Chocolate chip cookies get a gourmet, sophisticated makeover with these espresso and Kahlua cookies! Featuring a soft and chewy center and crisp edges, these mocha-flavored cookies are always a crowd favorite for any occasion. After one bite, these cookies will surely earn a spot on your cooking-baking rotation.
Why You Need to Make This Recipe
Coffee lovers, rejoice! I have your perfect cookie. With loads of espresso powder and a shot of Kahlua, these cookies deliver a double dose of coffee flavor. Talk about one caffeinated cookie.
Of course, coffee is even better when chocolate is involved, and these cookies sure do deliver on that front. Rather than chocolate chips, we use chocolate chunks. Not only does this give us big pieces of chocolate throughout the cookie but chocolate chunks also get a touch gooey during baking. Even though they somewhat firm up after cooling, they don't completely solidify, which makes for a decadent touch.
Plus, a boozy kick always adds an extra fun touch to any occasion. This is your ultimate party cookie.
Ingredients
Let's get ready to bake and prep our ingredients for these Kahlua cookies.
- Dry ingredients: This includes all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt.
- Espresso powder: We use 2 full tablespoons to get loads of coffee flavor.
- Butter: Every good cookie needs a buttery bite.
- Dark brown sugar: This gives our cookies a chewy texture and added richness.
- White sugar: To complement our dark brown sugar.
- Kahlua: This is easily the most popular coffee liqueur, but feel free to use another brand if you prefer.
- Vanilla extract or paste: For an added sweetness.
- Eggs: These bind our cookie dough.
- Dark chocolate chunks: You will love how the roasted espresso complements the dark chocolate.
- Kitchen tools: We need a hand or stand mixer, large baking sheet, parchment paper or a silicone baking mat, a spatula and wire racks.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Now let's start baking. Our first step is to stir together the flour, cornstarch, espresso powder, baking soda and salt. Easy enough.
From here, we cream together our butter, dark brown sugar, white sugar, vanilla extract and Kahlua until it's nice and fluffy like so.
After creaming, we add our eggs one at a time and beat into the cookie dough just until incorporated.
Remember that flour mixture we set aside? Now we beat it in a little at a time until it turns into a cohesive dough.
For our finishing touch, we stir in our chocolate chunks and then chill the dough.
Because of the Kahlua, this dough is a bit softer than your typical chocolate chip cookie dough, so chilling is imperative. Otherwise, the cookies will spread too much when baking.
If using the refrigerator to chill, plan for at least an hour. To speed up the process, you can use the freezer instead, which should only take half an hour. The dough should be fairly stiff when scooping.
After chilling, we’re ready to bake. The dough balls go on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and then into the oven they go.
In just a few minutes, we’ll have a perfect batch of irresistible espresso cookies for one decadent treat.
Expert Tips and FAQs
- The espresso and Kahlua cookies will look slightly underbaked when they come out of the oven. We want this. It helps keep them soft and moist — the cookies will firm as they cool.
- With the Kahlua addition, chilling the dough is absolutely necessary, so don’t skip this. This step helps solidify the dough to prevent excessive spreading while baking.
- Using a parchment paper-lined baking sheet is also a must. Without parchment paper, the cookies could spread too much. A silicone baking sheet also works in its place.
- Room-temperature eggs mix into the dough more effectively. Try to set them out 30 minutes before preparing the dough. If you forget, you can place them in warm — not hot — water for five to 10 minutes.
- Softened butter should leave finger imprints when pressing into the sides. Your fingers shouldn’t be able to cut through the butter. Leaving the butter on the counter for 30 minutes should do the trick. If you cut the butter into slices, they’ll soften even quicker.
- I like to shape my cookie dough balls to about the size of a golf ball.
- For even more chocolate and a prettier look, I like to lightly press a few additional dark chocolate chunks on top of the cookie dough ball right before baking.
Perfect Pairing
An imperial stout is the quintessential pairing for these mocha cookies. With an imperial stout, we get some residual sweetness that makes it wonderful with cookies, and the roasted malt is a natural pairing with the espresso. In fact, imperial stouts are often brewed with coffee because of how well they go together.
Looking for a wine pairing? A cabernet sauvignon is a lovely choice. Both show off bold mocha notes, and then the wine has some rich dried fruit that complements the espresso and dark chocolate.
And, of course, a coffee-flavored cocktail would be an absolute treat. My Baileys Irish coffee martini is just what you need.
For the perfect coffee cookie recipe, I hope you try these espresso and Kahlua cookies.
Cheers!
Can’t Get Enough Cookies?
- Cranberry-orange cookies
- Maple-ginger cookies
- Toasted coconut sugar cookies
- Brown butter chocolate chip cookies
- Bourbon-butterscotch-coconut cookies
If you love this recipe, please leave a comment with a five-star rating — or simply hit the five-star button in the recipe card. Don't forget to sign up for my newsletter, and you can follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and TikTok.
📖 Recipe
Espresso and Kahlua Cookies
Equipment
- Stand or hand mixer
- Mixing bowl
- Parchment paper
- Large baking sheet
- Wire racks
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons espresso powder
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup softened salted butter
- 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
- ½ cup white sugar
- 2 tablespoons Kahlua or coffee liqueur
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or paste
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 10-ounce bag chocolate chunks plus additional for topping, optional
Instructions
- In a small bowl, stir together the flour, espresso powder, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter, dark brown sugar, white sugar, Kahlua and vanilla extract until light and fluffy.
- Scrape the dough off the side of the bowl. Add one egg and beat just until combined. Scrape the dough again. Add the second egg and beat just until combined.
- Once again, scrape the dough off the side of the bowl. Add a couple scoops of the flour mixture and stir until combined. Repeat until all the flour mixture is incorporated.
- Scrape the dough off the side of the bowl. Stir in dark chocolate chunks. Refrigerate for at least an hour until stiff. Alternatively, you can freeze for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat the oven to 375 degrees. When the chilling time is up, place golf ball-size dough balls onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake nine minutes. Remove from oven. Allow to cool for a couple minutes and then use a spatula to move to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container. Enjoy!
Notes
- For full tips, please see blog post.
- Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Nutrition
Google Web Story: Kahlua Cookies
Tahreem says
Delicious cookies! Made them this past weekend and brought some into work. They were a big hit with the co-workers!
Amanda McGrory-Dixon says
I’m so glad everyone loved them!
Lemonz says
Hi, i have baked this super super yummy kahlua espresso bisuits. Thanks for sharing this recipe. One question would like to ask, how should I keep this biscuits? The Kahlua fragrance gone very fast within 2-3 days.
Amanda McGrory-Dixon says
So glad you loved the recipe! If the fragrance drops off, the cookies should still be delicious for several days.
Lemonz says
yea, still delicious. Just hope to retain the fragrance longer.
Mary Rose says
These are so delicious. I followed the recipe precisely and they turned out perfect.
Amanda McGrory-Dixon says
Yay! I'm so glad they were a success for you, Mary!
Jo says
I like espresso and chocolate combination. I mean who doesn't! These cookies are simply must have in your snack box. So delish!
Amanda McGrory-Dixon says
Right?! It's such a great combo. And thank you!
Melanie says
Wow, these were so great. I love a coffee flavor to anything so had to try... and your recipe did not disappoint! Thank you!
Amanda McGrory-Dixon says
It makes me so happy to hear that!
Addison says
Adding espresso to cookies is such a great move! These cookies have those signature crispy edges!
Amanda McGrory-Dixon says
Love a crispy edge!
Helen says
These were awesome, I had been looking for a new cookie recipe to change things up for a while and the expresso and Kahlua really hit the spot. Thanks for sharing such a fantastic recipe.
Amanda McGrory-Dixon says
You're so welcome, Helen!
Veronika says
This is a great idea to add espresso and Kahlua to the cookies! Cannot wait to make and try them!
Amanda McGrory-Dixon says
Hope you love the, Veronika!
Marisa F. Stewart says
I didn't think my chocolate chip cookie recipe could get any better until I tried yours. You were so right about the espresso intensifying the chocolate flavor. We had our family over and my batch of cookies did not last long. I was hoping for some the following day. Looks like I'll have to make more.
Amanda McGrory-Dixon says
I'm so glad to hear that everyone loved them!
Veronika Sykorova says
I love coffee and I love Kahlua so I'm 100% here for these and making them next weekend!
Amanda McGrory-Dixon says
I hope you loved them as much as I do!
Marta says
You had me at espresso cookies. I'm a huge fan of coffee in any way, shape, or form, and these did not disappoint.
Amanda McGrory-Dixon says
That makes me so happy!
dishnthekitchen says
You had me at espresso and kahlua. Making these cookies tonight.
Amanda McGrory-Dixon says
Hope you loved them!
Dana says
I love how espresso intensifies the flavor of chocolate in baking and the addition of the Kahlua in these cookies is fantastic!
Amanda McGrory-Dixon says
I'm so glad you loved them, Dana!