Here’s a recipe for Maple Walnut Spice Cookies turning out a delicious iced cookie that feels just perfect for fall baking.

maple walnut spice cookies on a cooling rack

Many flavors evoke the sense of the arrival of fall, but maple is the flavor that most does it for me. At this time of year, I long to visit a region where maple is abundant… where maple farmers are tapping maple trees for sap in order to make fresh maple syrup. I can’t do that, so I baked these maple walnut spice cookies instead!

ingredients displayed for making maple walnut spice cookies

Ingredients needed:

  • all purpose flour
  • baking soda and salt
  • ginger, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg
  • dark brown sugar
  • salted butter
  • maple syrup
  • egg
  • powdered sugar
  • nonfat milk
  • chopped walnuts

Note:

Use pure maple syrup if you can find it. Though expensive, it really makes a difference flavor-wise. Look for Grade B syrup (a darker variety with a more robust flavor) to use for cooking and baking.

four photos showing how to make maple walnut spice cookies

How to make Maple Walnut Spice Cookies:

The complete, printable recipe is at the end of this post.

BAKE THE COOKIES:

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and next 6 ingredients (through cloves).
Use an electric mixer to combine the brown sugar and ¼ cup butter in a large bowl; beat at high speed until light and fluffy (about 4 minutes). Add 2 tablespoons syrup and egg; beat until well blended. Beating at low speed, gradually add the flour mixture; beat just until combined.
Spoon the batter evenly into 30 mounds (about 1 tablespoon), 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper or a silpat mat (or lightly grease baking sheets). Bake for 14 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on pans 5 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely on wire racks.

ADD THE GLAZE:

In a medium bowl, combine the powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons syrup, milk, and 2 teaspoons butter, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Add ½ tablespoon more milk if a thinner consistency is desired.
Drizzle the glaze evenly over the cooled cookies.

maple walnut spice cookies on a cooling rack with one being iced

Working quickly, sprinkle the cookies with nuts.

overhead shot of maple walnut spice cookies on a cooling rack

I do think these soft, little cookies are spicy and flavorful enough to eat on their own, but the thin layer of glaze drizzled on top adds even more maple flavor and acts as a sweet addition.

maple walnut spice cookie on a display platter

The glaze spreads on fairly thin, and some even drips over the sides a bit, but it dries up quickly and sets enough that you could store them in between layers of waxed paper if you wish. Just place paper towels or waxed paper underneath a rack and drizzle the glaze without worry of messing up your table or counter. Simply throw away the mess when you’re finished glazing.

A sprinkle of walnuts, lightly toasted of course, are an appropriate way to top this cookie. If you don’t care for walnuts, pecans would be a nice replacement. And if you’re not into nuts at all, the maple glaze is delicious enough to hold its own without a topping. Enjoy!

maple walnut spice cookie with bite taken out

As an added bonus these cookies are only 98 calories. So plan to eat a few… practically guilt free! And, if you happen to be watching your weight, these are good cookies to bake!

The Best Fall Cookie Recipes:

maple walnut spice cookies on a cooling rack
5 from 2 votes

Maple Walnut Spice Cookies

These are a delicious iced cookie that feels just perfect for fall baking.
Prep: 30 minutes
Cook: 14 minutes
Total: 44 minutes
Servings: 30 cookies (1 per serving)
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Ingredients

COOKIES:

GLAZE:

Instructions 

BAKE THE COOKIES:

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and next 6 ingredients (through cloves).
  • Use an electric mixer to combine the brown sugar and ¼ cup butter in a large bowl; beat at high speed until light and fluffy (about 4 minutes). Add 2 tablespoons syrup and egg; beat until well blended. Beating at low speed, gradually add the flour mixture; beat just until combined.
  • Spoon the batter evenly into 30 mounds (about 1 tablespoon), 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper or a silpat mat (or lightly grease baking sheets). Bake for 14 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on pans 5 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely on wire racks.

ADD THE GLAZE:

  • In a medium bowl, combine the powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons syrup, milk, and 2 teaspoons butter, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Add ½ tablespoon more milk if a thinner consistency is desired.
  • Drizzle the glaze evenly over the cooled cookies. Working quickly, sprinkle the cookies with nuts.

Notes

  • The glaze will be thin. Place cookies on rack with waxed paper underneath. Drizzle the glaze and let it drip off the sides of the cookies. The glaze will set on the cookies and you can just throw the waxed paper mess away.
  • To make ahead, bake cookies and freeze up to one month in advance. Bring cookies to room temperature before glazing.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 98kcal, Carbohydrates: 16g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 3g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 11mg, Sodium: 57mg, Potassium: 33mg, Fiber: 0.3g, Sugar: 11g, Vitamin A: 68IU, Vitamin C: 0.03mg, Calcium: 13mg, Iron: 0.4mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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5 from 2 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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3 Comments

  1. Honey Dee says:

    yumm recipe! i will definitely try.

  2. Sandy says:

    Very tasty. Not sure of what the consistency was supposed to be after mixing since I doubled the recipe and realized I forgot to double the egg and maple syrup so had to add at the end. Because of that the dough was thicker so I rolled into small balls and then flattened some. I cooked the first batch at 14 minutes but found it was too long so I shortened to 12 which was perfect. All in all a nice cookie, I will be adding to my list of cookies to make.

  3. Alicia says:

    mmmmm! yummy cookies 🙂