I love a good shortbread cookie! They are a delightful treat for afternoon tea or on Christmas cookie platters. This recipe uses maple sugar to add a natural maple flavor that’s reminiscent of your favorite Sunday morning pancakes!

What is Maple Sugar and Where Can I Find It?

Maple sugar is a traditional sweetener made from boiling down pure maple syrup until the liquid evaporates, leaving behind solid sugar crystals. You can use it in baking, like we are today, or as a substitute for other sweeteners.

You can buy it in a specialty grocery store, on Amazon at this link, or you can make your own (just search YouTube for a tutorial!).
The maple sugar pictured above is what I used. It was gifted to me by a friend and is not the same as the one you can purchase on Amazon – just FYI.

Ingredients for Maple Shortbread Cookies

You’ll need these simple ingredients to make your maple cookies:

• Butter, room temperature
•  Maple sugar
• All-purpose flour
• Powdered sugar
• Cornstarch
• Salt

Be sure to check out the recipe card at the bottom of the post to see a detailed ingredient list and instructions!

Let’s bake Shortbread Maple Cookies!

1. First, preheat oven to 350°F, and prepare an 8 × 8-inch baking pan by lining it with parchment paper. It will allow you to lift the shortbread out of the pan and slice it easily and neatly on a cutting board.
2. Next, in a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer), cream together the room temperature butter, powdered sugar, and maple sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy.
3. Whisk the dry ingredients (flour, cornstarch, and salt) together, then add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Beat for 1 minute on low in a mixer, then increase the speed to medium-high for another 1-2 minutes until a smooth dough forms.
4. Press the cookie dough into an even layer in the prepared pan and bake for 20 – 25 minutes until the top and edges are lightly golden brown.
5. Place the pan on a cooling rack and allow the shortbread to cool to room temperature in the pan. Then remove the shortbread from the parchment and slice into sticks. Use a sharp knife or pizza cutter.

Cookie Variations

Want to make your cookies extra special? 

• Try adding a small amount of chopped pecans for maple pecan shortbread cookies. 
• You can top your cookies with maple sugar or brown sugar, or even mix up a maple glaze in a small bowl with some powdered sugar and maple syrup. 
• Consider using a cookie stamp for personalization, or use a cookie cutter to make maple leaf shapes.

Recipe Tips

• Use a high-quality butter for the best results. 
• If your dough is too crumbly, melt a tablespoon or so of butter and add it to the dough.
• Many experts recommend poking holes in the shortbread dough with a fork to help ensure it bakes evenly and doesn’t bubble up. I didn’t do that when I tested this recipe, but you can do this if you’re used to making shortbread this way!

FAQs

How do I store leftover Maple Shortbread?

You can store your sweet cookie bars wrapped in plastic wrap or in an airtight container for up to one week. 

Can I freeze Maple Shortbread Cookies?

Yes, you can also freeze these in a sealed freezer bag or another container for 2-3 months. Let the cookies cool completely before storing them.

Thaw the cookies on the countertop for a few hours before serving them.

Other Maple Recipes you’ll love

Maple lovers will salivate over these Maple Glazed Donut Holes. For a mix of sweet and savory, try this Maple Bacon Gravy. And for a classic Southern meal, make some Sweet Tea Fried Chicken with Bourbon Maple Syrup.

Favorite Cookie Recipes

I love making cookies, and these are some of my absolute favorites. Try one of these cookie recipes next time:

• Butterscotch Oatmeal Cookies
• Peanut and Cookie Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Milk Chocolate Macadamia Cookies
• Bourbon Chocolate Caramel Cookies
• Brown Butter Pistachio and Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Salted Butterscotch Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookies

Did you try making Maple Shortbread Cookies? Let me know how they turned out in the comments!

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Maple Shortbread

These melt in your mouth Maple Shortbread Cookies are buttery, with just a touch of maple sugar to add a little more sweetness.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Maple Shortbread

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 14 minutes minutes

Total Time 29 minutes minutes

Servings 16 cookies

Calories 84kcal

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter softened
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons maple sugar
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F, and prepare an 8 X 8-inch baking pan by lining it with parchment. It will allow you to lift the shortbread out of the pan and slice it easily and neatly on a cutting board.
• Cream together the butter, powdered sugar and maple sugar until pale and fluffy.
• Whisk the flour, cornstarch and salt together, then add to butter mixture. Beat for 1 minute on low in a mixer, then increase the speed to medium-high for 2 minutes.
• Press the batter into an even layer in the prepared pan and bake for 20 – 25 minutes until top and edges are lightly golden.
• Allow to cool to room temperature in the pan before removing the shortbread in the parchment and slicing into sticks.

Notes

There is a subtle maple syrup flavor in these cookies. If you want a stronger flavor, I suggest using 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar and increasing the maple sugar to 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon. 
Adding any extract to increase the flavor will change the consistency of the shortbread.

Nutrition

Calories: 84kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 89mg | Potassium: 41mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 25IU | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 1mg

This post was originally published on 2/24/17. It has been updated with photos and in format on 5/8/25.

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I love the classic chocolate chip cookie, and these are the classic recipe on steroids! They have everything I love about a good cookie—the cookie itself is that perfect chewy texture, and each bite satisfies. Salty pretzels provide a nice crunch, while butterscotch and chocolate chips provide the perfect balance between salty and sweet. I know you’ll love these sea salt butterscotch pretzel cookies!

These cookies are so easy for anyone to make, even if you’re new to baking. Get the kids involved by letting them crunch up the pretzels. No fancy ingredients are needed for these cookies—just your classic pantry ingredients.

The secret ingredient

These butterscotch chocolate chip cookies have a secret ingredient: cornstarch! I love adding just a bit of cornstarch to cookies because it makes them both light and chewy. That’s the perfect combination in my book! 

Salted Butterscotch Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookie Ingredients

This recipe uses all the classic chocolate chip cookie ingredients, plus a few extra things added in. Here’s what you need:

• ¾ cup of unsalted butter, softened
• ¾ cup of brown sugar
• ¼ cup of white sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 2 cups of all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup of mini chocolate chips
• ½ cup of butterscotch chips
• ½ cup of crushed pretzels

What kind of chocolate chips should I use for these cookies?

I prefer semi-sweet chocolate chips in my cookies as I think they help balance out the sweet butterscotch chips. I used 3/4 cup of mini chocolate chips which equals 1 cup of regular chocolate chips. You can also use milk chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips. 

How to make Salted Butterscotch Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies come together in no time at all! Whip up a batch now for an afternoon snack or after-dinner treat.

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with nonstick cooking spray or line it with parchment paper.
2. Use the paddle attachment on a stand mixer or you can use an electric mixer. In a large mixing bowl, cream together both sugars and butter until smooth and creamy. Beat in egg and vanilla.
3. In a separate medium bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until combined. Stir in chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and crushed pretzels with a rubber spatula or pulse your stand mixer to combine.
4. Use a small cookie scoop (1 tablespoon) to drop dough onto your prepared baking sheet. Place cookie dough balls 2 inches apart. If you don’t have a scoop, you can just use about 1 tablespoon of dough and some spoons to drop them on the sheet.
5. Sprinkle a little salt on top of the cookies. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until barely golden brown. Depending on your oven, it might take a couple minutes longer. Let the cookies cool for 2-3 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. Enjoy with a glass of milk!

Do you have to chill this dough before baking?

While you do not HAVE to chill this dough, after making dozens and dozens of cookie batches in my life, I can say that the best cookies are those made from chilled dough. Why? The short answer is, chilling lets the fats in the ingredients set up, which makes that deliciously chewy texture most people prefer.

So, if you have the time, chill your dough for at least 30 minutes. If not, that’s okay too.

Can you freeze Salted Butterscotch Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough?

Yes, you can freeze this cookie dough! Use the cookie scoop to make balls of dough. Flash-freeze them on a cookie sheet until they are easy to handle without sticking. Then transfer the dough balls to a freezer-safe bag and bake within 3 months. 

You can bake just a few at a time, or a whole batch! You can even bake them from frozen- just add a few extra minutes of baking time.

Storing leftover Salted Butterscotch Pretzel Cookies

Allow your cookies to cool completely to room temperature, then transfer them to an airtight container for storage. These cookies will last 3-4 days. 

You can also freeze these cookies to enjoy later. Bake and cool as directed, then transfer to an airtight container or freezer bag. Freeze cookies for up to 1 month. 

More Fantastic Cookie Recipes

If you love cookies like my family and I do, try out some of these recipes:

• Bourbon Caramel Chocolate Cookies have a chewy cookie base with chopped Dove chocolate and just the right amount of Bourbon for an after-dinner treat.
• These Peanut and Cookie Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies hit every note – salty, sweet, nutty, and chocolatey. You’ve probably had peanut butter cookies- but have you ever had them with cookie butter too?
• Milk Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies satisfy your sweet tooth and provide that crunch everyone loves! 
• Brown Butter Pistachio Chocolate Chip Cookies combine rich flavors of browned butter and chocolate with the earthiness of pistachios to make one delicious cookie! 
• Butterscotch Oatmeal Cookies are a gussied-up version of the classic Oatmeal Scotchies you had as a kid. Make a batch today!

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Salted Butterscotch Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookies

These Salted Butterscotch Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookies are full of chunky goodness! You'll enjoy a bit of sweet, salty, crunchy, chewy in every bite!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Salted Butterscotch Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookies

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 52 cookies

Calories 81kcal

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter softened
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cup flour
• 2 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup butterscotch chips
• 1/2 cup crushed pretzels
• additional kosher salt for sprinkling

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Put paddle attachment on standing mixer. Cream together butter and both sugars until light and airy.
• Blend in egg and vanilla. Then add in flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt.
• Stir in chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and crushed pretzels.
• Spray baking pan with cooking spray. Using a small cookie scoop (one tablespoonful), drop dough onto sheet. Sprinkle with a little salt.
• Bake for 8-10 minutes, until barely golden brown.
• Let cool for a couple minutes before enjoying with a glass of milk!

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 81kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 64mg | Potassium: 13mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 94IU | Vitamin C: 0.03mg | Calcium: 8mg | Iron: 0.3mg

This post was originally published October 11, 2012. It has been updated in format and with pictures on September 28, 2023.

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No?! Do you have a strange look on your face? Well you should because when I got so excited about making these cookies that is exactly what I kept calling them. But no they do not have butternut squash in them just butterscotch chips. I was just too busy making this soup and some mashed butternut squash over the holidays that the two recipe titles got jumbled.

Happens all the time right? Mixing up vegetables and sweets right? No?! Geez you guys aren’t working with me at all today.

When our friends Josh and Elizabeth came over for our monthly dinner we sat around afterwards enjoying some wine and indulging in these amazing cookies. And as quickly as they were eaten I knew I had to make some more.

And at Hall Nesting Christmas time generally means some kind of food blogger cookie swap. I’ve made Peanut and Cookie Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies and then two years ago these Milk Chocolate and Macadamia Cookies. So this year I sent out 3 dozen of these and in return I received some Cherry Nut Nuggets, Cranberry Orange Cookies with White Chocolate & Pistachios, and Graham Chocolate Chips.

So after you snag the recipe for these insane Butterscotch Oatmeal Cookies go ahead and check those out as well!

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Butterscotch Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 sticks butter softened
• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/3 white sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups old fashioned oats
• 1 bag butterscotch chips

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
• Mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium sized bowl and set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer (or using a hand mixer) beat together the butter and both sugars until fluffy.
• Beat in vanilla and cinnamon. Add eggs, one at a time, scraping the bowl after each one.
• Add the flour mix into the creamed mixture in 2 to 3 batches, mixing it until just combined. Mix in the oats and butterscotch chips until just combined.
• Use your preferred size cookie scoop (or a regular spoon) to drop portions of dough onto a lightly greased cookie sheet, spacing them a couple inches apart. Bake for 13-15 minutes.

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You know what’s not fun? It’s when you run out of butter and peanut butter when making these cookies (obviously two main components). I made 6 dozen of these bad boys. Well actually I made a dozen with creamy peanut butter then realized I still needed to make 5 dozen more so I changed to chunky peanut butters. Why 6 dozen cookies you ask? 3 dozen more for a women’s church event and 3 for The 5th Annual Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap. – the whole reason this recipe is even in existence.

Who wouldn’t get excited about exchanging a bunch of cookies with other food bloggers, meeting new people, and all while raising money for Cookies for Kids’ Cancer? With both pregnancies all I craved were cookies so last year I made these and this year I made a batch of another one I craved. So my friend brought over these peanut butter chocolate chip cookies one night and I became wildly obsessed with them. And in true Hall Nesting fashion I had to add a few things.

These Peanut and Cookie Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies hit every note – salty, sweet, nutty, chocolatey (is that a word?) what else could you ask for? Oh ya and as you can gather from the long name because peanut butter and chocolate was not enough I decided let’s throw in a little cookie butter.

Have you had cookie butter from Trader Joe’s yet? My friend Lindsay introduced me to this stuff. Actually her exact words were you need to try this stuff and figure out a recipe to put it in. Challenge accepted as I ate my way through half a jar later…this stuff is that good.

Even though I’m no longer pregnant, my cookie cravings are still very strong. And I’ve always wanted to be one of those people who had a jar full of cookies in their house – I guess now I am.

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Peanut and Cookie Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Servings 12

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick unsalted butter at temperature
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg plus 1 egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2/3 cup chunky peanut butter*
• 1/4 cup cookie butter
• 3/4 cup chocolate chips

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
• Using an electric mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy. Add sugar and beat on high for 3-4 minutes.
• Add egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and beat until combined about 3 minutes.
• On a low speed and in the flour mixture. Then add in the peanut butter and cookie butter, mix until just combined.
• Stir in the chocolate chips.
• On a greased baking sheet, add about 1/4 cup cookie dough onto the sheet and flatten slightly. Repeat until all dough is used.
• Bake for 10-12 minutes and then allow to cool for 5 minutes.

Notes

*If you prefer no nuts, substitute creamy peanut butter

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You know those pregnancy cravings women talk about all the time? Well I got them.

If I wasn’t eating Jason’s Deli California Club sandwich than I would switch back and forth between Pepperidge Farm Sausalito cookies and their Chesapeake cookies. One was milk chocolate and macadamia nuts and the other was dark chocolate and pecans. Obviously you couldn’t go wrong with either.

After he was born I decided I just needed to make these myself so which one should I start with? Answer: the Sausalito cookies – Milk Chocolate and Macadamia.

This year I decided to participate in the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap. Not only was this a fun way to meet more bloggers, bake & receive lots of cookies, but also all the proceeds go to Cookies for Kids’ Cancer. This organization helps raise funds for research to treat and cure pediatric cancer.

The other great part is all the cookies you receive in the mail. My first batch was Peppermint Hot Cocoa Cookies from Megan at Nutrition Awareness. My second batch were Macadamia Nut and Pecan Snowballs from Krystal at Home Made Austin. And then last but not least were some Hot Cocoa Cookies from Meriem at Culinary Couture.

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Milk Chocolate Macadamia Cookies

Servings 24 cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter softened (2 sticks)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 brown sugar cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 cups macadamia nuts
• 2 cups milk chocolate chips
• Parchment paper

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place a sheet of parchment paper on each baking sheet.
• Beat together both sugars and butter. Add in the eggs and vanilla.
• In a separate bowl mix together the flour, salt and baking soda. Stir into the wet ingredients.
• Fold in the chocolate chips and macadamia nuts.
• Scoop large tablespoons of the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheets.
• Bake for 13-15 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to slightly cool before enjoying!

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I rarely cook or bake stuff on a whim. I can, but I rarely do – I am more methodical and like to sit down and plan. Just like when all my friends tell me I need to go a on cooking show challenge or something – definitely not my cup of tea but I do appreciate the vote of confidence! But Saturday I woke up and got to work on our very messy kitchen! You would think after my mama telling me for years to clean as I go it would stick but it doesn’t. Time ended up getting the best of me though because John informed me we had an hour until we had to leave to go to Josh’s to watch the Bama game. One hour to shower, get ready and come up with a few things to bring to snack on.

Luckily I knew I could whip together some Beer Cheese Dip at Josh’s place. I also decided to also take the Zucchini Apple Bread I had just worked on for my Bakin’ Friends, and then I got stuck. I knew I needed something sweet and thought that I should make some cookies since John loves them so much. Typically I would make my go to Salted Butterscotch Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookies but I didn’t have any of those ingredients. But what I did have was some bourbon and Dove Caramel Chocolate. Perfect, that was all I needed.

Use whatever bourbon you have on hand or by a little mini of one at the store if you are not a bourbon drinker. I hope I don’t get in trouble though because as soon as John sees this post he’ll notice I used his nice Bourbon in my cookies the last time I made these. Oh well that’s what made them taste so good and to justify it even more these were made just for him! Sorry Johnny!

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Bourbon Caramel Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter 2 sticks
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoon bourbon I have used Knob Creek, Basil Hayden's and Blanton's
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup Dove Caramel Chocolate Promises roughly chopped

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a standing mixer, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
• Add eggs and continue to mix. Then mix in bourbon and vanilla until well combined.
• In a separate bowl combine the flour, salt and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the batter and mix.
• With a spatula gently stir in the chopped Dove caramel chocolate.
• Scoop cookie dough with a spoon onto 2 baking pans prepared with parchment paper.
• Bake for 12-14 minutes.

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Pictures updated September 2015

Good thing I baked extra because the minute my back was turned they tried stealing some off my plate. I saw a recipe for Brown Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk cookies awhile back and wanted to try out the basic premise behind these. But then the other day I got even more excited when I saw these Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti.

So I thought why not throw them all in together and add some Heath toffee (random ingredient in my pantry I wanted to use but taste just as great without). Luckily I have a coworker, Rachel who I exchange treats with a lot that I can count on to take some of these off my hands so I don’t eat too many!

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Brown Butter Pistachio and Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 stick of butter
• 1 1/4 c. flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 c. light brown sugar
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 1 Egg
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 3/4 c. semi sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 c. pistachios shelled and chopped
• 1/3 c. toffee optional

Instructions

• Melt butter in sauce pan over medium heat. Constantly stir the butter for about 5-6 minutes, even when it bubbles/foams. It should be an amber color (if not heat a little longer). Take off heat and let it cool to room temperature.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
• In standing mixer, cream together 2 sugars and cooled butter using paddle attachment. Add in egg and vanilla. Stir until incorporated.
• Add in dry ingredients from bowl. Once fully stirred, by hand mix in chocolate chips, pistachios, and toffee. (The toffee gives the cookies another layer of flavor).
• Scoop dough with ice cream scooper onto a baking sheet. Press palm of hand into cookies to flatten them. Bake 7-9 minutes or until golden brown.
• Let it cool for about 10 minutes then enjoy with a big glass of milk!

The next ones I want to try on my list are some Andes Mint Cookies and since John is not a big mint fan I guess I will have to have them all to myself…and share one or two with Rachel.

Have a favorite cookie recipe? Please share!!

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