Chewy Coffee Cookies
If you’re looking for the ideal cookie to enjoy with a cup of coffee, look no further. These chewy coffee cookies are infused with rich flavor that intensifies when dipped in your favorite brew. A sugar cookie base makes these cookies simple, soft, sweet, and totally customizable.
C’mon coffee lovers, let’s whip up a batch!
Reasons to love these cookies
I was on a mission when I created this recipe – I wanted to create the perfect cookie to dip in coffee. (Before you say anything… Yes, I know that biscotti exists, but I wanted something that was a bit easier to make, okay?!)
If you’re a coffee/cookie dipper like I am, you’ll drool over this recipe. This cookie has a ton of flavor on its own, but dipping it in coffee takes it to the next level – the rich coffee flavor intensifies and the cookie holds together before melting in your mouth. *swoon*
These cookies are soft and slightly sweet, with crinkly edges and the perfect amount of coffee flavor. Think of them like a coffee with cream.
If you’re a fan of doctored-up coffee, this cookie base is easy to customize. Pair it with any flavors you enjoy in coffee drinks. Mix in toffee or nuts, add a chocolate or caramel drizzle, sprinkle with sugar, or add sprinkles. The sky is the limit!
Ingredients for espresso cookies
This recipe is essentially a sugar cookie base infused with instant espresso powder. That means the ingredients are very simple. You might have most of them on hand right now!
- Butter
- Sugar – I use a mix of granulated sugar and brown sugar. Cookies made with white sugar tend to be more puffy, whereas brown sugar cookies are more compact. By mixing the two, you get the best of both worlds! These cookies spread slightly but remain soft and chewy.
- Egg
- Vanilla extract – Don’t let me tell you how much to use. Measure with your heart, babe!
- Instant coffee powder – This is the (not so) secret to adding coffee flavor to baked goods. It’s not technically espresso, but it tastes similarly bold.
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Salt
You can also add mix-ins or toppings to customize your cookies! My rule of thumb? If it tastes good with a fancy coffee, it’ll probably taste good with this recipe. (You can find more recommendations by scrolling down to the ‘Recipe Modifications’ section.)
Tips for the best cookies with coffee
This coffee cookie is the result of a lot of testing. (i.e. I made countless mistakes so you don’t have to!) Here’s what I learned:
- Cream together the butter and sugar with a hand mixer or (preferably) a stand mixer. The creaming process aerates butter, resulting in a light and airy cookie. You can do this by hand, but kitchen tools make things way easier.
- Mix instant coffee powder with wet ingredients. When it’s dry, instant coffee powder is a bit gritty. Mixing it in with dry ingredients will result in a dough with flecks of coffee and a weaker, more bitter flavor. When instant coffee powder is mixed with liquidy eggs and vanilla extract, it’s able to bloom and dissolve, giving your dough a richer flavor and even color throughout.
- Mix and portion out depending on your preferences. Since this is essentially a sugar cookie dough, it’s very customizable.
- For a crinkly cookie with slightly irregular edges (my preference), mix in the flour by hand, then scoop the cookies with a cookie scoop.
- For a smooth cookie with neat edges (better for frosting), mix in the flour with a stand or hand mixer, then roll out the cookies on a floured surface and cut them out.
FAQs
Yes. Since coffee cookies are made with instant coffee, they do have some caffiene. The amount of caffiene can vary based on how much instant coffee powder you add and which brand you use.
According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a 2 tsp serving of instant coffee contains 148 mg of caffiene. Since this recipe uses 3 tbsp of espresso powder and is divided into 13 servings, each serving contains about 50 mg of caffiene. (For comparision, an average cup of coffee contains 95 mg of caffiene.)
For baked goods like cookies, instant espresso powder is the way to go! A small quantiy packs a ton of coffee flavor without much added liquid. For the best results, I recommend whisking instant coffee powder in with your wet ingredients (eggs and vanilla extract). This helps the coffee bloom and dissolve, giving your cookies a smooth texture and more complex coffee flavor.
If you have a stand mixer, I highly recommend using it to make your cookie dough! If not, a hand mixer will also work. A large baking sheet and a 3 tbs-sized cookie scoop will also come in handy.
Recipe modifications
- Add mix-ins – For added texture and flavor, fold in mix-ins before chilling the dough. Try chocolate chips, nuts, or toffee bits.
- Add toppings – To dress up your cookies, sprinkle them with coarse sugar, cinnamon sugar, powdered sugar, or sprinkles. You can also drizzle your cookies with melted caramel, white chocolate, or dark chocolate.
- Gluten-free version – Instead of standard all-purpose flour, try a gluten-free 1-to-1 baking flour.
- Egg-free version – I haven’t tested this method on this recipe yet, but you can replace eggs in baking with a “flax egg.” (For one egg, mix together 1 tbsp ground flaxseed meal and 2½ tbsp water.)
- Dairy-free version – Swap in vegan butter in place of the unsalted butter. (Again, I haven’t tested this swap in this recipe, but if you try it, let me know how it turns out!)
- Small batch – Cut all of the ingredients in half. When you get to the egg, don’t panic! To get a perfect half egg, use a kitchen scale to weigh out one beaten egg, then remove spoonfuls until you reach half of that weight.
- For a crispier cookie – When the 15 minutes of baking are done, turn off the oven, leave the door cracked open, and leave the cookies in the oven for 5 minutes. This will dehydrate them a bit, resulting in a harder cookies.
- For a softer cookie – These cookies are quite soft, but if you like a slightly underbaked feel to your cookies, bake for 1-2 minutes less.
- Cut out sugar cookie version – Mix in the flour with a stand or hand mixer for s smoother dough. Chill the dough, then roll it out on a floured surface until it’s about ¼ inch thick. Use a cup or cookie cutters to cut the sheet into whatever shapes you’d like.
Chewy Coffee Cookies
Equipment
- hand mixer or stand mixer
- large cookie sheet
- cookie scoop (I used a 3 tbs size)
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 tbsp instant coffee powder
- 320 grams all-purpose flour (2 ½ cups)
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ⅛ tsp salt
Instructions
- Cream together the butter and sugars. (You can do this in a large bowl with a hand mixer OR in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment.) Scrape down the bowl as needed until everything is evenly incorporated.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, vanilla extract, and instant coffee powder until smooth. Add to the butter/sugar mixture and continue beating until thoroughly combined and smooth.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients a bit at a time – I do this in three parts – mixing by hand with a wooden spoon or spatula. Mix until no more dry flour remains. The dough should feel like a slightly dry Play-Doh. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Scoop cookies onto an unlined baking sheet or cookie sheet with a cookie scoop, leaving 1-2 inches between the cookies. Use the rounded side of the cookie scoop, your hand, or a fork to lightly press down the center of each cookie.
- Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack.
- Enjoy with a cup of coffee!
Notes
- Please note that nutrition facts are an estimate and can vary widely based on amounts and specific types used.
- Add mix-ins – For added texture and flavor, fold in mix-ins before chilling the dough. Try chocolate chips, nuts, or toffee bits.
- Add toppings – To dress up your cookies, sprinkle them with coarse sugar, cinnamon sugar, powdered sugar, or sprinkles. You can also drizzle your cookies with melted caramel, white chocolate, or dark chocolate.
Nutrition
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