Brownie Espresso Cookies

Recipe by PJ Hamel
72 Reviews 4.3 out of 5 stars

Break open these rich, brownie-like espresso cookies hot from the oven, and you'll find pools of melting chocolate inside. Once cooled, those molten pockets turn into fudgy chocolate bliss. The pleasantly dense texture of these cookies isn't the only thing that makes them special: They're also spiked with strong coffee flavor (thank you, espresso powder!), which creates a deep chocolate taste. Two kinds of chocolate chips give these espresso cookies a shiny, crackly top, completing their brownie-like appearance.

Prep
10 mins
Bake
8 to 10 mins
Total
18 mins
Yield
3 dozen cookies
Dark chocolate brownie espresso cookies topped with flaky sea salt on a kitchen counter - select to zoom
Dark chocolate brownie espresso cookies topped with flaky sea salt on a kitchen counter - select to zoom
Super fudgy Brownie Espresso Cookies on a plate - select to zoom

Instructions

Prevent your screen from going dark as you follow along.

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease or line with parchment two baking sheets.

  2. In a medium bowl, mix together the melted butter, sugar, baking powder, espresso powder, and salt.

  3. Add the eggs and vanilla, beating until smooth.

  4. Stir in the cocoa powder and flour; the dough will be sticky.

  5. Mix in the chocolate chips and chunks.

  6. Drop the cookies by tablespoonfuls (about 1 1/2" balls) onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 1 1/2" between them. A tablespoon cookie scoop works well here. Cookies will bake into chunky mounds, and you don't need to leave a lot of space between them; they won't spread much.

  7. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the tops are just set; they'll still be a bit shiny in the center. Remove the cookies from the oven, and allow them to cool on the pan.

  8. Serve the espresso cookies slightly warm or at room temperature. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for several days; freeze for longer storage.

Tips from our Bakers

  • For flatter rather than mounded espresso cookies, press the dough down gently with your fingers before baking.

  • To make a greater number of brownie cookies (perfect for potlucks and team sports dinners), drop the dough onto the baking sheets in 1" balls; a teaspoon cookie scoop works very well here. Bake the cookies for 7 to 8 minutes. Yield: about 5 1/2 dozen to 6 dozen cookies.

  • Want to substitute whole wheat flour for some (or perhaps all) of the all-purpose flour in this recipe? For best results, see How to substitute whole wheat flour for white flour in baking.  

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