Sugar-Free Glazed Maple Leaf Cookies

These sugar-free glazed maple leaf cookies are buttery crisp roll-and-cut sugar cookies with a maple glaze and finished with walnuts.

If you're already planning out your fall cookie baking, check out my other sugar-free cookie recipes for more ideas.

Glazed maple leaf cookies with chopped walnuts arranged on a white plate, ready to serve.

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I had a craving for those maple leaf cream sandwich cookies from Aldi's. They remind me of the 90s and much simpler times. And I always wanted to make a fully dipped cookie with a hard shell, but when I landed on Delish's maple leaf cookies, I got inspired to create my own version built around my roll-and-cut sugar-free cookie base.

I also borrowed from Delish's icing technique. So pretty ribboning off the whisk! You have to work quickly and carefully as you dip, but the glossy maple glaze and sprinkle of walnuts on top turn out so beautiful! I hope you love them as much as I did making them for you!

Ingredients

Okay, let's get into it. Here is what'll you need to make these sugar-free glazed maple leaf cookies:

Almond flour, chopped walnuts, butter, sugar, an egg, cinnamon, maple syrup, and flour laid out on a counter.

Maple syrup, butter, brown sugar, powdered sugar, cinnamon, cream, and chopped walnuts arranged on a counter.

Find the complete ingredient amounts and step-by-step instructions in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post (or use the "jump to recipe" button at the top of the post).

Here's a few notes about key ingredients:

Maple waffle protein powder: I recommend a sugar-free milk protein isolate like Keto Chow's Maple Waffle flavor, which has xanthan gum and acacia fiber added for better texture. 80% casein/20% whey blends may also work. Weigh it since protein powder scoops vary.
Granulated sugar-free sweetener: I used Lakanto Classic, an erythritol and monk fruit blend for a crispy texture.
Brown sugar-free sweetener: I used Swerve Brown, an erythritol and allulose blend. Melting it with butter and cream is what gives the icing its caramel color.
Powdered sugar-free sweetener: I recommend an erythritol sweetener here, like Swerve Confectioners. Allulose-based powdered sweeteners will not let the icing set properly.

How To Make

These take a little patience between the rolling, chilling, and dipping so read carefully and follow my tips. Here's how to make them successfully:

Before you get started: Soften the butter for the dough and bring your egg to room temperature. Have a leaf-shaped cookie cutter, a small offset spatula, and two sheets of parchment paper ready for rolling. You'll preheat the oven to 325°F later, after the dough chills, not right now.

Chopped walnuts and ground cinnamon in a glass bowl, ready to mix into the dry ingredients.

A whisk combining almond flour, chopped walnuts, and cinnamon into a dry mixture in a bowl.

Butter and granulated sugar in a glass bowl, ready to be creamed together.

Butter and sugar creamed together until light and fluffy with a hand mixer in a glass bowl.

Mix the dry ingredients, then wet ingredients. Whisk together the almond flour, protein powder, walnuts, coconut flour, and cinnamon first. Beat the butter and sweetener until creamy, then beat in the egg, maple syrup, and maple extract, then add the dry mixture.

An egg and maple syrup added to creamed butter in a glass bowl, ready to be mixed in.

Overhead view of creamy butter mixture in a glass bowl with a hand mixer, brown sugar and chopped walnuts nearby.

Roll the dough between parchment paper, not on the counter. This dough is delicate, so rolling it between two parchment sheets dusted with coconut flour keeps it from sticking and makes it easy to transfer to the pan.

A maple leaf cookie cutter pressed into rolled dough, cutting out a single leaf shape.

Lift each cutout with a small offset spatula. The dough tears easily if you try to lift it with your fingers, so an offset spatula keeps the leaf shapes clean. Gather the scraps and re-roll them to cut the rest.

Twelve unbaked maple leaf-shaped cookies arranged in rows on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Freeze the cut cookies for 20 minutes before baking. This chills the butter back down so the leaves hold their shape and edges in the oven instead of spreading. Preheat the oven while they freeze.

Freshly glazed maple leaf cookies topped with walnuts, cooling in rows on a wire rack.

Cool the cookies completely on the pan. They're soft right out of the oven and firm up as they cool, so don't try to move them early or they'll fall apart.
Make the icing, then work quickly. Melt the brown sweetener, butter, and cream together until it looks like caramel, then whisk in the maple syrup, extract, and nutmeg, followed by the powdered sweetener. Dip one side of each cookie, set it on a rack, and scatter walnuts on top while the icing is still wet.

Close-up of a glazed maple leaf cookie topped with chopped walnuts, cooling on a wire rack.

Olivia's TOp Tips

Roll between parchment, not on the counter. Dust the parchment with coconut flour first so the dough doesn't stick as you roll it out.
Keep the dough cold. If it gets too soft to cut cleanly, pop it back in the freezer for a few minutes before continuing.
Weigh your almond flour and protein powder. Scooped measurements pack down differently and can throw off the texture of the dough.
BE CAREFUL. The icing will be hot. It's made like caramel, so let it cool for a minute before you start dipping, but you'll need to work quickly or it will crystallize. If it hardens you can reheat it gently and add a little cream. Use a dipping tool or tongs if you'd rather not use your fingers when dipping the cookies.
Have your walnuts ready before you start dipping. The icing sets quickly so you need to scatter them on while it's still wet.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a different protein powder?

I recommend a milk protein isolate since that's what I tested. If yours isn't maple flavored, you can add a little extra maple extract to make up for it. If it doesn't already have xanthan gum in it like Keto Chow does, add ½ teaspoon to help the dough hold together the same way. 80% casein/20% whey blends may also work.

Why do the cookies need to be dipped quickly and carefully?

This icing is made like a mini caramel, so it crystallizes quickly. Have your walnuts and cookies ready to go before you start dipping so you're not racing the icing while it sets. AND BE CAREFUL, the icing will be hot so it's best to use some kind of dipping tool so you don't burn your fingers (like I did during testing!)

Find the printable recipe card below with all ingredient measurements, instructions, and my notes.

If you loved this recipe, try these others: