Have your latte and eat it, too! These gingerbread latte cookies are every bit as chewy, soft, and nostalgic as my classic iced oatmeal cookies, but with a festive flavor twist. Dunk in espresso-speckled white chocolate and top with a sprinkle of spice for a creamy gingerbread latte experience… in a cookie! Pair with peppermint mocha cookies and spiced eggnog oatmeal cream pies for a trio of cookies inspired by holiday-favorite coffeehouse beverages.
One reader, Kristina, commented: “WOW!! These cookies are amazing! The texture is perfect, the flavors are layered, warm, comforting and balanced, plus, they are pretty with the dipped chocolate. I brought some to work and some to family, and my coworkers said it was their favorite cookie I’ve made! Everyone wanted the recipe. โ โ โ โ โ “
If you’ve ever tried my iced gingerbread oatmeal cookies, the flavor and texture of today’s cookie recipe will seem familiar. My gingerbread oatmeal cookie recipe pairs the soft and chewy texture of regular iced oatmeal cookies with the cozy, comforting flavors of gingerbread cookies, and it is a beautiful thing! For today’s gingerbread latte cookies, we are taking this a step further, by introducing espresso flavor and sweet, creamy white chocolate.
Recipe Snapshot
- Texture: Soft and remarkably chewy
- Flavor: Gingerbread, holiday spices, coffee, oatmeal (think: Starbucks gingerbread oatmilk latte)
- Ease: They seem fancy, but this is definitely a beginner recipe
- Time: Around 1 hour, 30 minutesโonly 30 minutes of chill time for this dough!
Ingredients You Need & Why
- Oats: Taking an extra few seconds to pulse the oats in a food processor will completely transform the texture of your finished cookies. No matter if you use whole oats or quick oats, pulse them a few times in your food processor to obtain the correct consistency. (See below for a visual.)
- Flour: All-purpose flour gives these cookies structure.
- Espresso Powder: I find espresso powder in the coffee aisle at my regular grocery store, but you can also find it online. If you can’t find it, you can substitute instant coffee in a pinch; do not use regular ground coffee.
- Baking Soda: So the cookies will puff up a bit in the oven, then deflate a bit when cooling; someting we love about regular molasses cookies.
- Spices: It took a few rounds of testing to get the perfect ratio of spices, so they don’t overwhelm the subtle espresso flavor in these cookies. You need ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. These are the same spices you use when making gingerbread whoopie pies and chocolate ginger cookies.
- Salt: Flavor enhancer + sweetness balancer.
- Butter: You’ll need softened room-temperature butter.
- Sugars: Not only does it sweeten the cookies, brown sugar adds extra molasses flavor, softness, and a little moisture too. White granulated sugar is also needed to help the cookies spread.
- Egg: For binding the dough ingredients together.
- Molasses: Molasses adds deep, rich flavor. Use dark molasses that’s labeled unsulphured. Avoid blackstrap molasses in this cookie recipe because it will overpower everything else.
And white chocolate for that delicious dunk at the end!
Let’s Make Gingerbread Latte Cookies
Just like these classic iced oatmeal cookies, today’s gingerbread latte cookies are mega chewy, with buttery soft centers and slightly crisp edges. The key to their texture is pulsing the oats in a food processor or blender to gently break them down. The result is an uneven mixture of broken oats and coarse crumbs, a texture medley that gives us a compact and chewy oatmeal cookie.
Here’s what the oats look like after pulsing:
Now you can mix the oats together with the remaining dry ingredients, and work on the wet ingredients. After combining it all, the dough will be very thick and a bit sticky. It needs to chill in the refrigerator for at least 30โ45 minutes before you can scoop the dough and bake it.
Success Tip: Use a Cookie Scoop
This is a textured and sticky dough. A cookie scoop not only keeps your fingers (relatively) clean, it helps ensure all cookies are the same size and shape. I recommend a medium cookie scoop, which holds 1.5 Tablespoons of cookie dough (about 35g). The cookies spread nicely, so keep each baking sheet/batch to about 8 or 9 cookies.
Finish With a Dip in White Chocolate
Chop up a couple of white chocolate bars, and melt them together with a splash of oil and a dash of espresso powder. Oil helps keep the white chocolate on the softer side, so it doesn’t get crumbly and hard.
You can melt the chocolate in the microwave, in a small bowl or a glass liquid measuring cup. Microwave in 20-second intervals, stirring after each, until the white chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Look at all those pretty little speckles of espresso! Is it that sweet? I guess so.
Success Tip: Best White Chocolate to Use
While white chocolate morsels are fabulous IN cookies, they are not ideal for melting into a smooth topping in which to dunk your cookies. Chocolate chips/morsels contain stabilizers, preventing them from melting into a silky smooth consistency. That’s why chocolate chips keep their shape in your chocolate chip cookies.
And while candy melts are great for cake pops, in a recipe like this, you’ll really taste the difference between actual chocolate and candy melts.
I recommend Ghirardelli, Guittard, or Baker’s brand bars, found in the baking aisle near the chocolate chips. This is exactly what I recommend for making peppermint bark, as well.
Dunk each cooled cookie about halfway into the espresso-flavored white chocolate, then place on a piece of parchment paper or silicone baking mat, or on a cooling rack set over a baking sheet/piece of parchment to catch the drips. Sprinkle the dipped part of the cookies with a tiny pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg, to give them that coffee shop gingerbread latte finish on top. The white chocolate eventually sets, but I recommend putting the cookies in the refrigerator to speed up the process.
Now, kick off your shoes and curl up someplace cozy, because you can enjoy this gingerbread latte-flavored treat in the comfort of your own homeโno trip to the coffee shop required!
Sally’s Cookie Palooza
This recipe is part of my annual cookie countdown called Sally’s Cookie Palooza. It’s the biggest, most delicious event of the year! Browse dozens of cookie recipes over on the Sally’s Cookie Palooza page including:
- Chocolate Ginger Cookies
- Peppermint Bark Cookies
- Soft Molasses Cookies
- Peanut Butter Blossoms
- Spritz Cookies
And here’s my video tutorial & guide for how to freeze cookie dough.
Gingerbread Latte Cookies
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 13 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
- Yield: 30 cookies
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These gingerbread latte cookies are every bit as chewy, soft, and nostalgic as my classic iced oatmeal cookies, but with a festive flavor twist. Dunk in espresso-speckled white chocolate and top with a sprinkle of spice for a creamy gingerbread latte experience… in a cookie!
Ingredients
Cookies
- 2 cupsย (170g) old-fashioned whole rolledย oats
- 1 and 2/3 cups (210g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 2 teaspoons espresso powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g)ย unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cupย (200g) packed light or darkย brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg,ย at room temperature
- 1/4 cup (60ml/75g) unsulphured or dark molasses (do not use blackstrap; I prefer Grandma’s brand)
Topping
- 8 ounces (226g) white chocolate, chopped
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil or coconut oil (optional; helps to thin the chocolate)
- 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder
- pinch each of cinnamon and nutmeg, for sprinkling on top
Instructions
- Make the cookies:ย Pulse the oats in aย food processor 10โ12 times until you have a variety of textureโchopped oats with some oat flour. See photo above for a visual.
- Whisk the pulsed oats, flour, espresso powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- In a large bowl using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed until creamed, about 3 minutes. (Hereโs a helpful tutorial if you need guidance onย how to cream butter and sugar.) Add the egg and molasses and beat on high speed until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat again as needed to combine.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until combined. Dough will be very thick and sticky. Cover and chill the dough for 30โ45 minutes (and up to 3 days) in the refrigerator. If chilling for longer than a few hours, allow to sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before scooping because the dough will be quite hard.
- Preheat oven to 350ยฐF (177ยฐC). Line large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
- Scoop cookieย dough, about 1.5 Tablespoons (35g) of dough per cookie, and place 3 inches apart on the baking sheets. Bake for 12โ13 minutes or until lightly browned on the sides. The centers will look very soft.
- Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely before dipping.
- Make the topping: Melt the chopped white chocolate, oil, and espresso powder in a double boiler or use the microwave. For the microwave, place it all in a medium heat-proof bowl or liquid measuring cup. Melt in 20-second increments, stirring after each increment until completely melted and smooth. Dip each completely cooled cookie halfway into the white chocolate and place onto a parchment- or silicone baking mat-lined baking sheet or cooling rack. In a small bowl, mix together cinnamon and nutmeg. Using your fingers, lightly sprinkle a tiny pinch of the spice mix on top of the white chocolate-covered part of the cookie. Repeat with the remaining cookies. Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator to set the white chocolate, about 30 minutes.
- Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for 3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: You can make the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Allow to come to room temperature then continue with step 5. Baked cookies with or without topping freeze well for up to 3 months. Unbaked cookie dough balls freeze well for up to 3 months. Bake frozen cookie dough balls for an extra minute, no need to thaw. Read my tips and tricks on how to freeze cookie dough.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Food Processor | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Baking Sheets | Silicone Baking Mats or Parchment Paper |ย Medium Cookie Scoop | Cooling Rack
- Oats: Pulsing the oats in step 1 is the trick to this recipe. If you donโt have a food processor, use a blender. If you don’t have either, give the oats a rough chop on a cutting board. Even if youโre using quick oats, pulsing the oats is necessaryโyou just wonโt have to pulse them as many times as whole oats. Do not use oat flour in place of the pulsed oats.
- Espresso Powder: I buy espresso powder from my regular grocery storeโin the coffee aisle. If you can’t find espresso powder in stores or online, you can use instant coffee instead. You’d need a little more instant coffee since it isn’t as strong or rich as espresso powder. I don’t recommend using ground coffee because it’s not as flavorful as espresso powder or instant coffee, both of which have super concentrated flavor.
- Can I Skip The Coffee Flavor? Yes, you can. But I recommend making theseย iced gingerbread oatmeal cookies instead because they have the full medley of spices. The recipes are similar, only I reduced the spices (and the salt) in todayโs version so you can really taste the espresso powder. When making those, simply skip the icing and use the white chocolate dip from today’s cookies, if desired.
- White Chocolate: White chocolate morsels are fabulous in cookies, but are not ideal for melting. And while candy melts are great for coating cake pops, in a recipe like this, you’ll really taste the difference between actual chocolate and candy melts. I recommend Ghirardelli, Guittard, or Baker’s brand bars of white chocolate, found in the baking aisle near the chocolate chips.
- What Can I Use Instead of White Chocolate? You can drizzle the cookies with or dip the cookies in the icing used on these iced gingerbread oatmeal cookies or these mocha blondies.
Reader Comments and Reviews
I made these with a few modifications and really enjoyed them! I didn’t pulse the oats, used a flax egg insted of a regular egg, used GF flour, and added chocolate chips and some frosting on top instead of the white chocolate dip. Thanks for a good one!
Any major issue leaving the espresso powder out? A friend made these and they were spectacular. But my husband doesnโt want the espresso in them.
You can leave it out, Farrah!
These turned out great! My husband, 3 year old, and my parents all enjoyed them. I decided to drizzle the white chocolate because I was afraid it would be too sweet. They were really good and Iโll definitely make them again!
yum
I accidentally added 30 ml of extra molasses to the cookies. Did it ruin them?
I’m not a huge white chocolate fan. do you think i could make a powdered sugar+vanilla+spices (including espresso powder) drizzle instead of dipping in white chocolate?
Absolutely!
really good, although a little sweet for us (Europeans) haha I just skipped 30g of brown sugar and 20g of normal sugar. I also would suggest it with dark chocolate instead of white! thank you!!
I forgot molasses at the store so I ended up making a dark brown sugar syrup and using that instead, and they still turned out amazing. I love the flavor of molasses but after reading through the comments apparently some other people donโt. I would highly recommend trying the dark brown syrup substitute for those who donโt. Mine also had quite a bit of coffee flavor so I wonder if cutting down on the molasses helped with that? Anyways, great recipe as always!
Hello-
It would be helpful for you to list the calories and serving size for your recipes.
Thank you!
Hi B! We donโt usually include nutrition information as it can vary between different brands of the same ingredients. Plus, many recipes have ingredient substitutions or optional ingredients listed. However, there are many handy online calculators where you can plug in and customize your exact ingredients/brands. Readers have found this one especially helpful: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
This is the first time I haven’t had any luck with one of Sally’s recipes. All the spices and flavours are delightful, but, after experimenting with two batches, I have learned I don’t like the bitter sugar smell and taste of molasses! Now I know what those people on the Great British Baking Show feel like. Thank goodness I only had an audience of one, my husband, instead of millions.
These have a strong molasses flavor but are good! Everyone who I have made this for likes it, Iโm super picky but these are a winter classic and there are warm and cozy!
Cookies tasted amazing! Would recommend to a friend but didnโt taste of coffee AT ALL, even though I added an extra tsp of espresso powder to the dough. They taste amazing, just I donโt think they are gingerbread LATTE cookies more just gingerbread and white chocolate cookies or something like that.
These are so delicious! I love a good oatmeal cookie and a classic ginger cookie so these were right up my alley. Brought some to work, to my in laws, and to my family and everyone raved about them. The second time I made these I did drizzle the white chocolate over the top instead of dipping, and I liked them a lot better this way! Everyone I shared them with agreed that it was better having a bit of white chocolate in each bite vs half of the cookie dipped and half bare. Other than that, no notes!
I loved making these and was so excited to share them with others! The white chocolate with the spice blend flavor is awesome. Good texture! The half-dip in white chocolate with the sprinkle really makes these cookies look more high-effort than they actually are. Splitting the efforts across three days (one evening to make dough, one evening to bake, and then one evening to dip/garnish) worked well for me if you don’t have enough time to knock out the whole recipe in one evening ๐
Can I substitute molasses with grape molasses in gingerbread recipes like these?
Hi Ruzgar, grape molasses has a different flavor so we wouldnโt recommend it for gingerbread.
I made these and they turned out wonderful. I did not have any white chocolate so I used royal icing instead.
Though my friends assured me that these cookies were delicious, I doubt I’ll make them again. The texture was great, but the flavors seemed to be fighting for dominance. The white chocolate dip was too much – a gentle icing would have been sufficient.
I agree! The white chocolate over powers all of the other flavors. My friend and I think a small drizzle would have been good.
Tasty! Family loves them. Next time I make them I’ll increase the espresso powder.