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. ★★★★★“
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 minutes—only 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 30–45 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 home—no trip to the coffee shop required!
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.
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 cups (170g) old-fashioned whole rolled 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) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, 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: Pulse the oats in a food processor 10–12 times until you have a variety of texture—chopped 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. (Here’s a helpful tutorial if you need guidance on 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 30–45 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 350°F (177°C). Line large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
- Scoop cookie dough, about 1.5 Tablespoons (35g) of dough per cookie, and place 3 inches apart on the baking sheets. Bake for 12–13 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 | Medium Cookie Scoop | Cooling Rack
- Oats: Pulsing the oats in step 1 is the trick to this recipe. If you don’t 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 you’re using quick oats, pulsing the oats is necessary—you just won’t 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 store—in 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 these 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 today’s 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
These were good but would be KILLER if it was a chocolate cookie base and then a pepperminted white chocolate dip .. Great cookie texture and the chocolate dip was nice; I added a bit too much oil which let is solidify but gave the cooled dip a pleasant softer texture.
Tried this today for a Friendsgiving and it was a HIT! Everyone loved them. I will definitely be making again. I think pulsing the oats at the beginning really made a huge difference in the texture. Another win from Sally!
These cookies were an instant winner for us. I decided to bake them on a whim after seeing them in the newsletter. They are super easy to make and have a wonderful gingerbread flavour. I actually don’t like gingerbread that much and I love them. We will definitely be including them in our cookie boxes this year. So far I have just eaten them without the chocolate glaze, and they taste great like that. The only suggestion I have is to check them earlier if your oven runs hot: we have a small oven that keeps its heat well and I took them out after 10 minutes, when they had brown edges as per the description.
Made these today and they turned out perfect! The whole house smells like Xmas! I made 31 cookies.
I’d cut the ginger to a half teaspoon maybe if making for the whole family as they’re pretty spicy.
WOW!! These cookies are amazing! The texture is perfect, 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. I don’t think I’ve ever left a comment but I had to leave one for this delicious cookie! I will definitely be making more. (I measured 35g each and got 26 cookies.)
This was a delicious new addition to my holiday baking line-up. My hubs even requested i leave a few “un-dipped” because they were so yummy plain!
Id like to freeze the cookies part of this recipe and make the buttercream later. Do you have a preference of freezing dough vs freezing a baked cookie?
Both truly work great, Lynne!
Oh my goodness! These might just be my new favorite holiday cookies! They won me first place in our work cookie contest! As one of the commenters suggested, I weighed my flour and oats and found that I needed a little less than the recipe called for. I was also pleased to find the expresso powder in the baking aisle of my grocery store (thank you for that tip, Sally!) They were just soooo good! I will be making more for holiday gift giving.
I accidentally bought gluten free old fashioned rolled oats, will that make a difference?
Hi Jamie, oats are naturally gluten free. If they aren’t labeled as GF, it means they are likely processed in a facility with gluten-containing ingredients. So, using oats labeled gluten free is fine!
Good spice cookie. I didn’t really taste the coffee flavor though.
Great recipe! Everyone loved it and it was new but with some classic flavor!
What will happen if I use backstrap molasses? That is all I have
Hi Blanca! It’s a more intense flavor that we don’t prefer in these cookies, but it will work.
Hi cookies are turning out flat with small piles – any suggestions?
My daughter made these yesterday and they received rave reviews. Absolutely delicious. She let her family be the taste testers and is gifting the rest to her friends and boyfriend and his family.
I’m very excited to try this recipe. I’m not a big coffee fan though. Do you have any thoughts on a substitute for the espresso powder?
Hi Cindy, you can skip the coffee flavor. See recipe Note. I recommend making these 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 today’s 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.
These are a winner!!! Easy but also a little fancy!!
Delicious! I made two batches, separately, and make 2 recommendations for others: first, chill for at least 45 minutes; my first batch was more like 30 mins and they spread out too much. Second, measure your dry ingredients if possible – for me, in South Carolina, the 170g oats was closer to 1.5 cups. But they turned out delicious and I can’t wait to share them at the cookie swap!
Day 1 of Sally’s Cookie Palooza did not disappoint! These cookies have a rich and unique flavor thanks to the espresso powder. They are soft yet chewy. I am sending these to a Christmas party tomorrow and can’t wait to hear the feedback. I will definitely be making these again.
The house smells like Christmas! What a delightful cookie. Used less baking time than listed due to my baking mats. Definitely a keeper.
I’m so excited to make these! Do you think I could sub maple syrup for the molasses? I’m not a molasses fan. Thank you!
Hi Lynne, Molasses is a key ingredient in these gingerbread latte cookies. We haven’t tested it but some readers have used pure maple syrup as a replacement in similar cookie recipes. Of course the flavor will be different and the texture may be thinner also. Let us know what you try!
I would use golden syrup (or honey) because it’s similar thick texture. And golden syrup then qualifies them as British gingerbread oatmeal cookies so they’ll get eaten ha!
I’m wondering if these would turn out using gluten-free 1:1 baking flour? My SIL can’t have gluten, but I think she would love these. They look delicious!
Hi Patience, We have not tested these with gluten free flour but let us know if you give it a try.
Hi Sally! I’m looking forwards to making these tomorrow!
I was going to try make two batches, one for me and one for some friends… Is there anyway to make this a vegan recipe?
Thankyou!
Hi Katt, We have not tested this recipe with vegan substitutes but let us know if you give it a try!
Success with the vegan batch!
I used 2.5tbsp aquafaba for eggs and a vegan butter substitute. A little less flavoursome than the standard version but tasty none the less! I also ysed a vegan white chocolate to top and they worked out really well!
Hi, I am curious if there’s a particular reason to dip these halfway in white choc the way you have pictured, instead of a light layer on the full top as in your other iced oatmeal cookie recipes, which makes it look more textured? Presumably this has something to do with the thickness of the white chocolate, but I just wanted to check if you did it this way for taste/texture reasons or for aesthetics. Thanks, I’m excited to try these!
Hi Allison, there was no rhyme or reason! Just so they look a bit different than my other variety. Feel free to drizzle, dunk, whatever you’d like.
This recipe sounds yummy. Can I substitute golden syrup for molasses?
Hi Charmaine, molasses is a key ingredient in gingerbread recipes like this one and, unfortunately, there isn’t a perfect substitute. Some readers have reported success using treacle or honey in our other gingerbread recipes, but note that the flavor profile will be different. If you can find blackstrap molasses where you are, you can try using half blackstrap, half golden syrup. Some readers have reported success with that. Let me know if you give it a try.
These cookies look absolutely scrumptious, and I’m happy to have another use for my espresso powder! I automatically add it to everything chocolate, but…
I can hardly wait to try these. My neighbors are gonna love me. Lol
I love these cookies! They will be come a holiday ‘must make’ for my family.
Can I use finely ground espresso for these cookies instead of the powdered one?
Could you skip the white chocolate dip?
Yes, but you will lose some of the espresso flavor.
Will the recipe still be ok if you omit the espresso powder? I know it’s in the name, but these look amazing and I’m not a fan of coffee.
Hi Rachel, of course. But I recommend making these iced gingerbread oatmeal cookies. They have the full medley of spices. I reduced the spices (and the salt) in today’s version so you can really taste the espresso powder (and reduced the salt so you don’t get a bitter aftertaste). When making those, simply skip the icing and use the white chocolate dip.
Rachel,
Thanks for asking the question I was going to ask. Also not a coffee fan.
Thanks Sally! I appreciate the link 🙂 and you’re welcome Judy! Happy Baking!
This looks AMAZING!!!
What could chocolate? could I use instead of white chocolate?
Hi Karen, you can drizzle the cookies with or dip the cookies in the icing I use from these iced gingerbread cookies, or these mocha blondies.
Looks like a delicious recipe! I don’t use vegetable oil can I substitute melted butter or melted coconut oil for the topping??
Hi Dina, you can use coconut oil instead. Do not use butter. The oil helps to thin out the chocolate, which makes it easier to dip.
I just finished baking and they turned out great, however, I only had enough chocolate to dip half the cookies. I had about 30 cookies and used 8 oz and dipped not even half way, so I’m not sure what was wrong.
Hi Ronni, you’ll want to make sure it’s a light dip into the melted white chocolate. Thank you for trying these!