Maple Glazed Cardamom Sugar Cookies

These maple glazed cardamom sugar cookies combine the warm flavor of cardamom with a classic sugar cookie, and then they’re topped with a sweet maple glaze. These are the perfect cookies for your holiday table, and they make delicious gifts for your friends or family!

Cardamom is a staple spice in Swedish cooking and can be found in most Swedish pantries. It has a warm, spicy and sweet, citrusy flavor. Cardamom and maple pair beautifully together, each flavor complimenting the other. These cookies are wonderful fall or holiday treats and they taste amazing with my glögg (Swedish mulled wine) recipe!

Ingredients & Substitutions

• Unsalted butter: Best for controlling the amount of salt in this recipe.
• Ground cardamom: Adds a lovely warm spiciness to the sugar cookies.
• Powdered sugar: To get rid of lumps, sift the powdered sugar before making the glaze. If you don’t sift before, you’ll just have to stir the glaze a bit more to get rid of the lumps. I’ve done it both ways and each way works.
• Maple syrup: Use real pure maple syrup.

How to Make Maple Glazed Cardamom Cookies

• Combine the flour, salt and cardamom in a medium bowl, and whisk to combine. Set aside.

• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and granulated sugar on medium-high speed until it’s a light, pale yellow color and fluffy in texture, about 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add the egg and vanilla, and beat on medium speed until well combined, scraping the bowl as needed.

• Add the flour mixture and mix on low until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl to make sure everything is combined.
• Divide the dough in half. Shape halves into discs and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

• Once the dough has chilled, preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
• Roll out one of the dough halves on a large, floured surface to 1/4″ thick. It helps if you also flour the rolling pin to keep the dough from sticking.
• Using 3-inch round cutters (or any other size or shape you prefer), cut out the cookies, rerolling the scraps as needed. Place cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat. These cookies don’t spread much at all so you don’t need to leave much space between each cookie.
• I’ve chilled the cut cookie dough before baking, and I’ve also just put them right into the oven without chilling. Both methods returned almost identical results.
• Bake until golden brown at the edges, 12 to 15 minutes. Repeat with the other dough half.
• Let cool completely before frosting.

To Make the Frosting

• In a small saucepan, over medium heat, melt the butter and maple syrup together, stirring occasionally.

• Once the butter has melted, remove pan from heat. Whisk in powdered sugar.
• Spoon glaze onto each cookie. Glaze will set in about 1 hour.

Expert Tips:

• Measure the flour correctly – Spoon the flour into a measuring cup, then slide a knife across the top of the measuring cup to level it off and remove any excess flour. Don’t scoop the flour directly from the bag or canister. You’ll be adding way too much flour, and you’ll end up with a dry, dense cookie.
• Skip the baking powder – Baking powder is a leavener which causes baked goods to rise. I wanted a cookie that holds its shape and has a flat surface (ideal for decorating), so I left out any leaveners in this recipe.
• Softened butter, not melted – The butter should be at room temperature which is about 65°. You’ll know it’s room temperature when you gently press it with your finger and it will indent slightly. The butter will feel cool to the touch, not warm.

How to Store Maple Glazed Cardamom Sugar Cookies

Once these cookies have completely cooled, store them in an airtight container. They can be stored at room temperature for 3-4 days, or in the refrigerator for up to a week.

If you want them to last longer, you can freeze them for up to 3 months. I usually put them in a freezer safe zip top bag. To defrost, leave them on the counter at room temperature for about 1 hour and they’ll be ready to eat.

More Cookie Recipes You’ll Love

• Swedish Cinnamon Cookies (Kanelkakor)
• Pepparkakor (Swedish Gingerbread Cookies)
• Coconut Dream Bars
• Hallongrottor (Swedish Thumbprint Cookies)