These perfectly soft and gooey espresso chocolate chip cookies are made with delicious browned butter, a fragrant espresso kick, pools of dark chocolate, and flaky salt on top.
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Notes from the baker
These espresso chocolate chip cookies are a must when you want something classic, comforting, and simple like a chocolate chip cookie but with an easy and elevated twist. The espresso powder adds something really special to these cookies.
I'm also begging you to try these cookies (and all cookies!) while they're warm. When they're warm, they're softer, gooey-er, richer, with pools of melted chocolate. It's an entirely different experience, in my opinion.
Why you'll love this recipe
- Soft and gooey cookies. These cookies are made with the perfect chocolate chip cookie base that's even more incredible when enjoyed warm!
- Delicious espresso flavour and aroma. The espresso powder adds so much flavour and complexity to the cookies in such an easy way.
- Fragrant brown butter. Anything made with browned butter is going to smell and taste amazing.
- Easy-to-make cookies. No hand mixer needed. No chilling time. These cookies are straightforward and so easy to make.
Tools
- Baking sheet - You can use any baking sheet or baking tray to bake your cookies. There's a difference in light vs dark aluminum but typically either kind will work.
- Small pan - You'll need a small pan to make the browned butter. A light-coloured pan is best because it'll allow you to see the colour of the milk solids change very clearly but any pan will do.
- Whisk - I love a recipe that only requires a whisk (no hand mixer needed) and this recipe is one of them!
- 4-tablespoon cookie scooper - I recommend using a large cookie scoop for big and thick bakery-style cookies. I personally wouldn't use anything smaller than a 3-tablespoon scoop unless I'm making mini cookies. A cookie or ice cream scooper allows you to portion out the cookie dough into perfectly equal-sized and shaped balls.
Ingredient notes
As always, the fullย recipe cardย with ingredient amounts and instructions is at the bottom of this post! Keep reading for more details on each ingredient or skip ahead to theย recipe.
- All-purpose flour
- Cornstarch - This is my favourite "secret" ingredient to add to cookies to help make them softer.
- Espresso powder - Use instant espresso powder, not ground up espresso beans. Instant espresso powder dissolves completely in water and that's what we want. Do not use brewed espresso as it adds way too much liquid to the cookie dough.
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Unsalted butter - We'll be making browned butter! Roughly cut the butter into cubes to help them melt evenly. Since all butter contains a different amount of water that cooks off during the browning process, we're starting with slightly more butter than needed. Measure the browned butter afterwards and top it up with more butter if needed.
- Granulated sugar
- Brown sugar - A combination of brown sugar and granulated sugar creates a chewier cookie with a deeper flavour.
- Egg - This should be at room temperature before using to prevent the butter from curdling.
- Vanilla extract
- Dark chocolate - Use a good quality chocolate bar. Roughly chop it into various sized pieces and don't leave behind all the chocolate dust!
- Flaky salt - This is always a must-have on top of cookies! Maldon salt is my favourite. The little salty kick complements the sweetness and richness of the cookies.
Tips for making the best espresso chocolate chip cookies
- Watch the butter closely as it becomes browned butter quickly. The change happens fast. Once the milk solids in the butter become golden brown, they will also quickly become burnt if left on the heat for too long. It's easier to see the colour if you use a light-coloured pan. Remove the pan from the heat immediately and transfer the browned butter to a mixing bowl to stop the cooking process.
- Use a good quality chocolate bar. You can absolutely use chocolate chips but they usually have a coating that keeps them in their shape. If you want pools of chocolate in your cookies, use a chopped up bar of chocolate.
- Press a few extra pieces of chocolate on top of the cookies a few minutes before they're finished baking. This is optional but it's a must for me to create those gorgeous melty pools of chocolate on top of the cookies.
Storage
These espresso chocolate chip cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
The baked cookies can be frozen in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 1 month. Thaw at room temperature or reheat in a toaster oven before eating.
The unbaked cookie dough can be stored in the fridge for 1-2 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month. To bake from frozen, set the oven to 325ยฐF (25ยฐ lower than normal) and bake for a few minutes longer.
Frequently asked questions
Baking by weight is much more accurate than volume. When using US standard cups, ingredients like flour and sugar can easily be overpacked into the cup causing you to add too much of certain ingredients. Recipes with weight measurements are also easier to scale to smaller or bigger batches without dealing with weird fractions.ย To measure by weight, you simply need a kitchen scale which you can usually pick up for less than $20.
Small measurements are given in tablespoons and teaspoons because most kitchen scales are not accurate under about 10g. Tiny amounts like a ยผ teaspoon may not register accurately unless you have a drug scale. Mixing these measurements is a common practice among other recipe sites and commercial kitchens.
More cookie recipes to try
- Pistachio Cream Cookies
- Tiramisu Cookies
- Chocolate Chip Sโmores Cookies
- Matcha White Chocolate Cookies
Recipe
Espresso Chocolate Chip Cookies
Equipment
- 1 whisk
Ingredientsย ย
- 150 g unsalted butter, roughly cubed
- 180 g all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
- ยฝ teaspoon baking powder
- ยฝ teaspoon baking soda
- ยฝ teaspoon salt
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 50 g brown sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 100 g dark chocolate, roughly chopped, plus extra for topping
- flaky salt
Instructionsย
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 350ยฐF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Brown the butter: In a small pan, heat the butter on the stovetop at medium heat. After the butter has melted, the white milk solids will separate out and sizzle. Stir occasionally. The mixture will foam and the milk solids will sink to the bottom of the pan where they'll start to brown quickly. When the milk solids become golden brown and the butter smells nutty, immediately remove it from the heat and pour it into a large mixing bowl. You should end up with 125g of browned butter. If it's less than that, add additional butter to bring it to that amount. Let it cool for about 10 minutes.
- Flour mixture: In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, cornstarch, espresso powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Wet ingredients: To the browned butter, add the granulated sugar and brown sugar. Whisk until combined. Add the egg and vanilla extract and whisk again until smooth and thick.
- Combine: Add the flour mixture and fold together with a spatula until mostly combined with some flour patches left. Add the chopped chocolate and fold together until just combined.
- Scoop cookie dough: Use a 4-tablespoon cookie scooper to scoop the cookie dough onto your lined baking sheet, leaving about 1-2" in between each to account for spreading.
- Bake: Bake for about 11-12 minutes or until the edges are set but the cookies are still very soft. 2 minutes before they're finished baking, press a few extra chocolate chunks on top of each cookie (optional). Immediately sprinkle flaky salt on top of the cookies while they're still warm.
- Cool: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely or enjoy warm!
Celine says
cant express how delicious these were!! dark chocolate andddd coffee flavour??? sign me up! SUPER easy to make and the best of both worlds with the flavour :))
Claudia says
Delicious
Jennifer says
I halved this recipe and it worked perfectly, made 4 roughly 2.5oz cookies. The espresso flavour is present, but not overwhelming. Browned butter adds great depth of flavour to anything! You could omit the espresso powder and this would easily be just a top notch chocolate chip cookie recipe. Will definitely make it again.
Myra says
Hi Gail! Iโm wondering if you chill your cookie dough or have tried to chill them and yielded a different result? Thanks!
Rebekah says
Your recipe instructions never adds the brown butter into the mixture. I assume you add it in the wet ingredients?
Gail Ng says
Oops, fixed it! Yes it should say "Wet ingredients: To the browned butter, add the granulated sugar and brown sugar."
Jeanne says
why dont you have a sliding tool to change the recipe to ounces?