Description
These Hazelnut Espresso Cookies blend deep espresso flavor with toasted hazelnuts and dark chocolate for a sophisticated, café-style treat. Crispy on the edges, soft in the middle, and perfect with coffee — these cookies are an indulgent pick-me-up any time of day.
Ingredients
Scale
- 220 g unsalted butter, room temp (or brown it, then cool to 90–95°F)
- 150 g light brown sugar
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk, room temp
- 2–3 tsp instant espresso powder (3 tsp for bold flavor)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 300 g all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¾ tsp fine sea salt
- 150 g toasted hazelnuts, chopped (reserve 2–3 Tbsp for topping)
- Optional: 100–130 g dark chocolate chips/chunks or drizzle (see below)
- Optional finish: flaky sea salt
Optional Dark-Chocolate Espresso Drizzle
- 120 g dark chocolate, chopped
- ½ tsp instant espresso powder
- 1 tsp neutral oil (for shine), optional
Instructions
- Prep the hazelnuts: Toast, skin, cool, and chop. Reserve a small bowl of neat, medium pieces for topping.
- Butter & espresso: If using browned butter, cool to just warm. If using regular butter, ensure it’s soft. Bloom the espresso powder by stirring it into the butter or whisking it with 1 tsp hot water into a paste; set aside.
- Cream: In a mixer bowl, beat butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium-high until light and ribbony, 2–3 minutes.
- Eggs & vanilla: Beat in egg, then yolk, then vanilla. Scrape the bowl.
- Dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to the mixer on low, mixing just until the flour disappears.
- Hazelnuts & chocolate: Fold in chopped hazelnuts and chocolate (if using) with a spatula.
- Chill (optional but recommended): Cover and refrigerate 20–60 minutes. Chilling curbs spread and sharpens flavor.
- Scoop & top: Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F). Line pans. Scoop dough into 2-Tbsp mounds. Press a few hazelnut bits (and a chip or two) on top of each ball.
- Bake: 10–12 minutes for a chewy center (edges just golden), or 12–14 minutes for crisper edges. Rotate tray at 7 minutes for even color.
- Wrinkle & cool: Rap the tray once on the rack for gentle wrinkles. Cool 2–3 minutes on the pan, then move cookies to a wire rack.
- Drizzle (optional): Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl over barely simmering water (or in short, low-power microwave bursts). Stir in espresso powder (and oil, if using). Drizzle in zigzags.
- Finish: A pinch of flaky sea salt makes flavors pop. Let it set before stacking.
- Prep Time: PT15M
- Cook Time: PT12M
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 170 kcal
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 80mg
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 25mg