Dreamy Chocolate Espresso Cookies Recipe: Bake Magic Today

Dark, rich chocolate meets bold espresso in these irresistible chocolate espresso cookies that promise an intense flavor explosion.

Coffee lovers will swoon over the deep, robust notes dancing through each decadent bite.

These cookies deliver a sophisticated twist on the classic chocolate chip experience.

The deep espresso powder weaves magic into every morsel, creating a complex and indulgent treat.

Bakers seeking a grown-up dessert that packs serious flavor will fall head over heels for this recipe.

Soft, chewy, and incredibly aromatic, these cookies elevate your baking game with minimal effort.

Grab your mixing bowl and get ready to impress everyone with this game-changing cookie sensation.

Quick Recipe Overview

Prep Time: 60 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Calories: 180 kcal

Servings: 13

Chocolate Espresso Cookies – Ingredient Essentials

• Butter: Provides rich, creamy texture and helps create soft, tender cookies.
• Brown Sugar: Adds deep caramel-like sweetness and helps maintain moisture in the cookies.
• Egg: Binds ingredients together and contributes to the cookie's structure.
• Milk: Softens the dough and adds subtle richness.

• All-Purpose Flour: Creates the fundamental structure of the cookie.
• Cocoa Powder: Delivers intense chocolate flavor and deep color.
• Instant Espresso: Enhances chocolate flavor with subtle coffee undertones.
• Baking Powder: Helps cookies rise and become light and airy.
• Salt: Balances sweetness and amplifies overall flavor profile.

• Icing Sugar: Creates a stunning crackled white exterior and adds delicate sweetness.
• Dark Chocolate: Provides rich, intense chocolate notes and beautiful visual contrast.

Tools to Bake Chocolate Espresso Cookies Right

• Stand mixer with paddle attachment: Essential for creaming butter and sugar, and mixing dough efficiently.
• Mixing bowls: One for wet ingredients, another for dry ingredients.
• Sifter: Helps blend dry ingredients evenly and remove lumps.
• Rolling pin or hands: Used to flatten dough into a disk.
• Plastic wrap: Needed to wrap and chill the dough.
• Baking sheets: Two sheets lined with parchment paper for baking cookies.
• Parchment paper: Prevents cookies from sticking and ensures easy cleanup.
• Plate: For rolling cookies in icing sugar.
• Wire rack: Perfect for cooling baked cookies.
• Measuring cups and spoons: For accurate ingredient measurements.

Directions for Chocolate Espresso Cookie Perfection

• Butter and Sugar Mixture

Blend softened butter and brown sugar in a stand mixer until creamy and airy, creating a smooth base for the cookies.

• Wet Ingredient Incorporation

Add egg to the butter mixture, then gently fold in melted chocolate, ensuring a rich and even distribution.

• Dry Ingredient Preparation

Combine flour, cocoa, espresso powder, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl, creating a fragrant and complex dry mix.

• Dough Formation

Mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients at low speed, adding milk to create a slightly sticky dough. Shape into a disk and chill in the refrigerator for about 45 minutes to firm up.

• Sugar Coating

Remove chilled dough and roll into small balls. Generously coat each ball in powdered sugar, ensuring complete coverage for a beautiful crackled appearance.

• Baking Process

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place sugar-coated dough balls on parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing them apart. Bake for 12-15 minutes until cookies spread and develop elegant cracks.

• Cooling and Storage

Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to a week or freeze for longer preservation.

Tips to Enhance Chocolate Espresso Cookie Flavor

• Adjust refrigeration time to control cookie spread – shorter chilling creates softer, thicker cookies while longer chilling produces thinner, crispier edges.
• Separate cookie layers with parchment paper when freezing to prevent sticking and maintain their delicate powdered sugar coating.
• Dust cookies with extra icing sugar just before serving for a fresh, elegant snow-like appearance that makes them look professionally made.
• Swap milk with almond milk or coconut milk to create a plant-based version without compromising the cookie's rich, intense chocolate and espresso profile.

Serving Chocolate Espresso Cookies with Style

• Pair with Creamy Coffee Delights: Serve these rich chocolate espresso cookies alongside a smooth latte or cappuccino for an indulgent caffeine-powered treat that enhances the espresso notes in the cookies.
• Dress Up with Chocolate Drizzle: Elevate the cookies by melting dark chocolate and carefully drizzling it over the cooled cookies, creating an extra layer of decadent chocolate intensity that complements the espresso flavor.
• Create a Cookie Dessert Platter: Arrange these cookies with other complementary treats like vanilla shortbread or almond biscotti to create a stunning dessert presentation that offers variety and texture for guests to enjoy.
• Gift with Gourmet Flair: Package these cookies in a beautiful box with a ribbon, making them a perfect homemade gift for coffee lovers or as a sophisticated dessert contribution to dinner parties and gatherings.

How to Store Chocolate Espresso Cookies Freshly

• Refrigerate and Rest: Wrap the cookie dough tightly in plastic wrap and chill for 45 minutes to help develop richer flavors and prevent spreading during baking.
• Freeze for Future Treats: Pack completely cooled cookies in a freezer-safe container, separating layers with parchment paper, and store up to 3 months for quick dessert options.
• Keep Crisp and Fresh: Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature, ensuring a tight seal to maintain their delicate texture and prevent moisture absorption.
• Smart Portioning Trick: Before freezing, pre-portion cookie dough balls on a baking sheet, freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag for convenient single-serve baking anytime.

Rich Chocolate Espresso Cookies

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4.8 from 29 reviews

• Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
• Yield: 13 1x

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Description

Midnight chocolate espresso cookies deliver rich, intense flavors from deep cocoa and bold espresso notes. Coffee-loving bakers will savor these sophisticated dark chocolate treats with complex layers of sweetness and depth.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 large egg
• ⅔ cup (150 mL) packed brown sugar
• 4 oz (125 g) semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled
• ¼ cup (60 mL) butter
• ½ cup (125 mL) all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup (60 mL) unsweetened cocoa powder
• 4 tsp (20 mL) instant espresso coffee granules
• 1 tsp (5 mL) baking powder
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) milk
• Pinch of salt
• Icing sugar, for dredging

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Instructions

1. Creaming: Utilize a stand mixer with paddle attachment to whip butter and brown sugar into a fluffy, light consistency. Seamlessly integrate egg, then fold in cooled melted chocolate until homogeneous.
2. Dry Ingredient Preparation: Sift flour, cocoa powder, instant espresso powder, baking powder, and salt through a fine-mesh strainer, ensuring even distribution and eliminating potential lumps.
3. Dough Formation: Merge dry ingredients into wet mixture at low speed, creating a slightly tacky dough. Incorporate milk and mix until ingredients are thoroughly integrated, developing a smooth texture.
4. Chilling: Form dough into a compact disk, wrap securely in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 45 minutes to enhance flavor development and facilitate easier handling.
5. Oven Preparation: Heat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside a plate with icing sugar for coating cookies.
6. Shaping and Coating: Roll chilled dough into uniform 1-inch balls, generously coating each in icing sugar to create a dramatic white-on-dark crackled appearance.
7. Baking: Arrange sugar-dusted balls on prepared sheets, maintaining 2-inch spacing. Bake 12-15 minutes until cookies expand and display distinctive surface fractures, revealing rich chocolate undertones.
8. Cooling and Storage: Delicately transfer baked cookies to a wire rack. Allow complete cooling before storing in an airtight container, maintaining freshness for up to one week or freezing for extended enjoyment.

Notes

• Chill Dough Properly: Refrigerating for 45 minutes helps prevent spreading and intensifies flavor development, ensuring a rich, compact cookie texture.
• Sugar Coating Technique: Roll cookies completely in icing sugar for a beautiful crackled appearance and delicate sweet exterior that contrasts with intense chocolate espresso profile.
• Espresso Powder Impact: Use high-quality instant espresso powder to enhance chocolate depth without adding excess liquid, creating sophisticated flavor complexity.
• Baking Precision: Watch cookies closely during final 2-3 minutes of baking to prevent overdrying; surface cracks should look distinct but not burnt for optimal texture and taste.

• Prep Time: 60 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Category: Desserts, Snacks
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: American

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 13
• Calories: 180
• Sugar: 12 g
• Sodium: 50 mg
• Fat: 8 g
• Saturated Fat: 5 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
• Trans Fat: 0 g
• Carbohydrates: 25 g
• Fiber: 1 g
• Protein: 2 g
• Cholesterol: 20 mg