Espresso Martini Cookies

Dipped in white chocolate and with a bold coffee flavor, these espresso martini cookies are great for coffee lovers. The base of the cookie is soft and buttery with just enough sweetness to balance out the rich espresso taste making it a delicious contrast for your taste buds.

Sweet but not too sweet these espresso martini cookies mix together bold coffee flavor with a warm, sugar cookie perfectly. Made with mostly pantry staples and some espresso bites added in, each cookie is warm and comforting but deliciously decadent. 

Half dipped into white chocolate and sprinkled with extra chocolate chips and crushed coffee beans, these cookies pack an energizing and flavorful punch. 

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter (room temperature) 
• 1/2 cup sugar 
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 
• 1 egg 
• 2 tsp instant coffee 
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder 
• 1/2 tsp baking soda 
• 1/2 tsp baking powder 
• 1/2 tsp salt 
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips 
• 1/4 cup espresso bites (chopped) 

For Decoration: 

• 1/3 cup melted white chocolate 
• Chocolate chips for topping 
• Coffee beans 

Preparation time: 

Dough Preparation: 10 minutes 
Baking: 10- 12 minutes 
Cooling on the Baking Sheet: 5 minutes 
Cooling on the Wire Rack: 15 minutes 
Decoration: 10 minutes 
Total Time: Approximately 40 minutes. 
Serves: 15 cookies. 

Directions 

1. Prepare the Dough: 

In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. 

Add the egg and instant coffee to the mixture. Beat until fully incorporated.

2. Incorporate Dry Ingredients: 

In the same bowl, add the dry ingredients: all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. 

Mix with a spatula until just combined. 

3. Add Mix-Ins: 

Fold in the chocolate chips and chopped espresso bites until evenly distributed. 

4. Shape the Cookies: 

Using a #20 scoop, portion out the dough into equal-sized balls and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Leave enough space between each cookie to allow for spreading during baking. 

5. Bake:

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). 

Bake the cookies for approximately 10 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown. 

6. Cool and Decorate: 

Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Once the cookies are cooled, drizzle melted white chocolate over the top. Decorate with additional chocolate chips and coffee beans as desired.

Substitutions and Variations

Chocolate chips: Though chocolate and coffee are a classic pairing, you can substitute the chocolate chips within the cookies for white chocolate chips to bring out a lighter flavor. Butterscotch chips can be a fun and lightened-up twist as well.

Espresso: Adjust the cookies based on your coffee tastes. If you prefer a mild coffee flavor, only add in half to one tablespoon of the espresso bites. If you like a dark, bold flavor add in some more. Taste the batter as you go and adjust as necessary.

Flakey salt: After you dip the cookies in the white chocolate, sprinkle on some flakey sea salt with the extra coffee chunks for a fun sweet and savory taste.

Caramel: For a light caramel twist, drizzle the cookies in caramel sauce. 

Crunch: To give the cookies some more texture, mix some chopped pecans into the batter before you portion them.

Mocha: Deepen the undertones of chocolate by using raw cacao powder in place of cocoa powder for a richer chocolate taste.

Extracts: You can give the cookies a boozier taste to them by adding in a small dash of amaretto extract. Know that a little bit goes a long way.

How To Make The Best Espresso Martini Cookies

Take care not to overmix the cookie dough as it’ll create cookies that are much denser.

Adjust the cookie size based on the trigger scoop you use. For smaller cookies use a size 40 scoop and cut the baking time to 7-8 minutes watching closely towards the end. For larger cookies adjust the cooking time to 12-14 minutes. You know they’re finished cooking when the edges turn golden brown, but the centers are still a bit soft.

Finely chop the espresso bites. Larger chunks will create bitter spots in the dough whereas small pieces release their flavor more evenly.

For the coffee bean garnish, you can use a coffee grinder and pulse the beans until they’re in small, uniform pieces. Or place them in a plastic bag and crush them with a rolling pin.

Store the espresso martini cookies once cooled in an airtight container for up to 3 days on the counter. You can freeze baked cookies frosted or unfrosted as well for up to 3 months. To do this, make sure to separate layers between sheets of parchment paper and let them come to room temperature when you’re ready to enjoy them.