Everyone loves the colors and flavors of fall, and these beautiful Autumn Leaf Sugar Cookies with Maple Syrup are colorful and delicious. Bake a batch of these easy-to-make cutout cookies to celebrate the season. Everyone loves them!
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We have made batches of these fall cookies flavored with maple syrup for fall parties and Halloween, and they are always a hit sitting on my Thanksgiving table.
It's pretty common with my family to pick out our favorite cookies and set them on plates with our names on them to have after dinner. It's about getting the prettiest, most colorful fall leaf cookie on the platter.
And if you love the pretty fall colors, make the Candy Corn Jello Cups to serve at your fall parties.
Jump to:
- Which fall cookie is your favorite?
- Cookie Ingredients
- 🍁Leaf cookie making tips
- How To Make Leaf Cookies: Step-By-Step
- How to shape the dough for cutout cookies
- How to reroll cookie dough scraps
- How to make your cookies look leafier
- Cookie FAQ's
- One Hot Oven cookie inspirations
- 🥄Baking Supplies
- Pin for later!
- More Fall-Inspired Recipes
- Recipe
- About Jere'
Which fall cookie is your favorite?
It's hard to pick a favorite when they are all so pretty.
Cookie Ingredients
🍁Leaf cookie making tips
These cookies take just seven ingredients and leaf-shaped cookie cutters. Have fun cutting out the leaf shapes and seeing what colors appear.
- This dough needs to chill for an hour. The dough is not thick and heavy, so plan for a little chillin time.
- Because these cookies are all about color, I have found using just red and orange colors combines to make the prettiest soft hues on the cookies. Of course, you can try different colors, like adding yellow or maybe a tiny amount of green. Experiment with colors!
- Just make sure to keep the colors as separated as possible so they don't combine into one color of dough. Just press the dough scraps together and reroll.
- You can add extra vanilla extract if you don't have maple syrup.
- To add extra maple flavor, maple extract to the dough instead of vanilla.
- Try adding some spice to the dough like cinnamon or nutmeg; even would be delicious.
- These cookies bake fast, just 7 minutes.
How To Make Leaf Cookies: Step-By-Step
How to mix and color the dough for the autumn colors
Step 1. Cream the softened butter in a large mixing bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer. Then add the brown sugar, salt and baking soda and mix at medium speed to combine.
Step 2. Add the egg, maple syrup, and vanilla, mix on medium speed to combine, then scrape the bowl. At this point, the batter will look curdled, that's OK.
Step 3. Add one cup of flour and mix on medium-low until combined, then add the rest of the flour and mix just until the flour is combined.
Step 4. Divide the dough into three equal portions, about ¾ cup each. Put two of the doughs in separate bowls and the other dough wrapped in plastic wrap.
Step 5. Add about a ⅛ teaspoon of red gel food coloring to one of the bowls and orange gel food coloring to the other bowl. Mix the food coloring into the dough, turn it out on a piece of plastic wrap, then wrap it up and place all three doughs in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
How to shape the dough for cutout cookies
Step 6 Heat the oven to 375 degrees F.—line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or a Silpat.
Step 7. Take the three doughs out of the refrigerator. Set out a rolling mat and lightly dust it with flour. Cut each dough into thirds and then, using one-third at a time, roll each color into a 10" rope. Keep the unused dough in the refrigerator until you need it.
Step 8. Place the three colored ropes on the floured mat and twist them together to make a twisted rope.
Step 9. Fold the twisted rope in half and press down with your hand to flatten it. Lightly dust the rolling pin and roll the dough to a ⅛" thick round.
Step 10. Using different types of leaf cookie cutters, cut out your cookies, and try to keep each cut-out as close as you can to the last one so there aren't a lot of scraps left over. Place each leaf cut-out on the baking sheet. The stem part of the cut-out is tricky sometimes and tends to break off, so watch for that.
How to reroll cookie dough scraps
Step 11. When all the cutouts are made, gently gather the flat scraps and press them together, leaving them as flat as possible to continue to get the random pattern.
Now you can reroll the dough to ⅛" thick and cut out more cookies, then again just push the leftover dough together, roll again and cut out more cookies. Sometimes, I get only one cookie each time, but doing this can mean many extra cookies.
What you don't want to do is gather all the scraps and roll them into a ball before enrolling, which will result in all the colors combining into one not-so-pretty color.
Step 12. Repeat cutting out cookies with the remaining dough.
Step 13. Bake the cookies for 7 minutes. When done, remove the cookies to a wire rack to finish cooling.
How to make your cookies look leafier
This is a super easy tip to add some character to your cookies. Place the cookies on the cookies sheet then with a sharp paring knife lightly cut in the leaf veins into the dough. Just a line down the center of the cookie and then cut in smaller lines on the sides.
Now that these gorgeous autumn cookies are baked, make a cup of your favorite tea or coffee and sit down and enjoy a cookie or two. Serve these cookies with a couple of Spiced Pumpkin Ice Cream scoops for a delicious fall dessert.
Cookie FAQ's
You can frost these cookies with powdered sugar icing, but it will cover up the pretty colors in the cookies.
You can freeze the cookies after you bake them. Just let the cookies cool, stack them between pieces of wax paper and place them in a freezer container. Let thaw at room temperature before eating.
This dough is soft, and before rolling and shaping, chilling the dough will firm it up so it is easier to work with. Also, when the dough has been chilled, cut-outs won't spread.
One Hot Oven cookie inspirations
- Try these Orange and Black Sprinkle Cookies for Halloween; ghosts and goblins love them.
- These Chocolate Shortbread Cookies are filled with crunchy cacao nibs for extra flavor.
- Ginger Spice Cookies are a family favorite baked with three types of ginger.
- If you like lemon, bake a batch of these Frosted Lemon Cookies.
- Instead of coloring the dough for the marble effect, try these Marbled Sugar Cookies and color the icing for the marbling.
🥄Baking Supplies
Red food color and Orange food color, and a flavorful maple syrup
You also need 2- to 3-inch leaf-shaped cookie cutters; my cutters are maple and oak leaves.
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Recipe
Autumn Leaf Maple Cookies
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Ingredients
- ½ cup butter softened
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 egg I use large eggs
- 4 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1¾ cups AP flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon maple extract optional
- ⅛ teaspoon red gel food color
- ⅛ teaspoon orange gel food coloring
Instructions
Mixing the dough
- Add the softened butter to a large mixing bowl and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy.
- Add the brown sugar, baking powder and salt, and mix it in on medium speed until incorporated.
- Add the egg, maple syrup, and vanilla and mix on medium to combine. The mixture may look curdled or separated. For more maple flavor add maple extract.
- Add one cup of flour, and beat on medium speed to combine, then add in the rest of the flour, and beat in until combined.
- Alternately, use a kitchen-aide mixer to complete the steps above.
Coloring the Dough
- Separate the dough into thirds. This should be approximately ¾ cups each or 6 ounces each.
- Wrap one of the doughs in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator, and put the other two doughs in two bowls.
- Place the other two pieces of dough in bowls and add about an ⅛ teaspoon of red and orange food coloring to each dough. Stir until the dough changes color. If the dough is not dark enough, add small amounts of food coloring to achieve the desired color.
- Wrap both of the doughs in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
Cutting out the Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 375° and prepare baking sheets with parchment paper or a Silpat
- Take the three doughs out of the refrigerator and cut into thirds. Using one third at a time place the doughs on a lightly floured surface for rolling.
- Roll each piece of dough into a 10"-12" rope and place all three ropes together on the floured surface. Holding one end of the dough, start rolling the dough toward you so the dough starts twisting. You will end up with one large twisted rope.
- Fold the dough in half and then using a lightly floured rolling pin roll out the dough to a ⅛" thick.
- Using leaf cookie cutters, start cutting out cookies, try to cut out the shapes close together so you do not have a lot of excess dough. Place the cut-outs on the baking sheet, then using a small paring knife, cut veins into each leaf.
- You will have scraps left from cutting out the cookies, place these to the side, and leave as flat as possible. When done cutting out each batch of cookies, take the scraps and start placing them close together, pressing with your fingers to form the dough. Lightly reroll the dough and cut out more cookies. You don't want to handle the colored pieces of scraps too much, or they will become one color of dough.
- Repeat cutting out the cookies. If you find the dough is getting soft, put it back into the refrigerator to chill.
- Bake the cookies for 7 minutes. Remove from the oven and place the cookies on a cooling rack
Notes
Nutrition
First published: Sept 15, 2020, Last updated: Aug. 25, 2023, for better readability
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About Jere'
From learning to cook on a farm in Indiana to culinary school in California, my passion for food is never-ending. Turning on my oven to bake something for friends and family is my happy place, and I am glad to be here at One Hot Oven sharing both sweet and savory family-friendly recipes for your cooking and baking inspiration.
Chef Dennis
My wife and I had so much fun making these cookies. And I've been enjoying them with my coffee and as snacks since we made them! I'll have to make another batch soon to give to friends.
Jere Cassidy
Thanks Dennis, this are the perfect cookies to give as gifts, everyone loves them.
Kari Alana
So ADORABLE Jere! This looks like such a fun and easy recipe and I am printing it to make it soon!
Emily
These cookies are just the cutest and also delicious! These would be perfect for dessert over the holidays!
Marta
Another hit with the family, Jere. I recruited the kiddos to help me in the kitchen making these sugar cookies and we all enjoyed the step by step instruction.
Amy Liu Dong
These are cute fall recipe to make for my kids and I am pretty sure they will love it!
I am going to try this, thank you!
Stine Mari
These cookies are gorgeous and so delicious. The perfect way to celebrate the beautiful autumn season.
Rosemary Mark
Very pretty! The brown sugar and maple are surely delicious.
Jere Cassidy
Yes, a great flavor combo.
Leslie
I like everything about this recipe! I love your use of fall colors with the leaf cutouts and your use of maple syrup. I need to make these with my kiddos!
Jere Cassidy
KIds love these cookies and try to figure out how all the colors get baked into the cookies.
Lesli Schwartz
These autumn cookies are so beautiful! They scream fall! I love a good sugar cookies, and will definitely be trying this recipe!
Shelley
Oh my goodness - these are just sooooo pretty! Brilliant to use a bit of maple syrup to really add to the autumn vibe. And I love the idea about having them out at Thanksgiving - I could totally see extending the way you guys claim your favorites, and turning them into little "name cards" at each person's place at the Thanksgiving table! Thanks for the super-fun idea! 😀
Jere Cassidy
These cookies are just so much fun and pretty as can be.
Priya Lakshminarayan
omg wow..they look so real! I am definitely making these
Roxana
This is so creative and festive. Perfect for fall and even the holiday season. Delicious cookies.
Jere Cassidy
Even though these are fall cookies you can definitely tint the dough for so many other occasions.
Taleen | Just As Tasty
Not only do these sound delicious, they're also super cute! Such a great Fall cookie idea!
Jere Cassidy
Thanks so much. You have that right these cookies are cute and delicious.
Noelle
Yum! And they are so cute for fall too, this will be perfect for my kiddos
Jere Cassidy
My kids still ask for these cookies. They grew up making them for school treats.
Kerry Sullivan
Jere, my kids grew up with these too, and it's "not fall" until we make them each year but I'd lost the original recipe and have experimented the last few years and never got it quite right. So pleased to find that you've shared the right recipe here; can't wait to surprise my now-in-their-20s with the original and best!
Jere Cassidy
I am so glad I finally posted this recipe because I love these cookies. My daughters still make these cookies and we have a lot of fond baking memories.
Emily Liao
Loved the shape of these cookies! Definitely gets you in the mood for Fall. But the cookies were so delicious and perfect texture.