Espresso brown butter chocolate chunk cookies are the ultimate grown-up cookie! Buttery and chewy, with slightly crispy edges, they’re oozing with melting, ooey-gooey, dark chocolate puddles and feature intense espresso flavors. Enjoy warm, right after you baked them!
If you’re looking for a grown-up cookie, here’s the one! No need to share with the little ones, these espresso chocolate chunk cookies are tailored for you, and only for you. They answer all your dark chocolate cravings and coffee needs at the same time.
Made with brown butter that is then brought to a softened texture, these cookies also yield a perfect texture, with a buttery center and golden edges. Oh, and make sure you go the extra mile, using chocolate fèves on top to create these large puddle of melted chocolate, and sprinkling your cookies with some sea salt. Enjoy while still warm, that’s how we like them best!
Why you’ll love espresso chocolate chunk cookies
- Finally a grown-up cookie ✔
- With intense coffee flavors ✔
- Oozing with large dark chocolate puddles ✔
- A perfect chewy and buttery texture ✔
- Slightly crispy in the edges ✔
Recipe ingredients and baking tips
- Butter. This is a key ingredient of the recipe, as you will make some brown butter out of it. Use European butter, preferably unsalted, and measure in grams rather than cups if possible. You could also use salted butter, but you will then need to cut the amount of salt in the recipe.
- All-purpose flour. Regular all-purpose flour works. Make sure you measure correctly, as too much flour will result in a thick, drier cookie.
- Baking powder + baking soda. They enable the cookies to rise just as needed, keeping them thin but still chewy.
- Espresso powder. You can use ground espresso or coffee, but make sure it is finely ground to avoid these large coffee grains in your cookies.
- Sugar (brown sugar + caster sugar). You need both sugars to create this soft and chewy center. Don’t try to substitute one for another or cut the amount of sugar in the recipe.
- Egg. You need just one egg in the recipe, to bring moisture and bind the ingredients together. For best result, use it at room temperature (not too cold).
- High quality dark baking chocolate. It’s a key ingredient of the recipe, choose the right one (see note below).
- Coarse salt. You will need salt to sprinkle over the cookies. Salt enhance the chocolate and coffee flavors and make the cookies absolutely delicious!
How to make the softened brown butter?
This brown butter chocolate chunk cookie recipe requires that you make brown butter and allow it to cool to almost softened butter before using. The result is an incredibly buttery cookie, loaded with intense flavors. Here’s how to make softened brown butter, step by step:
- Place diced unsalted butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, swirling the pan from time to time (it’s important to swirl the pan, not stir). Once melted and foam begins to form, the butter will begin to separate, creating brown bits in the bottom of the pan. Brown butter is ready when it turns into a dark caramel color and a nutty aroma.
- Remove from the heat and pour brown butter into a glass measuring jar, scrapping down the brown parts in the bottom.
- Cool to room temperature, seal, then cool in the refrigerator for about 1 hour. The brown butter should be softened and as if it was just at room temperature. If too liquid, place a little longer in the refrigerator. If too solid, warm it up by simply placing it at room temperature until softened.
Important note: the process of creating brown butter can take some time, but be patient, as it’s all worth it to make the best cookies!
How to use espresso powder in these cookies?
Again, you can use either espresso powder or ground coffee for this recipe, but do not use instant coffee. You want the real coffee, with intense flavors. Also, make sure the espresso or coffee powder is very thin, to avoid having unpleasant grains of coffee in your cookies.
In this cookie recipe, ground espresso or coffee is mixed up with the dry ingredients rather than with the wet ingredients. The powder doesn’t contain any water to dilute the flavor or make your cookies too wet, so it’s important not to add it in a different step of the recipe. Also, if you’re an avid coffee lover, you can increase the quantity of ground coffee from 2 teaspoons to 4 teaspoons (not more).
Can I make these cookies without the coffee?
Yes! As an adult, I prefer them with coffee, but if you want to make them kid-friendly, it’s possible. This recipe makes the most delicious brown butter chocolate chunk cookies I have ever dreamed of! Just skip the espresso powder in the recipe and follow the instructions as directed.
Which chocolate should I use?
The choice of high quality dark chocolate really makes the difference in a cookie. Instead of store brand chocolate chip, use 70% dark chocolate bars and roughly chop them before adding to the cookie dough (together with the chocolate scraps).
Now if you want to create the big pools of melty chocolate in the cookies, I recommend adding to each cookie dough a chocolate fève (I use Valrhona Caraïbe 66% cocoa fèves). These are the best: they melt more easily when warmed, and translate into melt-in-your-mouth chocolate pools and melted puddles. SO GOOD!!!
How to store espresso chocolate chunk cookies?
Store chocolate chip cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a couple of days. You can then warm them up in the microwave for about 30 seconds, and enjoy!
The cookie dough also freezes perfectly. Scoop it out and freeze the balls of cookie dough until solid (about 30 minutes to an hour). Then, transfer to a ziploc bag and freeze for up to 3 months. You can bake the cookies directly from frozen. Simply decrease the baking temperature to 325°F (165°C) and bake for the same amount of time or a minute longer if needed.
Other favorite cookies:
- Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Hazelnut Chocolate Lava Cookies
- Brown Butter Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Fudgy Chocolate Brownie Cookies
- Hazelnut Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
Experiment with brown butter…
Once you master the technique of brown butter, it’s a whole new world of recipes that opens up. Among some of my favorite brown butter recipes, I suggest you try this Brown Butter Pumpkin Loaf with Cream Cheese, as well as these Lemon Brown Butter Pasta with Burrata Cheese!
PrintEspresso Chocolate Chunk Cookies
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cooling Time (brown butter): 1 hour
- Cook Time: 8 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 28 minutes
- Yield: 12 cookies 1x
- Category: Cookies
Espresso brown butter chocolate chunk cookies are the ultimate grown-up cookie! Buttery and chewy, with slightly crispy edges, they’re oozing with melting, ooey-gooey, dark chocolate puddles and intense espresso flavors.
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup (160g) unsalted butter, diced
- 1 ¼ cup (150g) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons finely ground espresso or coffee
- ¾ cup (135g) light brown sugar
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 7 ounces (200g) dark chocolate, roughly chopped*
- ½ teaspoon coarse salt
Instructions
- Start with the brown butter. Place diced butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, swirling the pan from time to time (do not stir). Once melted, it will foam up and then subside, and the milk solids will begin to separate, creating brown bits in the bottom of the pan. Swirl the pan regularly, until the butter turns a dark caramel color and a nutty aroma. Remove from the heat and pour into a glass measuring jar. Cool to room temperature, seal, then cool in the refrigerator for 1 hour, until almost completely softened.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder and espresso in a medium bowl.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the softened brown butter and sugars for at least 2 minutes, until pale and fluffy, using an electric hand mixer. Add the egg, and mix until combined.
- Switch to a rubber spatula and add the dry ingredients to the bowl in two or three addition, mixing well. Fold in the chocolate chunks, reserving 12 larger pieces for later*, and mix until evenly distributed.
- Using an ice cream scoop, scoop large balls of cookie dough onto the baking sheets, leaving at least 2 inches between each cookie. Flatten slightly, and add one chocolate chunk or bean* on top of each cookie. Sprinkle with sea salt.
- Bake for 8 to 9 minutes, until slightly under-baked. Bang the baking sheet onto the counter a few times to create some texture at the surface, and use a round cookie cutter slightly larger than the cookie to scoot them into a perfectly round shape. Cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, and transfer the cookies to a cooling rack, or eat them immediately while still warm and oozing with chocolate.
Notes
* Important note about the chocolate. Use high quality dark baking chocolate, and chop it roughly into larger and smaller chocolate chunks, adding the chocolate scrapes to the cookie dough too. To get these large pools of melted puddles of chocolate in your cookies, I recommend keeping 12 larger pieces of dark chocolate to place on top of each cookie dough right before baking. Or better, use chocolate fèves (I use Valrhona Caraïbe 66% cocoa fèves, available to order online on Amazon or other online stores). These are the best: they melt more easily when warmed, and translate into melt-in-your-mouth chocolate pools and melted puddles.
Did you make this recipe?
Lastly, if you make this Espresso Chocolate Chunk Cookies, be sure to leave a comment and give this recipe a rating, letting me know how you liked it. And of course, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Thank you and enjoy!
