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Toffee coffee cookies are like your afternoon pick-me-up in cookie form. The dough is infused with brown butter and instant espresso powder for a thick, chewy texture, and the dark chocolate chunks and homemade toffee pieces add crunch and layers of flavor.
I know the name is a mouthful, but trust me, these are the real deal. They start with my brown butter chocolate chip cookie dough as the base, which we alter simply by adding instant espresso powder.
Seems simple, right? It is, but that powder packs a major punch. You get that bitterness and depth from the coffee while the sweet cookie and add-ins balance it all.
If I ever have a bakery, I will 100% be making these cookies!
Ingredients
Every part of this recipe was formulated to give you the best texture – thick and chewy – with layers of flavor.
- Brown butter – I start with salted butter and like to amplify mine with milk powder to get lots of those toasty bits, although that part is optional. We’re going to add it when it is still somewhat warm to really infuse flavor into the sugar.
- Instant espresso powder – Warning: this stuff is POTENT! It’s basically instant flavor. Add it with the warm butter and the sugar to help the flavors bloom. (P.S. You can absolutely reduce this recipe down to 1 Tbsp per batch. I like it strong!)
- Dark chocolate chunks – Get a dark chocolate bar and cut it into pieces.
- Homemade toffee pieces – These are made just like old-fashioned English toffee. Just don’t add the chocolate or nuts on top!
Instructions
The method is the same as making my brown butter chocolate chip cookies. You can see a photo tutorial and a video to guide you through the process.
Storing Suggestions
Once baked, let the cookies set up on the trays and then transfer to an airtight container. Store at room temperature for about 2-3 days.
Tips & Variations
- Play with add-ins. I love the idea of adding some walnuts to this recipe. Something about that deep walnut flavor plus the toffee and coffee sounds so good.
- Use store-bought toffee. If you don’t want to make your own, you can use Heath bits from the store. You’ll just get WAY more making them at home, and they’re really easy.
- Make smaller cookies. So, I like these big 4 ounce cookies. If you want to make them smaller, please do. Just adjust the baking time. I usually bake the big ones for 11-12 minutes, and you want to check smaller cookies starting at 7 min.
- Use instant coffee. Instead of instant espresso, you can absolutely use instant coffee. It may not be quite as strong, so I’d try using 2 tbs.
- Unsalted butter is fine, too. I just like the extra flavor you get from salted butter.
How to Serve
I mean, who are we if we don’t enjoy a coffee cookie with a coffee? They would be really lovely with my spiced Christmas coffee recipe or a creamy Hot Caramel drink.
More Brown Butter Cookie Recipes
Brown butter is truly the secret to the most flavorful cookies. In addition to my chocolate chip recipe, I also love to make these Dark Chocolate Chunk Pecan Cookies.
The nuttiness is just right and I love how the dark chocolate balances the brown butter and pecans.
I also have a bunch of brown butter cookie recipes in the works, like brown butter shortbread and brown butter sugar cookies. I’ll link those as soon as they are ready!
If you made this recipe, please leave a comment or ask a question below! I’d love to hear what you think or troubleshoot any issues.
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Brown Butter Toffee Coffee Cookies
Equipment
- dough whisk recommended for hand mixing
- medium mixing bowl
- kitchen scale handy for getting the exact amount of flour
Ingredients
For the brown butter
- 3/4 cup melted browned butter, (170g); cooled but still liquid
- 2 tbsp dry milk powder, for browning; optional but highly recommended
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup light brown sugar, (205g); packed
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar, (70g)
- 1 1/2 tbsp instant espresso powder, can reduce to 1 Tbs for a milder flavor
- 1 tsp molasses, optional, but recommended
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 egg yolk, room temperature
- 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract, or vanilla bean paste
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups bread flour, (250g); spoon and level into measuring cup
- 2 tbsp cornstarch, (16g); for extra chewy cookies
- 1/2 tsp baking soda, (4g)
- 1 tsp kosher salt, (5g) or 1/2 tsp regular salt
- 1 cup dark chocolate chunks, or chocolate chips
- 3/4 cup toffee pieces, homemade
For topping
- 1/4 cup extra toffee pieces, optional
- 1 tsp flaky sea salt, optional
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add your brown sugar, white sugar, molasses, and espresso powder.1 cup light brown sugar, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, 1 1/2 tbsp instant espresso powder, 1 tsp molasses
- In a separate container, whisk together your dry ingredients. Measure out the chocolate chunks and toffee pieces and set to the side.2 cups bread flour, 2 tbsp cornstarch, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp kosher salt, 3/4 cup toffee pieces, 1 cup dark chocolate chunks
- In a medium saucepan, place two sticks (one cup) of salted butter and heat over medium low on your stovetop. As the butter melts, add the dry milk powder, if using.3/4 cup melted browned butter, 2 tbsp dry milk powder
- While browning, the butter should be stirred often. The milk powder will make it look much thicker and creamier, but keep going until it is golden brown with that toasty, nutty aroma.
- Once the browned butter is ready, pour it into your measuring cup or use a kitchen scale to make sure you have the right amount. Let it cool for about 5-20 minutes or until just slightly warm.To speed it up, please the measuring cup in a bowl of cold water and stir often.
- Pour the butter into the bowl with the sugars, molasses, and espresso powder. Stir in until incorporated as well as you can. Then, add your vanilla extract and the room temperature eggs. Whisk until creamy and noticeably lighter than before.1 large egg, 1 egg yolk, 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
- Then, add the prepared dry ingredients – the bread flour, cornstarch, baking soda, salt, the chocolate chunks, and the toffee pieces – and mix in until combined. Sometimes it is easier to use your hands! You don't want any dry sections of flour.
- Weigh out your dough balls. I like to use a 4 oz scoop and shape it into a conical tower shape to help them turn out extra thick. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and add a couple extra toffee pieces on top of each dough ball.1/4 cup extra toffee pieces, 1 tsp flaky sea salt
- Refrigerate for about 2 hours or until the dough is firm. (You can also store the dough for a few days. Just transfer to an airtight container. The flavors will improve the longer the dough rests.)
- When ready to bake, prep your baking sheets with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 375F. When baking big cookies, you can usually bake about 6 on a half sheet pan at a time. Be sure to space them well.
- Bake for 11-12 minutes in a fully preheated oven. The cookies may still look slightly soft or a little wet at this point, but that is fine. Remove from the oven. The toffee will melt in the oven and may ooze out of your cookies. I like to use a metal cake ring to reshape the cookies while they are still hot (just gently swirl the cookie in the cake ring) for keep them nice and round.Let the cookies set up completely on the baking sheets before removing. Serve warm!
Notes
Nutrition
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