Description
Delight in these Brown Butter Chewy Maple Brown Sugar Cookies, featuring a perfect balance of rich browned butter, sweet maple syrup, and the warm spice of cinnamon. These chewy cookies are studded with semi-sweet chocolate chips and pecans, then topped with a luscious maple glaze that adds a creamy sweetness and a touch of flaky sea salt for the perfect finishing contrast.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookies
- 2 sticks (1 cup) salted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup apple butter
- 1 egg, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
Glaze
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 – 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- Flaky sea salt, for topping
Instructions
- Brown the Butter: Add 1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) butter to a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the butter begins to brown and develop a nutty aroma, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat immediately to avoid burning and transfer the browned butter to a heatproof bowl. Chill in the freezer for 10-15 minutes to cool it quickly, but do not leave longer.
- Prepare Oven and Baking Sheet: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking and make cleanup easier.
- Make the Dough: In a large mixing bowl, beat together the remaining 1/2 stick butter (8 tablespoons), the cooled browned butter, and dark brown sugar until well combined. Add the maple syrup, apple butter, egg, and vanilla extract, beating until the mixture is creamy and smooth. Gradually mix in the all-purpose flour, baking soda, ground cinnamon, and kosher salt until just combined. Fold in the semi-sweet chocolate chips and finely chopped pecans gently.
- Shape the Cookies: Roll the dough into rounded tablespoon-sized balls and space them 3 inches apart on the lined baking sheet to allow for spreading during baking.
- Bake the Cookies: Bake for 8 minutes, then remove the baking sheet and gently tap it twice on the counter to flatten the cookies slightly. Return the sheet to the oven and bake for an additional 1-2 minutes until the edges start to set but the centers remain soft and doughy. Remove from the oven again and tap the baking sheet 1-2 more times to flatten the cookies further. Let them cool on the baking sheet; they will continue to firm up as they rest.
- Prepare the Maple Glaze: While the cookies cool, melt together the 4 tablespoons butter and 1/3 cup maple syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat. Remove from the heat and whisk in the powdered sugar (adjusting between 1/2 to 3/4 cup for desired thickness) and a pinch of salt until smooth.
- Glaze and Serve: Drizzle the warm glaze over the cookies and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Serve the cookies warm for the best chewy, gooey texture, or let them cool and store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Notes
- For best flavor, use dark brown sugar and real maple syrup.
- The browned butter must be cooled briefly before mixing to avoid melting the other ingredients.
- Spacing cookies properly is essential since they spread during baking.
- Tapping the baking sheet flattens the cookies for their signature chewy texture.
- The maple glaze pairs beautifully with the cinnamon and brown sugar for a rich, sweet finish.
- Cookies are best enjoyed warm but keep well stored for a few days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 243 kcal
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 120 mg
- Fat: 13 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4.5 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 35 mg
