Spiced Maple Cookies
Crispy on the exterior, soft on the inside, these beautifully Spiced Maple Cookies are a seasonal delight. The light maple flavor is balanced with both ginger and cardamom, and strikes a beautiful balance. This unique cookie recipe is great for sharing or for baking just because!
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This cookie idea came to me last year after I finalized my Apple Butter Snickerdoodle recipe.
I wanted to make a Maple Snickerdoodle.
The problem, as I soon learned, is that maple is so sweet that maple cookies need other things in them to balance out that natural sweetness.
It took me more than a year to perfect, and more than six iterations (and lots of taste tests) before I landed on this combo.
Hence: Cardamom Ginger Maple Cookies. The name is a mouthful, but the resulting cookie is an utter delight.
I’m also so pleased to share this new cookie recipe with y’all on the first day of this year’s Sweetest Season Cookie Exchange!
Why I love this recipe:
Crisp on the exterior and soft on the inside, these Spiced Maple Cookies have a beautiful light maple flavor combined with a hint of both spicy ginger and fragrant cardamom.
This recipe strikes a nice balance between sweet and spiced without either being too overwhelming.
The texture is more chewy, with some nice crunch on the exterior, thanks to maple sugar. These are not super cakey cookies.
I like to think that this is a cookie recipe for someone who’s looking for something a little more unique.
Please note that we are not using pure maple syrup and are instead using a combination of maple cream (which is essentially whipped syrup), maple extract and maple sugar to get those beautiful, sweet maple notes.
More cookie recipes that feature spice blends: No Bake Cookie Butter Cookies | Gingersnap Cookies | Spiced Pumpkin Sugar Cookies | Oatmeal Cinnamon Cookies with Maple Cream Cheese Glaze
Let’s talk about The Sweetest Season and Cookies for Kids Cancer!
The Sweetest Season is my annual holiday cookie week.
In 2011, I decided to share my favorite Christmas cookies… then invited other bloggers to join me. The celebration grew, we changed the name to make it more inclusive, my friend Susannah stepped in to help and the rest is history.
And now, every year, food bloggers get together to share new holiday cookie recipes.
This year, we’re raising money in support of Cookies for Kids’ Cancer, a recognized 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to funding research for new, innovative and less-toxic treatments for childhood cancer.
Since 2008, Cookies for Kids’ Cancer has granted nearly $18 million to pediatric cancer research in the form of 100+ research grants to leading pediatric cancer centers. More than 35 treatments available to kids battling cancer today were stemmed from these grants.
We’d love for you to help us raise money for this cause! You can donate through our fundraising page.
Currently, Cookies for Kids’ Cancer is in a matching window with their friends at OXO. This means OXO will match every dollar up to $100,000 raised through the end of 2025. So whatever money we raise will automatically double!
What you need to make this recipe:
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- Rimmed sheet pan or cookie sheet
- Nonstick baking mat or parchment paper
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- Kitchen scale or measuring cups and spoons
- Large mixing bowl
- 1.5-tablespoon cookie scoop
Let’s talk ingredients!
In addition to the tools above, you’re going to need some ingredients to make this recipe, too! Chances are, you might already have some of them in your fridge or pantry. Scroll down to the recipe card for the full measurements and instructions.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- All-purpose flour — also known as AP flour, this is the base of our dry ingredients. I have not tried making this recipe with a different type of flour or a gluten-free flour blend and do not recommend that at this time.
- Cream of tartar — this is a must-have ingredient! While this cookie is technically not a snickerdoodle, I kept this in because I like what it brings to the texture of the cookie.
- Baking soda — this is our leavener. Make sure yours is fresh! This is not the same thing as baking powder, so do not substitute it.
- Kosher salt— medium grain kosher salt is what I use in all my recipes. (Diamond Crystal is my favorite brand.) You may use a similarly sized sea salt. This helps balance out the sweetness of the recipe, so please do not skip it.
- Ground cardamom — this fragrant spice adds unique flavor to our cookie dough. I ground mine fresh, but you can use the jarred kind if that’s all you’ve got. Make sure your spice is fresh, though, because they do become less strong the longer they sit in the spice cabinet.
- Unsalted butter— unsalted butter is the best butter for cookies because you can control the salt level of your cookies.
- Maple cream — you might be wondering what the heck this is, and I’ll tell you. It’s whipped maple syrup and adds such a luscious flavor and texture to our cookies. I’m linking to the brand I used to develop this recipe, though Trader Joe’s sometimes has it in their seasonal department.
- Grated ginger — we blend this into the butter mixture along with the sugars for flavor. The ginger adds a nice pop of flavor, and I do not recommend skipping it. You can grate it yourself (with a microplane or zester) or purchase jarred grated ginger, which is what I did.
- Sugars — we use a combination of granulated sugar (AKA white sugar) and light brown sugar in this recipe. The brown sugar gives the cookies some more chewiness, as well as help them spread. There is no replacement for these, and if you choose to use one or the other, the texture and mouthfeel of your cookies will be different than what is shown here. You can use dark brown sugar if that’s what you have.
- Vanilla extract — always use the best vanilla you can afford! It’s expensive these days, but it really does level up your baking.
- Maple extract — this adds a pop of flavor to the cookies, as maple is a more subtle flavor. Don’t skip it, or you might miss all that maple goodness.
- Egg — set it out with the butter to come to room temperature about 30-45 minutes before making the batter. You’ll need a singular large egg.
- Maple sugar — this is another element of the maple flavor. We roll the cookies in this maple sugar (with spices, as explained below) before baking them off for added texture and maple flavor.
- Spice blend — we will combine ground cinnamon, ginger and cardamom to work as a spice blend and roll the cookies in along with the maple sugar before baking.
How to make Ginger Cardamom Maple Cookies
Mix the dry ingredients. Measure and stir the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, kosher salt and ground cardamom in a medium bowl. Set aside.
Cream the softened butter and the maple butter together in a large bowl using a hand mixer or stand mixer until smooth. This will smell amazing and is the base texture for this cookie dough.
Add the ginger, granulated sugar and brown sugar to the bowl.
Cream with the butter mixture until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
Crack the egg into the bowl with the wet ingredients.
Add the vanilla and maple extracts, too, and blend until smooth, about 2 minutes.
Combine all the ingredients. Sprinkle the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least two hours. (Your cookie dough can also chill overnight in the refrigerator.)
Once the cookies have chilled, here’s how to bake them:
Preheat the oven, and line two large sheet pans with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.
Make the maple sugar coating. Combine the maple sugar, ground cinnamon, ground ginger and the remaining ground cardamom in a small bowl. Stir to combine.
Scoop the cookie dough using a 1.5-tablespoon cookie scoop. Roll between your palms gently to round it out, then place into the sugar-spice mixture.
Gently roll the dough ball in the sugar-spice mixture until coated, then transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Give them about 2-3 inches of space between each because these cookies spread when they bake.
Bake in the preheated oven for 12-13 minutes, or until golden brown and delicious. (If you’re making 1-tablespoon cookies, they’ll bake for closer to 8-9 minutes, to keep an eye on them.)
Transfer to a wire cooling rack, and let cool.
Enjoy with a glass of milk or your favorite tea.
How to store and freeze:
Store these ginger maple cardamom cookies in a food-safe, airtight container on the countertop for 3-4 days.
Do not store them with other cookies because the spices used in these will creep into others.
You can freeze cookie dough balls that have not been rolled in the sugar-spice mixture. Transfer to a resealable freezer bag once frozen solid. When ready to bake, let them sit out for 30 minutes. Roll in the sugar-spice mix, then place on the prepared baking sheets.
Erin’s Easy Entertaining Tips
Is there ever a bad time for cookies? I say no.
Whether you’re hosting a cookie exchange or swap or baking sweet treats to enjoy after a dinner party, this spiced cookie recipe is particularly excellent for the winter months alongside a mug of your favorite tea.
Here are some ways I’d make it easier on myself if I were planning to entertain with this cookie recipe:
- Make the cookie dough early. Let it chill in the fridge before rolling in the sugar-spice mixture and baking the day of.
- Lots of guests? Make a double batch. If you’re using a kitchen scale, you can safely double this recipe without the fear of it going haywire. If you’re using traditional cups and measuring spoons, please make it twice so that the cookies turn out.
- Create a dessert table! Who wouldn’t love a spread of their favorite desserts? Take inspiration from my ‘how to make a cookie tray’ post and use it to create a whole table. Ask guests to bring a dessert, too!
Quick tips and tricks to the best maple cookie recipe:
- Let the dough chill for at least 2 hours… or longer. As long as the bowl covered up in your refrigerator, they will keep. So make the dough in advance and bake them off when you see fit.
- Purchase the specialty ingredients. I know it’s a pain to have to seek them out or special order them, but the cookies may not turn out as expected if you don’t follow the instructions.
- Share them with someone you love. Pack ‘em up in a cookie gift box to share with friends and family. Just be sure to pack them separately, as these strongly spiced cookies could seep flavor into other more subtle cookies.
Interested in baking these for you and yours?
Here’s how you can do that…
Spiced Maple Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1/3 cup maple cream
- 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon maple extract
- 1 egg at room temperature
Roll in:
- ¼ cup maple sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
Equipment
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Instructions
Make the Cookie Dough
- Stir together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, kosher salt and ground cardamom in a medium bowl. These are your dry ingredients. Set aside.
- Cream the softened butter and the maple butter together in a large bowl with a hand mixer or stand mixer until smooth.
- Add the ginger, granulated sugar and brown sugar to the bowl. Cream until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Crack the egg into the bowl with the wet ingredients. Add the vanilla and maple extracts, too, and blend until smooth, about 2 minutes.
- Sprinkle the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least two hours. (Your cookie dough can also chill overnight in the refrigerator.)
How to Bake the Cookies:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line two large sheet pans with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.
- Combine the maple sugar, ground cinnamon, ground ginger and the remaining ground cardamom in a small bowl. Stir to combine.
- Scoop the cookie dough using a 1.5-tablespoon cookie scoop. Roll between your palms gently to round it out, then place into the sugar-spice mixture.
- Gently roll the cookie dough in the sugar-spice mixture until coated, then transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Give them about 2-3 inches of space between each because these cookies spread when they bake.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 12-13 minutes, or until golden brown and delicious. (If you’re making 1-tablespoon cookies, they’ll bake for closer to 8-9 minutes, to keep an eye on them.)
- Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool, then enjoy.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
About the Author:
Erin Parker is a Southern gal living in Texas with her husband and two daughters. She started The Speckled Palate to share what she was cooking as a newlywed… and over the years, it’s evolved to capture her love for hosting. Specifically, the EASIEST, lowest key entertaining because everyone deserves to see their people and connect over good food. Learn more about her…
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