Gingerbread Latte Cookies
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These gingerbread latte cookies are you perfect afternoon pick me up cookie! These soft, chewy gingerbread cookies are made with espresso powder, and topped with an espresso icing.
Every December, my kitchen turns into a bakery-meets-coffee-shop hybrid — the smell of spices, espresso, and butter filling the air long before the tree is decorated.
I’m a molasses cookie girl through and through, but this year I wanted something cozy with a little coffee house twist. Think gingerbread cookie meets latte foam — soft, spiced cookies with just enough espresso to make them feel grown-up and cafe-inspired.
That’s exactly how these Gingerbread Latte Cookies were born. Tender molasses cookies infused with espresso and topped with a latte-style drizzle — they taste like the holiday drink we sip all season, transformed into cookie form. You’re welcome.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- All-purpose flour – For the best results, weigh your flour. If you’re using measuring cups then spoon the flour into the cup and level it off.
- Ground ginger
- Baking soda
- Ground cinnamon
- Salt
- Instant espresso powder – You could also use instant coffee but it’s not as strong, so I would use a bit more.
- Unsalted butter, softened – If you use salted butter just reduce the salt. And they may spread a bit more.
- Granulated sugar
- Light brown sugar – If you run out, try my homemade brown sugar recipe.
- Egg, room temperature
- Unsulphured molasses – Grandma’s brand molasses is my go-to for classic flavor — make sure yours is unsulphured for the best taste!
- Vanilla extract
- Powdered Sugar
- Milk – Any milk works.
How to Make Gingerbread Latte Cookies
1. Mix your dry ingredients
Whisk together flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, espresso powder, and salt. Adding espresso into the dough itself ensures every bite has a hint of latte!
2. Cream the butter and sugars
Beat softened butter with both sugars until light and fluffy — about 2 minutes. You can use a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a hand mixer. If you’re using a hand mixer then you will need to mix it a bit longer. You’re building air here, which helps keep the cookies soft and thick once baked.
3. Add the molasses magic
Mix in the egg, then the molasses and vanilla. It may look a bit separated at first — keep going. Molasses can be sticky and dark, but it brings that rich gingerbread depth we love.
4. Add the dry mixture
Gradually mix in the flour mixture until everything comes together. The dough will be soft — that’s where chilling works its magic. You don’t want to overmix at this point or you will end up tough, chewy cookies. Once the flour mixture is mixed in, then stop mixing.
5. Chill the dough
Chill at least 2 hours, but I almost always make this dough the night before. The longer it sits, the thicker your cookies bake. It also develops the spice flavor even more. Win-win.
I like to scoop before chilling to make it easier than scooping after. Scoop into small dough balls (about 1½ tablespoons). Just cover well with plastic wrap. You can always chill the entire bowl if you need to.
6. Scoop and bake
Preheat to 350°F and line your pans. Place cookie dough balls spaced apart about 2 inches apart — to allow for spreading. Bake 10–12 minutes, until the edges brown lightly but the centers still look soft. They finish setting as they cool.
So take them out of the oven and let the cool on the cookie sheet for about 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before icing.
7. Make the icing
While the cookies chill or bake, whisk together powdered sugar, espresso powder, vanilla, and milk. Let it sit — the espresso flavor deepens beautifully over time. And you can adjust the thickness if you want.
8. Cool and drizzle
Let baked cookies cool a few minutes on the sheet, then transfer to a rack. Once completely cooled, drizzle with icing in café-swirl fashion. You’ll feel like a barista, but with cookies.
Storage
Store these cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3–4 days, or refrigerate for a week if you want them extra chewy. You can freeze them (iced or un-iced) for up to 2 months. I like to scoop and flash freeze then I place into a plastic bag to freeze longer.
If freezing iced cookies, let them thaw uncovered so the drizzle sets back up instead of turning sticky.
More Recipes To Try
If you’re craving more Christmas cookies, be sure to try my popular lemon cookies, Russian tea cakes, or my easy coconut macaroons.
Gingerbread Latte Cookies
Ingredients
For the cookies
- 2 ½ cups (300 g) all purpose flour *spooned and leveled
- 1 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 Tablespoons instant espresso powder
- ½ cup (1 stick, 113 g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated white sugar
- ¾ cup (160 g) light brown sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- ⅓ cup (113 g) unsulphured molasses – I used Grandma's
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Icing:
- 1 cup (113 g) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 2 Tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Combine dry ingredients. Whisk together flour,, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, espresso powder and salt in small bowl. Set aside. 2 ½ cups (300 g) all purpose flour 1 teaspoons ground ginger 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon ½ teaspoon salt 2 Tablespoons instant espresso powder
- Cream butter and sugars. With an electric mixer, beat butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on medium high until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. ½ cup (1 stick, 113 g) unsalted butter ¼ cup (50 g) granulated white sugar ¾ cup (160 g) light brown sugar
- Add egg and molasses. Add the egg, mixing well until combined. Add molasses and vanilla and mix just until combined. Scrape down the bowl as needed. 1 large egg room temperature ⅓ cup (113 g) unsulphured molasses 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add dry ingredients. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Chill the cookie dough for at least 2 hours, up to overnight, until firm. This helps to make for a softer, thicker cookie that spreads less. I like to let them chill overnight for softer cookies that spread less. I like to scoop the cookie dough first into balls and chill or you can chill the whole bowl at once. Using a 1-inch cookie scoop or a tablespoon scoop the cookies into 1 ½ inch balls and roll smooth in the palm of your hands.
- Preheat and prepare cookie sheets. Preheat the oven to 350° F (177℃). Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper (or a silicone baking mat).
- Bake and cool cookies. Place onto prepared cookie sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake cookie sheet on the middle rack for 10-12 minutes, until lightly browned on the sides. The centers will still look soft. Remove from the oven and let cool on a baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the icing. While the cookies are chilling make the icing. I like to make it in advance because the longer it sits the more the espresso powder dissolves and you can really taste it! In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, espresso powder, vanilla and milk. Drizzle on cooled cookies. 1 cup (113 g) powdered sugar 1 teaspoon espresso powder ½ teaspoon vanilla 2 Tablespoons milk
