Eggnog Latte Cookies
These Eggnog Latte Cookies are one of my all-time favorites! A deep coffee flavor with a hint of eggnog, these Christmas cookies are a must for your holiday baking list!
Were you a fan of the Starbucks eggnog latte? It always sat atop my Starbucks list as my favorite treat. I always reserved the eggnog latte for a Friday stop on my way to the office. As soon as the Starbucks holiday menu hit, I was there weekly for my special treat that I could only get for a short time. Imagine my disappointment when Starbucks discontinued the eggnog latte?! Rude!
I’ve tried to recreate the beverage at home, but without success. Enter the eggnog latte cookie. If you love eggnog, these are a must. I know eggnog can be polarizing. But there is just nothing more holidayesque for me than eggnog. I love all of the eggnog-flavored things. Sure, I drink a little bit of it, but I really love eggnog-flavored treats. Lattes, cookies…I’m here for it all.
As you know, Christmas cookie baking is practically an Olympic sport in my family. We bake dozens and dozens of cookies every year. We always bake more than we could possibly eat, but we don’t mind. We love trying new ones and of course, making our old standards. A few years back, I made these coffee and milk jam thumbprints from Food Network. And while they’re a bit of work (mainly for the filling), I thought they were so different and special. So when I was researching cookies to make for this year, I came across this recipe in my files and was inspired to change them up and make them even more unique. Enter the Eggnog Latte Cookie.
I changed up the flavors in this cookie and well, I am obsessed. The filling, while it takes a little time to come together, is so worth it. It’s so different and wonderful and just tastes so good.
What You Need to Make Eggnog Latte Cookies:
All-purpose flour. All great cookies start with flour and this is no exception.
Cinnamon and nutmeg. We need these spices to achieve that holiday flavor.
Baking powder. These cookies need some rise.
Salt. Always salt. I upped the salt from the original recipe because salt is great. It adds a certain je ne said quoi that cannot be replicated.
Butter. A full stick and a half of butter.
Granulated sugar and dark brown sugar. We need some sweetness pumped into these babies.
Ground coffee. We grind our own and it shows in these cookies because the coffee flavor is strong. If you like a weaker brew, just use preground coffee.
Egg. Just one.
Rum extract. This is what gives these cookies the most perfect eggnog flavor!
Sanding sugar or sprinkles to pretty these babies up!
And for the eggnog filling, we’ll need:
Milk. Whole milk if you have it but I used 2% and that worked just fine.
Sugar. More granulated sugar for sweetness.
Vanilla and rum extract. For that perfect eggnog flavor.
How to Make Eggnog Filling:
First, we start with the eggnog filling, because it’s got to cool while you make the cookies. In a microwave-safe bowl, whisk together the milk and granulated sugar until dissolved. Place bowl on a microwave safe plate (mine boiled over a couple times, so don’t forget this step!) Microwave for 10 minutes. Whisk and return to microwave for 5 minutes. Whisk again. Microwave 5 minutes more and whisk.
It’s a lot of microwaving and whisking. This could probably be done in a pan or a double boiler, but I have not tried that yet. If the mixture as not thickened, continue microwaving in 1 minute intervals - whisking in between - until the mixture is thickened to the consistency of pudding and beginning to turn ivory. Whisk in the vanilla and rum extracts. Set aside to cool.
How to Make Eggnog Latte Cookies:
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder and salt.
Make sure you have coffee grounds, either from a bag, or grind your own, like we do!
In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a mixing bowl with a hand mixer, beat the butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and ground coffee in a large bowl. Beat on medium until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla and rum extract and beat until just combined.
It’s time to add the flour! I like to add the flour in a couple of small batches at a time so that flour does not fly everywhere. 2-3 batches should do it. Do not overmix. As soon as the flour is incorporated, you’re done!
This dough is best if you cover and refrigerate it for 30 minutes before rolling into balls. It’s easier to handle and keeps them from spreading too much. While the dough chills, preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
I like to roll these out by the teaspoon. I appreciate a smaller cookie and you get more out of the batch! Scoop out by the teaspoonful and roll in sanding sugar, granulated sugar, sprinkles or a mix! For these, I used sanding sugar and non-pareil sprinkles for this simple yet effective look.
Place on a baking sheet, 2” apart. Using the knuckle on your index finger, make a little well for the filling to go once baked.
Bake 8-10 minutes or until just set and the bottom is just starting to brown. I prefer to always underbake my cookies just slightly because 1) there’s nothing worse than an overbaked cookie and 2) the cookies will continue cooking slightly as they cool.
Remove from the oven and let cool for 3-5 minutes. Repeat the well in the cookie. The bottom of a 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon works great here.
Move to a wire rack to cool completely. Fill each cookie with 1/2 tsp of the eggnog filling.
Enjoy!
Another quick note: these also freeze great! So you can make them this weekend and freeze them for Christmas and New Year’s!
Eggnog Latte Cookies
Ingredients
Instructions
What do you think? Would you try these Eggnog Latte Cookies? I’ll be over here having my fix until Christmas!
These gluten free soft ginger cookies are the absolute best ginger cookies I've ever had. I like to make one dough and use it 2 ways - half rolled in sanding sugar and half dolloped with cream cheese frosting. They are soft with just the right amount of Christmas spice and heat. No matter how you scoop it, you can’t go wrong with these cookies!