Vanilla latte cookies

Sweet vanilla with a strong espresso flavor, this recipe brings all the flavors we love in a latte into a chewy sugar cookie.

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I like my coffee milky and sweet, especially a latte of course! And what's better than a vanilla latte? So it got me thinking, a vanilla latte could make a delicious flavor for a cookie if I got the balance just right. And lucky for all of us, after a few rounds of testing I got just the right ratio of vanilla flavor and sweetness with a strong espresso flavor.

The espresso flavor comes from two key ingredients. In the cookie you'll use instant espresso powder, I used DeLallo brand. Be sure to use an espresso powder that is ground to a fine powder, and know that using one branded for use in baking will be the most reliable choice. For the icing, you'll use brewed espresso (or coffee) for the second hit of strong espresso flavor. I tested using espresso powder in the icing, but found that I got the best flavor with a combination of brewed espresso and milk, and the hot espresso also helped to make a smooth icing. If you don't have hot espresso, you have some other options - coffee works great too, or you can use milk as your only liquid and add in espresso powder 1/4 teaspoon at a time until you reach your desired flavor.

When testing these cookies, I was pleasantly surprised by their shelf life. I stored a few tester cookies in the fridge so that I could try out a few different styles of icing, and when taste testing the next day I realized the cookie was incredibly chewy. This makes these cookies a great bake ahead option especially if stored in the fridge.

I also tested a few different chill lengths for this dough. I was hoping we wouldn’t need an extended chill, but did find that 2-3 hours was really needed for the best texture and to avoid too much spread. I like to chill this dough overnight but as long as you chill for a few hours before baking, your cookies will bake beautifully.

For the best results, I highly recommend using the gram measurements provided

Ingredients:

Vanilla latte cookies

• 8 tablespoons (113g) unsalted butter, room temperature 

• 1 tablespoon + 1 1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder*

• 1/2 cup (96g) granulated sugar 

• 1/3 cup (64g) light brown sugar

• 1 large egg, room temperature

• 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

• 1 1/2 cups (180g) all purpose flour   

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Espresso vanilla bean glaze 

• 1/2 cup (60g) powdered sugar

• 2 teaspoons brewed espresso or coffee**

• 1 teaspoon milk or replace with water, or extra espresso for stronger flavor

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste 

• Pinch salt  

*I used DeLallo brand instant espresso powder. Be sure to use an espresso powder that is ground to a fine powder, and know that using one branded for use in baking will be the most reliable choice.

**If you don't have brewed coffee or espresso, you can replace with milk and add in espresso powder 1/4 teaspoon at a time until you reach your desired flavor

Prep time: About 30 minutes

Chill time: 3 hours (or overnight)

Bake time: About 11-13 minutes

Servings: 10 cookies

Equipment

• Spatula or large spoon

• Hand mixer

• Cookie sheets

• Parchment paper

• Large cookie scoop (3 tablespoons)

• Large and small bowl

Cooking instructions:

Into a large bowl, add your butter, espresso powder, and both sugars. Mix with your hand mixer at a medium to high speed for a minute or two until espresso powder is evenly distributed and your mixture has lightened slightly in color.

Then add in your egg and vanilla bean paste. Continue to mix at a medium speed for another minute or two until light and fluffy.

Next add in your dry ingredients, flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix at a low speed until almost fully combined, then switch to a spatula and fold your ingredients together until your dough just forms.

Onto a parchment lined cookie sheet, use a cookie scoop or large spoon to portion out your dough - it should make about 10 cookies, 3 tablespoons per cookie (about 50-52g each). Roll each cookie scoop between your palms to smooth the exterior. Cover your cookie sheet with plastic wrap and place into the fridge for up to 12 hours, a minimum of 3 hours.

When you're ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Space your scoops out onto larger, parchment lined cookie sheets and bake for around 11-13 minutes. For the best results, I recommend baking one tray at a time and rotating partway through the bake time.

While your cookies are cooling, make your glaze. Sift your powdered sugar if you notice there are a lot of clumps. Mix everything together in a bowl - your powdered sugar, espresso or coffee (preferably hot), milk, vanilla bean paste and a pinch of salt until smooth. If your mixture is too thick, you can always add more milk by the half teaspoon. You want it to be thick but pourable.

Once your cookies are completely cooled (at least 30 minutes) carefully dip the top of each cookie into your icing, shake off any excess and then let the icing set, and enjoy!

You can store your baked and iced cookies in an airtight container for at least 5 days, and I feel they stay freshest if stored in the fridge. These cookies stay very chewy even days after they've been baked, especially if stored in the fridge.

Carb and serving info:

Servings: 10 cookies

Carbs per serving: 37

Carbs for full recipe: 371

Carbs in cookies only (no icing): 310

Carbs in icing only: 61

Note: Carb information is calculated based on the specific ingredients I used to cook with to help guide my own insulin to carb ratio when dosing before I eat my home cooked recipes.