Coffee Chocolate Cookies
E
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
Crispy edges with soft centers, these coffee-infused cookies pack a punch with espresso powder and dual chocolate chunks. Adjusted flour and swapped egg yolk for whole eggs. Whisk dry ingredients separately for even spread. Butter and sugar creamed until light, not fluffy. Mixing flour in halves avoids overworking dough. Chilling solidifies fats, prevents spreading. Bake till edges brown, tops still glossy. Classic coffee meets bittersweet chocolate chunk surprise.
Prep:
15 min
Cook:
10 min
Total:
50 min
Servings:
36 cookies
#American
#cookies
#coffee flavor
#chocolate
#baking tips
Coffee and chocolate. Something about the combo pulls you in. Tried many ways but settled on this tweak—two whole eggs instead of egg plus yolk. Results in softer crumb, less egg-y density. Espresso powder not just flavor boost, but a subtle moisture balance agent. Chilling dough? Essential to stopping the melt-in-the-oven spread mess. Inspirations from countless batches where cookie edges burnt but centers were raw. Learned to trust tactile cues more than exact minutes. Watch the dough texture and cookie color. Cookie dough not too wet—not dry. Chocolate chunks plus chips gives bursts of bittersweet and milk chocolate. Magic. The scent while baking—bitter coffee meets sweet cocoa. Easy shifts to switch up flavors, which I share below. If you love that contrast of crisp and chewy, you’ll get this one right.
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons espresso powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter softened
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large whole egg
- 1 large whole egg (instead of yolk)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chunks
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
About the ingredients
Use all-purpose flour for classic structure. Too much whole wheat makes cookies dense—save that for bread. Switched to two whole eggs instead of yolk for tenderness without heaviness. Butter softened but never melted—warm stick ruins texture, makes greasy cookies. White granulated sugar balanced with brown for chew and moisture plus slight caramel notes. Espresso powder can be subbed for instant coffee granules but use slightly less; too much coffee powder risks bitterness. Salt is kosher for even distribution; fine salt can be used but adjust measurement down a bit. Dark and semi-sweet chocolate chunks bring texture variance; swapping milk chocolate changes sweetness balance. Chill dough covered tightly prevents drying out, helps gluten relax. If no stand mixer, handheld works fine, just mix carefully.
Method
- Mix together flour espresso powder baking soda baking powder salt in bowl. Whisk well so clumps vanish. Fine powder makes dough better.
- Use stand mixer or handheld on medium-high speed. Beat butter sugars 1 1/2 min till creamy but not air-whipped. Don’t overdo or cookies toughen.
- Add whole eggs one at a time with vanilla. Mix till no yellow streaks. Scrape sides. Even color means well combined.
- Add half dry mix into wet. Fold gently till just mixed. Then add rest. Overmix and dough turns elastic and chewy, not tender.
- Stir chocolate chunks and chips last. Incorporate but no heavy beating. Cover dough wrap tight chill 25-30 mins. Cold dough keeps shape in oven.
- Preheat oven 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment or silicone. Avoid greased sheets or cookies spread too much.
- Scoop 1 1/2-tablespoon dough balls space 2 inches apart. Bake 9-11 mins till edges brown but tops look set and shiny. Soft centers but not raw.
- Rest cookies on sheet 2-3 mins. Moving too soon breaks them. Cool completely on rack. Store airtight once cooled.
Cooking tips
Start with whisking dry flour and powders—avoids uneven baking and clumps. Cream butter and sugars until combined but don’t aerate like cake batter; fluffiness = cakey cookies, not chewy. Incorporate eggs slowly, scrape bowl edges for even mixing. Adding flour in two parts lets you judge dough consistency; you don’t want sticky cookie dough but firm enough to hold shape. Chocolate last so chunks keep texture intact. Chilling essential step—fight the urge to bake raw dough. Bake on parchment or silicone sheets; greased sheets cause spreading mess. Scoop dough 1 1/2 tbsp for uniform sizes; less or more changes bake time and texture, so stick close. Watch browning edges—golden crisp edges with soft, still shiny tops signals done. Let cookies rest on sheet; moving too fast leads to fallout or breakage. Store cooled cookies airtight or freeze dough for up to a month.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Cream butter and sugars until creamy not fluffy. Overbeating traps air makes dough cakey not chewy. Paddled mixer at medium speed helps control texture. Watch texture, stops just before pale and airy.
- 💡 Add eggs one at a time. Mix well till no streaks. Scrape bowl edges slow to prevent uneven color. Using two whole eggs softens crumb. Avoid separate yolk plus egg or cookie gets dense and heavy.
- 💡 Dry ingredients added in halves. First fold gently to avoid overworking. Mixing too much activates gluten toughens cookies. Watch for slightly shaggy dough. Finish mixing dry slowly no streaks visible.
- 💡 Chill dough minimum 25 minutes tightly wrapped. Chilling solidifies fats stops excess spreading. Room temp dough spreads thin, edges burn fast. Cold dough makes thicker cookies with chewy middle.
- 💡 Use parchment or silicone mats. Greased sheets encourage spreading; cookies get flat not thick. Scoop dough with 1 1/2 tbsp measure. Space balls 2 inches apart for even baking without merging.
Common questions
Why use espresso powder?
Adds subtle bitterness with coffee smell, not strong coffee taste. Also helps moisture balance in dough. Can sub instant granules but use less, avoid bitterness.
Egg substitution options?
Two whole eggs yields softer crumb than egg plus yolk. Could try 1 whole plus 1 yolk for slightly firmer texture, but crumb changes. Avoid egg whites alone or dry cookie.
What to do if cookies spread too much?
Chill dough longer, use cold baking sheets. Sometimes humidity affects dough moisture. Check butter temperature—too soft means spread. Adjust sugar ratio too.
How to store leftover cookies?
Airtight container at room temp best, keeps chew for few days. Freeze cooled cookies in zip bags for longer. Dough freezes up to a month, thaw then bake fresh.
