Add This To Chocolate Chip Cookies For 10X The Flavor And Softness That Lasts For Days

Soft and chewy, thin and crispy, or somewhere in between — chocolate chip cookies are endlessly customizable. If soft cookies are your preference, however, you've likely bitten into a days-old one only to find it tough and stale. To keep your batches chewy for as long as possible, consider adding maple syrup to your recipe. Not only will this sweet ingredient enhance the flavor, but it will also help keep your cookies soft and chewy for longer.

Maple syrup is more than just a classic pancake topping. It works well in baking, too, because liquid sweeteners help baked goods retain moisture. In professional bakeries, soft-textured cookies are often achieved using invert sugar, which is a syrup made by breaking down table sugar (sucrose) into simple sugars (glucose and fructose). Simple sugars act as humectants, meaning they draw moisture from the air and prevent sugar from crystallizing, keeping the cookie nice and soft over time.

Liquid corn syrup works similarly, which is why Alton Brown uses it in his chocolate fudge to keep it smooth. Pure maple syrup is mostly sucrose, but its liquid form — mixed with trace amounts of simple sugars — helps hydrate the dough and retain moisture after baking, keeping your cookies soft and chewy. 

Beyond helping maintain a soft texture, adding maple syrup to your cookies greatly enhances their flavor. However, keep in mind that pure maple syrup is best. Even though pancake syrup is made from corn syrup, it contains artificial flavorings and added thickeners that make it sweeter and denser, which can ruin your cookies' texture and taste. 

Instead, use a Grade A Dark maple syrup. This type of syrup is harvested later in the season, which gives it a more distinct maple flavor. This translates to an unbeatable caramel flavor in baked goods, and its depth of flavor is only strengthened when you add brown butter and brown sugar to the recipe. Trust us: Once you start adding maple syrup, we can guarantee you won't want to omit it again.

Before adding maple syrup to your favorite cookie recipe, keep in mind that you will need to adjust your liquid-to-dry ingredient ratio. This one rule is important, and failing to adjust ratios can lead to spread-out or excessively sweet cookies. For instance, you'll want to reduce the amount of granulated sugar your recipe calls for; otherwise, your cookie is likely to be too sweet. Once you get the ratios right, you're on track to baking your new favorite cookies.