Soft Maple Sugar Cookies are buttery, sweet, and lightly flavored with real maple syrup. These soft, chewy cookies have crisp edges, tender centers, and a drizzle of maple icing that makes them perfect for the holidays or any time you’re craving a cozy treat.
Why This Recipe is Special
You’ll love these cookies because they’re simple to make and bake up soft every time. The subtle maple flavor pairs perfectly with the creamy icing, giving them a warm, comforting sweetness that fits right into fall and winter baking. These cookies look beautiful on a Christmas cookie tray and make an easy homemade gift for friends and family.
Ingredient Notes
- Butter and shortening: The mix of both gives these cookies their soft centers and light, crisp edges.
- Granulated and brown sugar: Using both adds depth and just the right chewiness. If you love soft and chewy cookie recipes, try my Ginger Molasses Cookies next.
- Pure maple syrup: Real maple syrup gives the cookies a natural, rich flavor that can’t be matched by imitation extracts.
- Baking soda and cream of tartar: This classic pairing helps create the perfect light texture in sugar cookies.
- Egg yolks: Add richness and keep the cookies tender.
- Vanilla extract: Balances the maple flavor with a bit of warmth.
- Flour: All-purpose flour gives structure without making the cookies dense.
- Maple icing: A simple mix of butter, milk, powdered sugar, and maple syrup creates a silky glaze that hardens just enough to store easily.
How to Make Soft Maple Sugar Cookies
Step one: Preheat the oven to 300°F.
Step two: In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and shortening with an electric mixer on medium speed for about 30 seconds until combined.
Step three: Add the granulated sugar, brown sugar, maple syrup, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.
Step four: Add the egg yolks and vanilla extract, then beat until combined.
Step five: Mix in the flour until a soft dough forms.
Step six: Shape the dough into 1 ½-inch balls and place them 3 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet.
Step seven: Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. The tops will still look slightly soft.
Step eight: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. The centers will dip slightly as they cool.
Step nine: Once cooled, drizzle each cookie with maple icing.
You can find the complete ingredient list and printable recipe card below.
Substitutions & Variations
- Add crunch: Mix in chopped pecans or walnuts for texture.
- Holiday version: Top with festive sprinkles or drizzle white chocolate for a Christmas cookie tray.
- More maple flavor: Use dark-grade maple syrup or add a few drops of maple extract. If you like this tip, you may enjoy my maple flavored fudge recipe.
- Change the icing: Try a maple glaze made with powdered sugar, milk, and a splash of vanilla for a softer finish.
- Make-ahead dough: Chill the dough overnight to bake fresh cookies the next day.
Crissy’s Soft Maple Sugar Cookies Tips
- Use real maple syrup: Pure maple syrup gives the cookies the best flavor and texture.
- Don’t overbake: The cookies should look slightly soft in the center when removed from the oven.
- Cool before icing: If the cookies are warm, the icing will melt instead of setting.
- Whisk icing slowly: Gradually add milk until it reaches the right drizzling consistency.
- Store properly: Once iced, let them set before stacking or storing.
Storage Instructions
Room temperature: Store Soft Maple Sugar Cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Keep layers separated with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
Refrigerator: These cookies can also be refrigerated for up to a week. The icing will stay firm, and the cookies will keep their chewy texture. Allow them to come to room temperature before serving.
Freezer: Freeze cookies in a single layer on a baking sheet, then transfer to an airtight container. They’ll stay fresh for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature before icing or serving.
Make-ahead tip: You can prepare the dough and store it covered in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours. When ready to bake, roll and bake as directed for soft, fresh cookies anytime.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make Soft Maple Sugar Cookies ahead of time?
Yes. These cookies are perfect for make-ahead baking since they stay soft and fresh for several days. You can bake them a day early and ice them once they’ve cooled completely.
Can I freeze Soft Maple Sugar Cookies?
Absolutely. Freeze baked cookies in layers separated by wax paper inside an airtight container. When you’re ready to serve, let them thaw at room temperature and drizzle with icing if needed.
Can I use maple extract instead of maple syrup?
You can, but pure maple syrup provides a deeper, more natural flavor. If you use extract, reduce the granulated sugar slightly to balance the sweetness.
How do I get the icing consistency right?
The icing should be smooth and drizzly, not runny. Add a few drops of milk if it’s too thick, or whisk in a little powdered sugar if it’s too thin.
Are these good for holiday cookie trays?
Yes. Their soft centers and light maple flavor make them a standout among Christmas cookies. They’re great for gifting, parties, or cookie exchanges.
More Easy Christmas Cookies
- Raspberry Almond Shortbread Cookies
- Hershey Kiss Cookies
- Snowball Christmas Cookies
- Christmas Gooey Butter Cookies
Soft Maple Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 1/2 cup shortening
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar packed
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 3 egg yolks
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
Maple Icing
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/4 cup butter melted
- 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
Instructions
Cookies
- Preheat oven to 300°F.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and shortening with an electric mixer on medium speed for about 30 seconds until combined.
- Add granulated sugar, brown sugar, maple syrup, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add egg yolks and vanilla, then beat until combined.
- Mix in the flour until a soft dough forms.
- Shape dough into 1 1/2-inch balls and place them 3 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet.
- Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. The tops will still look slightly soft.
- Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. The centers will dip slightly as they cool.
- Once cooled, drizzle each cookie with maple icing.
Maple Icing
- In a small bowl, whisk together heavy cream (or milk), melted butter, and maple syrup.
- Gradually whisk in powdered sugar until the icing reaches a drizzling consistency.
Notes
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Divine!! Perfection!!! Oh My Goodness! These were the best cookies I’ve ever had. The hubs agrees!!! Well done!!
I just made these & they tasted so good!! The only thing is I think they needed more flower or something else, because the dough wasn’t thick enough for cookies.
Reading the ingredient list I had my doubts about the flour measurement and oven temp. As soon as we mixed up the ingredients, it verified that we needed more flour. We added an extra 1 C of flour. The lack of flour and low oven temp would cause extreme batter spreading. I also increased the oven temp to 350 degrees. (We used all butter and regular syrup – Log Cabin brand.) Cookies didn’t spread too much, and the consistency was fine. Flavor wise, they were alright. We actually preferred the icing flavor over the cookie flavor. I think next time I’ll use our stand by sugar cookie recipe but use maple extract instead of almond and then this icing recipe.
Side note. We did NOT add butter to the frosting. We just used the powdered sugar, maple syrup and milk. Whenever we make a simple powdered sugar drizzle for our sugar cookies it’s usually a mixture of powdered sugar, extract, and milk/cream. Works great.
Log Cabin is not “regular” maple syrup, it is a maple syrup substitute made with corn syrup and maple flavor.
Has anyone tried this just using regular syrup instead of pure maple syrup? After reading the comments..I am going to add a wee bit more flour and a little less of the sugar. I will see how they turn out. Wish me luck!!
What is “regular” syrup? Corn syrup? Yuck.
Ditto to the cookies spreading quite a bit when baking and not seeming quite right. I would think it’d need more flour too. The flavor is good! But a bit over sweet, especially after adding the maple icing. (Which is very good…I’d only do 2 cups, and nix the 1/2 cup powdered sugar. Maybe adding more flour and a little less sugar would balance things nicely. I thought it seemed like A Lot of sugar compared to the flour.
I also tried making this and have some suggestions in case others have tried and the recipe did not work out.
I increased the flour to 2 3/4 cups this seemed to make the dough less sticky.
I also used my small cookie scoop rather than rolling into a ball
Finally I let the dough cool in the freezer for about 10 minutes. I also placed the dough in the fridge in between my putting onto the cookie sheet as I did not have enough sheets for all the cookies to do them all at once.
I kept the temperature at 300 and cooked them for about 15 minutes. However some of them were still uncooked on the inside but only slightly.
am wondering about the 300 oven temp? cookies spread quite a bit, browned around the edges, but were raw inside at 17 min. Recipe looked good, but something’s not right…
I made the soft maple sugar cookies & even though I over-baked, they are outstanding!
Are you sure about the flour? I made these and they were an epic fail–they spread everywhere even with freezing cold dough. Similar recipes call for TWO and 3/4cups flour….?
Same here! I added another 2/3 cup of flour and they turned out perfectly ?
How does the recipe turn out with all butter instead of half butter and half shortening?
Did you try this? I’m going to try it today and was wondering the same thing.