There’s something so comforting about the smell of maple and cinnamon wafting through the kitchen, isn’t there? It instantly takes me back to cozy autumn mornings and warm, happy memories. These Soft Frosted Maple Cinnamon Sugar Cookies are more than just a treat; they’re a hug in cookie form, and they’ve become a beloved staple in my home. Every bite is soft, sweet, and bursting with that perfect blend of fall flavors.
Why You’ll Love This Soft Frosted Maple Cinnamon Sugar Cookies
- These cookies are incredibly soft and tender, thanks to a few special ingredients.
- The maple cinnamon frosting is out-of-this-world delicious and easy to whip up.
- They’re perfect for any occasion, from a casual coffee break to a holiday gathering.
- The recipe is straightforward, making them a fun baking project for bakers of all levels.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- All-purpose flour: Make sure to measure this correctly! Scoop the flour into your measuring cup and then level it off with a straight edge, like a butter knife. Don’t pack it down.
- Cornstarch: This is our secret weapon for super soft cookies. It helps tenderize the dough, giving you that melt-in-your-mouth texture.
- Unsalted butter: Softened butter is key for creaming with sugar to create a light, airy base for your cookies. For the frosting, I like to use a mix of salted and unsalted for a nice balance of flavor.
- Sour cream (full fat): Don’t skip this! It adds moisture and a slight tang that makes these cookies incredibly tender and rich.
- Maple extract: This is where the magic happens for that distinct maple flavor. It’s much more potent than maple syrup for baking.
- Half and half: Used in the frosting to get that perfect creamy, spreadable consistency. You can adjust the amount slightly to get your desired thickness.
How to Make Soft Frosted Maple Cinnamon Sugar Cookies Step by Step
First things first, let’s get our dry ingredients ready. Grab a big mixing bowl and whisk together your flour, cornstarch, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Give it a good whisk for about 20 seconds to make sure everything is evenly distributed, then set it aside for a moment.
Now for the wet ingredients! In your stand mixer, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until they’re nicely blended. This is where you incorporate air, so don’t rush it. Next, mix in the egg, followed by the sour cream, maple extract, and vanilla extract. This creates a wonderfully rich and flavorful base for your cookie dough. With the mixer on low, slowly add your dry flour mixture until everything is just combined. Be careful not to overmix here!
Once your dough is ready, divide it into two equal portions. Shape each portion into a round disk, about 6 inches wide, and wrap them tightly in plastic wrap. Pop these into the fridge for at least two hours. This chilling time is super important; it helps the dough firm up, making it much easier to roll out and preventing your cookies from spreading too much in the oven. While your dough is chilling, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) during the last 10 minutes of the chill time. Don’t worry if your dough feels a little stiff when you take it out; that’s exactly what we want!
When it’s time to bake, dust your work surface generously with flour. Take one disk of dough, unwrap it, and place it on the floured surface. Dust the top with a little more flour, then use a rolling pin to roll it out to just slightly thicker than 1/4 inch. Now for the fun part: cut out your cookies using a 2 1/2-inch round cutter. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Gather your scraps, press them together gently, re-roll, and cut out more cookies. Bake them for 9-10 minutes until they’re just set. Let them cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. I even like to pop them into an airtight container after about 5 minutes on the rack to lock in that moisture!
My Top Tips for Success
- I always measure my flour correctly by scooping and leveling, never packing it. It makes a huge difference in the cookie’s texture.
- Trust me on this one: don’t skip the chilling time for the dough. It’s essential for preventing spread and getting perfectly shaped cookies.
- When rolling out the dough, use enough flour on your surface and rolling pin to prevent sticking, but not so much that it changes the dough’s consistency.
- In my experience, baking until the cookies are “nearly set” is key. They’ll continue to cook slightly on the hot baking sheet, keeping them wonderfully soft.
- For the frosting, whip it until it’s light and fluffy! This incorporates air and gives it a lovely, smooth texture.
- Don’t overmix the dough once the flour is added; it can lead to tough cookies. Mix until just combined.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Over-measuring flour: This is a common pitfall that leads to dry, crumbly cookies. Always scoop and level your flour accurately.
- Not chilling the dough long enough: If your dough isn’t firm, your cookies will spread too much in the oven and lose their shape. Chill for the full recommended time.
- Overbaking the cookies: Cookies that are baked too long will be hard and dry. Pull them out when they are just set and still look a little soft in the center.
- Overmixing the dough: Once the dry ingredients are added, mix only until combined. Overmixing develops the gluten, making for tough cookies.
- Frosting warm cookies: This is a messy mistake! Always wait until your cookies are completely cool before frosting, or the frosting will melt right off.
How to Store Soft Frosted Maple Cinnamon Sugar Cookies
- Countertop: Store frosted cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days.
- Freezer (unfrosted): Place unfrosted baked cookies in a single layer in an airtight freezer-safe container or bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before frosting.
- Freezer (frosted): Flash freeze frosted cookies on a baking sheet until firm, then transfer to an airtight freezer-safe container with parchment paper between layers for up to 1 month. Thaw in the refrigerator.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use maple syrup instead of maple extract?
No, maple extract provides a much more concentrated maple flavor without adding extra liquid that could change the cookie’s texture. Maple syrup is not a good substitute here.
Why is cornstarch used in this recipe?
Cornstarch helps tenderize the cookie dough, making the cookies incredibly soft and giving them that desirable melt-in-your-mouth texture.
Can I make the cookie dough ahead of time?
Absolutely! The dough can be made up to 2-3 days in advance and stored tightly wrapped in the refrigerator. Just let it sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before rolling if it’s too stiff.
What if my frosting is too thick or too thin?
If your frosting is too thick, add a tiny bit more half and half (1/2 teaspoon at a time) and beat until smooth. If it’s too thin, gradually add a tablespoon or two more powdered sugar until it reaches the desired consistency.
How do I prevent my cookies from spreading too much?
Ensure your butter is softened but not melted, chill your dough for the full recommended time, and make sure your oven is preheated to the correct temperature.
I genuinely hope these Soft Frosted Maple Cinnamon Sugar Cookies bring a little extra warmth and sweetness to your day, just like they do for me. They’re truly a joy to bake and even more of a joy to eat! Give them a try, and let me know how they turn out in your kitchen – I can’t wait to hear!
PrintSoft Frosted Maple Cinnamon Sugar Cookies
Deliciously soft and tender sugar cookies bursting with maple and cinnamon flavor, topped with a fluffy maple cinnamon frosting.
- Prep Time: 30
- Cook Time: 10
- Total Time: 160
- Yield: 24-30 cookies
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 2 1/3 cups (330g) all-purpose flour
- 2 Tbsp (19g) cornstarch
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup (112g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup (120g) sour cream (full fat)
- 3/4 tsp maple extract
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- Maple Cinnamon Frosting:
- 1/2 cup butter, softened (1/4 cup salted, 1/4 cup unsalted recommended)
- 2 1/2 cups (320g) powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3 Tbsp half and half
- 1 1/4 tsp maple extract
Instructions
- Whisk together flour, cornstarch, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl for 20 seconds. Set aside.
- Cream together 1/2 cup softened butter and granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until blended.
- Mix in the large egg.
- Blend in the 1/2 cup sour cream, 3/4 tsp maple extract, and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract.
- With the mixer set on low speed, slowly add in the flour mixture.
- Mix until just combined.
- Divide the dough into 2 equal portions.
- Place each portion on a sheet of plastic wrap.
- Shape each portion into a round disk about 6-inches wide.
- Wrap each disk with plastic wrap.
- Chill the dough for 2 hours, or until firm enough to roll.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 C) during the last 10 minutes of chilling time.
- Dust a work surface with a fair amount of flour.
- Remove one portion of dough from the refrigerator and unwrap it.
- Transfer the dough to the floured surface.
- Dust the top of the dough with flour.
- Roll out the dough using a rolling pin to just slightly thicker than 1/4-inch thickness.
- Cut the dough into 2 1/2-inch rounds.
- Transfer cookies to an 18 by 13-inch baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Dust excess flour from dough scraps.
- Press scraps together and re-roll dough.
- Cut more rounds from the re-rolled dough.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 9-10 minutes, until cookies are nearly set.
- Let cookies cool for several minutes on the baking sheet.
- Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
- After about 5 minutes of cooling on a wire rack, transfer cookies to an airtight container to finish cooling and seal in moisture.
- Repeat the process with the remaining dough in the refrigerator.
- Prepare the frosting: Add 1/2 cup softened butter, powdered sugar, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, and half and half to a medium mixing bowl.
- Using an electric hand mixer, beat until well blended.
- Add in 1 1/4 tsp maple extract.
- Whip until light and fluffy (add brown gel food coloring if desired).
- If frosting is too thick, add a little more half and half (1/2 tsp at a time).
- If frosting is too thin, add a little more powdered sugar (1 Tbsp at a time).
- Once cookies are completely cool, frost with the maple cinnamon frosting.
- Store frosted cookies in an airtight container.
Notes
Ensure your butter is softened, not melted, for both the cookies and the frosting.
Do not skip the chilling time for the dough; it prevents spreading.
Measure flour correctly by scooping and leveling, not packing.
Bake cookies until they are just set to keep them soft and chewy.
