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Soft Gingerbread Latte Cookies with Brown Butter Icing. A cross between a really great soft, chewy gingerbread cookie and a delicious steaming gingerbread latte made with real espresso. These cookies are made with sweet dark brown sugar, molasses, ginger, and the real secret – espresso powder. They’re generously glazed with a sweet, thick, and creamy brown butter icing that melts in your mouth. You can make them as drop cookies or as Christmas cutouts, there’s really nothing not to love! They’re the perfect holiday cookie to bake, share, and gift this holiday season!
Ingredients
- Salted butter
- Light or dark brown sugar
- Espresso powder or instant coffee powder
- Vanilla extract
- Large egg
- Blackstrap molasses
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Ground ginger
- Ground cinnamon
- Kosher salt
- Granulated sugar
- Powdered sugar
- Milk
- Vanilla bean powder
What you will need in the kitchen:
- Parchment paper
- Mixing bowl
- spatula
- Small bowl
- Tablespoons
- Prepared baking sheets
- Christmas cookie cut outs
- Airtight container
- wire rack
- electric mixer
More cookies!! When I say I have been baking cookies non-stop, I mean it. These took me days. They’re the simplest cookie, but it took a long time to figure out how to get them from just ok to the amazing Christmas cookie I envisioned in my head.
The amount of gingerbread cookies I’ve baked in a week’s time is unreal, but look at these!! Oh, they are so, so yummy! And now I can look at them and truly say I really love these.
These are soft and chewy gingerbread. I did both drop cookies and cutouts, but I think I love the drop style more. Either way, they’re my favorite gingery cookie!
When I set out to make these, I really wanted to achieve a gingerbread that was chewy all around, soft, and not like other gingerbread cookies.
For some reason, the sound of a gingerbread latte cookie really excited me. I thought back to the gingerbread latte I created long ago, and then the mocha-cinnamon rolls I made last year. I love the added depth of flavor the espresso adds, so I knew these cookies needed three things. Lots of ginger, some espresso mixed in, and then, they also needed to be chewy.
Here are details
Step One
Let’s start by preheating the oven to 350 and lining two baking sheets with parchment paper! Easy! Next, In a medium mixing bowl, beat the butter with dark brown sugar and a high-quality espresso or instant coffee powder to create a butter mixture. Then add egg and molasses. Next, add the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, and salt. That’s the dough. It’s perfectly spiced and the espresso only helps to highlight the warming spices.
Step Two
Roll the dough into walnut-size balls. You can use a tablespoon measure for the correct size. This is a sticky dough, but if you’re having trouble, add a couple of tablespoons of additional flour.
Step Three
Then just bake. That’s literally it if you’re making drop cookies. Which are probably my preferred cookie, but only because they’re chewier than the cutouts.
If you want to make the cutouts, add some additional four flour to the dough. Then the key is to roll the dough out onto a piece of parchment paper.
Just as I do with my sugar cookies, I always like to roll out the dough, cut the cookies, and then freeze the cut cookies on a baking sheet for a few minutes. This ensures that the cookies hold their shape. To cut my cookies, I used Christmas tree cutters. But you can use any shapes you have on hand, or that your family loves the most.
On to the icing
This icing is everything. Just a handful of ingredients, but I love the nutty brown butter flavor and creaminess. It’s what makes these cookies really melt in your mouth.
The ingredients: butter, sugar, vanilla, a pinch of cinnamon, and salt.
The key is to brown the salted or unsalted butter (your choice) on the stove in a small or medium saucepan. Add the butter to a pot set over medium heat to brown the butter. Allow the brown butter to brown lightly until it smells toasted, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for five minutes. Once cooled, add everything to the brown butter and thin it out with some milk. This includes whisking in the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, a pinch of cinnamon, and salt. Ice each cookie quickly, the frosting does set up pretty quickly.
This combo of ginger, espresso, and brown butter is unexpected, but I’m finding that everyone LOVES it. You won’t even detect the espresso, it just compliments the ginger and cinnamon so wonderfully. The result is a perfectly chewy, gingery, molasses cookie with rich notes of espresso, vanilla, and ginger.
We couldn’t love these easy gingerbread cookies more. And the frosting really makes them special. Hope you guys love these just as much as I do!
Looking for Christmas cookie recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Chewy Frosted Cinnamon Swirl Snickerdoodles
Easy Slice ‘n’ Bake Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies
Easy Vanilla Bean Christmas Lights Cookies
Lastly, if you make these Soft Gingerbread Latte Cookies with Brown Butter Icing be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Soft Gingerbread Latte Cookies with Brown Butter Icing
Servings: 22 cookies
Calories Per Serving: 250 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 sticks salted butter, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup light or dark brown sugar
- 2-4 tablespoons espresso powder or instant coffee powder
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1/3 cup blackstrap molasses
- 2 1/4 cups, plus 1-2 tablespoons, as needed all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- granulated sugar, for rolling
Brown Butter Icing
- 1 stick salted butter, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 -2 cups powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoos milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean powder
- 1 pinch cinnamon
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. 2. In a mixing bowl, beat together the butter, brown sugar, espresso, and vanilla until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Add the egg, mixing to combine. Then, add the molasses and mix to combine. Add the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, and salt, beating until combined. 3. Place the sugar in a small bowl. 3. For drop cookies: Roll the dough into tablespoon-size balls (if the dough is too sticky, add 2-4 additional tablespoons flour), then roll through the sugar. Place on the prepared baking sheet, spacing the cookies 2 inches apart. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the cookies are just starting to set around the edges, the centers should be a little doughy. Let cool on the pan. 4. For cutouts: Divide the dough in half. Roll out the dough on a floured piece of parchment paper to 1/4 inch thickness. Make sure you're using enough flour or your dough will stick. Cut out the cookies into desired shapes. Transfer the cookies to a parchment-lined baking sheet. I recommend using a floured spatula to lift the cookies. Cover the baking sheet and place in the freezer until firm, 15 minutes. Roll out the leftover scraps, and repeat with the remaining dough. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until just set.5. Meanwhile, make the icing. Add the butter to a pot set over medium heat. Allow the butter to brown lightly until it smells toasted, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat. Let cool 5 minutes. Whisk in the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, a pinch of cinnamon, and salt. Immediately spread the icing over the cookies, it will set quickly. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
This post was originally published on December 6, 2022
These are sooo tasty! Great Christmas cookie! Thx for your wonderful inspiration!
Thanks so much Angela!! I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe and appreciate you giving them a try! Happy Holidays! xx
The cookie recipe was quick and easy I struggled a little with the icing is mine got really sick and I couldn’t drizzle but I was able to save it by making a basic icing and whisking it in perfection! If I could’ve posted a picture I would have they come out beautiful❤️🎄
Hey Bonnie,
Thanks for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback! Sorry about the icing, but glad you were able to save it! Happy Holidays! xT
These cookies are so delicious. I saw the recipe on Instagram and couldn’t wait to try them. Mine didn’t look at good as yours but they taste amazing. They are rich, spicy and the salted butter brings such a nice balance. The texture is so soft and gooey while maintaining their integrity. This recipe is a keeper.
Thanks so much Rachel!! I love to hear that these cookies were enjoyed and appreciate you making them! xT
Hey Tieghan,
I hope you are doing well. These cookies are amazing and were a big hit!! I made them for a Christmas Potluck party yesterday morning for my fitness boot camp. My trainer was loving them and, my friend’s daughter loved them so much as well thank you!! Its always great when others love what you make. I will probably make more for my friend’s daughter as she loved them. She was excited to have a little care package of cookies to take home. Thanks again for a great cookie recipe.
Hey Mike,
Happy Monday!❄️🎄 I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review, so glad to hear it was enjoyed! xT
What is the best way to store these if I made them today and want to serve them in about a week (8 days)?
Also, great recipe. The frosting will be very thick if you follow the recipe exactly. But if you add a tablespoon of milk and whisk well like other comments suggest, it’s very easy to drizzle and delicious. Just drizzle fast! Like she mentions above, it sets quickly!
Hi Chelseigh,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try! I would freeze these if you aren’t serving for another 8 days. Please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy Holidays! xT
These cookies are delicious!!! I made them without the frosting, just to save a bit on my sweet tooth, but the flavor is still incredible! Soft, chewy, and packed with good holiday spices!
Hey Gretchen,
Awesome!! Thanks so much for trying these cookies, I love to hear that they were enjoyed! Happy Holidays! xT
These are ridiculously good. So happy to add these to the annual holiday cookie rotation. I originally thought the icing was too much (buttery/rich) and took away from the delicious cookie but my family said “DO NOT CHANGE. A THING” so I guess I can’t lol
Hey Jen,
Happy Holidays!! Thanks so much for making these cookies, I am so glad they turned out well for you! xT
These may be my new favorite cookie! However, like others have stated, the brown butter icing was a disaster and not pourable. I made it twice and the second time I even sifted the powdered sugar. It helped a little but it still was to think to drizzle. I just realized in the blog post she mentions thinning it out with some milk. That would have been helpful to have in the actual recipe. Nowhere does the recipe say anything about thinning it out with milk. I will definitely try these again and do just that, but for the Christmas party I’m bringing them to tomorrow the icing won’t look that pretty. They sure do taste amazing though!
Hi Kristina,
Happy Sunday! I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it was delish! xx
Hi! I tried to make the icing and everything was going great until I added the sugar. The icing totally concealed and there wasn’t enough moisture to having that runny/ribbony drizzle texture. i added milk and then the oils starting separating. Do you know why this might be and how I can fix it?
Hi Linda,
Thanks for trying this recipe, so sorry to hear you had some issues! You did use powdered sugar right? Also, was your milk cold? Adding cold milk to the warm ingredients may have been the issue. I hope this helps! xx
Also added a TBSP of milk to the icing as another person commented on that and made it more spreadable as opposed to all clumped up and difficult to work with.
That’s great!
My cookies are as flat as pancakes.
What am I doing wrong?
I’ve added extra flour with no luck:/
Hi Barbara,
Thanks for giving this recipe a try, sorry to hear they are flat. Extra flour is not going to make them fluffy:) Was there anything you adjusted in the recipe? Were any of your ingredients expired? Let me know how I can help! xT
is that sea salt or sugar on top of icing?
Hi Elle,
It’s sea salt:) Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope these turn out well for you! xx
The cookie is amazing for the first try! You DEFINITELY have to add 4 TBSP flour in order to roll the cookies. I flatten each sugar-rolled cookie with the bottom of a glass. NOW-onto that epic fail icing-sorry-usually not so negative on comments-but did read other comments and added a sprinkle of pink himalayn sea salt on top!
Hi Sharon,
Thanks for giving these cookies a try, I am so glad they were enjoyed. Sorry you had a hard time with the icing, did you try adding some milk? Let me know how I can help! xx
I made these for a cookies and cocktails party and they were a huge hit! They were everyone’s favorite. They are delicious and so soft and chewy which is a must for me. The brown butter icing puts them over the top. I will definitely be making these every year.
Hey Stephanie,
Happy Holidays!! Thanks so much for making these cookies, I love to hear that they were enjoyed! xT
Delicious!! I used black treacle in place of the blackstrap molasses and the cookies are moist and delicious. I was not able to easily ice them though. The icing was too buttery and hardened very quickly, so drizzling it was difficult. Suggestions for next time?
Hey Joni,
Happy Sunday! I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it was delish! The icing is definitely thick, you can try adding some milk next time! xx
Haven’t tasted yet but they smell and look divine!!
Thanks so much for making these cookies Kelsie!! I hope they are delish! xT
I can’t find blackstrap molasses anywhere! Can I substitute regular molasses?
Following!!
I got my molasses and espresso powder on Amazon.
I got the molasses and espresso powder from Amazon.
Hey Amy,
That should be okay for you to use:) Let me know how the cookies turn out, I hope you love them! xx