Maple walnut sandwich cookies bring together tender, nutty cookies, a fluffy maple filling, and a smooth maple glaze for a treat that tastes like fall in every bite. Cut them into leaf shapes and they look as charming as they taste.
What Makes These Maple Walnut Sandwich Cookies Special
- Ground walnuts baked right into the dough for cozy, nutty flavor
- A light maple cream filling sandwiched between two cookies
- A glossy maple glaze that sets to a soft shine
- Holds a clean shape, so leaf cutters look crisp
The dough chills before rolling, which keeps the edges sharp and the cookies sturdy enough to fill. Once they cool, you sandwich, glaze, and let them dry.
Chill the dough fully before rolling so the cookies keep their shape in the oven.
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Why You’ll Love These Maple Walnut Sandwich Cookies
- The maple walnut cookies are soft with a gentle crumb and real toasted-nut flavor.
- Three layers of maple, in the dough, filling, and glaze, mean the flavor really comes through.
- They look bakery-pretty but use simple, familiar pantry ingredients.
Ingredient Notes
Here are quick notes on the main players; the exact measurements in the recipe card cover the dough, filling, and glaze separately. Maple shows up in three forms, so each layer carries that flavor.
- Walnuts get ground fine and folded into the flour for nutty depth.
- Maple syrup and maple flavoring build the signature taste in the dough and frosting.
- Molasses adds a touch of warmth and color to the cookie base.
- Butter and shortening give the filling its light, fluffy texture.
- Confectioners sugar sweetens both the filling and the pourable glaze.
For equipment you will need a stand mixer, a food processor to grind the walnuts, a rolling pin, leaf-shaped cutters, and a cooling rack set over parchment to catch the glaze.
How to Make Maple Walnut Sandwich Cookies
Making maple walnut sandwich cookies happens in three easy stages: bake the cookies, mix the filling, then glaze. Take it one step at a time and it all comes together.
- Cream the butter, sugar, molasses, and maple syrup until light, then beat in the eggs one at a time.
- Pulse the walnuts fine and stir them into the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the dry mix to the wet, blend in the maple flavoring, and mix for 2 minutes.
- Chill the dough at least 1 hour, then roll it 1/4 inch thick and cut your shapes.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, then cool fully on a rack.
- Spread the maple filling on half the cookies and top each with a partner.
- Dunk each sandwich in the glaze and set on the rack to drip dry.
This batch makes about 16 sandwich cookies and the dough can be made 1 day ahead. You can also bake the cookies, store them, and fill them the next day.
Storage Options
These maple cookies keep well, which makes them handy for gifting or stashing ahead. Let the glaze set fully before you stack them.
- Store filled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Refrigerate for up to 1 week if your kitchen runs warm.
- Freeze unfilled cookies for up to 2 months, then thaw before filling and glazing.
Variations & Substitutions
The maple walnut base takes well to small tweaks. Make it your own with whatever suits your kitchen.
- Swap pecans for walnuts for a slightly sweeter, buttery nut flavor.
- Use real maple syrup boiled down a bit if you prefer not to use maple flavoring.
- Skip the glaze and leave them as plain sandwich cookies for a less sweet treat.
- Try other cutter shapes, like circles or hearts, for any season.
What to Serve with Maple Walnut Sandwich Cookies
These maple walnut sandwich cookies were made for a warm drink and a quiet afternoon. Pair them with something cozy and you have a lovely little spread.
- A pot of black tea or a spiced chai.
- Fresh coffee or a maple latte to echo the flavor.
- A scoop of vanilla ice cream alongside.
- A dessert plate with these rich whiskey pecan cookies or a slice of cool maple cream freezer tart.
A few common questions tend to pop up before the first batch, so here are quick answers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did my maple walnut sandwich cookies spread in the oven?
The dough was likely too warm. Chill it for the full hour and pop the cut shapes back in the fridge for a few minutes if your kitchen is hot.
Can I make the dough ahead of time?
Yes. The dough keeps in the fridge for a day and freezes well too. Let it soften slightly before rolling.
Can I use a different nut?
You can. Pecans or even hazelnuts work nicely; just grind them fine so they blend smoothly into the dough.
How thick should I roll the dough?
Aim for about 1/4 inch thick so the cookies bake evenly and stay sturdy enough to sandwich.
With three layers of maple flavor and a tidy leaf shape, these cookies feel a little fancy yet stay easy to pull off. Brew something warm, fill the cookie jar, and share a few.
Maple Walnut Sandwich Cookies
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Ingredients
- 3 sticks of butter softened
- 1½ cup sugar
- ¼ cup molasses
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 4 eggs
- 1½ cup walnuts
- 6 cups flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp maple flavoring see notes
- 1 stick of butter softened
- ¼ shortening
- 1 Tbsp milk
- 1 Tbsp maple flavoring
- 4 cups confectioners sugar
- 2 cups confectioners sugar
- ½ cup milk
- 2 tsp maple flavoring
Instructions
- In a stand mixer, cream together butter, sugar, molasses and maple syrup until light and fluffy. Add one egg at a time and mix just until incorporated.
- Place walnuts in a food processor and pulse until finely ground.
- Pour walnuts into a large mixing bowl and add flour, baking powder and salt. Stir to combine.
- By the heaping spoonful, add the dry ingredients to the wet. Mix just until combined. Add maple flavoring and mix over medium speed for two minutes.
- Refrigerate the dough for at least one hour. Roll the dough out ¼” thick and cut into your desired shape.
- Bake in a 350º oven for ten minutes. Cool cookies on cooling rack.
- Mix all ingredients for sandwich filling until light and fluffy. Spread on one cookie and top with another.
- Mix all ingredients for glaze until smooth. Dunk each cookie into glaze and place on cookie rack to drip dry.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi Melanie. I read this post last night but couldn’t bring myself to comment then, I was just staring at the continuing coverage and shaking my head at another senseless act of terrorism. Your recipe looks wonderful and I join you in prayers for healing, justice and peace. Healing for us all but especially the families of the fallen. Justice for those responsible, may it be swift and devastating. Peace. God Bless the USA.
a very lovely post.
Thank you Mimi!
When I first heard the news about the bombs, you and your family came to mind. I pray that God will give you the words that your children need to hear as they process the events that have unfolded.
Thank you for sharing something sweet on such a sad, sad day. Your cookies look absolutely delicious, as always!
Thank you for thinking of us. I’m just thankful that there weren’t any more casualties than there were. I think that many more lives would’ve been lost if the plan had gone out as intended. Still sad nonetheless.
violence anywhere in the world affects us all, so let us all pray for all involved in this act of evil!!
Amen Theresa.
Innocence becomes more and more precious. All the more reason for baking yummy cookies, comfort food, and giving lots of hugs. You know this more than most of us.
Oh how I agree with that thought. Innocence does become more precious.
Thanks for the lovely post. I live in Malaysia and yet my heart sank when I heard about the tragedy. It’s never easy or understandable when such unfathomable nonsense happens in the world. And you’ve done right. Bring a little sweetness in times of bitterness. Sometimes, a cookie means more than words. I’ll be on the lookout for maple flavouring.
Thank you Jayne. My heart is heavy for our world.
I hope you can find maple flavoring. Does Amazon deliver to your neck of the woods? They do carry it on there.
Thank you for the recipe, they sound delicious!! I am in BC, Canada and our hearts are breaking as well, such sad times
so thank you to you… for adding a little sweetness to the day…
I thought of your country while making these cookies. I kept humming Oh Canada, lol. They look very Canadian. Thank you for your words of support. I appreciate it.
I’m agreeing in prayer with you Melanie. I also have a question. What would happen if I used all maple syrup and no molasses? I have lot’s of the good stuff from my brother and would like to know if I could use more.
I haven’t tried it with straight maple syrup, but if I were to guess, I would think it would be just fine. Syrup is thinner, but there are 6 cups of flour in the recipe. I think it should be fine.
Thank You
So yummy! I love maple.
I thought about you when I heard the news as well. I am so saddened by what happened. Not only for the people who died, but those whose lives will be forever altered by the events. I am glad to hear that you and your family are well though, and that you are still cooking. The thing that keeps us going in times like these are focusing on the sunshine peaking through the clouds. Thanks for being that sunshine.
An Ontarian living in Memphis, this was a welcoming recipe to find today as I have still an ample supply of maple syrup (Ottawa valley) to use up before it crystalizes. I’ve made many maple pecan pies, but these cookies look great and I’ll make them this weekend and post a comment of how well it will taste. Thank you. (A terrible tragedy)