Snowflake Sugar Cookies with Maple Icing

Snowflake sugar cookies decorated with maple icing

Snowflake Sugar Cookies (with Maple Icing)

Buttery, clean-edged cut-out cookies that hold their shape, finished with a mellow maple glaze for the prettiest winter bakes.

Prep: 25 min (+ chill) Bake: 8–10 min/batch Yield: ~28–32 3-inch cookies Category: Cookies

Ingredients

Cookies

  • 2 ¾ cups (330 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp fine sea salt
  • 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract (or 1 tsp vanilla + ¼ tsp almond extract)

Maple Icing

  • 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar
  • 2–3 Tbsp pure maple syrup
  • 1–2 tsp milk (as needed for consistency)
  • Pinch fine salt (balances sweetness)
Equipment: Snowflake cutters, rolling pin, parchment, sheet pans, wire rack, small piping bags or zip bags for icing.

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Cream the butter & sugar. In a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, beat butter and sugar on medium until pale and fluffy, 2–3 minutes. Scrape bowl.
  2. Egg & vanilla. Mix in egg and extracts until smooth.
  3. Dry ingredients. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to mixer on low until a soft dough forms and no floury patches remain. Do not overmix.
  4. Chill. Divide dough in half; press into 1-inch thick discs. Wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour (2 hours is ideal). Chilling relaxes gluten, firms the fat, and helps the cookies keep sharp edges.
  5. Roll. Work with one disc at a time on lightly floured parchment. Roll to ¼-inch (6 mm) thickness. Dust off excess flour.
  6. Cut & re-chill. Cut snowflakes and transfer to a parchment-lined sheet, spacing 1 inch. For super-clean shapes, slide the sheet into the freezer for 10 minutes before baking.
  7. Bake. Bake at 350°F (177°C) until edges look set and tops lose raw shine but remain pale, about 8–10 minutes depending on size. Cool 5 minutes on the pan, then move to a rack to cool completely.
  8. Make the maple icing. Whisk powdered sugar, 2 Tbsp maple syrup, and a pinch of salt. Add milk drop by drop until you reach a 15-second icing (a ribbon disappears in ~15 seconds). Adjust thicker for outlining or thinner for flooding.
  9. Decorate. Pipe outlines (optional), then flood centers. Add sprinkles while wet if you like. Let cookies dry uncovered until surface is set and matte, 2–4 hours (or overnight).
Make-ahead: Dough discs keep 3 days refrigerated or 2 months frozen. Baked (undecorated) cookies freeze well up to 2 months; thaw, then ice.

Pro Tips, Variations & Storage

  • No spread secrets: Weigh flour, chill dough, roll on parchment, and bake on cool pans lined with parchment—never greased.
  • Ultra-sharp edges: Freezing the cut shapes on the tray for ~10 minutes before baking helps them hold crisp details.
  • Flavor twists: Add ½ tsp almond extract; or whisk ½ tsp ground cinnamon into the flour for “snow-spice.”
  • Icing consistency: For delicate lines, aim for a thicker (20-second) icing; for fill/flood, thin to a slow-moving ribbon.
  • Storage: Once icing is fully dry, store airtight at cool room temp up to 4 days, separating layers with parchment.
  • Gifting: These look stunning in cookie tins—layer with parchment and tuck in a handwritten note.
Yield
~28–32 cookies (3-inch cutters)
Active Time
~25 minutes (plus 1–2 h chilling)
Total Time
~2 hours 15 minutes
Category
Desserts • Cookies