Beat the softened butter and brown sugar together in a big bowl until it’s fluffy and lighter in color. This takes like 2-3 minutes with a hand mixer. I usually do it while scrolling through my phone with the other hand which is probably not safe but whatever.
Add the egg, maple syrup, and vanilla and mix until everything is combined and smooth. The mixture will look a little loose and that’s totally normal.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. I know it’s an extra bowl to wash but it actually matters here because you want the leavening agents distributed evenly.
Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix just until combined. Don’t overmix or the cookies will be tough. The dough should be soft but not sticky. If it’s super sticky, add a tablespoon more flour.
Scoop the dough onto your prepared baking sheets using a cookie scoop or just a regular spoon. I do about a tablespoon and a half of dough per cookie. Space them maybe 2 inches apart because they spread a little bit but not a ton.
Bake for 10-12 minutes. They should look set around the edges but still soft and pale in the middle. Do not overbake these or they’ll be dry. I set a timer for 10 minutes and then check them every minute after that.
Let them cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. One time I got impatient and tried to ice them while they were still warm and the icing just melted right off and made a huge mess. Learn from my mistakes.
While they’re cooling, make the icing by whisking together the powdered sugar, maple syrup, melted butter, vanilla, and a tablespoon of milk. If it’s too thick, add more milk a tiny bit at a time. If it’s too thin, add more powdered sugar. You want it thick enough to stay on the cookies but thin enough to spread easily.
Once the cookies are completely cool, spread or drizzle the icing on top. I usually just dip the top of each cookie into the bowl of icing and then flip it back over. Gets messy but it’s faster than spreading with a knife.
Let the icing set for like 20 minutes before eating or stacking them. It won’t get fully hard but it’ll firm up enough that it’s not goopy.
tips and random notes
You can make the dough ahead and refrigerate it for up to 3 days. Just let it come to room temperature for like 15 minutes before scooping or it’ll be too hard.
If you want thicker cookies, chill the dough for 30 minutes before baking. They won’t spread as much.
I’ve made these with margarine when I ran out of butter and honestly they were fine. Not quite as rich but still good.
The icing will stay a bit tacky so if you’re stacking them, put wax paper or parchment between the layers. I forgot once and ended up with cookies stuck together and had to peel them apart like an idiot.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. I keep mine in one of those big Tupperware containers but I’m terrible about labeling so sometimes I open it three days later and I’m like “wait what are these again?”
nutrition info (roughly)
Per Cookie Amount
Calories about 180
Total Fat 6g
Carbs 30g
Sugar 20g
Protein 2g