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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!
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
Beat the butter with dark brown sugar and a high-quality espresso or instant coffee powder. 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.
Roll the dough into decently sized balls. This is a sticky dough, but if you’re having trouble, add a couple of tablespoons of additional flour.
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 butter on the stove. Then add everything to the brown butter and thin it out with some milk. 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.
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.
I made these as part of my Christmas cookie boxes. They were a huge hit! I thinned the icing with a little half and half and it never quite set but stayed creamy and dreamy. I’m making another batch today for a New Year’s party. They traveled well and still were moist and delicious six days after baking. The icing got squished and wasn’t as pretty but nobody cared.
Hey Leslie,
Happy New Year!!🎆 I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for giving it a try and sharing your review! xT
I made these and they were amazing!!
-I added a little extra flour
-I cut them out and chilled for 15 min each tray
-undercooked them slightly
-I used milk to thin the icing after adding powder sugar
It was SO good!!!
Hey Stefanie,
Happy Friday!! I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear this was enjoyed! xT
I made these last night and they turned out delicious except for a bitter aftertaste at the end, which I’m assuming was the Starbucks instant coffee powder that I used. I couldn’t find espresso powder. Would the instant coffee powder have a more bitter taste to it? I use 2 1/2 tablespoons but if I made them again I would either omit the coffee powder or try less. I also added a little milk to the icing which was perfect. What is your opinion on the bitter taste?
Hi Becky,
Thanks so much for trying these cookies! It could be the Starbucks brand, their coffee is pretty potent. You could skip the espresso powder next time or just use less. I hope this helps! xT
I made 6 different types of Christmas cookies and this was the hands down favorite, going to make another batch for New years!
Hey Liz,
Happy Wednesday!!🎇 I am delighted to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and appreciate you making it! xx
Really enjoyed these cookies, but mine did not spread and Crack as beautifully since I added a decent amount more flours since it was too sticky to form the balls. I ended up not using the icing after trying it on a couple since it was extremely sweet and an overkill in my mind. The cookies are great on their own.
Hi Regina,
Happy Holidays!!☃️ I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it was enjoyed! xT
Made these last night, Christmas Eve! I only cooked a dozen balls and chilled the rest for the kiddos to vut out & decorate tomorrow. Had a warm one with Abuelitas hot chocolate with Frangelico. It was heaven! OMG, I love, these! Can’t wait to try the cutouts with the icing today! MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Hey Debby,
Happy Monday!❄️ I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! xx
These are AMAZING! Made them with gluten-free flour and they were perfect. I wish I had read about thinning the icing BEFORE making the cookies/icing, as it was really thick, but now I know! A little note to other GF bakers (but they probably know this!) the GF flour I originally bought was NOT 1:1 so they were a mess, so I went out and got the real GF 1:1 flour, and all was great! THANK YOU – such a fantastic cookie!!!
Hey Bev,
Happy Monday!❄️ I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! Thanks for sharing what worked well for you! xx
These are the BEST!! We didn’t even get the frosting made because we gobbled them up so quickly. The espresso adds such amazing depth of flavor. We’ll make them for years to come!
Hey Kelly,
Happy Monday!❄️ I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! xx
Mine tasted awful. I want to remake them because I really want them to be amazing. I used regular molasses and Folgers instant coffee. Is that my mistake?
Hi Lyn,
So sorry to hear this recipe was not enjoyed!! I would try the blackstrap molasses, but the Folgers instant coffee powder should have been just fine. What did they taste like? xx
For everyone who had issues with the icing, the trick is to add a little bit of milk after you add the powdered sugar (as Tieghan writes in the blog post) – turned out perfect.
Thanks for a great reciepe – Merry Christmas to you and yours!
Thanks so much Samantha! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Happy Holidays! xT
Just made these for Christmas and the cookie was absolutely delicious! I did add more flour than what it called for and they turned out chewy with lots of flavor. The icing turned into more of a frosting for me so I piped a small swirl on top and they looked beautiful but not overly frosted. Will make again and again!
Hey Emily,
I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Merry Christmas! 🎁🎄
Total flop. Added the additional T of flour and dough was still soft, chilled for a bit but obviously not long enough bc I had a melty mess on my hands. Wish I would’ve read reviews and picked a different recipe..
Hi Dan,
Sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy this recipe, most everyone had success with the cookies themselves. Please let me know if there is anything that I can help with! Happy Holidays! xx
Cookie recipe is fantastic (didn’t try the frosting). Shared with neighbors and my son and husband and these did not last long. A lot of Grinch reviews so these cookies made our house hearts and stomachs grow 2 times larger – thank you!
Hey April,
I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Merry Christmas! 🎁🎄
I just made this recipe and we LOVE them!!!! I didn’t add the espresso powder (couldn’t find it at my local store). Otherwise I followed the recipe exactly, I did not add any extra flower. The icing is such a great touch. Ugh cannot wait to eat all of these and make them again!
Hey Andrea,
Happy Monday!❄️ I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! xx
Gave these to a neighbor and they can’t stop talking about them. Thanks for a great cookie recipe!
Hey Susan,
I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Merry Christmas! 🎁🎄
These cookies are amazing! I was quite nervous after reading the reviews but these turned out sooo good. Subbed the butter for vegan butter and added slightly more flour (maybe a quarter cup) to counter the extra grease from the vegan butter! The icing was perfect, didn’t clump as some people experienced. We only added 2 TBSP of instant coffee powder which was perfect for us. Looking forward to making these again next Christmas! Merry Christmas Teighan! X
Hey Lily,
I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Merry Christmas! 🎁🎄