Glazed Maple Syrup Pecan Cookies with brown sugar are buttery, soft, chewy, filled with white chocolate and pecans, topped with maple icing!
We're gearing up for all the fall cookie recipes over here! This is one of my favorites to share at cookie exchanges or make for holiday cookie plates. They get rave reviews everywhere.
These cookies are delicious! Can't wait to make your caramel apple cookie recipe. Please keep the cookie recipes coming! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Miranda
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These are the BEST recipe for maple pecan cookies, made with brown sugar AND maple syrup to make them ultra chewy. The combo of both is best. You can use fake artificially flavored syrup or pure maple syrup for a more authentic flavor.
After testing this recipe multiple times with both kinds of syrup, with and without extract, it almost pains me to say that artificial tastes better, because I do appreciate the use of pure maple syrup. HOWEVER. We're going for a strong maple flavor that you'll remember for days! The white chocolate is also ESSENTIAL. It is beautiful and must be at this cookie party.
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⭐️ Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Strong maple flavor - this recipe was tested MANY times to get the best possible result.
- Cozy baking - these cookies are FULL of autumn flavors! The pecans, the brown sugar, the maple syrup, the white chocolate, all of it.
- The glaze - the beautiful maple glaze is magical and it elevates these cookies beyond your wildest maple dreams. It also sets fairly firm and the cookies can be stacked and transported easily!
- Perfect to share - these are an AWESOME fall cookie recipe to share at a potluck, a party, a cookie exchange, or no reason except to eat them all.
🛒 Key Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
- Salted Butter - salted = more flavor, it definitely enhances the maple flavors more. It also works better for a brown butter glaze if that's what you desire.
- Brown Sugar - light or dark, either will work well! Dark will taste a little richer and give a little molasses vibe to the cookie. Light brown will taste delicious and not overpower the maple flavor.
- Maple Extract - although there is maple syrup in these cookies, they need a little extra help! Ask me how I know.
- Maple Syrup - artificial or pure can be used in this recipe. Artificial syrup tasted better to all test subjects, pure maple syrup can be used for a more subtle maple flavor.
✏️ Substitutions & Variations
- White Chocolate Chips - Butterscotch, semi-sweet, or toffee chips would work well in place of white. Cinnamon chips would too!
- Different nuts - you can use walnuts, macadamia nuts, almonds, or hazelnuts.
- Vanilla Extract can be switched with almond extract for a delicious maple almond cookie.
- Add Bacon - for a fun twist, add ¼ cup cooked chopped bacon to the dough and sprinkle some on top of the baked, iced cookies for a maple bacon cookie variation.
🧑🍳 Instructions
Make sure you preheat your oven and prepare your baking sheet by spraying with baking spray or lining it with a silicon mat or parchment paper.
- Step 1. Start by mixing together butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer. Can be in a stand mixer or hand mixer. Cream together until fluffy, 2-3 minutes, scraping sides of the bowl occasionally.
- Step 2. Next, add in the eggs, vanilla extract, maple extract, and maple syrup. Mix well.
- Step 3. Add dry ingredients to the dough: salt, baking soda, and flour and mix on low speed until well combined, 1-2 minutes. Stir in white chocolate chips and pecans.
- Step 4. Scoop 12 balls onto the baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes until just turning golden brown. Nine minutes is the magic number for this recipe. Cool for at least 10 minutes before glazing.
PRO TIP: No bakery cookie ever looks perfect by accident. Top each cookie with additional white chocolate chips and pecan halves to be extra amazing!
- Step 5. The Glaze: In a resealable bag, combine the powdered sugar, maple extract, and maple syrup. Seal bag and squish to mix well until the glaze is smooth and there are no lumps. You can also whisk in a bowl if you prefer.
Snip a small hole in corner of the bag and drizzle over cooled cookies. The glaze will set in about an hour, but we enjoy them fresh! I also use this technique in Iced Molasses Cookies, it's super easy and quick to do.
PRO TIP: Many cookies are great right out of the oven, but these should cool a little first, then be glazed before serving for the best chewy maple syrup cookies. Otherwise the glaze can melt right into the cookies.
❄️ Storage
These can be stored in an airtight container (after the glaze has set) for about 4 days.
TO FREEZE:
For raw cookie dough: Scoop into balls and transfer to a baking sheet to flash freeze for an hour or two before placing in an airtight container to continue freezing. This will prevent the dough balls from sticking together.
To freeze once baked: Follow the recipe for the maple cookies as directed, bake, then DON'T glaze. Freeze in an airtight container once cooled, and glaze the cookies when they are completely thawed before serving.
📌 Troubleshooting
- Spreading too much: dough too warm or too little flour - chill or add 1-2 tablespoon flour.
- Too dry/crunchy: overbaked. Reduce baking time by 1-2 minutes.
- Flat but raw center: underbaked; tent with foil and return to oven for another minute or 2.
- Pecans taste bitter: oven too high a temp and burned the pecans. Make sure you have an oven thermometer to accurately test the oven temperature!
❓Frequently Asked Questions
For these maple cookies with maple frosting, I use artificial. During recipe testing, the team agreed the artificial tasted best.
That being said, pure maple syrup works for this recipe and does taste good!
Nope. I am against cookies that need chilling time, especially if they don't use cookie cutters or need to hold their shape. I don't have the patience.
🍁 More Fall Cookie Recipes
📝 Printable Recipe
Maple Pecan Cookies
Equipment
- 2 baking sheets
Ingredients
For the Cookies:
- 1 cup butter, salted
- 1½ cups brown sugar, light
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons maple extract
- ⅓ cup maple syrup artificially flavored or pure grade A
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 1½ teaspoons baking soda
- 4 cups all purpose flour
- 1½ cups white chocolate chips
- 1½ cups chopped pecans
For the Glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons maple extract
- 3-4 Tablespoons maple syrup artificially flavored or pure grade A
Instructions
For the Cookies:
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease a baking sheet or prepare with baking liner.
- With an electric mixer, combine the butter and brown sugar and beat on high speed until mixture is light and fluffy, approximately 3 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally. Add in eggs, vanilla, maple extract and maple syrup and mix well.
- Add salt, baking soda, and flour and mix on low speed until well combined, 1-2 minutes. Stir in white chocolate chips and pecans.
- Scoop 12 balls onto baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes, until just turning golden brown. Cool at least 10 minutes before glazing.
For the Glaze:
- In a resealable bag, combine the powdered sugar, maple extract, and maple syrup. Seal bag and squish to mix well until the glaze is smooth and there are no lumps. You can also whisk in a bowl if you prefer. Snip small hole in corner of bag and drizzle over cooled cookies. The glaze will set in about an hour but we enjoy them fresh!
Miranda says
These cookies are delicious! Can’t wait to make your caramel apple cookie recipe. Please keep the cookie recipes coming!