If you’re a waffle fan, you’re going to love these Maple Waffle Brown Butter Sugar Cookies. They combine the nutty flavor of brown butter with just the right amount of maple in both the dough and the frosting. Add a little instant coffee to the frosting for a hint of that classic breakfast vibe and drizzle of syrup and you are set! If you like soft frosted sugar cookies, these are for you!
Recipe tips
Underbaking the cookies: This is essential to getting the texture right. I bake my cookies for 12 minutes on the dot and then remove from the oven and let cool completely on the cookie sheet. Letting them cool on the hot pan will keep cooking them but at a lower temperature, not drying out the cookie entirely. If you prefer a crispier cookie, feel free to bake for 14 minutes. They’re still delicious, but I’m a sucker for a fudge chocolate cookie 🙂
Corn starch: Corn starch gives the cookies that chewy texture (along with baking for the correct time) and makes them soft on the inside. If you aren’t able to use corn starch I have had people substitute arrow root. I’ve never tried it but I heard it works well!
Chilling the dough: Chilling the dough will help with two things: cookie spreading and flavor. These cookies will spread when they bake but by chilling the dough for 45 minutes prior to baking, it will keep them from spreading too much! Also as the dough chills the flavor will enhance. It’s truly a win-win 🙂 I leave my cookie dough in the refrigerator and only pull out how many I need for the pan. They should be baked up straight from the fridge.
Cookie dough scoop: I always get a ton of questions about what scoop I use, so I wanted to link the ones I used for this recipe! I like this set because it comes in 3 different sizes. For these cookies I used the large size. Using a cookie dough scoop gives you perfect cookie dough balls that are even and therefore will bake evenly!
Baking sheet: For all of my cookie recipes you I suggest you use a cookie sheet. You can use a jelly roll however I find the edges of the cookies tend to brown a little faster and they bake differently.
The Frosting
The frosting is where the magic happens. It’s a smooth, creamy blend of butter, powdered sugar, and a dash of instant coffee for that cozy, morning kick. The coffee pairs perfectly with the maple syrup, cutting through the sweetness and adding a little richness. It’s like having your favorite breakfast beverage in cookie form!
Maple Drizzle
To top it all off, a thin maple syrup drizzle gives these cookies the final touch of waffle-y goodness. The maple syrup glistens over the frosting, making these cookies not only taste amazing but look the part too.
These Maple Waffle Brown Butter Sugar Cookies are a perfect blend of breakfast and dessert, offering all the familiar flavors of a waffle breakfast in the form of a soft, chewy cookie. Whether you’re enjoying them with your morning coffee or as an afternoon snack, they’re sure to hit the spot!
Maple Waffle Brown Butter Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
For the cookies:
- 18 tbsp salted butter
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp corn starch
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp kosher salt
For the frosting:
- 1 cup salted butter room temperature
- 2 tbsp instant coffee This can be omitted if you don't like coffee! You can also add more for a stronger coffee flavor
- 3 tbsp heavy cream warm
- 3 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- ½ tsp kosher salt
Instructions
For the cookies:
- Add the butter to a small sauce pan and cook over medium heat. Stir every 30 seconds, for about 5-7 minutes or until you notice the butter turning brown. The browning can happen very quickly once it starts so don't walk away! As soon as it starts to brown, remove from the heat. Immediately pour into the bowl of a stand mixer and allow to cool down to close to room temperature., about 10 minutes.
- Add both sugars and vanilla extract to the stand mixer bowl with the butter and mix until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing until incorporated. With the mixer on low add all of the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and use a large cookie scoop (about 3 tbsp of dough) to make 18 even cookies. Chill for 30-45 minutes and preheat the oven to 350°.
- Place 4-6 cookie dough balls spread about 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown. These cookies will spread! As soon as they cookies come out of the oven use a round cookie cutter or glass to gently reshape the cookies into perfect circles. Place the cookie cutter over the cookie and gently scoot it around until the cookie melds into a circular shape. Let cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before gently transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
For the frosting:
- Heat the heavy cream in the microwave for 15 seconds and add instant coffee if using. Stir to incorporate.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer beat the butter and vanilla until smooth, about 1 minutes. Add in the powdered sugar, heavy cream and salt. Mix until smooth. Add additional cream to reach desired consistency.
To decorate:
- Once the cookies have completely cooled, top with about 3 tbsp of frosting. Smooth to the edges and if drizzling extra maple syrup, make sure to make an indent in the frosting so the syrup will sit in it. For garnish warm up some waffles (frozen or fresh) and garnish!
Hi! I was wondering, WHY measure de butter in tablespoons, aren’t ounces or grans more accurate? Just a doubt. Thanks 😊
Hi, big fan of your cookie recipes and I’m excited to try this one. I just wanted to double check, the only maple in these is the optional syrup drizzle on top?
hi! The maple syrup is in the frosting and optional as a drizzle 🙂
Thanks so much for clarifying!
Update: These are amazing!! Seriously some of the best cookies I’ve had.