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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 SO good! But mine didn’t get as crackled on the top as the picture, but still pretty. Icing doesn’t drizzle like I thought but it spread nicely. Taking to my book club tonight-I expect they will be a hit!
Hey Sarah,
Happy Friday! ☃️ So glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, I appreciate you making it! xT
I can’t have coffee. Can I leave the espresso out entirely? Do I need to substitute something else for the consistency to remain the same? Is there a non-coffee alternative that would be a good substitute? Eager to try these. Thanks Tieghan!🥰
Hi Danette,
You can go ahead and skip the espresso, that should be just fine for you to do! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
Wow! Delicious! I’m sure better with backstrap, but all I had on hand was unsulfered regular. Still tastes great. Used 3 T of espresso powder, nice stronger flavor. Had to add about a tablespoon of water to icing to make it more pourable. Still hardened on top of cookies. Recipe made about 30 cookies.
Hey Kim,
Fantastic!! So glad to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a bunch for giving it a try! xx
I just made these and used 1 teaspoon of espresso powder and they turned out delicious. They needed quite a bit of bench flour to be able to roll out into shapes – these are not my our typical cut out cookies so I had to be extra careful in shaping them.
Hey Mara,
Thanks so much for making these cookies, so glad to hear that they were enjoyed!! Happy Holidays! xx
Made these last night. I bungled the frosting, but the cookies were out of this world!
Hi Annie,
Fantastic!! So glad to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a bunch for giving it a try! xx
These look amazing! However, I am baking for someone who is very sensitive to caffeine. Is it okay to cut down on the amount of espresso powder or leave it out altogether?
Hey Katy,
Sure, you could just do 1 tablespoon or skip it:) Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xT
I just made these (having a first-attempt go at cookie boxes this season!) and they are AMAZING. I had to sneak just one to taste-test and it really is delish. I followed the recipe and got 40 cookies. The icing amount worked out perfectly. Despite my icing the cookies right away, the icing is on the slightly thicker side so it’s less of a drizzle and more of a gentle smear to ice the cookies. Watching your video on Insta first was helpful, so thank you! I’ve bookmarked this recipe and may make a second batch to freeze just for us to enjoy later. 🙂
Hey Shaunna,
Amazing!! Thanks so much for making these cookies!!🎄 I love to hear that they were enjoyed:) Thanks for your feedback and kind message! Happy Holidays! xT
These are absurdly tasty and very easy to make. LOVE this recipe. Definitely a keeper for me.
Lol thanks so much Ashley!! So glad to hear these cookies were enjoyed, thanks for making them! xx
These are our new favorite cookie! I used a shot of espresso because I didn’t have espresso powder and they turned out perfect still.
Hey Victoria,
Happy Wednesday!! I truly appreciate you giving this recipe a try and sharing your review, so glad to hear it was a hit:)
Is there a difference between blackstrap molasses and just regular molasses? And would it matter? Thank you
Hey Denise,
Yes, there is a difference:) It’s the number of times the juice is boiled that makes all the difference. Light or regular molasses is produced after the second boiling. Blackstrap molasses is what comes from a third boiling, and it’s very bitter For this recipe, you will want to use the blackstrap molasses! I hope you love these cookies! xT
Tips for going gluten free with this recipe? I don’t normally bake GF so I’m not familiar with substitution amounts and if anything else needs to change!
Hey Karli,
You can definitely try doing this recipe with an equal amount of gluten free flour. I haven’t tested it, but let me know how it turns out for you! xx
Omg these look amazing! Is it just half a stick of butter or one and a half for the cookie portion? I want to make sure I’m reading correctly, we use grams in Canada so I’m trying to convert. Also how much espresso powder? It doesn’t say, just says add. Thanks so much!
Hi Elizabeth,
The recipe calls for 1 1/2 sticks of butter in the cookies, one stick is equal to 113 grams. The icing has 1 stick of butter or 1/2 cup. I hope this helps! The espresso has been added to the recipe;) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
I’m reading one and a half sticks in the cookies….one stick for the frosting. I’m confused by how much butter in the cookies themselves. Would love to make these. Clarification? Again? Sorry!
I’m seeing it the same as you are 😀 According to the recipe, it appears there are 1 1/2 sticks of butter in the cookie dough itself, which is equal to 3/4 cup of butter. And a separate stick of butter for the frosting.
Hi Dianne,
You are using 1 1/2 sticks of butter in the cookies and 1 stick of butter in the icing. Please let me know if there is anything else you need help with! xx
Hi Tieghan!
Can you please clarify this – in the instructions (both print and web) it says 1.5 sticks of butter – but here you are saying 2 sticks, curious which is correct? Thanks! Jess
Hey Jess,
You will want to use 1 1/2 sticks of butter in the cookies and 1 stick of butter in the icing. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
“The ingredients: butter, sugar, vanilla, a pinch of cinnamon, and salt.”
” 1 stick salted butter, at room temperature; 1 1/2 -2 cups powdered sugar; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 1 pinch cinnamon; sea salt”
Why should everyone in the comments be discussing the need for milk? If it is needed in the recipe, shouldn’t it be listed? Such a strange problem with recipes on this “recipe” website.
Hi Kristen,
Sorry for any confusion, I talk about adding milk to the icing in the narrative of the blog post if the icing is too thick. I will add that to the instructions, my mistake:) Happy Holidays! xT
Thanks so much for answering, can’t wait to make them this weekend!!
You need to add the missing expresso powder to the PRINT version , Please.
Couldn’t you just print your recipe and write 2-4 T espresso powder on it?
Hi Terri,
You are going to need to reprint the recipe, the espresso was fixed after you printed:) xx
Hello from Denver. These look so good. Do you know if this recipe needs adjusted for altitude. I’ve been waiting so much butter. Thanks Heather
Hey Heather,
You can go ahead and follow this recipe as written:) Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love these cookies! xx
Hi Tieghan, these look yummy, I’m wondering if they would freeze ok till Xmas?
Hey Alice,
Totally, that would be just fine for you to do! Let me know how these cookies turn out, I hope you love the recipe! xx