Brown Sugar Maple Cookies — Dense and not at all cakey, with the perfect balance of chewy edges and soft, tender, pillowy centers!
Easy Maple Cookie Recipe
I’ve been formulating these maple sugar cookies in my head for about a year. They’re one of the bucket list recipes I wanted to check off my list and although I’ve seen numerous recipes for brown sugar cookies, there’s always something nitpicky that I wanted to change.
Generally I don’t like nuts in desserts and many times the flavors of brown sugar and maple are accompanied by cashews, walnuts, or pecans so those recipes were out. Or sometimes the cookies don’t look thick enough, chewy enough, or seem too dry.
So I took matters into my own hands and created a nut-free, thick, chewy, soft, and ridiculously moist maple sugar cookie.
They’re everything I want in a cookie and a new favorite. I was going to make my favorite glaze of all time, Vanilla Caramel Glaze, because I thought it would just take them over the top.
But after tasting a cookie, I put the butter for the glaze back into the refrigerator because they don’t need it. And that’s saying something because everything is better with glaze, frosting, or chocolate chips. Except these don’t need any of the above and are perfect as is.
The brown sugars caramelize and there are hints of molasses along with with notes of vanilla. They’re full of rich maple flavor without being overpowering and by using maple extract, you can make them as faintly or prominently maple-flavored as desired.
They’re moist, buttery, and dense yet the cornstarch keeps them soft. The bread flour gives them chewiness and puffiness and I love sinking my teeth into them.
What’s in These Maple Cookies?
To make this easy maple dessert, you’ll need:
- Unsalted butter
- Light and dark brown sugar
- Egg
- Vanilla extract
- Maple extract
- Bread flour
- All-purpose flour
- Cornstarch
- Baking soda
- Salt
How to Make Maple Cookies
To make the maple cookies, begin by creaming the butter and sugars. Many recipes I’ve seen for brown sugar cookies use melted butter, but I never get the thick and puffy results I want with melted butter so I creamed it with the sugars. And there are only two kinds of sugars used here. Brown, and brown. No white sugar need apply.
Using a higher degree of brown sugar in any cookie recipe helps cookies stay softer and the cookies are as soft on day three as they are on day one since brown sugar absorbs moisture from the air. Not that you’ll have any problems with a yield of 13 cookies lingering.
After creaming together the butter, sugars, and egg, I added both vanilla and maple extracts. After incorporating the extracts, add the flours. I used both bread and all-purpose flour.
Next I added 2 teaspoons of cornstarch, which is one of the best food discoveries to come out of this year. Because cornstarch has a tenderizing effect on dough, cookies made with it are soft and tender yet dense enough to sink your teeth in. These cookies are pillowy soft in the interior with chewy edges are heartiness. Nothing cakey or airy about them.
After folding in the flour, scoop out cookie dough balls and place them on a large plate, cover it with plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator. It’s easier to scoop the dough into balls when the dough is still warm before the chilling stint.
When forming the dough balls, weigh the dough so that each mound is approximately 2.25 ounces, or a scant 1/4 cup measure. If you don’t have a scale, dividing the dough into 13 pieces should do the trick since the yield for this batch is just 13 cookies.
I baked my cookies for 10 minutes and pulled them from the oven when the edges were set and the tops had barely begun to set, but were still a bit underdone because all cookies firm up as they cool.
The maple cookies did such a great job of staying thick while baking that I actually gave them two gentle taps with the back of a spoon after they came out of the oven to flatten them a bit, which helped create the crackled top. I love the visual effect of a crackle top and could get lost in those deep crevices and valleys.
Do I Have to Chill Cookie Dough?
Yes, before baking, the dough MUST be chilled for at least 2 hours. I cannot stress this enough. There is no way to achieve tall, thick, and puffy cookies using warm and limp dough. It just won’t work.
Do I Have to Use Bread Flour?
Bread flour has a higher gluten content, translating into cookies with greater chewiness. It also lends greater structure to the dough so cookies made with it bake up puffier and thicker.
Exclusively using all-purpose will work, but the cookies may spread more during baking, may not bake up as thick and puffy, and will lack some chewiness. I highly recommend keeping a $4.95 bag of King Arthur bread flour in your pantry because you can use it tons.
Is There a Brown Sugar Substitute I Can Use?
I predominantly used dark brown sugar in this maple sugar cookie recipe, which is richer and more full-bodied in flavor than light brown. Both types are granulated sugar with molasses added to it, but dark brown has twice the amount of molasses.
You can make light brown sugar by combining 1 cup of granulated sugar with 2 tablespoons molasses; and for dark brown sugar, increase the molasses to 4 tablespoons, or 1/4 cup. This renders dark brown sugar a wetter and damper sugar and it’s great for keeping cookies moist and for imparting an extra boost of flavor.
Do I Have to Use Maple Extract?
Yes! The maple extract lends the comforting qualities of maple syrup to the cookies without weighing it down the dough with extra liquid volume like maple syrup would. Plus, extract doesn’t add any stickiness or additional sweetness to the dough.
Tips for Making Maple Sugar Cookies
I used 1 1/2 teaspoons of maple extract to this recipe, which give the cookies ample maple flavor, but I recommend adding the extract slowly and to taste, since preferences vary as do intensities of various brands of extract.
Maple extract has about the same intensity as vanilla extract or butter extract and is no where near as potent as peppermint extract. I use the store brand and it’s located near the vanilla extract in the baking aisle.
I don’t recommend trying to make smaller cookies and increase the yield past about 15 cookies because part of what helps them stay chewy on the edges while remaining tender in the middle is the size and surface area. Although they’re thick and generous, they’re not jumbo or ridiculous.
Pin This Recipe
Soft and Chewy Brown Sugar Maple Cookies
Dense and not at all cakey, with the perfect balance of chewy edges and soft, tender, pillowy centers!
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3/4+ teaspoon maple extract, added slowly in 1/2 teaspoon increments and to taste
- 1 cup bread flour (all-purpose flour may be substituted and used exclusively in place of bread flour)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Instructions
- To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on low speed until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the sugars and beat on medium-high speed until creamed and well-combined, about 3 minutes.
- Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the egg, vanilla extract, maple extract to taste (start with 3/4 teaspoon and add more to taste; I used nearly 1 1/2 teaspoons and cookies are prominently maple-flavored) and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the flours (solely using all-purpose flour will work, but the cookies will not be as chewy or rise as well because bread flour creates chewier results and gives greater rise), cornstarch, baking soda, salt, and mix until just combined, about 1 minute.
- Using a 2-ounce cookie scoop, form heaping mounds weighing 2 1/4-ounces each (weighed on a scale, which is approximately a scant 1/4-cup measure); or divide dough into 13 to 15 pieces ( made 13 cookies).
- Place dough mounds on a large plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours; up to 5 days. Do not bake these cookies with dough that has not been properly chilled because they will spread and they won't stay thick and puffy.
- Preheat oven to 350F, line a baking sheet with a Silpat Non-Stick Baking Mat, parchment, or spray with cooking spray. Place dough on the baking sheet, spaced at least 2 inches apart; I bake 6 or 7 cookies per sheet.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until just barely golden brown around the edges, even if slightly undercooked in the center, noting the tops will not be as browned and will be paler. The cookies in the photos were baked for 10 1/2 minutes, with one tray in the oven at a time, and rotated halfway through baking.
- Upon removing trays from oven, if cookies stayed very domed while baking (likely they will if dough was well-chilled) immediately give cookies a firm yet gentle tap or two with the back of a spoon to flatten them. This creates a crackled top appearance.
- Allow cookies to cool on baking sheets for about 10 minutes before moving them to a rack to finish cooling.
Notes
To store: Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Alternatively, unbaked cookie dough can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months, so consider baking only as many cookies as desired and save the remaining dough to be baked in the future when desired.
Recipe adapted from Chocolate Chip and Chunk Cookies
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
13Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 141Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 16mgSodium: 193mgCarbohydrates: 29gFiber: 1gSugar: 14gProtein: 3g
More Easy Sugar Cookie Recipes:
ALL OF MY SUGAR COOKIE RECIPES!
Soft Peanut Butter Chip Sugar Cookies — Similar to Lofthouse Soft-Frosted Sugar Cookies, but these are for peanut butter fans! I added peanut butter and frosted them with peanut butter buttercream.
Funfetti Cookies — These funfetti cookies are essentially sugar cookies from scratch that have been loaded with sprinkles. They have that nostalgic boxed cake flavor but are 100% homemade!
Frosted Soft Sugar Cookies — Super SOFT sugar cookies that just melt in your mouth!! To make things even better, they’re topped with the BEST sugar cookie frosting!
Oatmeal Coconut Brown Sugar Cookies (Anzac Biscuits) — The flavors of the coconut, honey, and maple syrup, along with the butter and brown sugar that caramelize while baking, give the cookies layers of flavors and an abundance of textures that just won’t quit.
Sugar Cookie Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting — The bars are buttery soft in the middle with a bit of chewiness around the edges and have nice texture from the baked-in sprinkles.
Soft and Chewy Sugar-Doodle Vanilla Cookies – Part soft sugar cookie, part chewy snickerdoodle, with tons of rich vanilla flavor!
Can you make this with a handmixer instead of a stand mixer?
yes
I’m not sure if I’ve ever left a comment, but I have been making these cookies for a few years now and they are honestly my favorite cookie! They’re so delicious, no decoration needed and go perfect with a cup of tea! :)
I’m glad you love them and that they’re your favorite cookie!
Since you adapted this from a chocolate chip cookie do you think I could add maple chips to this recipe? I am not good at adapting recipes and just want your opinion if you think it would work.
I think a cup or so of maple chips would be great here.
I made a batch of these yesterday. I also ended up using 1 1/2 tsp of maple extract altogether, which I thought was just about right. They tasted maple-y, but not synthetic or cloying. I added a cup of chopped pecans, which turned out wonderfully. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you!
These are delicious! Will definitely make this again! Thanks for another great recipe Averie!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you!
Just made a double batch of these yesterday- I used granulated maple sugar instead of the light brown sugar and they are FANTASTIC. I only baked off one pan of them, and am keeping the rest of the dough balls in the freezer for the future, but the pan that I baked yesterday is already gone so I doubt they’ll last long! Thanks!!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! Glad you don’t think they’ll last long :)
Typo alert!
But after tasting a cookie, I put the butter for the glaze back into the refrigerator because they don’t *need* it. :) these look amazing! Can’t wait to try
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you!
These were SUCH a hit among my friends, I cannot wait to make them over and over again. Potentially my favorite cookie ever.
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! And that it’s potentially your favorite cookie ever!
These are my favorite! Yummy
I tried these last week and they were good–I tried the lesser amount of maple flavoring and the batter seemed to taste strong, but when I baked it, I wished I had added more flavoring! Next time! Just wanted to let others know that the flavor might be “diluted” with baking.
Most of the time uncooked batters taste harsher than the final product will. Baking/cooking tends to mellow things, in general. That’s why you almost have to over-season certain recipes, knowing things will mellow and marry in the cooking process. Now I’ve also overdone it and been left with things that are still too hot/spicy/bold/etc but yeah, heavy handed is okay generally speaking. And extracts do vary intensity, too. Some brands are just much bolder than others!
That’s why I love your blog–great recipes AND I learn something in the process.
Well that’s great to know :)
Hey Averie, do you think I could use honey in place of maple syrup?
I haven’t tried but it would probably be okay, although I haven’t personally tested it.
My daughter found your recipe for the Maple Brown sugar cookies and is using it for her 4 h project. They smell wonderful, we can’t wait to try them.
How sweet that she’s making these for 4-H! Love that story :)
So as I went over the ingredient amounts, I got this idea in my head that two cups of flour for one egg didn’t make sense. The funny thing was that when I mixed up my wets, it really did seem very thick and not liquidy enough for all the flour! But of course when I added the extracts, the vanilla plus all that maple really thinned it out. ;)
Anyway, I liked these cookies. Mine were crunchy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside. And the flavor! Maple and brown sugar is a classic combination, but I rarely see them in cookies. Why not, I wonder? These came out delicious!
Glad you enjoyed them and thanks for trying the recipe!
I never would have thought to use part bread flour; that sounds like a genius idea for the chewiness. These cookies look like I need them so I will be making them soon.
Can I leave the batter to chill overnight? I’m a pretty busy woman (aren’t we all?) and if I did the chilling for two hours I’d probably not start baking until nearly 11 pm!
You just want the dough to be well-chilled so the cookies don’t spread in the oven. The batter can be chilled for up to 5 days before you bake them. Or frozen for up to 4 months. If you are chilling longer term, it’s much easier to form the dough into balls FIRST, then chill. So that you’re not wrestling rock hard hunks out of the fridge a couple days later.
My husband baked these for me the other day, veganized, and they were incredible! Soooo chewylicious. We will definitely make these again. (And isn’t he nice to make me cookies for me when I caught this nasty cold? ;))
Ok I just made these and I must say they are the best cookies I’ve ever tasted! They are sinfully delicious. They are super moist and so flavorful! Thank you for another great recipe :)
I actually meant to post this comment under “dark brown sugar coconut oil cookies” oops! I’m sure these are just as yummy :)
Oh that’s too funny! I just comment replied to you, saying, if you liked the Brown Sugar Maple Cookies, to try the Brown Sugar Coconut Oil Cookies. I would have to say, they’re some of the best cookies Ive ever had. Definitely in my top 5 recipes of all time. And I eat and make cookies like it’s my job; literally! :)
That’s AWESEOME! Thanks for the feedback and glad you love them.
Even if you are not a coconut lover, I beg you to make these next. If you like the Brown Sugar Maple Cookies, I will say that the Brown Sugar Coconut Oil Cookies are just as amazing (and possibly better). I personally prefer the coconut oil ones…so moist, soft, flavorful.
http://www.loveveggiesandyoga.com/2013/02/soft-batch-dark-brown-sugar-coconut-oil-cookies.html
Really you can’t go wrong with either of the Brown Sugar Cookie recipes though. If you do make anything else, please LMK what you think!
Haha how funny… Well, they are just THAT good. I have tried a few of your other fab recipes that I haven’t commented on yet but will, because they were all delicious. Your blog is my new addiction….I want to make it ALL!
Well please feel free to paste your comment onto the post for the coconut oil cookies http://www.loveveggiesandyoga.com/2013/02/soft-batch-dark-brown-sugar-coconut-oil-cookies.html so that everyone sees that they ARE sooooo good! I loved that you said they were the best cookies you’ve ever had!
And please LMK what else you try; comment and LMK b/c I love the feedback from people who try things. Glad my site is your new addiction :) I have another coconut oil cookie recipe coming this week!
Thanks for the yummy yummy recipe! I was able to convert these egg free (using applesauce to sub) for my egg allergic boy and I was so happy with how these turned out! They tasted like butterscotch brownies in cookie form (which I absolutely love). Thanks again!
I made these last night. They were delicious! This is my 3rd recipe of yours I’ve tried in the last few days and we’ve loved them all! Thanks! I did make two changes- 1. I used all dark brown sugar. It’s all I buy, it’s what my mom loves and bought when I was a kid and old habits die hard. 2. I used tapioca starch instead of corn starch because one of my sons is allergic to corn and reacts to most corn derivatives. The texture of the cookies and the chewiness was just awesome. I’ll be changing up a lot of my cookie recipes! And now I’m off to try your chocolate chip cookie recipe.
Thanks for the field report, Lori! I’m so glad you made these and good to know you used all dark brown sugar. I’ve been wanting to remake them doing that, and you did it for me :) And that’s great that you used tapioca starch. I have a loyal friend/reader with a corn allergy and one of her kids has it too, and I know she’d be glad to know that tapioca starch works. I just posted a brand new cookie recipe but good to hear you’ve made other things of mine and plan to tweak your own recipe arsenal. Just curious what else you’ve made? Thanks for saying hi!
I made these last night, except vegan, and they were just. stupidly. awesome. Seriously, like game-changing awesome. I am a recent maple extract convert, and this is pretty much the texture I want all cookies to have. Thanks for getting me excited about cookies again (like I really needed that, haha)!
So in place of the egg did you just use a flax egg? And for the butter did you use earth balance? It can be tricky to get cookies to hold together properly without an egg but this dough I could see working nicely as a vegan dough! So glad you’re on board with cookies again. Thanks for the field report!
These – the dough is like heaven sent if you like coconut. I mean, crazy crazy good. Obvi you can keep the white choc chips out but the dough base itself has no butter to begin with and just 1 egg and I love it!
http://www.loveveggiesandyoga.com/2013/01/coconut-oil-white-chocolate-cookies.html
I was oh so excited to see no white sugar, and then totally bummed to see that it doesn’t use any real maple. I wonder if you could substitute granulated maple sugar and maple syrup for a true maple cookie?
I’m sure there are many ways to incorporate other types of sugars, syrup, etc. but my goal was first and foremost to create a brown sugar cookie – and the maple flavor was secondary. Also, I write recipes intended for the masses and the majority of people won’t have access to maple sugar or won’t want to buy it. I have a hard enough time convincing folks that a bag of bread flour is a worthwhile investment. Good luck trialing the recipe with your fave ingredients!
Going back to the maple sugar idea, have you ever tried coating your brown sugar cookies with extra sugar (like one would in snickerdoodles)? I never know if others will find the cookies bland because it doesn’t have chips/nuts mixed in! Though I myself love brown sugar any way =)
I have thought about it and you’d be fine to do that. Just watch them b/c sugar-tossed cookies can be a prone to burning a little more. I assure you, these cookies aren’t bland. If people can appreciate a dough-based cookie and don’t need tons of add-ins, they’ll love these. Some people have to have all kinds of ‘stuff’ in their cookies. I can appreciate those, as well as just simple dough. If you like ‘simple’ cookies, these are good and these are ridic good! https://www.averiecooks.com/soft-batch-dark-brown-sugar-coconut-oil-cookies/
Amazing! I’m sure the brown-sugar-maple combo is to die for!
These can totally work as breakfast cookies, right?
But of course!
Hi Avery! These look most tempting!! Maple all the way! I had a quickie question for ya: What do you think about substituting either Rolled, or quick oats, or even home-ground oat flour in place of the bread flour? I really love the texture that oats give cookies and can’t help but note that oats and maple are just meant to be together (IMO). Since the bread flour helps make the cookies denser/chewier, and I am thinking that the oats might have the same effect I was curious…. Let me know what you think and I will be forever grateful! (I got a cookie scoop for Christmas and have been DYING to find an excuse to make cookies… this recipe feels like that excuse…. though I’m not quite sure who I’ll give them too yet!)
Bread flour has a very high gluten content, oats have very little. So the rising will be different and I’m not sure how it will work in these – you never know til you try! And regarding the maple-sugar question…that’s another one that in most bar-cookie recipes baked in a pan, or even a cake, I would say go for it. But in actual cookies that have to retain a shape, I don’t know how it would work (or not work) but try it and LMK!
Whad’da ya know!! I just Googled ‘how to make your own bread flour’ and discovered how ridiculously easy it it! I didn’t want to buy a whole bag of the stuff before having tried it out, and never see it sold in bulk, but apparently is just as easy as adding 1 Tbsp to a cup measure and filling the rest of the way with regular flour! Crazy – where would I be without Google?! I am going to gibe this a try with part all purpose, part hamemade bread flour, and part oats. Will let you know the results!
I don’t think what you googled and would make at home is the same as this or the results but it sounds like an interested project! I am just going on record here in the comments b/c others read them and I can only vouch for what Ive used and tried. Bread four is the best $4.99 ever! You’ll love it if you like chewy food!
http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/items/king-arthur-unbleached-bread-flour-5-lb “King Arthur’s unbleached, unbromated, high-gluten bread flour, milled from hard red spring wheat grown chiefly in the Dakotas, is perfect for yeasted baked goods-bread, rolls, pizza, and more. 12.7% protein, a full point higher than other national brands.”
What if just ground my own hard red spring wheat? Well, I will have to experiment!!
Congratulations on this cookies! I have my own bucket list recipes, and one of the positions was brioche. I made it in 2013 as well and it made me very very happy. I imagine how happy you are :)
Oh wow, brioche is on my list, too. Not something that was at the top of the list but one of those lifelong, must makes. I have no desire to make croissants, puff pastry, but brioche, yes!
Love these! I adore anything maple flavored. I would probably sneak a handful of chopped pecans to the batter before baking- I’m one of those people that adores nut in maple/brown sugar treats! These look so chewy, wish I had one to go with my coffee right now!
oh averie thank you for this recipe…I made a brown sugar cookie over christmas and they turned out flat hard and so disappointing. your cookies do look like beautiful pillows of wonderful brown sugar…and the crackles on the top…mmmmm love that.
cornstarch great tip! now this cookie is the top of my 2013 baking list.
Sorry to hear about your cookie flop – you’re the 3rd person who’s told me that about your brown sugar cookies. I am wondering if maybe there was a recipe going around that you all tried?
I also don’t like nuts in desserts, I do however love brown sugar and maple together. Thanks for the post and I will be making these cookies in the near future.
I adore maple cookies! These look incredibly soft and chewy!
I can’t find maple extract where i live overseas. Do you think these would work without it?
The dough will work and come together just fine but the maple flavor won’t be present. You could start playing around with adding maple syrup to the dough but unless you’re a more experienced baker, I would probably not since it can be tricky.
I just had a thought…. if you can’t use extract, but have the maple syrup… you could make ‘maple-sugar’ the same way you suggest making brown sugar, just swapping the maple syrup for the molasses right!
LOVE these. Obviously. I am so intrigued with the cornstarch; I’ve never used it before when baking!
These are so you! If your brown butter snickerdoodles and these brown sugar cookies of mine could get married, oh the fun they would have :) I honestly wanted to brown the butter for these but I always having issues w/ spreading when I don’t cream it when I make cookies. You have the magic touch!
And corn starch. Life changing!! The cookies that started it all are these. Soft beyond soft. It’s the key ingredient in pudding mix which is why pudding cookies are so soft..not that your cookies are ever anything but melty and soft beyond all!
http://www.loveveggiesandyoga.com/2012/11/chocolate-chip-and-chunk-cookies.html
These look so moist and delicious, Averie! I bet I could just take out the cornstarch altogether to get to have these in my kitchen. I happen to love maple flavoring in things. For a long time, I took like 2 drops of maple flavoring and put it in my coconut water before freezing it and then sprinkling cinnamon and a few drops of vanilla stevia on it once it was like a slushie! :-) Haven’t done that in a while, but these flavors altogether sound wonderful! Soo with you on the no nuts in baked goods thing, too….
Your corn allergy. I forgot again! If there is a product that you can use/buy that’s a softening agent, you could try that. Maybe try “Modified food starch” which is say in pudding mix, (but maybe it’s corn-based) but it keeps things soft, thus the pudding cookie phenomenon & why they turn out so soft & everyone loves them. You could also swap out some of the flour for cake flour (but I don’t care for the taste of cake flour in cookies…) Just thinking out loud. And even without it, they will still be GOOD!
And your coconut water/freezing trick – gosh I had forgotten you do that! Blast from the past!
These cookies look delicious! I am saving it for after my detox!!
I’m glad you finally made this idea a reality- Looks well worth the wait! Nothing is better than a soft, chewy cookie, and especially one that’s maple flavored. I can’t get enough maple, but have to dole it out in small doses because of the price. These babies would be a real treat!
I searched high and low today for persimmon and thought of you. I think they’re out of season :( but you were on my mind!
I don’t think I can think of a better cookie. Pinned!
Thanks for the Pin!
These flavors scream fall to me and that’s my favorite time of year (in general and food wise) so these make me very very happy :)
I just discovered the benefits for cornstarch in cookies…amazing!
These look so good I want to be sitting in your kitchen eating them straight from the tray. I will have to make them before the end of the year!
51 weeks and counting! I think you can pull it off :)
Oh yes, anything maple is an instant favorite of mine! These look so SO soft, I would assume thanks to all the brown sugar. Can you imagine spreading a little buttercream between two of these for a cookie sandwich? Yum!
Last line of my post “I was going to make my favorite glaze of all time, Vanilla Caramel Glaze, because I thought it would just take them over the top. But after tasting a cookie, I put the butter for the glaze back into the refrigerator because they don’t it. And that’s saying something because everything is better with glaze, frosting, or chocolate chips. Except these don’t need any of the above and are perfect as is.” — but trust me, I really thought about doing it. I reallllly wanted to make a buttercream sandwich. Great minds think alike. I mean I had the butter softened and ready to!
You know I’m all over these. That texture…mouthwatering! I love maple too!
Thought of you as I was making them – if only I could have worked in browned butter, they would have been even more You! :)
I really need to create a recipe buck list. That’s such a good idea. You’re right, maple does generally come with nuts – gosh I could like on maple and walnut anything! I know, probably not what you want to hear!!
these look amazing Averie!! I want all of them
Lovely looking cookies! They look so chewy !
Making these tonight :) I’ll let you know what the fam thinks!
Please keep me posted!!
Reporting back! I made the cookies as directed with a couple of changes. First, I used Grade A maple syrup rather than extract because we were out of extract (I use it every day in my smoothies!), and my family prefers more of a caramel-y brown sugar flavor anyway. I also didn’t have any bread flour on hand, so I just subbed the AP. Finally, I used arrowroot powder rather than cornstarch. Is it clear that I was so excited to make these that I didn’t even check to see what ingredients I had? :)
They baked so well though! I used a greased cookie sheet and took them out at about 9 minutes. They were still a little domed, so I went ahead and tapped them like you said. They are perfectly golden on the bottom and even though I can’t personally vouch for flavor (#veganproblems) my family LOVES them, and they smell glorious to me! They liked that they were so chewy and just had a touch of maple flavor.
All in all a success, and I’m glad they worked out in spite of my substituting. I adore the flavor combo of maple and brown sugar, so I may have to try veganizing these and see how it goes…
Wow LOVE this comment! First the fact that you were able to rock real maple, no bread flour, and arrowroot rather than cornstarch and still have success is just awesome. I love that you took them out at 9 mins and gave them a little tap like I suggested and they’re perfect.
So glad they’re a hit with your family but boo that you can’t eat them! If there’s anything you can do to just swap out that egg, you’re golden (the butter’s easy). Flax egg maybe? Since the dough is a pretty sturdy dough, you may be okay. And bread flour will give them more structure so they’ll hold together better than AP…but if you try, LMK!
Thanks for making these and the report back, Victoria!
These look really great Averie! I love using brown sugar in cookies, and I also love the flavor of maple. I’ll have to give your recipe a try. Happy new year!
I’m addicted to sugar cookies and have often thought about trying brown sugar ones. I love that yours are thick and moist. They look incredible!
These BLOW regular sugar cookies away. In fact, I made some regular sugar cookies this weekend trialing a new recipe and they’re fine & I will post about them but they are no where as soft as there. You just can’t get as soft with white sugar as you can with brown!
I love brown sugar and I love maple – these cookies are brilliant! Wish I had a few right now to go with my afternoon coffee :).
these sound fabulous! i love the richness of maple-flavored things. i have both around, but i tend to use dark brown sugar more often because i think the flavor is great. i’ve never combined them in cookies before, but these look and sound delicious! yay for the first cookie recipe of 2013!
Oh what I wouldn’t do for a bite of these right now, wit a black coffee…heaven!
Those look like chewy perfection. Love it!
One of the best cookies I made last year were Maple Cinnamon, very very similar to these! I used Hershey’s cinnamon chips in them too. Have you seen those? My mom got me addicted to them, and now I have to send them to her, because they don’t sell them at her grocery store anymore.
I’ve been using 1 T of modified food starch (packaged as instant clear jel), which is what they use in the commercial cooking industry for the same reasons that you mention for cornstarch. Cookies are always perfect when I remember to add that in.
You are so talented at coming up with new cookie flavors! I know I wouldn’t be able to trust myself around a batch of these beauties… Maple and brown sugar are my weakness!
I would love a bite of your big beet salad, actually. Beets are my weakness and I dont have them often enough!
My last batch of maple cookies turned out rather less than fantastic. This is inspiring me to try maple again! They look really gooey and delicious!
I know you had made those brown sugar cookies awhile back and I wanted to give that recipe a go but whenever I use melted butter I never am successful. And sorry your maple experience wasn’t so hot but these, I can almost guarantee you’ll love!
THE INSIDE OF THESE COOKIES!!!! I cannot get over it! I was drooling by photo #1. I think the secret to a perfect cookie is that gooey almost doughiness on the inside, and these just look like perfection! I don’t usually like nuts in baked goods either, and so many of cookies with my favorite flavors always end up with nuts too. I can’t wait to give these a try!
Thanks for your praise and I love the inside of them, too. Who wants a hard rock when you can have chewy & gooey!
You are so right about the bread flour. It’s a total must when I make cookies (ever since the NYT cookie recipes) and I LOVE the look of that cookie interior. So beautiful! You are a cookie master.
Well you’re the beer master :) And I agree about bread flour after the NYT trials…although those cookies weren’t my absolute fave of all time, the bread flour trick is a lifelong gift!
I have so many recipes like that where I think about creating a recipe, then realize, no, then re-tweak it in my mind, forget about it, and then finally create it. lol
Sometimes I dream, think, ponder, and formulate for 6 mos or more! It’s the stuff long runs are made of!
Averie, when a recipe calls for brown sugar, can I always just use granulated mixed with molasses? I absolutely hate brown sugar b/c it always hardens. Using granulated would be so much easier!
That’s a very loaded question and I can’t give a broad-based answer. You would have to MAKE brown sugar. You can’t just dump in white + molasses and call it a day. You would have to make the brown sugar each and every batch and then use that. A piece of bread in with your brown sugar is a tip to keep it from hardening but obvi you need to replace the bread b/c it will go stale/rotten. Invest in a 3.99 plastic container with a lid, i.e. Gladware, and put your sugar in that. I NEVER have issues and I live in a very dry climate!
Ahhh, I was hoping it was that simple. I’ll try the bread trick, thank you! And I have started using a lidded container which works much much better than anything else I’ve tried.
I love maple ANYTHING! These will be the perfect treat after a slice of your vegetable fried rice frittata! Yum!
I’m totally with you..I want absolutely ZERO nuts in my cookies. Ever. But maple and brown sugar? I’m totally down with that.
Gah, Averie these sound delicious. I love maple. I tried a recipe for soft maple sugar cookies around Thanksgiving that turned out to be a huge flop – I was so bummed. So these definitely need to be made asap!
I love the cornstarch and bread flour tricks. I’m going to keep those in mind when I make cookies next!
Look tasty and one of many ways to break my new healthy challenge lol!
Thanks for saying hi Ed & happy new year and yes, a perfect rule-breaking food!
I adore maple syrup! Aside from breakfast fare and bars that call for a tablespoon or two, it’s hard to find recipes that call for the deep-golden tree nectar. Great tip about using cornstarch too! *Adding these to my to-bake in 2013 list* :D
I love the flavor and when I want, I want it in enough quantity to really know it’s there. It’s like people who use 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon in a whole recipe for cinnamon-sugar this or that. It’s like…why bother!
These look fantastic, Averie! I too don’t really like nuts in my baked goods, so these are definitely cookies that I would love!
I am not a fan either. They’re like little pebbles that clutter the buttery smoothness!
I think you’ve come up with the best combination of tweaks for perfect cookies–bread flour, cornstarch, brown sugar and chilling the dough. Those things are almost like my new “baking rules” because I love the results. I can imagine these cookies are wonderful with dark brown sugar in them! I’m a fan of maple flavored anything and love a drizzle of maple syrup over roasted butternut or acorn squash–it’s like dessert!
I thought of you when I was making these! I’ve been thinking about them for months and months and they were one of the things when I was in Aruba I was kicking myself I didnt make before Xmas and we left (that oven is hideous and cookies are a no-go there) and thought about them the whole time! I also thought about doing that traditional kind of brown sugar frosting (remember that link I sent you once) – but really, these did not need it and that’s saying something from me. It would have only hyper-sweetened a cookie that just doesn’t need anything but the pureness of what’s going on.
my new “baking rules” because I love the results: bread flour, cornstarch, brown sugar and chilling the dough <--- GOOD!!
The inside of those cookies look to die for. Too bad for me, because I gave up all added sugar. Totally kicking myself.
Gave up all added sugar …like forever? That would not be possible for me long term but more power to you!
My original goal was for 2 weeks… But I might stretch it out to all of January! But forever? No way. Nooooo. In the long term, I’ll probably keep added sugar out of my breads, salad dressings, etc… But out of cookies and cakes? Not gonna happen. I love sweets way too much.
Whew :) Glad to hear it’s only temporary. Life will be much more fun with a little sugar!
I don’t mind nuts in my baked goods, at times I think they’re a great addition. However, no one else in my family is a big fan of nuts, so most of my cookies are nut-less!
These cookies look fabulous, I love the use of maple extract. I sometimes put maple extract in my pancake batter instead of vanilla.
maple extract in my pancake batter instead of vanilla = sounds like a GREAT idea! Really boosts the maple punch!
I bought a bag of dark brown sugar last year for a gingersnap cookie recipe – I used the dark brown sugar in a few muffin/cookie recipes and did get comments from the tasters that the baked goods did have a more intense sugar taste. So I tend to stick to the light brown.
Have a nice day.
When I was in college and really didn’t pay attention to the subtleties of light and dark brown, I was making things with dark brown wondering why things tasted so…intense. Same as your taste-testers!
I love how soft and chewy they look!!!!!
I have never been a fan of nuts in my foods either. I love the texture and flavor that using all brown sugar gives. I almost always use more brown sugar than white in cookies and bars. These looks so puffy and delicious! You have definitely set the bar high with this first cookie!!!
Thanks, Jocelyn. I love how chewy and soft these are. They are really a new fave and glad to hear you’re a fellow non-nut lover. I love eating them or making nut butter with them, just not using them IN desserts.
I have a huge baking bucket list for 2013. But I have to get through the 2012 ones that I didn’t quite get to – just like these cookies that didn’t quite happen in your kitchen last year. :) The cornstarch, creaming butter, bread flour – they look and sound incredible Averie. I tend to love nuts in my baked goods but never used to and I know some of my taste testers (Kevin lol) prefer their cookies without pesky little nuts. They look so chewy, soft, and moist – just like your sugardoodles whose cookie thickness I envy! I love the small batch size, too. I’ve only baked cookies with butter extract or vanilla extract before – never maple. must give that a try! a winning recipe to have as the first cookie recipe in 2013, Averie. :)
Sally I think you would love these cookies. They are everything you love – the dark brown sugar, the cornstarch in the dough, the robust flavor, chewy, soft, and moist. And you’d love maple extract. One of those things that it’s not an every day item but in the right applications, it can really be so good! And nuts in baked goods to me are like little pebbles cluttering the smoothness. I do love texture but I dunno, something about them baked INTO things…just not a big fan.
These cookies sound an incredible flavour and taste sensation and I love that you took us through your process for making them. Cookie perfection!
I’m glad you enjoyed my ramblings and thanks for the compliments on them!
Wow! Way to set a high bar for the cookies of 2013!
These look just as you describe them, thick, chewy, soft-centered. Perfect to put my teeth into.
Thank you for going so much into the details of the effects of the different ingredients and methods on the texture/flavor of the cookies. I love baking science :D
I just have to ramble on about the food because basically Alton Brown and food science make my world go round. Glad you enjoy the science, too! :)
It’s funny-I don’t get maple cravings, except for occasionally wanting the syrup(cold) with warm pancakes…but when I do eat maple stuff I love it.
I had cotton candy at this fancy vegan restaurant recently that had maple in it!
I don’t get maple cravings, per se. I do get the whole fall flavor cravings though..like pumpkin, molasses, cinnamon!! and since I hadn’t had any maple in awhile, these were the perfect way to work it it. And that cotton candy sounds epic!
Ahh, you just reminded me of my childhood–every year, my family would go to the Wisconsin State Fair, where we would always, always buy maple cotton candy at a booth in the ag building–so delicious!
I grew up in MN and the MN state fair and the ag bldg and all the food on a stick and cheese curds!! are my memories of the fair :)
I love hearing what’s on your bucket list, Averie! You’ve always got so many delicious, creative things cooking, it’s fun to learn what other things you are dreaming up for the future. These are a good one!
I have like 10 other things right off the bat that are on it, too. I had 4 weeks in Aruba where I couldn’t bake that much and did lots of no-bake stuff and before that it was Thanksgiving and I was doing fall food and finally now I feel like it’s time to check those bucket list recipes off the list!