Can I swap the maple syrup with brown sugar for vegan blondies?

Hii! I really want to try the vegan blondie recipes that us chickpeas, peanut butter, maple syrup and baking powder. My only issue is that I don’t have maple syrup. I’m thinking about using brown sugar instead but I’m worried that because maple syrup is obviously a liquid, the sugar might make the batter dry? Can I maybe dissolve the sugar in some water and use it perhaps? What’s the best substitute for the syrup here, please help!