Gluten-Free Maple Pecan Cookies

This gluten-free maple pecan cookies recipe has notes of brown sugar, maple, and toasted pecans. They’re soft, chewy, and DELICIOUS, especially with the easy maple glaze!

Maple can be a polarizing flavor for some people, but in the fall and winter, I just LOVE it. It adds delicious flavor to easy recipes like our Pumpkin Streusel Bread and Pumpkin Crisp, and it really shines here!

These gluten-free maple cookies taste INCREDIBLE. They’re packed with a double dose of maple, plenty of toasted, buttery pecans, brown sugar and vanilla. The sweet maple glaze is the literal icing on top!

They’re easy to make, have a delightful soft, chewy texture, and just the right amount of glaze. Best of all, they start with simple ingredients…

Simple Ingredients To Get Started

So what do you need for these soft, chewy cookies? Mostly pantry staples + 1-2 things you might need to pick up at the grocery store. Let’s take a look:

• Pecans. Maybe my favorite kind of nut! Toasted pecans add a rich, delicious flavor and nice crunch to these cookies. It kind of gives pecan pie vibes! Start with pecan halves, rather than trying to toast chopped pecans–chopped pecans are more likely to burn.
• Gluten-Free Flour. We highly recommend King Arthur Measure-For-Measure Gluten-Free Flour. If you use another 1:1 gluten-free flour blend, be sure it contains xanthan gum and measure carefully! (Don’t try to swap almond flour, coconut flour, or oat flour!)
• Baking Soda & Baking Powder. For the perfect spread & puff.
• Salt & Cinnamon add GORGEOUS flavor to these cookies!
• Butter. Softened butter gets creamed with the sugars for delicious flavor and texture. Though I haven’t tried it, I do think vegan butter (like Earth Balance) would work for a dairy-free version!
• Brown Sugar & Granulated Sugar. The perfect blend of softness & a delicately crisp exterior.
• Egg. A room temperature egg, please! It’ll blend in best.
• Pure Maple Syrup. This maple pecan cookies recipe has a double dose of maple that starts with real maple syrup. The combination of sugars and maple syrup give these cookies the most delicious texture. (Pro tip: Do not use pancake syrup in this recipe!)
• Vanilla & Maple Extract. Then, you’ll add vanilla extract and some maple extract (sometimes labeled maple flavoring) for extra maple flavor. If you omit the maple extract, the cookies will have a MUCH more mild maple flavor. Don’t skip it!
• Powdered Sugar & Cream. These two, plus more syrup, vanilla, maple extract, and a little bit of salt help make our delicious maple glaze. (Coconut cream can be substituted for the heavy whipping cream for dairy-free!)

How To Make Gluten-Free Maple Pecan Cookies, Step By Step

As always, you can find the full recipe, with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below.

First, Make The Cookie Dough

1. Toast Pecans. Spread pecans out on a baking sheet and roast at 350 degrees F 8-10 minutes, until fragrant and toasted. Cool pecans slightly, then roughly chop pecans. Set aside. 
2. Combine Dry Ingredients. In a medium bowl, combine gluten-free flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Whisk until well blended and set aside. 
3. Cream Butter & Sugars. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl), combine softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Cream with the paddle attachment (or an electric mixer/hand mixer) 2-3 minutes, until smooth and fluffy. 
4. Combine. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix in egg, maple syrup, vanilla, and maple extract. (The mixture may look a little separated. Don’t panic!) 
5. Mix In Dry Ingredients. Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just a few floury patches remain. Add chopped pecans and continue mixing until evenly blended. The dough will seem fairly soft. Cover the dough with a sheet of plastic wrap. 
6. Chill Cookie Dough 2 Hours. Do NOT skip this step, or your cookies will spread far too much. 
7. Preheat & Prep. When you’re ready to bake the cookies, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. (This way, you can alternate cookie sheets with each batches and avoid putting cold dough on a hot cookie sheet)
8. Scoop & Roll Dough. Use a medium cookie scoop to measure 1 1/2 Tablespoon balls of dough. Roll each dough ball smooth with your hands and place on a prepared baking sheet. 
9. Bake 10-12 Minutes, or until set around the edges and just golden brown. Keep in mind the cookies will continue to set as they cool. Use a large round cookie cutter to gently coax the warm cookies into perfect circles if desired. Let the cookies 1-2 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. 

Make The Glaze & Finish The Cookies

1. Combine. In a medium bowl, combine powdered sugar, cream, maple syrup, vanilla, maple extract, and a pinch of salt. 
2. Whisk until smooth. Ideally, you want the glaze nice and thick so it’s opaque, but thin enough to be drizzled. If the glaze is too thick, add additional cream 1/2 teaspoon at a time, until it thins out to your desired consistency. If the glaze is too thin, add additional powdered sugar 1 Tablespoon at a time until it’s thick enough. 
3. Drizzle Glaze Over Cookies. Use a spoon or fork to drizzle the maple icing on top of the cookies and allow the glaze to set completely. 
4. Serve & Store. Enjoy right away once the glaze sets, or store leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature 2-3 days. Or, freeze cookies up to 2 months. (If freezing, I recommend separating layers of cookies with a sheet of parchment or waxed paper to protect the glaze.)