photo of maple sugar cookies on sheet pan with offset spatula

About These Chewy Maple Sugar Cookies

These maple sugar cookies are INCREDIBLY soft and chewy. They are extra flavorful, with both maple sugar AND maple syrup in the recipe. I’m excited to add this seasonal, fall-flavored recipes to my cookie recipe collection on Hummingbird High!

What is maple sugar?

Maple sugar is made from maple sugar that is cooked down until it forms dry granules similar to that of granulated white sugar. You can use it in recipes like you would white or brown sugar, and doing so adds lots of maple flavor to the recipe.

The maple sugar gives these cookies their pillowy-yet-chewy texture. However, if you can’t find this delicious specialty ingredient, don’t worry! I’ve also included notes on how to make the cookies with brown sugar.

Why You Should Make The Recipe

Here are all the reasons to make these delicious maple sugar cookies:

Unlike other maple sugar cookie recipes, these cookies have the perfect texture.

When my readers requested a recipe for soft and chewy maple sugar cookies, I thought developing it would be a breeze. But oh boy—I was humbled FAST!

Why? Adding maple syrup to cookie dough really affects its texture. It makes the cookies extra soft and pillowy, with absolutely no structure. That is, most maple syrup cookies are super soft, flopping and bending in half when picked up. No bueno.

But not these cookies! After SEVEN attempts to make the perfect maple sugar cookie that was soft YET chewy and didn’t flop, I nailed the recipe. The recipe makes cookies that have the perfect texture and structure.

The recipe comes together quickly.

These maple sugar cookies come together SO quickly. In fact, making the dough for these cookies only took me 10 minutes or so, with another 5 to 10 minutes to assemble into cookies. Cool, right?

The recipe stores well.

Because the cookies contain maple syrup, they stay fresh and moist for days. Furthermore, the sugar cookies absorb a lot of flavors from its maple sugar coating over time.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Now that I’ve convinced you to make these soft and chewy maple sugar cookies, here’s everything you need to make them:

Shopping List For Maple Sugar Cookies Recipe

  • all-purpose flour
  • baking powder
  • kosher salt
  • unsalted butter
  • maple sugar
  • large eggs
  • maple syrup

And let’s talk about some key ingredients and potential substitutions:

Common Ingredient Substitutions For The Recipe

Here are common substitutions for the ingredients in the recipe:

  • All-Purpose Flour. Substitute the all-purpose flour with your favorite 1-1 Gluten Free All Purpose Flour (I like the ones by Bob’s Red Mill and King Arthur Baking Company) to make the recipe gluten-free!

  • Kosher Salt. You can replace the kosher salt in the recipe with half its amount in table salt.

  • Unsalted Butter. You can substitute the unsalted butter with salted butter without any noticeable difference in taste. You can also use vegan butter sticks to make it dairy-free—however, it won’t be vegan since the dough still contains an egg.

  • Maple Sugar. The recipe below uses maple sugar, which is maple syrup that’s been treated so that it has the texture and consistency of white granulated sugar. It is available online, as well as at Whole Foods, health food co-ops, and other gourmet grocery stores.

    Note that maple sugar is a little on the pricey side. So if you want to buy a small bag and make it stretch, I recommend using light or dark brown sugar in the cookie dough instead. Then, save the maple sugar for the cookie coating. 
photo of hand holding a maple sugar cookie with a bite taken out

How To Make Maple Sugar Cookies

Here are the basic steps to make these soft and chewy maple sugar cookies from scratch:

  1. Prep the ingredients for the recipe. (Prep Time: 5 minutes)

  2. Make the maple sugar cookie dough. (Work Time: 5 minutes)

  3. Refrigerate the maple sugar cookie dough for at least 1 hour before assembling the cookies. (Chill Time: ~ 1 hour)

  4. Scoop the cookie dough and toss the dough balls in maple sugar while you preheat the oven. (Work Time: 10 minutes)

  5. Bake the cookies. (Bake Time: 10 minutes)

Best Recipe Tips

Best Techniques

  • The recipe instructs you to roll each cookie dough ball in a bowl of maple sugar (similar to how you would roll snickerdoodle cookies in cinnamon sugar). Don’t skip this step! The cookies turn out puffy and cakey looking (like a whoopie pie) if you do. If you’re out of maple sugar, you can roll the dough balls in granulated sugar instead.

  • I like to bake the cookies one pan at a time. I find that doing so makes the best cookies, ensuring that none of them have overly burnt bottoms or raw centers. However, to save time, you can bake two sheet pans at a time. Position a rack in the upper-third position of the oven, and a second one in the lower-third position of the oven. Bake a pan on each rack, swapping their positions half way through the Bake Time.

How To Customize The Recipe

  • This recipe is great for customizing! I like to add 1 cup (6 ounces or 170 grams) of chocolate chips for a maple chocolate chip cookie variation, or 1 cup of any kind of nut (though I recommend pecans!) for maple nut cookies. If you find their appearance to bleh, you can also drizzle them with a maple syrup or coffee glaze. 

More Maple Recipes

photo of maple sugar cookies on sheet pan with offset spatula
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Get the Recipe: Maple Sugar Cookies Recipe

Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Bake Time: 10 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
Servings: 19 cookies
Author: Michelle Lopez
These soft and chewy maple sugar cookies have both maple sugar AND syrup in the cookie dough, making them taste extra flavorful and keeping them soft and moist for days!
(5 stars) 12 reviews
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Ingredients

For The Maple Sugar Cookie Dough

  • 2 ¾ cups (12.35 ounces or 350 grams) all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup (8 ounces or 227 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 cup (7 ounces or 198 grams) maple sugar
  • 1 large egg, at room temperature
  • ½ cup (5.5 ounces or 156 grams) maple syrup, at room temperature

Assembly

  • â…“ cup (2.35 ounces or 67 grams) maple sugar

Equipment

  • (3-Tablespoon) cookie dough scoop

Instructions
 

  • First, whisk together the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
  • Cream the butter and sugar. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugar. Beat on medium-high until light, fluffy, and doubled in volume, 2 to 3 minutes, using a rubber spatula to scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl as necessary.
  • Add the egg, maple syrup, and dry ingredients. Reduce the mixer to low and add the egg. Slowly pour in the maple syrup and beat until just combined. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl.
    With the mixer on low, gradually add the dry ingredients and beat until just combined. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl once more, and beat on low for an additional 30 seconds.
  • Chill the cookie dough. Cover the bowl of cookie dough with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour, or up to 3 days.
  • When ready to assemble and bake the cookie dough, prep your oven and pans. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two half sheet pans with parchment paper.
  • Coat the cookies. Place the maple sugar for assembly in a medium, shallow bowl. Use a 3-Tablespoon cookie dough scoop to portion the cookie dough into balls, dropping them directly into the bowl with maple sugar.
    Toss until the cookie dough balls are completely and generously coated. Place the cookie dough balls at least 3 inches apart on the prepared sheet pans.
  • Bake the cookies. Bake one pan at a time for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges have set but the centers are still soft.
    The cookies will look puffed when you pull them out of the oven, but will fall and crack into the perfect cookies as they cool. Cool the cookies on the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes, or until the edges and bottoms of the cookies have set and feel firm to the touch.
    Repeat with the remaining cookie dough.
  • Serve and store. Serve warm, or at room temperature. The cookies can be stored in an airtight container or zip-top bag at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Did you make this recipe?Please leave a star rating and review in the form below. I appreciate your feedback, and it helps others, too!
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