Soft Maple Pecan Cream Cheese Cookies
Why These Cream Cheese Cookies Are So Fun
- Everything mixes in one bowl with a whisk, so there’s no mixer to pull out or clean.
- Maple extract adds real maple flavor without thinning out the dough the way more maple syrup would.
- Pecan flavor reaches every bite instead of just a few lucky ones.
- Rolling the dough in powdered sugar before baking gives every cookie that crackled, crinkled top.
What You Need
- Cream cheese – use full-fat, brick-style cream cheese, not the whipped kind in a tub, for the right texture.
- Maple extract – look for it near the vanilla and almond extract at most grocery stores. It adds noticeably more maple flavor than syrup alone, without adding extra liquid to the dough.
- Pecans – toasting them lightly before adding them to the dough deepens their flavor, though this recipe works fine with raw pecans too if you’d rather skip that step.
How to Make Maple Pecan Cream Cheese Cookies
- Prep ahead – Pull the cream cheese and egg out about 30 minutes before you start. Room temperature cream cheese blends smooth instead of leaving lumps, and a room temperature egg mixes in more evenly too.
- Combine the wet ingredients – Chop the cream cheese into chunks and add it to a large bowl with the sugar. Melt the butter, then pour it over the cream cheese and sugar. Whisk vigorously until completely smooth.
- Add the egg and maple syrup – Whisk in the egg and maple syrup for about a minute. Whisking this vigorously helps everything emulsify into one smooth batter.
- Mix in the dry ingredients – Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. Mix with a rubber spatula just until combined, so the dough doesn’t turn tough.
- Fold in the pecans – Dice some of the pecans finely and leave the rest in bigger pieces, then fold them all into the dough until evenly spread throughout. The finely diced pieces carry pecan flavor into every bite, while the larger pieces add crunch.
- Scoop and coat – Use a cookie scoop for even-sized cookies. Roll each scoop of dough into a ball, then roll it in the powdered sugar and cinnamon mixture until fully coated. Work quickly here, since the dough is soft and warms up fast in your hands.
- Bake – Place the coated dough balls about 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 350°F for 11-13 minutes, until the tops crackle and the edges just start to set. The centers will still look slightly soft, which is what keeps these cookies chewy once they cool.
Can You Freeze Maple Pecan Cream Cheese Cookies?
Yes, both the dough and the baked cookies freeze well. Scoop the dough into balls first, freeze them on a tray until solid, then transfer to a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 3 months. Bake straight from frozen, adding a couple of extra minutes to the bake time.
For baked cookies, let them cool completely, then store in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for an hour or two before serving.
Storing Leftover Cream Cheese Cookies
Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2-3 days.
Maple Pecan Cookies Recipe FAQs
Yes, walnuts are a common substitute for pecans in this style of cookie, and several bakers who’ve made similar maple pecan cookies report good results with the swap.
Look for it on the baking aisle, right near the vanilla and almond extract. Most major grocery stores carry it.
Yes, honey and agave both work in place of maple syrup in similar cookie recipes, though you’ll lose some of the maple flavor that the syrup itself contributes.
More Cookie Recipes From Me
- White Chocolate Cranberry Soft and Chewy Crinkle Cookies
- Coconut Key Lime Soft and Chewy Cookies
- Coconut Pudding Cookies
- Eggnog Cookies with Eggnog Glaze
- Nutella Cookies
Maple Pecan Cream Cheese Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 oz full fat cream cheese
- 1/2 cup salted butter melted
- 1 egg room temperature
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp maple extract
- 2 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 cup chopped pecans
Topping:
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar to roll the cookies
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ and line the cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Place sugar and cream cheese in a large bowl. Pour warm butter over sugar and cream cheese and whisk vigorously until all combined and smooth.
- Add egg, maple syrup, and maple extract, whisk well for about a minute.
- Add flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and baking powder. Mix with rubber spatula until completely combined. Fold in pecans.
- In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar and cinnamon and whisk well.
- Use a cookie scoop to get even cookies. (I use either #50 or #40 cookie scoop.) Gently roll the dough into a ball and drop it into the bowl with powdered sugar. Roll the ball in sugar and place it on the prepared baking sheet.
- Place cookie balls about 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet and bake for 11-13 minutes.
Nutrition
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All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe.
Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.
Greetings Lyuba,
I was craving for something with pecans in it and came upon your recipe. This is so easy to make and the maple flavor with the pecans is so very good. I made 4 x the recipe and shared with my neighbors. We all loved them. Some of the guys asked for more.
Thanks so much for this great recipe. This is a keeper!
Dunia
Btw your name is Russian, are you? I am and have a cousin with your name. 🙂
Oh my gosh, I love hearing that! Thank you, Dunia!
Yes, I am Russian. Originally from Moscow. I moved to the states almost 20 years ago 🙂