You can have your coffee and eat it too with these cozy coffee cookies. Brown butter and instant espresso take the classic chocolate chip cookie to another level. Coffee and mocha lovers will enjoy these delicious caffeinated cookies.
These Coffee Cookies are the ultimate pick-me-up! A brown butter dough with instant espresso and mini chocolate chips is mixed and baked all within 30 minutes. Best part is they are gluten-free!
I think we can all agree that coffee and chocolate are made to go together. Mochas, tiramisu, and these coffee cookies are some of my favourite things. If you're a coffee lover like me, you're sure to LOVE these cookies.
These cookies are moist from the brown butter, bold from the instant espresso, sweet from the brown sugar, and delicious from, well, being a coffee cookie! Made with a 3 tablespoon scoop, they are also large. The perfect treat for when you need "just 1".
Caffeine got you buzzing? Keep reading to learn just how easy these chocolate chip coffee cookies are to make!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- One bowl. The easiest type of dessert!
- Made in 30 minutes. This is a NO CHILL cookie recipe 😎
- Delicious yet simple. Taking the time to brown the butter and add instant espresso to a classic chocolate chip cookie really takes these to another level.
- Caffeinated cookies. Need I say more? Instant espresso is an easy and mess-free way to get a strong coffee flavour into these cookies.
- Easily allergy-friendly. These cookies are gluten-free, nut-free, and easily dairy-free or vegan.
- Easy ingredient swaps. Use what you have on hand to make this cookie dough your own.
Ingredients
Here is everything you'll need to make these gluten-free coffee cookies:
Browned salted butter: Brown butter adds an incredible nutty, caramel-like flavour to these cookies that goes so well with the espresso. If you don't have time to brown the butter, they will still turn out great with melted butter.
If using unsalted butter, add an extra ⅛ teaspoon salt to the dough. See notes below about making these cookies dairy-free.
White and brown sugars: Using both types of sugars in a cookie typically helps to achieve the desirable crisp edge with a soft and chewy centre. A little more brown sugar gives these cookies more moisture and softness.
Gluten-free all-purpose flour with xanthan gum: My favourite is the Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Baking Flour (blue bag). Any should work!
Instant coffee or espresso: I use Nescafe Gold Instant Espresso. It comes as a very fine powder and has great flavour. If your instant coffee comes in large granules, run it through a coffee bean grinder or food processor before adding to the dough. If it is not a fine powder, you may eat chunks of instant coffee, and that's not nearly as tasty.
Mini chocolate chips: My favourite are Enjoy Life Foods semisweet mini chips. Use your favourite type of chocolate chips of a chopped chocolate bar.
Substitutions
There are many ways to change up these cookies depending on your mood. Here are some substitution suggestions:
- Gluten-free flour. Ensure that you use a gluten-free all-purpose blend that contains xanthan gum. Other than that, most brands should work the same. I typically use Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Baking Flour (blue bag) or Robinhood gluten-free flour blend.
- Dairy-free? Use a dairy-free butter or coconut oil, and dark chocolate. Dairy-free butter won't brown well, so skip that step. Ensure the chocolate is dairy-free.
- Add nuts. Chopped walnuts, pecans, or almonds would be a great addition to the flavours in this recipe.
- Add an extract. Make it flavoured with almond or caramel extracts. Start with about ¼ tsp.
- Don't like coffee? I'm not sure why you're making these cookies then, but feel free to omit the espresso powder for a chewy brown butter chocolate chip cookie.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Be sure to read the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and instructions for how to make coffee cookies.
Brown the Butter (optional but recommended)
(1) Cube the butter and place it into a saucepan. Turn the heat to medium and allow the butter to melt, stirring occasionally.
(2) & (3) Once melted, it will begin to bubble, foam, and brown.
(4) When the butter is an amber colour, pour it into a heatproof bowl, scraping all the brown bits with it. This whole process should take 6-10 minutes.
Allow the butter to cool for 10 minutes.
Make the Cookies
Preheat the oven to 350ºF and prepare 1-2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
(5) In a large bowl, whisk together the melted brown butter, sugars, vanilla extract, and egg.
(6) Add the gluten-free flour, instant coffee, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to the same bowl. Use a rubber spatula to gently mix together the dry ingredients, then fold into the wet ingredients to create the dough.
Finally, fold in the mini chocolate chips.
(7) Use a 3 tablespoon scoop or an ice cream scoop to form the dough into 10 balls. Place on the baking sheet(s) with enough room to spread.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, the middles will still look soft.
(8) Wearing oven mitts, slam the baking sheet on the counter a few times to encourage the cookies to spread. Immediately take a large cookie cutter or a glass and gently swirl it around each cookie to create the perfect circle shape.
Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 15 minutes until they are set, then transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling. Enjoy warm or allow to come to room temperature.
How to Serve
These coffee cookies stand well on their own dipped in a cold glass or milk or a hot cappuccino. They pair event better with a nice hot drink like a healthy pumpkin spice latte, or homemade peppermint mocha.
Making a dessert spread? Keep it caffeinated with these gluten & dairy-free tiramisu jars, pumpkin spice tiramisu, or chocolate espresso amaretti cookies.
Storage & Freezing
Storage Instructions: Cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days. Reheat for 10 seconds in the microwave if desired.
Freezing Cookie Dough: Cookie dough can be prepared, rolled into balls, and topped with chocolate chips. Place the cookie dough on a parchment-lined baking sheet and flash freeze for 10 minutes. This will prevent the cookies from sticking to each other. Then place the cookie dough balls in a freezer bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.
Bake according to recipe instructions, plus 1-2 minutes.
Freezing Baked Cookies: Cookies will freeze well. Wrap cookies tightly in plastic wrap or tin foil and place in an airtight, freezer safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, allow to sit at room temperature for a few hours. Reheat for 10-15 seconds in the microwave if desired.
Expert Tips
Here are some of my top tips and tricks for successful gluten-free cookies:
- Be sure to watch the butter when browning! It can go from brown to burnt very quickly. Once it smells nutty and appears light brown, remove to a heatproof bowl. Allow to cool for a few minutes before proceeding.
- Ensure your instant coffee/espresso is fine! I use Nescafe Gold Instant Espresso. It comes as a very fine powder and has great flavour. If your instant coffee comes in large granules, run it through a coffee bean grinder or food processor before adding to the dough. If it is not a fine powder, you may eat chunks of instant coffee, and that's not nearly as tasty.
- Press some extra chocolate on top of the cookie dough balls before chilling/baking. This ensures the chocolate chips are visible and melty!
- Don't be tempted to over-bake. Once the edges look lightly set and the middle is still slightly raw, remove them from the oven. They will continue cooking on the baking sheet.
- Shape them right out of the oven. For perfectly round cookies, take a large cookie cutter or the top of a glass and gently run it around each cookie immediately after removing it from the oven. This will reinforce a circular shape as the cookie cools.
- Enjoy warm! These cookies taste delicious fresh out of the oven.
Frequently Asked Questions
My favourite flour for all of my cookie recipes is the Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Baking Flour (in the blue bag). It is an all-purpose baking blend and contains xanthan gum. Feel free to use any gluten-free flour blend that also contains xanthan gum.
In general, almond flour cannot be substituted 1:1 for gluten-free all-purpose flour. Almond flour does not absorb as much liquid and is much softer, which may change the texture of this cookie dough. I do not recommend it for this recipe.
No! This recipe is developed with specific proportions of wet and dry ingredients. Brewed coffee would cause these cookies to have way too much liquid and spread in the oven.
The Nescafe Gold Instant Espresso used in the recipe contains approximately 70mg of caffeine per teaspoon. Therefore each cookie yields approximately 84mg of caffeine. I don't notice too much of a boost from just eating a cookie, though you could use decaf instant coffee if you are sensitive to caffeine.
These coffee cookies are the perfect pick-me-up! They are sweet, soft, and a little bit bold from the instant espresso. Plus they are made and enjoyed within 30 minutes. Enjoy dunked in a cold glass of milk, or into a hot cappuccino.
More Gluten-Free Cookies:
- Grandma's Gluten-Free Shortbread Cookies
- Gluten-Free Funfetti Cookies
- Gluten-Free Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Gluten-Free Edible Cookie Dough
- Gluten-Free S'mores Cookies
- White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
- Inside Out Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
Related Recipes
Have you made these coffee cookies? I'd very much appreciate it if you leave a 5-star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review below, and tag me on instagram @livglutenfree!
Recipe
Coffee Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup salted butter melted, see instructions for how to brown the butter—highly recommended
- ¾ cup packed brown sugar
- ¼ cup white sugar
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 1⅔ cup gluten-free all-purpose flour with xanthan gum I use Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Baking Flour (blue bag)
- ¼ cup instant coffee or espresso powder I use Nescafe Gold Instant Espresso, ensure it is finely ground.
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt add an extra pinch if using unsalted butter
- ½ cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
Brown the butter (optional but recommended)
- Cube the butter and place it into a saucepan. Turn the heat to medium and allow the butter to melt, stirring occasionally. Once melted, it will begin to bubble, foam, and brown. When the butter is an amber colour, pour it into a heatproof bowl, scraping all the brown bits with it. This whole process should take 6-10 minutes. Allow the butter to cool for 10 minutes.
Make the cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and prepare 1-2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the melted brown butter, sugars, vanilla extract, and egg. Add the gluten-free flour, instant coffee, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to the same bowl. Use a rubber spatula to gently mix together the dry ingredients, then fold into the wet ingredients to create the dough. Finally, fold in the mini chocolate chips.
- Use a 3 tablespoon scoop or an ice cream scoop to form the dough into 10 balls. Place on the baking sheet(s) with enough room to spread. Bake for 10-12 minutes, the middles will still look soft.
- Wearing oven mitts, slam the baking sheet on the counter a few times to encourage the cookies to spread. Immediately take a large cookie cutter or a glass and gently swirl it around each cookie to create the perfect circle shape.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 15 minutes until they are set, then transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling. Enjoy warm or allow to come to room temperature.
Notes
- Butter: If using unsalted butter, add an extra pinch (about ⅛ tsp) of salt to the dough.
- Instant coffee: I use Nescafe Gold Instant Espresso. It comes as a very fine powder and has great flavour. If your instant coffee comes in large granules, run it through a coffee bean grinder or food processor before adding to the dough. If it is not a fine powder, you may eat chunks of instant coffee, and that's not nearly as tasty.
- Dairy-free: Use an equal amount of dairy-free butter or coconut oil in place of butter. Dairy-free butter won't brown well, so skip that step. Ensure the chocolate is dairy-free.
- Storage: Cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days. Reheat for 10 seconds in the microwave if desired.
- Freezing cookie dough: Cookie dough can be rolled into balls and placed on a parchment-lined baking sheet to flash freeze for 10 minutes. This will prevent the cookies from sticking to each other. Then place the cookie dough balls in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Bake as directed, plus 1-2 minutes.
- Freezing baked cookies: Wrap cookies tightly in plastic wrap or tin foil and place in an airtight, freezer safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- To thaw, allow to sit at room temperature for a few hours. Reheat for 10-15 seconds in the microwave if desired.
Erin says
I followed the directions to a "T" and the dough was sand-like and crumbly. It was not wet and smooth like in your video on instagram. So I added a 2nd cube of browned butter. The dough was still not wet enough or like yours in the video. I baked them for 12 minutes, slammed the pan several times and they did not "fall" as yours did in the video. They started to come apart, so I stopped. Rounded them with a cookie cutter-the few that needed it. I rested them on the pan for 15 minutes before transferring them to a rack. Would you recheck the ingredients and amounts please? I was so excited to make these and they weren't correct.
Olivia Parsons says
Sorry these didn't work out for you Erin, I've made these successfully multiple times! What brand of gf flour did you use? And did you compact it into the measuring cups or gently spoon it? Sounds like too much flour or a mis-measured ingredient.