Coffee Cookies
These Coffee Cookies are deliciously crispy cookies that are easy to make and even easier to eat.
This cookie recipe is made with pure ground coffee and topped with a whole coffee bean, so there’s no mistaking the intense coffee flavor. If you’re a coffee lover, then this is the cookie for you!
Are you like so many people who can’t start the day without a cup of coffee? Then, you will love these crispy cookies with an intense coffee flavor. The funny thing about this recipe is that even if you don’t love coffee, it’s quite likely that you’ll love these Coffee Cookies!
Coffee is popular in baking, and you will find some delicious baking recipes using coffee right here on Marcellina in Cucina. Recipes like this Mocha Cake with coffee syrup, Espresso Brownies, Coffee Biscotti, or Cappuccino Cake, satisfy all coffee lovers, just like this recipe for Coffee Cookies.
Ingredients
You will need just a few basic pantry staples:
- Essential Baking Ingredients: All-purpose flour, egg, salt, and vanilla extract.
- Baking Powder: Please note that this Coffee Cookies recipe specifically calls for baking powder, not baking soda. Using the correct leavening agent is crucial.
- Unsalted butter: I prefer to use unsalted butter in baking because you can control the amount of salt. Salted butter is quite salty but if that’s all you have use it instead. Remember to omit the added salt in the recipe.
- Light Brown sugar: This is easy to find in the grocery store.
- Ground coffee beans – This isn’t instant coffee powder. You’re looking for ground coffee beans. I have tested this recipe with instant espresso powder. It will still work but isn’t quite the same. If possible, use ground coffee beans. I haven’t tested this Coffee Cookies recipe with instant coffee granules.
- Coffee beans: I like to decorate each Coffee Cookie with a coffee bean but that’s optional.
Instructions
To begin, preheat the oven to 340Fº/170ºC and line baking sheets with nonstick parchment paper. Whisk together all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside until needed.
Using an electric mixer, beat together unsalted butter, brown sugar, ground coffee, and vanilla.
Add egg and beat until pale and creamy.
Mix in the flour mixture in two lots.
Roll small spoonfuls of dough and place on a baking sheet then top each cookie with a coffee bean.
Bake for 12-15 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before transferring the Coffee Cookies to a wire rack to completely cool.
Marcellina’s Tip: To make these Coffee Cookies without an electric mixer, use a wooden spoon to beat room temperature butter with the brown sugar, ground coffee beans, and vanilla extract until light and fluffy. Add the egg and continue to beat vigorously until pale and creamy. Then continue from Step 5 in the recipe.
Substitutions
- All-Purpose flour and baking powder: Substitute 1/2 cup self-rising flour and 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour for the all-purpose flour and baking powder.
- Unsalted butter: If you only have salted butter, omit the salt.
- Vanilla extract: Use vanilla paste instead of vanilla extract.
Variations
Why not try adding some of your favorites to make these Coffee Cookies your own?
- Espresso Chocolate Chip Cookies: Stir mini choc chips or chopped chocolate in with the flour.
- Use your favorite flavored ground coffee.
- Add a teaspoon of coffee liqueur instead of the vanilla extract.
- Top with a chocolate chip instead of a coffee bean.
Storage
Be sure to allow Coffee Cookies to cool thoroughly before storing. Then store in an airtight container.
Cookies will keep well for at least a week and can be shipped easily, too. If you want to ship, fit snuggly in an airtight container so that the cookies don’t move too much during shipping.
Tops Tips
- Rolling small cookie dough balls may take a little bit of time and patience. You will be rewarded with gorgeous, dainty cookies.
- The nature of these easy Coffee Cookies is that they are crispy. To achieve this, it is important to bake for the correct time. Cookies will rise and puff but then fall. Crinkles form on the top of the cookies just like you see in the photos. This is perfect. For chewy coffee cookies, reduce the baking time to 10-12 minutes.
- Baking pans and sheets also have an effect. The best bakeware to use is black which absorbs the heat. Shiny bakeware reflects heat meaning that it will take longer to achieve crispiness.
FAQ
Yes, you can but the texture won’t be quite the same but the cookies will still be good.
Yes, these cookies will have caffeine. If you are avoiding caffeine, why not try my Amaretti Cookies?
These cookies are wonderful to have with coffee. However, I have lots of tasty cookie recipes in my recipe index that are ideal to have with coffee. Be sure to have a look!
Serving suggestions
The ideal serving suggestion for these Coffee Cookies is to have them with a cup of coffee. However, a glass of cold milk or a cup of tea is just as good!
More cookie recipes
Baci di Dama
Italian Butter Cookies
Pipparelli
Italian Peach Cookies
Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies
Coconut Pecan Cookies
Mustaccioli
Italian Chocolate Cookies
Coffee Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup (1 stick or 113 grams) unsalted butter
- 1 ¼ cups (200 grams) brown sugar
- 3 teaspoons ground coffee beans not instant coffee powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 1 ¾ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 55 coffee beans for decoration
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 340Fº/170ºC and line 3 large baking sheets with nonstick parchment paper.
- Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- Beat unsalted butter, sugar, coffee and vanilla extract with electric mixer until creamy and well combined.
- Add the egg, beat until pale and fluffy.
- Stir in half of the combined flour mixture. Mix to combine. Then stir in remaining flour. Combine well.
- Roll small teaspoons of the mixture into balls.
- Place 1 inch/2.5cm apart on prepared baking sheets. Top each with a coffee bean. They may seem small but remember they will spread during baking
- Bake 12-15 minutes until golden brown. The tops will be crinkly.
- Cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes. Then transfer to a cooling rack until completely cool.
Notes
- Crispy Perfection: These coffee cookies are designed to be crisp.
- Baking Time is Key: Accurate baking time is crucial to achieve the desired crispiness.
- Rise and Fall: The cookies will initially rise and puff, then deflate, forming beautiful crinkles on top.
- Bakeware Matters: Black bakeware, which absorbs heat, is ideal for achieving optimal crispiness.
- Shiny Surface, Longer Bake: Shiny bakeware reflects heat, extending the baking time needed for the desired texture.
Nutritional Estimate Per Serving
Nutritional Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. For accurate results, it is recommended that the nutritional information be calculated based on the ingredients and brands you use.
Thank you for the recipe! It was easy and very satisfying to make, and with such little ground coffee it already has so much flavour, the drier texture is like a biscotti, perfect with coffee and tea. Also thank you for the handy portion adjuster as I didn’t need to eat 50 cookies myself 😀
So glad the the portion adjuster came in so handy for you, Ana! Yes, I love these cookies so much and do my friends 🙂
really delicious! I wanted to use up whole wheat flour instead of buying white; I cut it down by a quarter as it’s denser but next time I’ll probably cut a bit more as they’re perhaps slightly dryer than intended. a lovely biscotti type texture though! I also added finely chopped coffee beans to the batter instead of placing whole ones on top, which nicely intensified the flavour. as they cool I’m considering dipping in melted dark chocolate to sweeten them for my non-coffee lover friends, but I’ll see! thanks for the recipie 🙂
You’re welcome, Alice!
I have made these at least a half dozen times. They are one of my son’s favourites and so easy to make. I don’t put the bean on top – I just use a floured fork to press them down a little. I keep them in the freezer and put them in his lunch box.
If you like coffee – these are for you!
The flavor is good, but I find them a bit on the dry side. I didn’t over-bake them, btw ☺️. Sadly, I don’t think I’ll be making these again.
I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy these cookies, Marcella. These are crispy cookies – not soft at all. This may be what you have notice. As you say, these cookies have a delicious flavor. In my experience, these cookies are generally very much enjoyed by all. However, if you prefer a soft cookie, you might like my small batch Chocolate Chip cookies 🙂
I rate this recipe 10/10 it has a full coffee flavour soo crispy and goes hand in hand with a nice hot cup of latte , Thank you Marcella for this mouth watering biscuit ????
Thank you Chris! Looks like I may need to bake a batch for our next dinner 😉
I am a teak drinker, but I do enjoy baked goods flavoured with coffee. These cookies look fabulous!
Angie
You’d like these, Angie!
They look so perfectly uniform! Love the coffee bean decoration:)
Oh my I am loving the looks and description of these cookies!!!!
I definitely squealed "I LOVE THOSE" when I realized that was a coffee bean on top! So stinkin' cute. I cannoy wait to try these!
Gotta love a cookie that can be baked in such a big batch, and looks so good at the same time. No wonder they're a family favourite. Looking forward to next week Marcellina 🙂
How wonderful ! I love this coffee cookie !
Ooh! I must try these immediately!
These look fabulous! I love the bean on top! Thanks for sharing these!
I love that little bean on top too. very cute!
I love big-batch cookie recipes! This one is great, because it's a little different from any of my other cookies.
These cookies look so pretty especially with that coffee bean touch on top.