Description
These Oatmeal Latte Cookies are soft, chewy, and packed with warm vanilla, rich brown sugar, brown butter, and a bold espresso icing. They taste like a cozy coffee drink turned into a bakery-style cookie.
Ingredients
Wet ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter, browned
- 1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
Dry ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 3/4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 to 2 tablespoons espresso powder, depending on how strong you want the coffee flavor
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Espresso icing
- 1 tablespoon reserved brown butter
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder
- 2 to 3 tablespoons milk
Instructions
-
Brown the butter carefully.
Place the butter in a medium saucepan and set it over medium heat. Let it melt completely, then begin whisking continuously. As it cooks, the butter will start to sputter and crackle, then foam on top. Keep stirring and watching closely. After several minutes, the color will shift from pale yellow to a deep golden amber, and the smell will turn nutty and rich. That usually takes about 5 to 8 minutes total.As soon as the butter reaches that amber-brown stage, remove the pan from the heat right away. Pour the browned butter into the bowl of your electric mixer so it can start cooling. Be sure to scrape in all the browned bits stuck to the pan, because those little flecks carry a lot of flavor. Let the butter rest for 5 to 10 minutes so it cools slightly before you continue.
- Reserve a little butter for the icing.
Scoop out 1 tablespoon of the browned butter and place it into a separate medium bowl. Set it aside for later because you will use it in the espresso icing once the cookies finish baking. If the reserved butter starts to firm up, that is fine. You can warm it slightly before making the icing. -
Combine the butter and sugar.
Add the dark brown sugar to the bowl with the remaining browned butter. Use the paddle attachment on your mixer and blend on medium speed until the mixture looks fully combined and smooth, about 1 minute. It should start to look glossy and thick.Next, add the eggs and vanilla bean paste. Beat again on medium speed until everything blends together and the texture looks silky and caramel-like, about another minute. The mixture should feel rich and smooth, not grainy.
- Mix the dry ingredients separately.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, rolled oats, baking soda, espresso powder, cinnamon, and salt. Make sure the ingredients distribute evenly so the coffee flavor and leavening spread throughout the dough. - Bring the dough together.
Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture. Mix on medium-low speed just until the dough comes together. Stop as soon as you no longer see dry flour. Do not overmix. Overworking the dough can make the cookies dense instead of chewy. - Chill the dough.
Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and place the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. This step helps the butter firm up again and gives the cookies better shape in the oven. While the dough chills, preheat your oven to 350°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. - Portion the cookies.
Once the dough has chilled, use a medium cookie scoop to portion out about 1 1/2 tablespoons of dough per cookie. You can also roll the dough by hand into smooth balls if you prefer. Place the dough balls on the prepared baking sheet, leaving at least 2 inches between each one so they have room to spread. - Bake until just set.
Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes. You want the edges to look very lightly golden while the centers still look soft. In many ovens, 10 minutes gives the best texture. The cookies will continue to firm up as they cool, so do not wait until they look fully done in the oven. - Cool the cookies.
Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes after removing them from the oven. This short rest helps them set up without breaking apart. Then transfer them to a wire rack and let them cool completely before icing. -
Make the espresso icing.
Make sure the reserved brown butter is still melted or gently warm it in the microwave for 10 to 20 seconds. Add the powdered sugar, espresso powder, vanilla extract, and 1 tablespoon of milk to the bowl with the butter. Stir with a fork or small whisk until smooth and creamy.Check the thickness of the icing. It should be thick enough to cling to the cookie and set nicely, but still soft enough to dip. If it feels too thick, add more milk a tiny bit at a time, about 1/2 teaspoon per addition, until the texture smooths out. Do not thin it too much. A thick icing gives the best finish.
- Ice the cookies.
Once the cookies are fully cool, lightly dip the top of each cookie into the icing. You only need a thin layer, so keep the dip gentle. Return the iced cookies to a wire rack or a sheet of parchment paper so the icing can firm up. - Serve and enjoy.
After the icing sets, the cookies are ready to eat. This recipe makes about 2 dozen cookies, depending on the size of your scoop.
Notes
- If your dough looks too loose before baking, make sure you used old-fashioned oats and not quick oats.
- If the dough still seems too wet, add up to 1/4 cup more oats.
- For a thicker cookie, use the full 2 cups of oats.
- Store the baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- You can freeze either the dough or the baked cookies for later.