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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.
The cookies turned out great! The icing, though, needed help. I added a bit of cream to thin it out and to keep it from separating. I also will use less ginger next time, but that’s a personal preference. And I will definitely make these again.
Thank you so much Nicole! 🙂 xT
I want to make these cookies for a cookie exchange.
Can I freeze them iced/not iced and then pack them for a cookie exchange?
Hi Vera,
You bet, I would freeze them not iced:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
As many of the previous commenters, I also had trouble with the frosting. I’ve attempted this frosting twice and still can’t figure out what I’m doing wrong after following the directions exactly.
Hi Lauren,
Thanks for giving this recipe a try! What is happening with your frosting? If it is setting too quickly or too thick you can add some warm milk to it. If that is not the issue, please let me know how I can help! xx
I also had problems with icing…eg. butter and sugar separating.
Browned the butter per your suggestion, but the icing sugar just became lumpy mess.
cookies tasted great.
Hi Russ,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, so glad to hear the cookies turned out well for you!! So sorry to hear about your frosting! You could add some milk to the frosting if needed! xx
These were AMAZING! I love to bake and these are probably the best cookies I have ever made. They seriously just melt in your mouth. These are absolutely going into my fall/winter time rotation of cookies.
Hey Bridgette,
I appreciate you making this recipe and your feedback! So glad it was enjoyed:) Have a great week! xT
The recipe sounds real great! I was wondering if I can leave the espresso out, can I add cocoa powder or a bit more flour (the cookies are for the kids? Can I substitute the molasses with maple or honey? Thanks ☺️🎄
Hi Dunja,
You could try adding some more flour in place of the espresso. I would not recommend substituting the molasses:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
Would the recipie still work if you used real espresso instad of the powder?
Hi Judah,
For best results, you are going to want to use the powder for this recipe. Please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy Thanksgiving! xT
Delicious biscuits(cookies), but the icing didn’t work for me, so was disappointed to waste so much butter.
Hi there,
Happy Sunday!! Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad to hear that it turned out well for you:) Sorry to hear about the icing, what was wrong with it? xx
I had a problem with the icing too. The butter wouldn’t brown, but if I turned up the heat it would spatter. I finally just whisked in the powdered sugar, and it got too thick. I tried putting it on the cookies, but the butter was separating, so I just got soggy cookies, which a clump of icing on top. Operator error, I’m sure! The dough tasted amazing! Like coffee ice cream 😋
Hi Amy,
Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback! I think you just needed to let the butter go longer on a bit of lower heat. I hope this helps for next time! xx
Does this recipe work to make ahead and freeze either the dough or the cookies?
Hey Michelle,
You bet, I would go ahead and freeze the dough! Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
Mine did not turn out like the pictures. They were very very puffy with a cake like texture. I cooked them for 8 minutes. I even tapped the pan on the counter. I also had difficulty with the icing. It blobbed up on me within seconds of whisking it together. I used the least amount of powdered sugar. The flavor was good though. Not sure what I did wrong. I followed the directions exactly.
Hi Kristy,
Thanks so much for trying these cookies, sorry to hear you had some issues! Did you do the drop cookies or the cutouts? You could try adding some warm milk to the icing to thin it out next time. I hope this helps! xx
These are fantastic! Definitely adding this recipe to the Christmas cookie list! I LOVE that you can whip up a batch and bake them immediately without any chilling. The espresso powder and blackstrap molasses is a great combo. It’s like eating gingerbread dipped in coffee. Yum! I did have an issue with the icing – it was way too solid with just the butter as liquid. I added about 1 1/2 TPS heavy cream and 2 TBS maple syrup which made it a lovely, creamy texture and piped it onto the cookies. Then added just a teensy sprinkle of flaked sea salt. I think the icing would also be delish with bourbon instead of the maple syrup!
Thank you so much Mary! So glad you loved the recipe! xT
hi! Does the icing harden?
Hi there! Yes, the icing will harden a bit! xT
So now that fall is here I’ve been trying your cookie recipes on my crew. Love this one too.
I must say this with utmost sincerity there has not been one recipe I have not liked whether it be desserts, main course or drinks we have not liked!!!!!!!
YOU ARE AMAZING TIEGHAN
Thank you so much
Aw thank you SO much Joanne! So sweet of you! xT
Hi!
Am I able to use honey or maple syrup instead of molasses?
Hi there! I haven’t ever tried that before, but let me know if you give it a try! xT
Seriously these are unbelievable delicious; I tried them before I frosted them and I was blown away by the flavors; definitely not overly sweet; soon after I frosted I got confused coz I woofed down one and resisting to go for round two at 11.30 at night lol so next time I’ll frost some and leave some unfrosted ; then I’ll make another cup of your hot chocolate sit down or stand in the kitchen while I deliberate which version I like the best 🙊🥰 thank you God Bless you ; ps my 9 year old loved the unfrosted version
Thank you for giving this recipe a try! I really hope you loved it 🙂 xT
Does it matter if I use regular molasses, or do I need the black strap?
Hi Brindi,
I would get the blackstrap molasses:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT