Maple Syrup Chocolate Chip Cookies (GF Option)

Note: these cookies are not just any chocolate chip cookies (although I do LOVE my oat flour chocolate chip cookies recipe) - no, these are maple chocolate chip cookies. I.e., made with my favorite sweetener of all time, maple syrup.

While I don't use all maple syrup here, there's enough to lend the cookies a hint of maple and an extra softness I love. At the same time, you won't get an overwhelming maple taste if that's not your thing. I love that the cookies are a perfect mix of slightly soft and slightly chewy - my absolute favorite chocolate chip cookie texture.

This is a whole-grain recipe, so you can use a whole wheat flour like whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour, or spelt flour, or a whole grain gluten-free flour like oat flour or brown rice flour to form the base of the dough. I add an egg + an egg yolk here and a blend of brown sugar and maple syrup to sweeten the cookies, and both contribute to the stand-out quality of this recipe.

Check out my gluten free chocolate chip cookies, whole wheat chocolate chip cookies, or lower sugar chocolate chip cookies for more chocolate chip cookie variations.

Why These Maple Chocolate Cookies are so Good

• Texture. A blend of chewy and soft, these cookies are chocolate chip cookies in the best sense of the word.
• Flavor. You'll love the hint of maple flavor that makes these cookies especially nice in fall, when we want all the maple syrup things. However, this is a year-round cookie recipe, and I make it often in summer, too.
• The whole grains. We should all get more whole grains, am I right? Here, whole-grain flour (you choose the type) lends a subtle, natural sweetness in addition to the extra fiber.
• Great to make ahead. The dough benefits from hanging out in the fridge, so you can put it together up to 3 days ahead of when you plan to bake.

Ingredients Needed

Here's a look at what goes into maple syrup chocolate chip cookies. Make sure to scroll down to my recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full ingredient amounts and instructions!

• Butter - I use unsalted butter brought to soft-ish room temperature. Feel free to use salted butter for a bit of a saltier flavor (also yum).
• Brown sugar - Either dark or light brown sugar is fine
• Maple syrup - Use real maple syrup here rather than flavored syrup. Any variety works great.
• Egg and egg yolk - From large or medium eggs.
• Vanilla extract - Use pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste.
• Flour - Any type of flour here, though I prefer a whole grain flour like whole wheat pastry flour or oat flour. However, all-purpose flour is just fine.
• Baking soda
• Salt - Fine sea salt or table salt.
• Chocolate chips - I prefer semisweet chocolate chips or a dark chocolate chopped bar.

Variation Ideas/Add-Ins

• Nuts - Add ½ cup of chopped walnuts or pecans for crunch.
• Flaky salt - Finish each cookie with a bit of flaky salt! Scatter over the tops of the cookies when they come out of the oven.
• Pan-banging - These cookies are a bit puffier than some, but I often use the "pan banging" method, where I slam the cookie sheet down a couple of times near the end of baking time, and then again when I remove them from the oven to flatten them out a bit. I prefer this, but it's not necessary.
• Other chocolate - Feel free to play around with the type of chocolate (milk chocolate will make them richer; a chopped dark chocolate bar is also nice).
  

Tips & Recipe Notes

• Try using more maple syrup. You can add more maple syrup as your tastes and budget allow. Try doing ½ cup of maple syrup and ⅔ cup of brown sugar, or ¾ cup of maple syrup and ¾ cup of brown sugar.
• Use room temperature ingredients. Bring the butter and eggs to room temperature for a bit before you add them to the dough. Or, warm the butter in the microwave for 10 seconds. This means it will blend so much better into the dough.
• Make a double batch. To save some dough for later, double the ingredient amounts and freeze half of the dough. Thaw the dough in the fridge, then bake it according to the recipe directions.
• Bake as bars: To make these into chocolate chip cookie bars similar to my super deliciously buttery gluten-free chocolate chip bars, press the dough into a buttered and parchment-lined 9x13 pan and bake for 30-35 minutes.
• Make dairy-free: Use non-dairy butter in place of the butter.

Proper Storage

Here's how to store the cookies and the unbaked dough if needed:

Cookies

• Counter - Cookies will keep in an air-tight container at room temperature for 5 days.
• Fridge - Store the cookies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days.
• Freezer - Place cookies in an airtight, freezer-safe container or sealable bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw the cookies in the fridge before serving.

Dough

• Fridge - Store the cookie dough in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
• Freezer - Place the cookie dough in a freezer-safe container or sealable, freezer-safe bag and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost the dough in the fridge before baking it.
• As cookies - You can form the cookies, place them on a cookie sheet, place them in the freezer for about 20 minutes until hard, then transfer the formed cookies to an airtight freezer-safe container to make it easier on yourself when you're ready to bake them.