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Ah, these Glazed Brown Sugar Maple Cookies…with a yummy brown butter maple glaze…I’m declaring them my official cookie of fall! Made with brown sugar and sweet maple syrup, these cookies are soft, buttery, and nutty. They’re generously glazed with a sweet, thick and creamy, browned butter maple glaze that truly makes these cookies melt in your mouth. There’s really nothing not to love about these brown sugar maple cookies. The true secret is all in the combination of brown sugar and maple, which keep these cookies incredibly flavorful, soft, and so delicious. Then finish them off with a light dusting of cinnamon sugar. Perfect for both a spooky Halloween night, or an elegant Thanksgiving dinner. Or really…whenever you’re in need of a deliciously sweet and nutty cookie.
Happy Friday! Happy October!! With the excitement of yesterday’s launch of our HBH x Etsy collab, I figured that today, we would celebrate! And what better way to celebrate than with my new favorite cookies of fall…these pumpkin-shaped, glazed brown sugar maple cookies.
These cookies are truly the most delicious. I’ve been excited to share this recipe with you guys all week long!
Aren’t these little pumpkins the cutest?! I love a cute pumpkin cookie! Remember my Jack-O-Lantern cookies from a couple of years ago? There’s no pumpkin in the recipe, but they do have a cute little pumpkin shape with a good amount of sweet glaze on top. They are delicious and so much fun!
But before I dive into this post, I just wanted to say a quick thank you to you all for your response to yesterday’s launch. I am thrilled that so many of you seem to be loving our collection. It was so much fun to create and my hope is that each piece really does bring some added joy into your lives. I’ll talk more about the launch of the collection in Sunday’s Favorite’s post. But I just had to say a quick thank you here as well, as I know many of you are loyal daily readers!!
But now, onto these cookies!
Originally I was going to share these with you guys on Tuesday, but something about these cookies really felt like more of a Friday post. I think it was the fact that I really LOVE these cookies. When I love a recipe, like really really love a recipe, I tend to save it for Fridays. Fridays just feel celebratory and fun, so naturally, that’s where my favorite recipes should live. Plus, Friday means that we have the entire weekend to bake…so cookies on Friday it is! Just makes sense, you know?
I’ve wanted to make a brown sugar maple cookie for the longest time. It all started last year around Thanksgiving. I was actually testing these cookies out but never got the recipe JUST right. So, I hit the pause button once Thanksgiving passed, and I told myself I’d pick the recipe up next year.
And here we are, a whole year later! I’m happy to say that I finally perfected my brown sugar maple cookie.
And all I can say is that these are really really GOOD. Some of the best cookies to come out of my kitchen. Dramatic, but even my mom agrees, these are DELICIOUS.
The details on these cookies.
These cookies are soft, buttery, and hinted with just the right amount of maple.
And they’re simple. I’m talking really simple. Just beat the butter with sugar, add maple syrup, add an egg, add in the dry ingredients, roll, cut, and bake. There is absolutely nothing fancy here. I also stirred in some finely chopped pecans to add in extra fall flavors. Totally optional, BUT truly delicious. Both my mom and I are in agreeance, the pecans are not needed…but they actually kind of are.
Whenever I make any kind of cut-out cookie, I always like to roll out the dough, cut the cookies, and then freeze the cut cookies on a baking sheet for a few minutes. This ensures that the cookies hold their shape. That said, these are a soft sugar cookie. They will spread a bit in the oven and won’t have the tightest shape. My hang up on sugar cookies is that they can be bland and hard. I wanted these to be soft and so flavorful. In order to do that I had to give somewhere, so the cookies do spread a bit. But it’s OK, the pumpkin shape is very forgiving.
To cut my cookies, I used these pumpkin cookie cutters. But these cookies would also make a great slice and bake cookie as well. I’ll let you decide, both sets of directions are below.
While the cookies cool, make the glaze.
This glaze is everything. It’s what makes these cookies really melt in your mouth. It’s beyond delicious, and easy to make. Just browned butter, maple syrup, powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt. Simple, yet delicious.
I keep my glaze drizzly enough to use my ziplock bag “piping” trick to draw on some cute lines, but the glaze is still thick and creamy. That way you can decorate, but once left to sit, the glaze will stiffen up a bit and makes these great for packaging and gifting!
To give each cookie a little sparkle, I dusted them lightly with cinnamon sugar.
Yes, yes, yes…sweet maple cookies (with pecan swirled throughout), nutty browned butter glaze, and cinnamon sugar. All things sweet, all things perfect, and everything you need from a cookie right now.
Oh and while the cookies bake? The best smells will be coming from your oven. Smells that will remind you of fall and Thanksgiving. Think scents of butter, maple, and vanilla…like an autumn candle, but better.
Make these tonight, make them this weekend, or maybe even for Halloween. And then maybe even again for Thanksgiving. Just make them soon. Trust me, after the first bite you’ll be making batch after batch. These cookies are delectable…as Asher loves to say.
Looking for other fall cookie recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Browned Butter Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Milk Chocolate Stuffed Jack-O’-Lantern Cookies
Healthier Homemade Nutter Butter Cookies
Cinnamon Spiced Sugar Cookies with Browned Butter Frosting
Lastly, if you make these Glazed Brown Sugar Maple Cookies be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Glazed Brown Sugar Maple Cookies
Servings: 24 cookies
Calories Per Serving: 216 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cups) salted butter, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1/3 cup real maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 egg, at room temperature
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus an additional 2-4 tablespoons, if needed
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup very finely chopped pecans (optional)
Brown Butter Glaze
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) salted butter
- 1/3 cup real maple syrup
- 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- cinnamon sugar for decorating (optional)
Instructions
- 1. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar. Add the maple and vanilla, beat until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the egg and mix until combined. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt, beat until combined and the dough forms a ball. Stir in the pecans (if using). If the dough feels too wet to roll out, add 2-4 tablespoons additional flour. 2. Divide the dough in half. Roll out the dough on a floured piece of parchment to 1/4 inch thickness. Make sure you're using enough flour or your dough will stick. Cut out the cookies using a pumpkin cookie cutter (slice n' bake directions in notes). Carefully transfer the cookies to a parchment-lined baking sheet. I recommend using a floured spatula to lift the cookies. Cover the baking sheet and place in the freezer. Freeze until firm, about 20-33 minutes. Roll out the leftover scraps, and repeat with the remaining disk of dough. See notes if you are having trouble rolling the dough. 3. Preheat oven to 350° F. Bake the cookies on the middle rack of the oven for 12-14 minutes (for soft cookies) or until just lightly golden brown. Cool on the baking sheet 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.4. Meanwhile, make the glaze. Add the butter to a small pot set over medium heat. Allow the butter to brown lightly until it smells toasted, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the maple syrup, powdered sugar, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. 5. Drizzle the glaze over the cookies and decorate as desired with cinnamon sugar. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Notes
To make Slice and Bake Cookies: Place the dough on a large piece of wax paper or plastic wrap. Using your hands, shape it into a log about 12 inches long and about 2 inches in diameter. Wrap the dough up in the wax paper and place in the fridge for 2 hours or up to 5 days.
Unwrap the dough and place it on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, cut the log into 1/4-1/2 inch slices. Arrange the slices on a baking sheet. Bake the cookies for 12-14 minutes, until the edges are golden brown. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet.
To Make Ahead: the dough can be kept in the fridge for up to 5 days.
If You are Having Trouble Rolling the Dough Out: add 2-4 additional tablespoons flour. Then, chill the dough for 1-2 hours before rolling and cutting the cookies out.
The final result turned out quite well… But, there’s so much more flour required to make this dough work. I needed to place the dough in the freezer several times to work with it. A long time project
Thank you so much Adri! I am really glad these cookies turned out so amazing for you! xTieghan
AMAZING! It was cold where I live today for the first time in what feels like forever. I thought these cookies would be the perfect way to welcome the fall weather. Not only did they make my kitchen smell amazing but they tasted delicious!
Thank you so much Lauren! I am really glad this recipe turned out so well for you! xTieghan
These are delicious! Can you freeze the cookies after baking & glazing? Thanks!
Hey Lauren,
Thanks so much for trying the recipe. Yes you could do that! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I love these! So cute! And the dough was very easy to put together! Super soft and buttery! The glaze is so tasty as well! I didn’t have a pumpkin cookie cutter, so I just used a round glass and pinched the stem! Thanks for another great recipe!
Cute! I am really glad these turned out so well for you Stephanie! Thank you for trying them! xTieghan
This was my first Half Baked Harvest recipe I’ve tried, and it did not disappoint! The maple icing combined with the nutty pecans was the sweet fall treat I needed. Plus the cinnamon sugar on top was a small, but delicious addition. I had no issues with dough consistency and followed the recipe to a T. Thanks for a great recipe that will no doubt be added to my fall baking staples!
Love to hear that this turned out so well for you, Andi! Thank you so much for trying it! xTieghan
My bestie made these for our annual Hocus Pocus night and they are literally the best cookies I’ve ever eaten. I could NOT STOP EATING THEM!!! now I need to make them myself!!!
Ok I love that you have an annual Hocus Pocus night.. SO fun! Also, so happy you loved these! Thank you LaRae! xTieghan
I absolutely LOVE this recipe! They are so tender and melt in your mouth. I’m embarrassed to say that when I made a batch of these, my boyfriend and I finished them in about two days. They’re just that good! If you are able to get fresh-tapped maple syrup for these, it makes a world of difference.
Wow that is so amazing! I am really glad these turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Nothing about this recipe worked right for me unfortunately. The dough was way too wet, so I had to nearly double the flour so I could roll them out and use cookie cutters and then the glaze went all wrong as well. Really disappointed as the pictures were very cute but this is the worst baking fail I’ve had in a long time. 🙁
Hi Chelsea! I am really sorry to hear that. Are there any changes you could have made while making this recipe? I would love to help! xTieghan
Made these over the weekend Took them to my granddaughters birthday party. Put the on a tray with the Salted Carmel Let’s just say that tray was a big hit. Wish I could show a pic of my grandson sneaking another and another piece out of tray.
Haha that is so awesome! I am really glad these cookies turned out so well for you all, Marie! xTieghan
These are great and so easy! You can really taste the maple, and they make such a fun fall cookie. I didn’t have a beater, so I mixed everything by hand, and they still turned out wonderfully! Thanks for the great recipe, I think this will be a new staple for us every autumn!
Amazing! I am really glad this recipe turned out so well for you, Nina! xTieghan
I’m surprised these cookies don’t have a higher rating… Made them the other day and have been loving them! I’m always sharing goodies with relatives, and this was a quick favorite. I followed the recipe as written (except I set aside some dough to make a few non-pecan cookies, and I did throw the dough in the fridge for a few minutes before cutting them out, but no ingredient changes), and didn’t have any troubles. I will say that you have to flour your surface and rolling pin liberally, but she does suggest that in the instructions, so don’t skip that step! I used a similar cookie cutter, baked them for 12 minutes and they were perfect for me. The pecans and cinnamon-sugar add the perfect crunch, and the browned butter gives a slightly salty bite. Love the sweet-salty combo. I’m keeping this one! Next, I want to try the slice-and-bake directions so I can keep these on hand.
I am really happy these turned out so well for you, Megan!! Thank you so much for trying these! xTieghan
Love these cookies, but the icing is the real star! This is the first recipe I’ve made after finding your blog and I’m really excited to make some other things!
Thank you so much Jess! I am really glad you enjoyed this recipe! xTieghan
Hello,
I loved loved these cookies when I made them! Flavors were excellent, browned butter and maple syrup are the perfect pair! I did run into one issue, no matter how much flower I added my batter turned out more like chocolate chip cookie dough and not sugar cookie dough that can be rolled out. This didn’t ruin the cookies, we just rolled them in balls and baked them like that, but I am wondering if you know what I may have done wrong that would cause my dough not to become firm enough to roll out and cut with cookie cutters?
Still my absolute favorite cookies, most likely user/baker error somewhere.
Hey Vanessa,
Thank you so much for giving the recipe a try! Depending on when you made them, I originally had the wrong amount of maple syrup in the ingredient list so this could have been why your dough was so soft. It has been fixed and I apologize for that! I hope you give them another try! xTieghan
These cookies look so cute and adorable. I’m going to make em soon. Lovely.
Thank you! xTieghan
I think I’m obsessed with your recipes!!!! These cookies were awesome. The flavor and texture perfect and the icing put it over the top for sure. Thank you for such a great cookie!
Thank you!! I hope you continue to enjoy my recipes! xTieghan