For coffee lovers everywhere, these coffee cookies are perfectly moist, chewy, and packed with coffee flavor. They're easy to make and customize! You can add chocolate chips or leave them as-is. Either way, they disappear quickly!
Why You'll Love it
To say I'm a coffee person is the understatement of the century. I live for coffee and it's rich, earthy bitterness! I don't start my morning until I've had that first sip.
And since the other side of my heart belongs to cookies, it only made sense to combine them. Coffee cookies are a genius mashup of sweet and slightly bitter!
This coffee cookie recipe meets all my high standards for cookies - perfectly thick, crisp edges, and soft, chewy centers. Plus a jolt of espresso flavor.
You can customize them with white chocolate or dark chocolate chips!
Key Ingredients
Unsalted butter - I always use unsalted butter to bake cookies so my cookies aren't too salty! Let it come to room temperature first. If you forget, just zap the butter in the microwave for a few seconds to soften it. Don't melt it though!
Sugar & brown sugar - A combination gives you the perfect chew, spread, and caramel-like flavor. If you don't have brown sugar, you can make your own with sugar and molasses.
Instant coffee - I used Cafe Bustelo, but any brand works. Just be sure to get instant so it hydrates and incorporates into the cookie dough.
Egg - For binding and structure. Just one! I tried this coffee cookie recipe with an extra yolk and it came out too soft and puffy.
All-purpose flour - Use the spoon and level method to measure your flour. By that, I mean to spoon the flour into the measuring cup, then level it with a flat edge. If you dunk your cup into the bag, the flour compresses and you get too much.
Baking soda - Cookies need leavening so they're not hard or flat.
Kosher salt - A smidge of salt enhances sweetness!
How to Make Coffee Cookies
Coffee flavored cookies are easy to make!
Before you start, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. I like to use two sheet pans so I don't have to wait as long to bake all the cookies.
Be sure to line your sheet pan(s) with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat to prevent sticking.
1. Cream butter & sugar
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the butter, sugar, and brown sugar. You can also use a large bowl and a hand mixer.
Beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes or so.
2. Add the egg
Add the egg to the butter mixture and beat until incorporated.
Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure everything is mixed in well.
3. Add the dry ingredients
Add the all-purpose flour, baking soda, kosher salt, and instant coffee to the butter/egg mixture.
Mix on low speed at first so the flour doesn't poof outside of the bowl, then increase the speed to medium and beat until incorporated.
Now let the coffee cookie dough sit for 10 minutes. This will give the coffee crystals a chance to disintegrate into the dough.
Mix one more time for 15 seconds or so. You should see the color of the cookie dough change to a slightly darker brown.
4. Scoop & bake!
Use a small cookie scoop to scoop the cookie dough onto the prepared sheet pan.
Make sure to arrange the cookies at least 2 inches apart, giving them space to spread in the oven!
Bake for 11 minutes or until the edges are slightly golden but the centers look slightly underdone.
The cookies will set up as they cool! If the entire cookie looks baked when it comes out of the oven, it will end up crispy!
Recipe Tips
- Let the cookie dough sit. This step allows the coffee crystals to soften and mix into the dough. You should notice the cookie dough turn a darker shade of brown after you give it a mix.
- Don't overmix the cookie dough. Only mix cookie dough until everything is incorporated. If you overmix cookie dough, the result is a tougher cookie!
- Don't overbake the coffee cookies! Cookies should look underbaked when you pull them out of the oven. If the entire cookie looks golden brown and baked, it will set up crispy. For a soft, chewy texture, remove the cookies when the edges are golden brown but the centers look light and slightly underbaked.
- Let them set up before transferring them. Hot cookies fall apart! They need a few minutes to cool and set up first. Don't try to remove them from the sheet pan right out of the oven.
Storage & Freezing
- Store coffee sugar cookies in an airtight container on the counter for up to 4 days. The cookies should be completely cool before you store them!
- Freeze the cookies in a freezer-safe container or zip-top bag for up to 3 months. After 3 months, you risk freezer burn.
- Thaw the cookies on the counter for at least an hour or until they're room temperature.
You can also freeze the cookie dough! Here's how to do it:
- Scoop the cookie dough onto a parchment lined plate or small sheet pan. You can nestle them up to each other.
- Place the plate or sheet pan into the freezer for at least an hour or until the cookie dough is solid.
- Transfer the frozen cookie dough balls to a zip-top bag and label with the date. Use within 3 months for best results.
- Bake as directed! If you bake from frozen, you may need to add a minute or two to the baking time.
Variations
- Dairy-free: Swap the butter with vegan buttery sticks.
- Gluten-free: Swap the all-purpose flour with Bob's Red Mill's 1:1 Gluten Free Baking Flour. It's in a blue bag and you can find it at Target, Lowe's foods, or on Amazon.
- Mix-ins: You can totally add mix-ins! Try 1 cup of chocolate chips or white chocolate chips. You could also try cinnamon or butterscotch chips.
FAQs
These coffee cookies last up to 4 days at room temperature. After four days, the cookies will begin to harden and dry out. To keep them fresh as long as possible, store them in an airtight container.
Crave-Worthy Cookie Recipes
Coffee Cookies
Equipment
- Stand Mixer with the Paddle Attachment or a hand mixer
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter (4 ounces/8 tablespoons) room temperature
- ½ cup sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1½ tablespoons instant coffee or espresso I used Cafe Bustelo
- 1 large egg
- 1⅓ cup all-purpose flour spooned and leveled, see note
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter, sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add the egg and beat until incorporated. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add the all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, and instant coffee to the butter mixture. Beat until combined.
- Let the cookie dough sit for 10 minutes and beat one more time for 15 seconds or so. This incorporates the coffee into the dough!
- Use a small cookie scoop to scoop 8 cookies onto the prepared sheet pan. Give the cookies space to spread.
- Bake for 11 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden but the middles still look slightly underdone.
- Let the cookies set up on the sheet pan for at least 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Repeat with the remaining cookie dough. Enjoy!
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