Cookies and Beer: Five Cookie Recipes that Use Beer

by Matt DeMarco

It’s time to scarf down tons of sweets before we start our short-lived diets in January. These recipes and cookie will impress your guests if you don’t eat them all first. They pair well with the style of beer used to cook them and they taste good all on their own. Just as a note, when you add alcohol to baked goods, it does cook off somewhat but not entirely. You won’t get drunk off of one or two cookies but you probably should keep them away from kids.

Winter White Beer Cookies
Adapted from Food Network “White Beer Cookies” by Sean LaFond

I used Bell’s Winter White Ale for these cookies but you can use any Wheat or White Ale. The cookies are cake-like and have a nice orange coriander flavor that compliments wheat beers very well.

Ingredients

2 bottles (12 ounces each) White Ale or Wit Beer
5 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 medium orange, zested
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Directions

Pour the beer and honey into a saucepan and cook until it reduces to about 1/3 cup. Skim the foam off of the beer occasionally and stir to avoid boil over. Let cool to room temperature.

Cream the butter and sugar together. Add the egg until combined. Add the vanilla, orange zest, coriander, and beer reduction mix. Mix the flour and baking soda together then slowly add to the batter. If the mixture is loose, you can add flour one tablespoon at a time.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Scoop dough on to a parchment lined baking sheet. Do not overcrowd the pan. Bake for 20 minutes and then let cool completely.

Save your sanity this holiday with these beers

Pub Cookies
Adapted from The Beeroness “Pub Cookies” by Jackie Dodd

These cookies combine all the best bar snacks. I used Sierra Nevada Porter but you can

use any Imperial Stout, Stout, or Porter. You reduce the beer down to a concentrated beer syrup to add the beer flavor without watering down the dough. These cookies are great for any occasion, especially football season.

Ingredients

12 ounces imperial stout, stout, or porter
3/4 cup butter, cut into cubes
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg plus 1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup bread flour
1 tsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup chocolate chips
2/3 cup mini pretzels, broken into pieces
¼ cup honey roasted peanuts

Directions

Pour the beer in a saucepan over medium high heat until it is reduced to approximately 1 tbsp over medium-high heat. Keep an eye on it so it does not boil over and skim the foam from the top.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Beat the butter and all the sugar until they are creamed together. Add the egg and beat till combined. Add the reduced beer and vanilla extract and beat until combined.

In another bowl, mix flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. Add dry ingredients to the wet and mix until just combined. Add the chocolate chips, pretzel pieces, and peanuts, and stir until mixed in.

Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper and roll the dough into round balls and place on the baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least an hour.

Bake for 20 minutes or until light golden brown.

Beer & Brown Sugar Cookies
Adapted from The Beeroness “Soft Batch Beer and Brown Sugar Cookies” By Jackie Dodd

These Brown Sugar Cookies are made with Dogfish Head Indian Brown Ale but any brown ale can be used. The brown sugar makes these sugar cookies a little more depth of flavor and the cinnamon adds just the right amount of spice. If you don’t like spice, you can leave it out.

Ingredients

¾ cups unsalted butter, softened (12 tbs)
1 ¼ cups golden brown sugar
1 large egg yolk
½ tsp vanilla
1/3 cup American brown ale
1 ¼ cups All-purpose flour
1 cup bread flour
1 ¼ tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 tsp cornstarch
¼ tsp cinnamon (optional)

Directions

Beat the butter and sugar until creamed. Add the egg, vanilla, beat until mixed. Add the beer and mix.

Combine the dry ingredients in another bowl and mix together. Slowly mix in the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients and stir until completely mixed.

Scoop dough into balls ball on parchment lined cookie sheets.

Chill the cookies 20 minutes before baking.

Preheat oven to 325.

Bake 12 minutes or until the edges start to brown. Remove from cookie sheet to cool.

Lager Sugar Cookies
Adapted from Sam Adams “Delectable Sugar Cookies with Samuel Adams Winter Lager”

I used Great Lakes Elliot Ness but you could use any craft lager. These cookies spread out and become thin and crispy like a snickerdoodle. If you do not like nutmeg, you can leave it out or substitute cinnamon.

Ingredients

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 ounce (2 tablespoons) Lager
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 large egg
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)

Directions

Beat the butter with sugar until creamed together. Add the lager and corn syrup and mix. Add the egg and mix well. 

In a mixing bowl, mix the flour with the baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Refrigerate for at least an hour.  

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Spoon balls of cookie dough from the chilled bowl. Arrange the dough an ungreased baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between them. These cookies spread a lot so do not crowd the pan. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Stout Cookies
Adapted from Craftbeer.com “Soft Stout Cookies” by Butter me up Brooklyn!

These cookies are a cross between brownies and cookies. I used Victory Storm King but you could use any Imperial Stout or Stout. These may become your new favorite cookie.

Ingredients

6 ounces stout
1 stick butter, softened
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp molasses
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 egg

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Mix together the flour, cocoa powders, salt, baking soda, baking powder and chocolate chips.

In another bowl beat the butter with the sugar until creamed together. Add the molasses, vanilla and egg and beat well.

Mix the beer and flour to the butter mixture slowly, alternating the beer and flour until all is mixed together. If the dough looks a little loose, you can add flour a tablespoon at a time until it looks firm enough but it will firm up while chilling.

Chill the dough for about 30 minutes.

Scoop on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until the top springs back lightly when touched. Cool completely.