.
For All Purpose Flour
- Use 2 cups packed AP Flour (336 grams).
- Only use 2 tablespoons of milk.
- You still need to chill the dough due to the lack of eggs.
How to Make Smaller Cookies
- Use a small cookie scoop or roll the dough into 1 inch balls.
- Bake the cookies at the same temperature but for 13-14 minutes. Reshape as needed. Should make 24 cookies.
This recipe has not been tested with some of these substitutions and/or variations due to celiac disease and food allergies. If you change any of the ingredients, please let us know how the recipe turned out in the comments below!
How to Make Brown Sugar Maple Cookies
Here are the step by step instructions for how to make these maple syrup cookies!
Step 1: Melt the Butter
Microwave the butter in 11 second increments until halfway melted. Whisk until fully melted; the residual heat will melt the rest. Set aside to cool.
Step 2: Whisk Together the Dry Ingredients
In a medium bowl, whisk together the gluten free flour, baking powder and kosher salt. Set aside.
Step 3: Make the Cornstarch Water
In a small bowl, using a spoon, mix together the cornstarch and water until thin and watery. It will be thick and tacky at first.
Step 4: Mix in the Dark Brown Sugar, Maple Syrup, Cornstarch Water and Vanilla
Into the cooled and creamy melted butter, whisk in the dark brown sugar, maple syrup, vanilla and cornstarch water until fully combined and emulsified.
Step 5: Add in the Flour Mixture, Milk and Freeze
Starting and ending with the flour mixture, whisk half the flour into the melted butter mixture. Add the milk and whisk until combined.
Using a spatula, gently fold in the rest of the flour until combined. Do not over mix or the dough will become shiny and too sticky. Freeze for 30 minutes.
Step 6: Make the Brown Sugar Coating
In a small bowl, using clean hands, work together the dark brown sugar and granulated sugar until there are no clumps and it's soft.
Step 7: Scoop The Dough and Coat Dough Balls
Using a large cookie scoop (I use a 2 ounce cookie scoop), scoop the dough out into 12 scoops.
Drop the dough balls one at a time into the sugar and coat completely.
Step 8: Bake the Cookies and Cool
Bake the cookies at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 16 minutes or until golden on the bottoms.
Immediately reshape the cookies when they come out of the oven and let cool on the baking sheet for 5 min before transferring to a cooling rack.
Step 9: Mix The Glaze Ingredients
Whisk together the confectioners' sugar and 1 tablespoon of maple syrup. Slowly whisk in the water, a little at a time, until everything is combined and smooth.
Step 10: Drizzle the Maple Glaze
Hold your hand about 6 inches above the cookies and move your arm side to side while drizzling to create a horizontal pattern. Then get more glaze and move your arm from top to bottom to create a vertical pattern.
Expert Baking Tips
- Use Packed Cups of Flour- Normally in baking we do not use packed cups however, when working with gluten free, I've found using packed cups works best to help the baked goods keep their shape. For this recipe make sure to use packed cups or please read the gram amount.
- Use Cooled Melted Butter- The butter cannot be bubbling/browned or the cookies will be very thin, spread out and oily. Microwave until there is a little bit of butter left unmelted; whisk it until the residual heat melts the rest of the butter. Then set aside to cool as you prep the rest of the recipe. When it is time to use the butter it should be cool and thick/creamy. Whisk it again to make it smooth. You can see in my video.
- Freezing the Dough- If you don’t freeze the cookie dough for at least 30 minutes, the dough will be too sticky to form into scoops.
- Wash the Cookie Scoop- If you notice the dough getting stuck in the cookie scoop, wash and dry your scoop halfway through making the dough balls.
- Add the Flour then Milk then More Flour- Do not add the milk with the wet ingredients. The batter will be too wet and shiny and the cookies will be very buttery and flakey. You must add half the flour, then the milk and then the rest of the flour.
- Reshape the Cookies- If you want your cookies nice and round, reshape them as soon as they come out of the oven. Use a spatula to push them back into a circle shape. Work quickly because they harden pretty fast.
- Making The Glaze- If the glaze appears too watery, add more confectioners’ sugar 1 tablespoon at a time. If it appears too thick, add more water ¼ teaspoon at a time. You want the glaze thin enough to coat but thick enough to solidify on the cookies.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. You can make the cookie dough the day before. Keep it in a bowl and cover the top with plastic wrap in the fridge.
If doing this, there is no need to freeze the dough prior to baking.
Freezing Raw Dough: Form the dough into balls. Place dough balls (not stacked) on a parchment lined baking sheet and pop in the freezer uncovered. Freeze for 10-15 minutes or until completely frozen. Once frozen, store the dough balls in a zip top bag for 1 month. When ready to use, bake at the same temperature for 18-19 minutes instead of 16.
Yes! Thanks to the moisture from the maple syrup, these actually get softer the next day. The first day they will be crispy on the edges with chewy middles. After storing them in an airtight container overnight, the cookies will have softer edges.
If it is super humid outside, do not put the glaze on the cookies until about an hour prior to serving. When it is humid the glaze tends to remain wet.
Yes I would. The dark brown sugar creates that beautiful golden color and also helps make the cookies cake-like.
You can, but using this type of syrup makes the cookies denser due to the added sugar content.
I prefer to use Grade A.
Storing: Once the glaze has hardened, store the cookies in an airtight container or in a zip top bag at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Freezing Baked Cookies: To freeze already baked cookies, place cookies (not stacked) on a parchment lined baking sheet and pop in the freezer uncovered. Freeze for 10-15 minutes or until the cookies are completely frozen. Once frozen, you can store them stacked in a freezer safe airtight container or zip top bag in the freezer for up to 1 month. To defrost, take the container out and leave at room temperature until soft. 1-2 hours.
If it is super humid outside, do not put the glaze on the cookies until they are defrosted, the day you plan on serving them. When it is humid, the glaze tends to be very wet when defrosting.
Freezing Raw Dough: Form the dough into balls. Place dough balls (not stacked) on a parchment lined baking sheet and pop in the freezer uncovered. Freeze for 10-15 minutes or until the dough balls are completely frozen. Once frozen, store in a zip top bag for 1 month. When ready to use, bake at the same temperature for 18-19 minutes instead of 15.
Pure maple syrup should be gluten free. Please always read the labels especially if you're buying store bought as they may use odd fillers.
In addition, some companies make other products in the same facilities as well so again, please read labels.
I use a brand of Grade A maple syrup that has a gluten free label.
More Fall Cookie Recipes You'll Love
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📖 Recipe
Brown Sugar Maple Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups multipurpose gluten free flour (I use a gluten free multipurpose flour with xanthan gum already in it)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 rounded tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 3 tablespoons water
- ½ cup unsalted butter or vegan baking stick, melted and cooled
- 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar (keep the 1 tablespoon separate)
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ¼ cup milk
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
For the Maple Glaze
- ½ cup confectioners' sugar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- ½ tablespoon water , room temperature
Instructions
For the Maple Cookies
- Place the ½ cup unsalted butter or vegan baking stick in a heat safe bowl. Place a paper towel on top of the bowl so the butter doesn't splatter. Microwave in 11 second increments until halfway melted. Whisk the butter until the residual heat melts the rest of the butter. Set aside to cool.It should be smooth and creamy.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the 2 cups gluten free flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder and ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, using a spoon, mix together the 2 rounded tablespoons of cornstarch and the 3 tablespoons of water until thin and watery. It will be thick and tacky at first.
- Into the cooled melted butter, combine the 1 cup dark brown sugar, the ¼ cup maple syrup, the 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract and the cornstarch water. Whisk until it is all fully combined and blended. It may appear slightly chunky. That's normal.
- Starting and ending with the flour mixture, whisk half the flour into the melted butter mixture. Then add the ¼ cup milk and whisk to combine.Add in the second half of the flour gently with a spatula. Do not over mix or the dough will become shiny and too sticky.
- The dough will be very sticky. Add it to a freezer safe bowl, cover the top with plastic wrap and pop the entire bowl of dough in the freezer for 30 min. When the dough is almost done chilling, preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Do not grease.
- After 30 min, using a large cookie scoop, make 12 scoops with the dough. (I use a 2 ounce cookie scoop).If the dough is sticking to the cookie scoop, wash the scoop half way through to get off any stuck on dough.
- In a small bowl, using clean hands work the 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar into the 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar until there are no clumps and it's combined.
- Drop the dough balls into the sugar mixture and coat completely.
- Place the balls about 3-4 inches apart on the parchment lined baking sheet. Bake the cookies at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 16 minutes.I only bake 6 at a time. Pop the rest of the dough balls in the fridge while the first batch is baking.
- Immediately reshape the cookies when they come out of the oven. Use a spatula to push them into a circle and let cool on the baking sheet for 5 min before transferring to a cooling rack with parchment aper underneath. If you don't let them cool on the pan, the cookies will break apart into a giant mess when you try to lift them up.Repeat this with the remaining dough.
For the Maple Glaze
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the ½ cup confectioners’ sugar, 1 tablespoon maple syrup and ½ tablespoon of water until combined and smooth.
- Drizzle the maple glaze on top of the cool cookies. If you drizzle it on warm cookies, the glaze will melt.It is easier to hold your hand about 6 inches above the cookies and move your arm side to side while drizzling to create a horizontal pattern. Then get more glaze and move your arm from top to bottom to create a vertical pattern.Let the glaze harden prior to eating or it will have a strong confectioners' super flavor.
John
These cookies were delicious! I love them so much!