These chewy brown sugar cookies are made with real maple syrup and topped with a 3-ingredient maple icing. An old-fashioned treat with classic flavors!

plate of glazed cookies; text overlay "Maple Brown Sugar Cookies"

Iced Maple Brown Sugar Cookies

Growing up, oatmeal was one of my favorite breakfasts. Maple brown sugar oatmeal was always a treat in the morning! I liked to add extra maple syrup because I liked my oatmeal extra sweet. I was a kid after all!

These maple cookies remind me of my favorite oatmeal! Even though they’re not oatmeal cookies, they have tons of sweet maple flavor blended with brown sugar to make the perfect cookie consistency. Chewy on the edges, soft in the middle, and they just melt in your mouth! We topped ours with a simple maple glaze, but these cookies are fabulous all on their own!

This recipe is super easy to make and it is a BIG batch, with almost 3 dozen cookies. Perfect for holiday baking!

Hope they bring back as many good memories for you as they do for me!

— Stacey

stack of iced maple cookies, close up

Cookie Ingredients:

For your convenience in re-creating this recipe at home, we’ve included shop-able ad links to some of the products and supplies used. Read our disclosure policy here.

2 ⅓ cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup packed brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
⅓ cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons maple extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt

Icing Ingredients:

1 cup of powdered sugar
1-2 tablespoons of milk
2 teaspoons of maple extract

Yield: 3 dozen medium cookies

Kitchen Tools Used

Instructions

In the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a electric hand mixer, cream butter and both sugars together for 1-2 minutes, until fluffy.
Add the egg and continue to mix for 1 minute.
Pour in the maple syrup, vanilla and maple extracts. Continue mixing as you add these ingredients.
Gradually add the flour, baking soda, salt. Start on low speed as you add the dry ingredients to the bowl of wet ingredients, increasing to high speed as you incorporate everything. If the dough gets sticky, you can finish mixing with a wooden spoon.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill the cookie dough in the refrigerator for 90 minutes.
When you remove the dough from the fridge, preheat the oven to 350°F.
Use a medium cookie scooper to form cookie dough balls. Place the scoops on a lined cookie sheet, with 2 inches between each dough ball. You may need to bake in batches.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on the pan for 3 to 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.

2 photo collage of cookie balls on baking sheet and after they're baked

Frosting Directions

Add icing ingredients to a medium bowl and whisk until smooth.
If icing is too thick, add more milk. If icing is too runny, add more powdered sugar, until you have the consistency you like.
Use a spoon to drizzle the maple glaze on top of the cookies, slowly so it has time to dry.

plate of glazed maple brown sugar cookies

Prep Tips

Be sure to use pure maple syrup in this recipe! Many products that are labeled “maple syrup” are actually high fructose corn syrup with maple flavor added…not the same thing!
We didn’t use nuts in the original recipe, but chopped pecans would taste fabulous in these cookies! I’d recommend adding 1/2 cup to 1 cup, depending on your preference.
These cookies do not require refrigeration. I recommend storing in an airtight container at room temperature, with parchment paper between layers to keep the cookies from sticking together.
Make this a dessert by serving in a bowl with vanilla ice cream! What a treat!

plate of maple cookies and a glass of milk

More Classic Cookie Recipes To Try