Calling all coffee lovers! These Coffee Cookies (aka espresso cookies) are a soft, chewy cookie with the rich, aromatic flavors of coffee. They’re easy to make and offer a bit of extra decadence when dipped in chocolate. Enjoy them as a morning pick-me-up, an afternoon indulgence, or a simple dessert.
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Recipes for Coffee Lovers
There isn't a day that goes by that I don't wake up and want a mug of my favorite brew. For all of us coffee lovers, recipes that infuse that bold, rich flavor of coffee into their creations are simply the best. Beyond the traditional cup of joe, there are many recipes that offer ways to savor this popular brew. From breakfast to dinner and sweet to savory, the possibilities are endless.
A favorite in our house is starting the day with a Coffee Banana Smoothie. An easy-to-make, healthy way to start the day with a little boost from my must-have brew. Of course, desserts are at the top of the coffee-lovers food chain. From Coffee Ice Cream to Chocolate Coffee Mousse there is nothing like ending a meal with something that caters to our caffeine-craving desires.
Why You'll Love This Coffee Cookie Recipe
Loads of coffee flavor - a must-have cookie for all coffee lovers
Soft and chewy cookie perfection!
Coffee and cookies pair up in one quick and easy recipe
Easy to change up with different flavors of coffee
Coffee and chocolate make the perfect pairing
Ingredients
- Butter
- Light brown sugar
- Large egg
- Strong brewed coffee or espresso
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Cream of tartar
- Baking soda
- Ground nutmeg
- Salt
- Dark chocolate bar (I used Ghiradelli Intense Dark 72% Cacao Dark Chocolate Bar)
- Colored sprinkles for decorating
Equipment Needed
How to Make Coffee Cookies
- Place butter and sugar into a mixing bowl.
- Beat until light and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes.
- Add egg, vanilla extract, and coffee to creamed mixture.
- Beat until combined.
- Combine flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, nutmeg and salt. Add to wet ingredients.
- Best until well incorporated. Wrap dough in wax paper and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight is even better.
- Scoop dough onto cookie sheets using a small cookie scoop. Leave 2" in between each cookie as they will spread.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until they are light golden brown. Let cool for several minutes on the cookie sheet then move to wire racks to cool completely.
- Melt chocolate in a microwave-safe dish in the microwave in 30-second increments, stirring in between, until melted. Dip ⅓ of the cookie in the chocolate then place on wax paper-lined cookie sheet.
- Sprinkle immediately with sprinkles then allow the chocolate to harden before storing.
How can anyone pass up the perfect combination of coffee and chocolate in one cookie! Enjoy with your favorite cup of java or a glass of milk. Either way, they're delicious!
Recipe Tips
- For a deeper coffee flavor, add up to 1 tablespoon of instant coffee, instant espresso, or extra finely ground coffee (put some coffee grounds in a spice grinder and grind until it's a powder).
- You can use decaf coffee instead of regular coffee. Note that chocolate contains caffeine so if you want them to be caffeine-free you'll need to dip them with chocolate-flavored candy melts or white chocolate.
- Don’t overmix the dough. You’ll want to stop mixing as soon as the wet and dry ingredients are well combined.
- For chewy coffee cookies, slightly underbake them.
- Don’t overbake the cookies or you'll have dry, crumbly cookies.
- You can use milk, semi-sweet, dark, or white chocolate chips for dipping.
Why Chill Cookie Dough
Chilling the cookie dough helps prevent the cookies from spreading too much.
Chilling also improves flavor, emphasizing the vanilla notes and causing the sugar to be sweeter with a deeper caramel flavor. One hour works well but 24 hours works even better!
The cookies will brown more evenly with a crisper outside and chewier inside.
Recipe Variations
You can easily change the flavor of the cookies by using flavored coffee. Cinnamon, Creme Brulee, Hazelnut, Irish Cream, Pecan, Toffee, and Vanilla are all great choices. Here are some more variation ideas:
- Cinnamon Coffee Cookies - Add ½ teaspoon of cinnamon to the dough. Roll the cookie dough log in cinnamon sugar before slicing it. You can also skip dipping them in chocolate.
- Coffee Cardamom Cookies - Substitute nutmeg with ½ teaspoon of ground cardamom.
- Coffee Christmas Cookies - Use sprinkles that are Christmas colors or shapes. Or use white candy melts colored with red and green gel food coloring.
- Coffee Sandwich Cookies - Sandwich the cookies together with chocolate, cream cheese, or vanilla frosting.
Make Ahead
You can make the dough months in advance and freeze it until you're ready to bake the cookies. Simply wrap the dough tightly with plastic wrap and then again with aluminum foil or place the plastic-wrapped dough in a plastic freezer bag.
Freeze the dough for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the fridge overnight then scoop, bake, and dip them as directed in the recipe.
How to Store and Freeze
Store the baked cookies in an airtight container with parchment paper between the layers. The cookies will last up to 5 days.
Freeze the cookies for longer storage. It's best to first freeze them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Once frozen, transfer them to a freezer-safe container or plastic freezer bag. They will last up to 3 months in the freezer. Thaw them in the fridge or on the counter at room temperature.
More Cookie Recipes
Find lots of easy cookie recipes right here on 2CM!
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Coffee Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter room temperature
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 Tablespoons strong brewed vanilla-flavored coffee I used a K-cup brewed for 6 ounces
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ⅜ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 3.5 oz bar dark chocolate
- Garnish: colored sprinkles optional
Instructions
- In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar for 1-2 minutes or until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the egg, strong coffee and vanilla extract.
- In a medium bowl combine the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt.
- Add to the cream mixture and beat until well incorporated.
- Wrap the dough in wax paper or plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Remove dough from the refrigerator and using a medium cookie scoop, place dough onto cookie sheets leaving at least 2" apart as the cookies will spread.
- Bake for about 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. The longer they bake the crisper they will be.
- Let cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes then remove to wire racks to cool completely.
- To finish: line cookie sheets with wax paper.
- Melt the dark chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until chocolate is melted and smooth, about 1 ½ minutes.
- Dip half the cookie in the chocolate and place on prepared cookie sheets. Sprinkle immediately with sprinkles, if desired.
- Let chocolate set then store in an airtight container.
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