Maple Oatmeal Cookies

These Maple Oatmeal Cookies are made with rolled oats and pure maple syrup for a warm and comforting cookie that is slightly crispy on the edges and soft in the middle.

Add maple extract, if you can get your hands on some, for extra maple flavoring.

This recipe uses both maple syrup and brown sugar to sweeten the cookies. Maple syrup has a different consistency than brown sugar, so for chewy cookies it helps to use both. When baking with maple syrup, the flavor does not translate strongly into the finished dessert. It becomes a much more subtle flavor.

For the best maple flavor, I add maple extract to the cookie dough to ensure that these Maple Oatmeal Cookies taste more strongly like maple. Maple extract is a little harder to find than vanilla extract, so if you can’t track it down, you can absolutely leave it out, and the cookies will still be delicious.

If you’re craving a more traditional oatmeal cookie recipe, make these Oatmeal Raisin Cranberry Cookies or these Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies. For peanut butter cookies, try these Peanut Butter Oreo Cookies.

💡 Recipe Testing

I’ve made these cookies several times, testing each of the variables below.

• Ingredient Quantities: I’ve tested the recipe with 6 vs 8 tablespoons of butter, 2 eggs vs 1 egg with one 1 egg yolk vs 1 egg, 0 vs ¼ cup vs ½ cup of brown sugar, and various amounts of flour to balance changes in liquid vs dry ingredients. Using more butter, more sugar, and less egg help the cookies to spread and be less cake-like and more crispy and chewy.
• Cookie Size: I’ve tested the recipe with cookies using 1, 2, and 3 tablespoon scoops of dough. I've compared flattening the cookies vs. leaving them in a drop shape. Flatter cookies help the cookies to spread out, getting those crispy edges and chewy centers.
• Baking Time: I’ve tested baking times from 8 minutes up to 11 minutes, and 9 minutes yields the best level of doneness. (But keep in mind your oven might vary.)

🛒 Ingredients

Below are the ingredients needed to make Maple Oatmeal Cookies.

• Butter: I use salted butter (not unsalted butter). It should be softened to a cool room temperature.
• Maple Syrup: Use real maple syrup, not pancake syrup. Costco tends to have the best price for a quart of sweet maple syrup.
• Brown Sugar: Either light or dark brown sugar.
• Egg: Use a large egg, pasture-raised if possible.
• Cinnamon: It is helpful to use high quality cinnamon. Low quality cinnamon has a big negative impact on taste. I recommend Ceylon cinnamon. I use a brand called Simply Organic, which can be found at Whole Foods and some specialty grocery stores.
• Salt: To balance and bring out flavor
• Baking Powder and Baking Soda: For leavening.
• Vanilla Extract: Use real vanilla extract, not imitation vanilla. Costco also often has the best price for vanilla extract. You can get a large bottle for about the same or less than what a small bottle is at a regular grocery store.
• Maple Extract: It can be more challenging to find maple extract, but look for it in the baking section of the grocery store near the almond extract.
• Flour: Use unbleached, all-purpose flour.
• Oats: Use rolled oats, not steel cut for chewy oatmeal cookies.

To learn more about these cookie ingredients, see my Guide to Cookie Ingredients.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

📝 How to Make Maple Oatmeal Cookies

Below are the step-by-step instructions and photos for how to make Maple Oatmeal Cookies.

Prep: Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Step 1. Combine Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, combine the softened butter, brown sugar, and maple syrup. This can be done by hand, with a handheld electric mixer, or with a stand mixer.

Step 2. Add the Egg, Vanilla Extract, and Maple Extract: Add the large egg, one teaspoon vanilla extract, and half teaspoon maple extract to the large bowl with the butter mixture and mix to combine.

Step 3. Add the Dry Ingredients: Add the cinnamon, salt, baking powder, baking soda, flour, and rolled oats and combine. The batter will be fairly wet.

Step 4. Bake the Cookies: Add 1 ½ tablespoons worth of dough per cookie to a cookie sheet. Flatten the cookies slightly with your hands (which is easier) or the back of a clean spoon.

Bake at 350°F for 9 minutes in the preheated oven until golden brown on the edges. Allow the cookies to cool slightly before removing them to a wire rack to cool fully.

For iced maple oatmeal cookies, see this recipe for Maple Glaze, which I use for banana bread (and calls for maple syrup and powdered sugar). It can be used to glaze these cookies.

❄️ How to Serve, Store, and Freeze

• To Serve: Serve warm on their own, drizzled with a maple glaze, or topped with maple sugar. They're the perfect treat alongside a cup of coffee or tea, particularly in the cool weather time of year.
• To Store: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
• To Freeze: Freeze the cookies after they are fully baked in a gallon-sized freezer bag or an airtight container for up to 3 months.

✏️ Maple Oatmeal Cookies FAQs

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If you've tried these Maple Oatmeal Cookies or any other recipe on my site, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. I'd love to hear from you!