These Brown Butter Brown Sugar Maple Glazed Cookies might just be the best cookies to bake this fall. They're the kind people can't stop talking about. With crunchy, golden edges and a soft, chewy middle, they're the perfect mix of cozy and sweet.
The shiny maple glaze takes these cookies up a notch. Made with real maple syrup, it adds the perfect touch of sweetness and makes each cookie taste like fall.
Whether you're adding them to your holiday dessert table, packing up a batch to share with friends or setting them out for a game day spread, these cookies fit right in. Sweet, simple and always a crowd favorite. Just like my maple walnut cookies, pumpkin pecan bars and brown butter blondies, these cookies are a perfect fall bake!
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Why You Will Love This Recipe
- The brown butter. I really don't think there is anything much better than making cookies with browned butter. The caramel, nutty flavor you get from browning the butter is unmatched. It pairs perfectly with the brown sugar and maple flavors in this cookie.
- The glaze. The simple sweet maple glaze (or maple icing) that you dip the tops of the cookies into is really one of the best parts of this cookie. It's perfectly flavored with pure maple syrup and then hardens beautifully to make a gorgeous shiny top.
- The texture. These cookies are crunchy on the edges and chewy in the center. The most perfect cookie texture combination!
- The ease. You don't need any fancy equipment or chill time for these brown butter cookies. Just brown the butter, mix, bake, and dip. Simple enough to make on a weeknight and special enough for the holidays.
- The season. These chewy maple cookies taste like fall and look beautiful on a holiday dessert table, tucked into cookie boxes for gifting, or served with coffee during the big game.
Ingredients
Here's what you'll need, along with a few notes about key ingredients:
- Butter: Use unsalted butter and brown and cool it before adding to the dough.
- Brown sugar: Light or dark brown sugar both work. Dark brown sugar gives a deeper molasses flavor and slightly chewier texture.
- Egg: You'll use three egg yolks, which help keep the cookies soft and rich without spreading too much.
- Vanilla: I prefer vanilla bean paste, especially for these cookies because the little specks of vanilla bean are so pretty. Vanilla extract will work great too.
- Flour: All-purpose flour gives the best structure and chewy texture. Be sure to spoon and level it for accuracy.
- Sugar: You'll use brown sugar in the dough, then roll the cookie balls in granulated sugar for that crisp, sparkly edge.
- Maple syrup: Use real pure maple syrup for the glaze. It's what gives the cookies their signature maple flavor and shiny finish. Avoid pancake syrup, which won't set or taste the same.
Scroll to the recipe card below for all ingredient amounts and details.
Recipe Variations
- Add ½ cup of finely chopped pecans to the dough before baking for extra texture and nutty flavor.
- Sprinkle a pinch of flaky sea salt on top of the glazed cookies before the glaze sets.
- Skip the glaze and spread a maple buttercream frosting on top instead for a softer, sweeter finish.
- Use maple extract in place of the maple syrup, if needed. I would use about ½ teaspoon.
These maple brown sugar cookies have not been tested with these variations. If you give any of these a try, please let me know how it worked out in the comments below!
Equipment Needed
- Small Saucepan: A small saucepan with a light colored bottom is perfect for browning the butter.
- Stand Mixer: Makes mixing the dough quick and easy (a hand mixer works too).
- Large Baking Sheet: Gives the cookies plenty of room to spread evenly.
- Parchment Paper: Keeps the cookies from sticking and makes cleanup a breeze.
- Cookie Scoop: Helps portion the dough evenly so all your cookies bake up the same size.
Step by Step Instructions
STEP 1: Place the butter in a small saucepan and melt it over medium heat. Once melted, continue cooking for about 10-15 minutes, swirling the pan occasionally. The butter will foam, then turn a golden brown with browned bits forming on the bottom. Watch closely near the end so it doesn't burn!
When the butter is a rich golden color and smells like a Werther's Original candy, remove from the heat, measure out 1 cup into a heat-safe measuring cup, then pour it into the bowl of your mixer. Scrape in all those roasty, toasty brown bits-they add flavor. Let the butter cool completely until it starts to solidify again, about 1 hour.
STEP 2: Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
To the cooled brown butter already in the bowl of your mixer, add the brown sugar and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
STEP 3: Add the egg yolks and vanilla, mixing until fully combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.
STEP 4: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt until combined.
Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix on low just until the dough comes together. Avoid over-mixing.
STEP 5: Use a small cookie scoop to portion dough and roll each ball in granulated sugar. Place them on the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart.
Bake for 11-13 minutes, or until the edges just begin to brown. Let the cookies cool on the sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely (about 30 minutes).
STEP 6: To make the glaze, whisk together the sifted powdered sugar, maple syrup, vanilla, and 2 tablespoons heavy cream in a small bowl. Add more cream, a little at a time, until smooth and pourable but not runny. The glaze should coat a spoon nicely.
STEP 7: Dip the tops of the cooled cookies into the glaze, letting the excess drip off. Set them back on the rack and allow the glaze to set completely-about 2 hours.
Expert Tips
- If you have a pan with a light-colored bottom, use that for browning the butter-it makes it easier to see the color change and prevents burning.
- Be patient when cooling the brown butter. Letting it cool completely before mixing helps the dough come together properly and keeps the cookies from spreading too much.
- I like to scoop all the dough first and then go back and roll each portion in sugar second-it makes the process go much faster.
- For perfectly round cookies, give the edges a gentle "cookie scoot" with a round cutter or glass right after baking while they're still soft.
Game Plan 📋
These brown butter maple cookies are easy to prep ahead and perfect for sharing during the holidays or game day gatherings. Here's how to make them work for your schedule:
- Make ahead: Bake the cookies up to 2 days in advance. Once the glaze has fully set, store them in an airtight container at room temperature. Perfect for the holiday season, these cookies stay fresh for several days and look beautiful on a cookie tray.
- Glaze later: If you're baking ahead for an event, wait to glaze the cookies until the day you plan to serve them for the prettiest, shiniest finish.
- Freeze for later: The cookies (without glaze) freeze beautifully. Store them in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature and glaze before serving.
- Perfect for gifting: Once the glaze is set, the cookies stack well and travel easily-great for cookie boxes, team treats or holiday trays.
- Post-game treat idea: Pack a few in a small tin or container to enjoy after a long day at the field-they hold up great and taste just as good the next day!
FAQ
No, but I highly recommend it! Brown butter smells amazing, tastes incredible, and adds that rich, nutty flavor that makes these brown butter brown sugar maple glazed cookies stand out. The cookies will still be delicious without it, but taking the extra few minutes to brown and cool the butter is 100% worth it.
No. These brown butter sugar cookies are a delicious cookie without the maple glaze. Go ahead and make a naked cookie, they'll be great!
Definitely. Scoop the dough into balls, freeze them on a baking sheet, then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Bake straight from frozen - just add 2-3 minutes to the bake time.Definitely. Scoop the dough into balls, freeze them on a baking sheet until firm, then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 3 months. When you're ready to bake, place them on a lined baking sheet and bake straight from frozen-just add 2-3 extra minutes to the bake time.Definitely. Scoop the dough into balls, freeze them on a baking sheet, then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Bake straight from frozen - just add 2-3 minutes to the bake time.
Yes! You can freeze these before or after glazing. To freeze unbaked dough balls, roll them in sugar and freeze on a baking sheet for 30 minutes, then move to a zip-top bag. For baked and glazed cookies, let the glaze harden completely, then freeze on a baking sheet before transferring to a bag or container. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
Storage
Room Temperature: Store cooled, glazed cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Refrigerator: Keep cookies in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days; bring to room temperature before serving.
Freezer: Freeze cookies (with or without glaze) in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months, separating layers with parchment paper.
More Recipes To Try
Looking for other recipes to make? Try these:
I'd love to hear how these turned out for you!
Did you glaze them or keep them simple? Leave a comment and tell me how your batch disappeared first - at the dessert table or during the game!
If you share on Facebook or Instagram, don't forget to tag me @heysnickerdoodle so I can see your cookies too! ❤️
Recipe
Brown Butter Brown Sugar Maple Glazed Cookies
Ingredients
For the Cookies:
- 1 ¼ cup unsalted butter
- 1 ¼ cups packed brown sugar
- 3 egg yolks
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 ¼ cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup sugar, for rolling
For the Glaze:
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar, sifted
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 2-3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
For the Cookies:
- In a small saucepan, heat the butter on medium heat until melted. Continue to cook over medium heat until it is golden brown in color and smells like caramel, swirling pan occasionally to avoid burning; about 10 minutes. Watch the butter closely so it doesn't burn. Remove from heat, measure out 1 cup of butter and let cool, about 45 minutes to an hour.1 ¼ cup unsalted butter
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In the bowl of your mixer, combine the cooled browned butter and brown sugar. Mix on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.1 ¼ cups packed brown sugar
- Add egg yolks and vanilla and mix until combined, scraping sides of bowl with rubber spatula as needed.3 egg yolks, 2 teaspoons vanilla
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Stir with a whisk to combine. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix just until combined.2 ¼ cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a small cookie scoop, place scooped dough on cookie sheets, about 2 inches apart. Roll each scooped portion of dough in sugar and place back on cookie sheet.¼ cup sugar, for rolling
- Bake in 350° oven for 11-13 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes. Transfer cookies to cooling rack to cool completely.
For the Glaze:
- In a medium sized bowl, combine the sifted powdered sugar, maple syrup, 2 tablespoons whipping cream, and vanilla. Stir with a whisk until fully combined. Add the extra tablespoon of whipping cream if it is too thick.1 ½ cups powdered sugar, sifted, ¼ cup pure maple syrup, 2-3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Dip the top of each cookie in the glaze. Place on cooling rack until fully set.
Nutrition Information
Please note that these nutrition facts are approximations and may not be entirely precise.
Allie says
Oh my god I ran to the cupboards yesterday and made these and can’t. Stop. Eating. Them. Like, I’m ashamed by how many cookies I’ve consumed while no one else has been home today. It makes 36 and I’ve probably eaten at least half. I’ve been told by my family that I have to make them for Thanksgiving Dinner.
Note: I didn’t have any maple syrup, so I used corn syrup and maple flavoring instead. Not the healthiest option, but it worked! Also, I might cut back on the salt juuuust a smidge. But these are seriously good.
Ashlyn Meredith says
Yay! I'm so glad you enjoyed them!!
Chery says
Has anyone tried these with maple extract instead of vanilla? Just wondering if it would work.
Ashlyn Meredith says
I have not recipe tested it with maple extract. I think it would work okay, but I really haven't used maple extract in much so I'm not sure how strong it is. If you try it, let me know how it is!
Sara says
Why does this call for 1 1/4 cup butter but only uses 1 cup… where did the half stick of butter disappear to. Am I missing something here.
Ashlyn Meredith says
Hi Sara. This recipe calls for 1 1/4 cups of butter that you brown. When you brown the butter, you lose some of the volume because the water evaporates which is why I suggest browning MORE than you need for the cookies. The recipe than says after you brown the butter, measure out 1 cup for the actual cookie dough. I hope this makes sense!
Anna says
Admirable is the Name of God. It's important that we respect and revere God's holy Name. He will not leave us unpunished if we misuse His Name. When we pray "Admirable is the Name of God," God is pleased. I share because I care about God and you, my sister in Christ.
Your message about making the cookies and eating so many of them makes me smile. I'm glad your substitution worked out well for you. I also like to bake and will try making these , probably for Thanksgiving too. God's blessings to you and your family 💖✝️.
Chris says
These look great. Can’t wait to try them. Can you tell me if these are shell stable? I see the maple glaze has whipping cream ? Thank you
Ashlyn Meredith says
Good question! I've always left mine out on the counter in an airtight container and they have been just fine. From some quick research, I see that the small amount of whipping cream in the glaze is preserved by the sugar, allowing these safe for up to a week at room temperature in an airtight container. I hope that helps!
Alison says
We love the flavor of these cookies but I'm wondering if I'm doing something wrong as the dough comes out really crumbly. Is it too much flour? I do a scoop and level with my cup measurement. Any tips? Is that just how it is supposed to be? When I make the balls, the dough does mostly stick together.
Ashlyn Meredith says
It sounds like too much flour. I would be sure you are spooning the flour into your measuring cups and leveling with a knife instead of scooping it directly into the measuring cup. When you spoon the flour into the cup, lightly shake the spoon above the measuring cup to allow the flour to lightly fall in. Then level with a knife. Another culprit for the crumbly dough might be over mixing. Once you add in that flour mixture, only mix until you no longer see the dry ingredients. I hope this helps!
Alison says
Thank you! I figured as much with the flour but will actually measure it out by the gram next time. I really don't over-mix once I put the flour in but I also might under mix when creaming the butter and sugar - not sure. I also had the thought that when browning butter, since some of the moisture evaporates, does that need to be accounted for? Is it 1 cup of brown butter or 1 cup of butter browned?
Ashlyn Meredith says
I was thinking that could definitely be it too. I would brown 1 1/4 cups butter. Measure out 1 cup to use for the recipe and I think that should do the trick. I am realizing I need to have some more standard measurements here. Thanks for bringing this to my attention!
Alison says
All good! Thank you for the tips! I'm always looking to improve my baking/cooking and this recipe is a fav in my family! They love the flavors!
Suzette says
I doubled the batch. Called for 2.5 cups of butter but the the recipe only called for 1 cup. Why the extra?
Ashlyn Meredith says
The original recipe calls for 1 1/4 cups of butter to account for the reduction in volume when you brown the butter. The recipe instructions say to measure out 1 cup of butter after it is browned. If you doubled the recipe by using the "2x" button, it would have doubled the amount of butter called for in the ingredients list, but does not account for the instructions where it says to measure out 1 cup. If doubled, you should be measuring out 2 cups. I hope that makes sense!
TammyLynn says
I have always wondered that as well.
Whitney M says
These are...beyond incredible.
I brown a lot of butter (too much? no), so I always add a bit more because some will evaporate. So I did 1 cup + 3 tbs. The dough was dreamy! And the glaze was gorgeous and just perfect flavor. I took a few to work, and they were well praised. The smell that came from the oven while they were baking was like nothing else!
I will definitely be making more after I eat all the ones in the freezer!
Ashlyn Meredith says
There is definitely no such thing as too much brown butter! I am so glad you (and your coworkers) enjoyed these cookies, Whitney! Thank you!
Brad Douglas says
These Brown Butter Brown Sugar Cookies were so delicious. All of our neighbors wanted the recipe! Thank you Ashlyn for sharing this recipe with us! I wish I could post a photo of the finished product.🙂
Becky Atterberg says
So yummy!
Toni says
I made the cookies gluten free with organic(no corn starch) powdered sugar and almond milk instead of heavy cream
They are amazing!! Thank you!💛
Amanda says
Hi! Made these today and my glaze isn’t hardening. It’s pretty sticky and it’s been over an hour since I dipped the cookies. Suggestions?
Ashlyn Meredith says
Hi! That can definitely happen if the glaze was just a bit thin. Since they’re already glazed, try placing the cookies in a cool, dry spot (or even in the fridge uncovered for 15–20 minutes) to help the glaze firm up faster. If they still feel tacky after that, you can dust a little powdered sugar over the tops to take away the stickiness—it won’t change the flavor much, but it’ll make them easier to handle.