These easy and chewy coffee cookies are packed with rich espresso flavor, soft centers, crisp edges, and pockets of gooey chocolate chunks.
Combining two favorite flavors, rich coffee and sweet chocolate, this coffee cookie dough starts with a classic brown sugar base infused with instant espresso powder.
The coffee deepens the cocoa flavor and gives every bite a rich, bakery-style finish.
Best of all, you scoop the dough into balls before chilling, so you get thick, chewy coffee cookies without the workout of digging into rock-hard dough!
For more cookie recipes check out my Oreo chocolate chip cookies, mini chocolate chip cookies, chocolate crinkle cookies, and tiramisu cookies.
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Why this recipe works
- Instant Espresso Flavor: Using instant espresso powder ensures the coffee flavor dissolves smoothly into the batter without leaving any gritty grounds behind.
- Scoop-Then-Chill Method: Scooping the soft dough into balls first saves your wrists, while chilling the shaped balls prevents the cookies from spreading too flat in the oven.
- Crispy Edges & Chewy Centers: The combination of brown sugar, melted-down butter, and an extra egg yolk creates the ultimate soft and fudgy texture.
- Gooey Chocolate Chunks: Chopping up chocolate bars instead of using standard chips creates puddles of melted chocolate throughout the cookie.
Ingredients
Before starting this recipe, measure and prepare your ingredients so the baking process goes smoothly. Full measurements are in the recipe card below.
Vanilla Extract and Kosher Salt: Enhance the vanilla and coffee flavor while balancing the sweetness.
Unsalted Butter: Use room-temperature unsalted butter for easy creaming. If using salted butter, remove the salt from the recipe.
Granulated Sugar and Light Brown Sugar: Granulated sugar creates crisp edges, while brown sugar adds moisture, chewiness, and a warm caramel flavor. Use light brown sugar or dark brown sugar. I use light brown sugar.
Egg plus Egg Yolk: One whole egg binds the dough, while the extra egg yolk adds richness and keeps the centers of these coffee cookies fudgy. Ensure they are at room temperature.
Instant Espresso Powder: Use your favorite instant espresso powder or instant coffee granules to give these coffee cookies their signature taste. (Do not use ground espresso coffee beans!)
All Purpose Flour: Provides structure. Cake flour works as well for an even lighter crumb.
Baking Soda: Gives the cookies their rise and helps them spread into nice, crinkly edges.
Chocolate Chunks: Semi sweet or dark chocolate chunks (or a chopped chocolate bar) yield the best melted chocolate pockets.
Instructions
Prep and Cream
Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
In a large mixing bowl, add the softened butter, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, kosher salt, and vanilla extract. Beat with an electric hand mixer on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes until light, pale, and creamy.
Add Wet Ingredients and Espresso
Add the room temperature egg, egg yolk, and instant espresso powder to the butter mixture. Beat on medium speed until smooth and fully combined, making sure the instant espresso powder dissolves completely.
Fold in Dry Ingredients and Chocolate
Add the all-purpose flour and baking soda to the bowl. Switch to a rubber spatula and gently fold the ingredients together just until almost combined.
Add the chocolate chunks and fold gently until evenly distributed. Do not overmix!
Scoop First and Chill
Using a large cookie scoop (about 3 tablespoons per ball), scoop the soft coffee cookie dough into balls and place them onto your prepared baking sheet.
Cover the tray loosely with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 1 hour (or overnight).
Bake and Cool
Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Space the chilled coffee cookie dough balls at least 2 inches apart on your baking sheets.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and set, but the centers are still soft. Immediately press a few extra chocolate chunks into the tops of the warm cookies for a bakery style finish.
Let the coffee cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. I like to top them with flaky salt!
Expert Tips
- Always Scoop Before Chilling: Scoop the coffee cookie dough into balls immediately after mixing while it is still soft. Chilling the whole bowl of dough first makes it rock extremely difficult to scoop later.
- Use Instant Espresso Powder Only: Never use actual ground coffee or espresso beans in coffee cookies, as they will not dissolve and will give your cookies a gritty, unpleasant texture.
- Measure Flour Accurately: Fluff your flour with a spoon, scoop it into your measuring cup, and level it off with the back of a knife to keep your coffee cookies from becoming dry or cakey.
- Do Not Overmix the Batter: Stop mixing as soon as the flour and chocolate chunks are incorporated to keep the gluten soft and the cookies tender.
- Rest on the Hot Pan: Let the baked coffee cookies sit on the hot pan for 5 minutes after taking them out of the oven. This allows the bottoms to set while keeping the centers thick and soft.
Faq's
No. Ground coffee beans do not dissolve and will make the cookies gritty. Use instant espresso powder or instant coffee granules so they dissolve completely into the batter.
Yes. To make them caffeine free, swap the espresso powder for decaf instant espresso or decaf instant coffee.
Soft dough scoops easily. Chilling the shaped dough balls keeps the cookies thick and chewy without forcing you to scoop rock hard dough later.
Chill the pre scooped dough balls for at least 1 hour before baking. Cold butter slows down spreading in the oven, keeping the centers thick.
Storage and Freezing
Room Temperature: Store baked coffee cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. Toss a slice of white bread into the container to keep them extra soft!
Freezing Cookie Dough: Freeze pre scooped coffee cookie dough balls on a baking sheet for 1 hour until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Bake straight from frozen at 180°C (350°F) for an extra 1 to 2 minutes.
Freezing Baked Cookies: Place cooled coffee cookies in a freezer safe container separated by layers of parchment paper. Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.
Substitutions and Variations
White Chocolate Mocha Cookies: Swap half of the dark chocolate chunks for white chocolate chips to create a sweet white chocolate mocha flavor.
Dairy Free Option: Swap the butter for block-style vegan butter and use dairy-free dark chocolate chunks.
Gluten Free Option: Substitute the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free measure-for-measure baking flour containing xanthan gum.
Nut Additions: Add ½ cup of chopped, toasted pecans or walnuts alongside the chocolate chunks for an added crunch.
Equipment
- Large baking sheets and parchment paper
- Electric hand mixer
- Large mixing bowl and rubber spatula
- Large cookie scoop (3 tablespoon capacity)
- Wire cooling rack
More cookie recipes
If you loved these homemade coffee cookies, check out my sour cream cookies, lemon crinkle cookies, or chewy pistachio chocolate chunk cookies!
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📖 Recipe
Chewy Coffee Cookies (Chocolate Chip)
Ingredients
- ½ cup Butter softened, unsalted
- ½ cup Granulated sugar
- ¾ cup Brown sugar light brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 1 Egg
- 1 Egg yolk
- ¼ cup Espresso powder
- 2 cups Flour AP, plain flour
- ½ teaspoon Baking soda
- 1 cup Chocolate chunks
Instructions
- Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the softened butter, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, kosher salt, and vanilla extract. Beat with an electric hand mixer on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes, until light, pale, and creamy.
- Add the room-temperature egg, egg yolk, and instant espresso powder to the butter mixture. Beat on medium speed until smooth and fully combined, making sure the instant espresso powder dissolves completely.
- Add the all-purpose flour and baking soda to the bowl. Switch to a rubber spatula and gently fold the ingredients together just until almost combined.
- Add the chocolate chunks and fold gently until evenly distributed. Do not overmix!
- Using a large cookie scoop (about 3 tablespoons per ball), scoop the soft coffee cookie dough into balls and place them onto your prepared baking sheet.
- Cover the tray loosely with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 1 hour (or overnight).
- Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Space the chilled coffee cookie dough balls at least 2 inches apart on your baking sheets.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and set, but the centers are still soft. Immediately press a few extra chocolate chunks into the tops of the warm cookies for a bakery-style finish.
- Let the coffee cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. I like to top them with flaky salt!
Notes
- Espresso Powder: Use instant espresso powder or instant coffee granules only. Do not use actual ground coffee or espresso beans, as they will not dissolve and will give the cookies a gritty texture.
- Measuring Flour: Always use the spoon and level method to measure flour. Fluff the flour with a spoon, scoop it into your measuring cup, and level it off with the back of a knife. Scooping directly with a measuring cup packs the flour down and leads to dry, cakey cookies.
- Scoop Before Chilling: Always scoop the soft dough into balls immediately after mixing. Chilling the entire bowl of dough first makes it rock hard and extremely difficult to scoop later.
- Chill Time: Chill the pre scooped dough balls for at least 1 hour before baking. Cold butter slows down the spreading process in the oven, keeping your coffee cookies thick with soft, chewy centers.
- Baking Time: Bake until the edges are set and lightly golden, but the centers still look slightly soft and underbaked. The cookies will continue to cook and set on the hot baking sheet after coming out of the oven.
- Bakery Style Finish: Press a few extra chocolate chunks into the tops of the cookies immediately after taking them out of the oven, and sprinkle with a pinch of flaky sea salt if desired.
- Storage: Keep baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. Store with a slice of white bread in the container to retain maximum moisture and softness.
Kendra Smith, full time mother of four says
These cookies were delish!!! They taste exactly like a coffee crisp, and I made them decaf so my little ones could enjoy them (didn’t give them to my 2 year old munchkin though lols). I did run into a few problems and I just can’t think of what I did wrong! The dough ended up so crumbly and was falling apart but I managed to squeeze them into balls (#strongmom) and baked them. But disaster struck again because they didn’t spread. Gosh, I just don’t know what went wrong.
I changed a few things that I think made the cookies better… I added a little extra espresso (just a bit!) because God says to follow your intuition and I trust Him above all (and I also do love my coffee #momlife).
Also, a coffee glaze takes these to the next level! Just espresso powder, water, and some powdered sugar and everyone will be amazed (especially hubby! lol).
Love y’all! Kendra, Professional Mom