Super Chewy Coffee Cookies
These Super Chewy Coffee Cookies are perfect as a snack or to dunk in your morning or afternoon cup of coffee. They are flavored with espresso powder, so they taste amazing! Plus, they are really easy to make!
There are so many different ways to make a cookie. Trust me, when I was in pastry school, we made them all! Different shapes, sizes, and textures.
As a serious lover of coffee dessert recipes, my favorites cookies have to be these (duh), and my coffee chocolate chip cookies.
These coffee cookies however are made with just a few ingredients and they are so chewy and delicious!
There are a few secrets to making a chewy cookie. First, you want to make sure you don’t over bake them because they can dry out in the oven giving them more of a crunchy texture.
You also want to make sure that you add the right amount of moisture to the dough. Too much and they will be cakey, too little and they will be dry. Soft butter is perfect for making cookies like this especially when you learn how to soften butter quickly.
These cookies have the rich flavor of coffee baked right inside coming from the addition of espresso powder! They can be enjoyed in the afternoon with a cup of coffee or milk, or even as a late-night snack.
WHY YOU SHOULD MAKE THIS RECIPE
- If you love coffee you will love these!
- The rich coffee flavor adds a layer of decadence and sophistication.
- Coffee cookies are GREAT for dunking in coffee or milk.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED
- Butter – Adds richness to the cookie dough along with moisture to create a classic chewy texture.
- Espresso Powder – Gives these cookies their signature coffee flavor. You’ll need espresso powder and not instant coffee. Check out the tips section for more info.
- Brown & White Sugar – Helps sweeten the cookie while the brown sugar adds a chewy texture and molasses taste.
- Egg – Binds all of the ingredients together to form perfect cookie shapes when baked.
- All-Purpose Flour – The main dry ingredient, flour adds structure to the cookies.
- Baking Soda & Baking Powder – Helps give the cookies a slight rise while baking.
- Kosher Salt – Activates the leavening agents and balances out the sweet flavor.
HOW TO MAKE Chewy Coffee Cookies
- Cream the wet ingredients together: In the bowl of a hand or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter with the espresso powder on medium speed for 1 minute. Scrape the bowl and add the brown sugar and white sugar and cream together for 2 more minutes until fluffy. Add the egg and mix for 30 seconds.
- Add in the dry ingredients: Add in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and kosher salt. Mix on medium speed just until combined without overworking.
- Portion and freeze: Using a 3 tbsp cookie scoop, scoop 12 cookies on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and freeze for 30 mins.
- Bake the cookies: When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F and line another cookie sheet with parchment paper. Line 6 cookies 2 inches apart on each cookie sheet and bake for 12-14 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are brown and crisp. Cool completely.
TIPS FOR RECIPE SUCCESS
- Espresso powder vs Instant Coffee: The difference between the two is that espresso powder is made from coffee beans that have been ground and then brewed. This makes it more concentrated and gives these cookies their rich coffee flavor. Instant coffee is different because it’s made from coffee that has already been brewed and then dried. It will not give you the same flavor in these cookies, so make sure to use espresso powder.
- When measuring the flour, be careful not to overmeasure. The best way to measure it is by using a kitchen scale if you have one. If you don’t have one, the best way to measure it is by using the scoop and level method. Use a spoon to scoop the flour into your measuring cup and then use a knife to level it off. Do not pack it into the cup or you will end up with too much flour.
- If you want a stronger coffee flavor, feel free to add an extra teaspoon of espresso powder. Just be careful not to add too much or the cookies will be bitter.
- These cookies must be frozen before baking to keep them from spreading. You can freeze the cookie dough in the bowl if you don’t have room but I prefer doing it on a cookie sheet.
Can I bake the cookies without chilling them?
You can, but I don’t recommend it. Here is a photo of what the difference is when you chill a cookie according to the recipe and when you skip it.
The cookie on the left was baked right away. You can see it spread a lot. The cookie in the middle was chilled in the fridge and the cookie on the right was chilled in the freezer.
The freezer chilled cookies have a better texture because they dont spread as much as the others.
Other ways to use Espresso powder
Ok so I know its annoying if you buy espresso powder for this recipe and then wonder what the heck to do with it but it is SO versatile for baking.
You can add it to coffee cheesecake, espresso buttercream, coffee blondies, chocolate filled cupcakes, chocolate cake, or chocolate brownie cookies! Basically anything that has chocolate in it you can add a little espresso powder to because it will enhance the chocolate flavor.
Next thing you know, you will be buying another jar! I like the King Arthur Espresso Powder.
STORAGE AND FREEZING
Storing: Store baked and cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
To freeze unbaked: Freeze cookie dough balls on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet for 2 hours, then transfer them to a ziplock bag and store them in the freezer for up to three months. When ready to bake, preheat the oven and bake frozen cookie dough balls for an extra minute or two.
To freeze baked: Freeze cooled cookies in a ziplock bag for up to three months. When ready to eat, let thaw on the counter for 30 minutes or enjoy straight from the freezer.
More Cookie Recipes
If you love these cookies, try out my other decadent cookie recipes!
- Orange Cookies
- Thumbprint Cookies
- Chocolate Brownie Cookies
- Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie
- Chewy Strawberry Cookies
Super Chewy Coffee Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, (226g) softened at room temp
- 1 tbsp espresso powder
- 1 cup brown sugar, (213g)
- ¼ cup white sugar, (50g)
- 1 egg, large
- 2 ¼ cup flour, (270g)
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp kosher salt
Instructions
- In the bowl of a hand or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the 1 cup butter with the 1 tbsp espresso powder on medium speed for 1 minute.
- Scrape the bowl and add the 1 cup brown sugar and ¼ cup white sugar and cream for 2 more minutes.
- Add the egg and mix for 30 seconds.
- Add in the 2 ¼ cup flour, ½ tsp baking soda, ¼ tsp baking powder, and ½ tsp kosher salt.
- Mix on medium speed just until combined.
- Using a 3 tbsp cookie scoop, scoop 12 cookies on a parchment lined cookie sheet and freeze for 30 mins.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line another cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Line 6 cookies 2 inches apart on each cookie sheet.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are brown and crisp.
Am I reading this right that it only makes 12 cookies? If so, do you think I could just use a smaller scoop? Maybe just adjust the cooking time?
Hi Kristi! Yep it makes 12 cookies, you can make them smaller and adjust the baking time to a few minutes less. Hope you enjoy!
What are the measurements for the ingredients? I couldn’t seem to find them on the website page…
Hi! They are in the recipe card, you need to scroll down the post or click the jump to recipe button at the top
Made these today with a few adjustments. Added 1 cup 72% cocoa choc chunks and then rolled the cookies dough in turbinado sugar prior to baking. I like small cookies, so I got 4 dozen cookies out of this recipe. I did not freeze the dough prior to baking since mine were so much smaller. They are absolutely delicious and I love the crunch of the sugar against the chewy cookie center. Thank you for sharing.
So glad you loved these Jeri! Those adjustments sound delish!! Thank you so much for the 5 star rating and your comment!
I just made a batch of these cookies and they are unquestionably my new favorite! The outer edge is crispy and the inside chewy. The espresso flavor blends perfectly with the butter and brown sugar. So, so delicious with a cup of coffee.
YAY! Thanks Crissa!!! I love these so much too- especially with coffee! Thank you so much for letting me know and fo rthe 5 star rating!
Do you think these could be made with almond flour??
Hi Jill, I havent made these with almond flour- I am allergic to almonds so I dont work with them. I would rather try these with a 1:1 GF flour if gluten is what you are avoiding.
Has anyone tried these with a small addition of semi sweet chocolate chips? Can’t wait to try these!
I havent but damn that sounds good!
I’ll let you know!
This recipe was disappointing😞 as I fluffed my flour and everything, and they aren’t chewy like the pics show. The cookies’re soft and slightly chewy on the edge. (For anyone wondering I put them in the freezer for 30min exactly. So, Idk what went wrong)
Hi Emma, sorry these didnt work for you. It could still be that too much flour was used. The best way to measure flour is with a kitchen scale or spooning your flour into a measuring. Fluffing doesnt always yield the best results.
I replaced the sugars with Splenda and 2 Tbsp molasses. The dough is wonderful. It’s freezing right now
So glad to hear it, thank you Susan!
Any recommendations for making these sugar free
Nope, sorry Amy.
Hi! I was wondering if there was any way to replace the espresso powder with instant coffee? Maybe by blending it into a fine powder? Or mixing it into a tablespoon of melted butter? Ill probably try and play around with those options and report back!
Hi Anna! You can blend it into a fine powder but since instant coffee isnt as strong as espresso you could double it for the flavor. I wouldnt melt the butter as that would change the texture of the cookie. You could also just throw it in as is, ive definitely done that too when Ive run out of espresso powder but realllllllly wanted cookies 😂
Love this recipe! Making them today for the second time! We are real coffee drinkers so I’m upping the espresso powder. MORE COFFEE FLAVOR!! Thanks for the recipe!
WOHOOOO gimme ALLLLL the coffee!! Hope you enjoy them with a large cup! Thank you so much for letting me know you love these and the 5 star rating!
I did want to tell you that I was mistaken and used instant expression and NOT expressing powder. Oops! They were perfect!
So happy you loved them! They are one of my favorites!!
Thanks for this recipe! Love these cookies!! I’ve upped the espresso powder as we are real coffee lovers!
Ohhh yum!! So glad you love these!! Thank you so much for letting me know!
Not quite sure what went wrong. I refrigerated my dough for a good two hours, but instead of spreading, they puffed up, no crunchy outside, and the inside was cake like. My oven runs a bit cooler, but usually I can attain expected results by adjusting the time. Also, the flavor of the cookie was super bland, the espresso flavor didn’t shine. I don’t think I will make this recipe again.
Sorry these didnt work out for you. Did you measure the dry ingredients correctly? If you scooped the flour you could have added too much. Also I am wondering what type of espresso powder you used because that can make a difference too