Maple Leaf Sugar Cookies
These maple leaf sugar cookies are almost too pretty to eat! Buttery, soft, and filled with warm fall spices and sweet maple flavor, they’re topped with a delicious maple royal icing. Perfect for Thanksgiving, fall parties, or a fun afternoon of baking!
These maple leaf sugar cookies are such a fun way to celebrate fall! I love a good cut-out sugar cookie, but adding maple flavor and a blend of warm spices makes these even better. The cookies bake up soft and buttery, with just the right amount of cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves. And that sweet maple royal icing? It’s the perfect finishing touch!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Fun to decorate. A simple maple icing is all you need to turn these leaf-shaped cookies into pretty fall treats!
- Easy to work with. The dough only needs a quick 30-minute chill and holds its shape beautifully when baked.
- Perfect for fall gatherings. These festive cookies make a gorgeous addition to Thanksgiving dessert tables, cookie platters, or fall parties.
- As delicious as they look. Soft, buttery cookies with warm spices and sweet maple icing make every bite irresistible!
Ingredient Notes
- All-purpose flour: Gives the cookies structure while keeping them soft and tender. Be sure to measure correctly so the dough isn’t too dry.
- Baking powder and salt: Baking powder gives the cookies a little lift, while salt balances the sweetness and brings out the flavor.
- Warm spices: A blend of cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves adds a cozy fall flavor that pairs perfectly with maple.
- Unsalted butter: Use room-temperature butter so it creams easily with the sugar and creates a soft, buttery cookie.
- Powdered sugar: Keeps the cookies tender and gives them a delicate, melt-in-your-mouth texture.
- Egg: Helps bind the dough together. A room-temperature egg mixes in more easily.
- Vanilla and maple extracts: The combination adds a delicious flavor, with maple extract giving these cookies their signature maple taste.
- Maple royal icing: Made with meringue powder, warm water, powdered sugar, vanilla, and maple extract. It adds a sweet finish and dries firm, making the cookies easy to stack and share!
Refer to the recipe card for the full list of ingredients and measurements.
Recipe Variations
Chocolate dipped. Dip half of each cooled cookie in melted white or dark chocolate for a delicious twist.
Switch up the shapes. No maple leaf cookie cutter? Use pumpkins, acorns, or other fall shapes for a fun seasonal treat!
Add a little crunch. Sprinkle finely chopped toasted pecans over the icing before it sets for extra texture and flavor.
How to Make Maple Leaf Sugar Cookies
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and spices together. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter and powdered sugar with a hand mixer until light and fluffy, 1–2 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla, and maple extract, and beat until combined, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
- With the mixer on low, gradually add the flour mixture until a soft, non-sticky dough forms. Cover and chill for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to just under ¼-inch thick. Cut into maple leaf shapes and place on prepared baking sheets. Gather and reroll scraps as needed.
- Bake for 6 to 8 minutes, rotating halfway through. Allow cookies to cool on a baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Place the meringue powder and 4 Tablespoons water in a large mixing bowl, and whip with the whisk attachment until foamy, about 3 minutes.
- Add the powdered sugar, vanilla and maple extract. Whip on medium speed until very stiff and thick, about 3 minutes. The royal icing should hold a medium peak. If necessary, thin with additional water, a drop at a time, to get the desired consistency.
- Transfer icing to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip (Wilton #2). Outline and fill the cookies, then let set before serving. Icing dries to the touch in 1 hour and fully hardens in 12 hours.
Expert Tips
Don’t skip the chill time. Refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes. This makes it easier to roll and helps the cookies hold their pretty leaf shapes while baking.
Keep the dough even. Roll the dough to just under ¼-inch thick so the cookies bake evenly. Try not to add too much extra flour when rolling.
Watch the baking time. These cookies bake quickly! Pull them from the oven when the edges are just set, before they start to brown. This keeps them soft and tender.
Cool before decorating. Make sure the cookies are completely cool before adding the royal icing. Otherwise, the icing may melt or slide off.
Let the icing fully harden. Royal icing takes about 12 hours to set completely. Leave the cookies uncovered at room temperature until dry before stacking or packaging them.
Storage and Make Ahead Tips
Store. Keep cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Make sure the icing is fully set before stacking, and place parchment paper between layers.
Freeze. Freeze baked cookies, with or without icing, in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
Make ahead. Prepare the cookie dough up to 2 days in advance and keep it covered in the refrigerator. Let it soften slightly at room temperature before rolling and cutting.
Decorate ahead. These cookies are perfect for making in advance! Decorate them 1–2 days before serving, allowing the royal icing to harden completely (about 12 hours) before storing or packaging.
Recipe FAQ
I recommend sticking with maple extract for this recipe. It gives the cookies a stronger maple flavor without adding extra liquid to the dough. Maple syrup is much milder and can change the texture of the cookies.
This usually happens when the butter or dough gets too warm. Make sure your butter is softened, not melted, and avoid placing cut-out cookies on warm baking sheets. If the dough feels too soft after cutting, pop the cookies in the fridge for 10 minutes before baking.
Yes, but gel food coloring is my favorite because it gives you vibrant colors without thinning the icing. If you use liquid food coloring, add just a few drops at a time and adjust the consistency as needed.
More Cookie Recipes for Fall
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Get the Recipe: Maple Leaf Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
Cut Out Sugar Cookies
- 2 ½ cups (312 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (2.5 g) salt
- ¼ tsp (1.25 g) ground cardamom
- ¼ tsp (1.25 g) ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp (1.25 g) ground cloves
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 ½ cup (180 g) powdered sugar
- 1 (1) large egg, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) maple extract
Royal Icing
- 2 Tablespoons (30 g) meringue powder
- 4-6 Tablespoons (60 ml) warm water
- 2 ⅔ cups (320 g) powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) maple extract
Instructions
Cut Out Sugar Cookies
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and spices together. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine softened butter and powdered sugar using a hand mixer. Beat until light and fluffy, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla and maple extract, and beat until thoroughly incorporated, about 30 seconds. Scrape down sides as necessary.
- With mixer on low, slowly add the flour mixture to the bowl. The dough is ready when most of it sticks to the paddle. When touched, it has a little give, but does not stick to fingers.
- Cover the bowl and chill the dough for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400° F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Flour the work surface and roll dough to slightly less than 1/4-inch thick, using flour for dusting as necessary. Use maple leaf cookie cutters to cut cookies and place on prepared baking sheet. Gather scraps and re-roll dough when necessary.
- Bake for 6 to 8 minutes, rotating halfway through. Allow cookies to cool on a baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Prepare icing.
Royal Icing
- Place the meringue powder and 4 Tablespoons water in a large mixing bowl, and whip with the whisk attachment until foamy, about 3 minutes.
- Add the powdered sugar, vanilla and maple extract. Whip on medium speed until very stiff and thick, about 3 minutes. The royal icing should hold a medium peak. If necessary, thin with additional water, a drop at a time, to get the desired consistency.
- Transfer icing to an icing bag fitted with a small round tip (I used Wilton #2). Outline the cookies with icing and fill. Let the icing set before serving. Icing is dry to the touch in 1 hour and is completely hardened after 12 hours.
