Coffee Cookies Recipe {made with Instant Coffee}

This easy coffee cookies recipe makes the BEST coffee cookies that are soft, chewy, and deliciously addictive. Coffee lovers, you NEED to try these simple, homemade cookies. 

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What may be better than a cup of coffee? 

One in cookie form!!

These soft, chewy coffee cookies with chocolate chips have a delicious mocha flavor that reminds me of a mocha frappuccino. And I LOVED mocha frappucinos when I was younger. 

If you don’t want mocha cookies, you can omit the chocolate chips from the recipe (in the recipe card below) for coffee sugar cookies or latte cookies.

Instant Coffee

This coffee cookie recipe includes simple ingredients that you probably already have at home - unsalted butter, brown sugar, white sugar, an egg, vanilla extract, flour, baking soda, salt, chocolate chips, water, and… instant coffee. 

Whenever I looked up recipes for coffee cookies, I was disappointed that they all used instant espresso powder. 

I never had espresso powder. I only had instant coffee. 

So, I wanted to make a coffee cookies recipe that uses instant coffee granules. 

The instant coffee that most people have at home for those lazy, groggy mornings. Like, this Nescafe Clasico Dark Roast Instant Coffee.

For more recipes that can be made or used with instant coffee, check out:
- Iced Strawberry Latte
- Homemade Matcha Coffee
- Iced Coffee with Ice Cream
- Iced Coffee Recipe with Instant Coffee

The first step in this easy recipe is to make a coffee concentrate by combining two tablespoons of instant coffee and one tablespoon of hot water.

It’ll look like a little shot of espresso, but these aren’t espresso cookies. 

Coffee concentrate has a strong coffee flavor. Which is needed so we can actually taste coffee in the final, baked cookies.

Using brewed coffee, instead of coffee concentrate, doesn’t even lead to a hint of coffee flavor in the baked cookies. It’s too diluted. 

I tried making this recipe with just instant coffee granules, not coffee concentrate, and it didn’t taste as smooth or comforting… or right. It’s hard to explain.  

Coffee concentrate also provides extra moisture, which contributes to the soft, moist, and chewy texture of these coffee cookies. 

For a perfect cookie, make and use the coffee concentrate. It’s super easy and quick to do. 

I recommend allowing the coffee concentrate to cool some before mixing it into the other wet ingredients. Otherwise, it may cook the egg. Which isn’t good. 

Tips for the Best Cookies

• Soften the butter to room temperature before beginning. An easy way is to remove it from the fridge, put it on the counter, and let it sit for 30 minutes to an hour. The speed at which it softens depends on the temperature of your kitchen.

• For best results, allow other ingredients to reach room temperature before beginning as well. A cold egg can solidify the butter. Hot coffee concentrate can cook the egg. It’s best to avoid these issues.

• The easiest and fastest way to make these coffee cookies is with an electric mixer - a stand mixer, like this KitchenAid Classic Series Stand Mixer, with a paddle attachment or a hand mixer, like this Hamilton Beach Professional 5-Speed Electric Hand Mixer. You can mix by hand as well, but it’s a thick dough, so you’ll get a little arm workout. 

• Feel free to use chocolate chunks or dark chocolate chips instead of semi-sweet chocolate chips, like the recipe card says below. Both also work well in this recipe. 

• If you don’t like or want chocolate in your coffee cookies, simply don’t add chocolate chips to your batter. 

• There is no need to chill this recipe. You can mix, bake, and eat! (After cooling, of course).

• Use a cookie scoop to easily scoop cookie dough balls and place them on a prepared baking sheet (I like to prepare my sheet pan with parchment paper). I use the small cookie scoop (the one with the black handle) from this Cookie Scoop Set.

• After baking, allow the coffee cookies to cool some on the baking sheet then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 

How to Store

Store these coffee cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days. 

You can freeze the baked, cooled cookies in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw to room temperature before eating. 

You can also re-heat the thawed coffee cookies in the microwave (for about 30 seconds) or in the oven (for 1-2 minutes), before eating, to enjoy a warm cookie with melted chocolate goodness. 

Do Coffee Cookies have Caffeine?

Yes, coffee cookies do have some caffeine. Not a lot. But, they’re not caffeine free. 

This coffee cookies recipe includes two tablespoons of instant coffee AND makes about 22 cookies. 

One tablespoon of Nescafe instant coffee, like Nescafe Clasico Dark Roast Instant Coffee (what I usually use in this recipe), has 60mg to 80mg of caffeine. 

So this ENTIRE coffee cookie recipe contains 120mg to 160 mg of caffeine. But, you’re probably not going to eat 22 cookies in one sitting. 

One coffee cookie has about 5.5mg to 7.27 mg of caffeine. Which is way less than a cup of coffee or tea. 

Looking for more easy cookie recipes? Try these next!
- Chewy Pistachio Cookies
- Almond Joy Cookie Recipe
- Matcha Cookies with White Chocolate Chips

If you make this recipe, don’t forget to comment and/or rate it below.

I’d also love to see your cookies! Simply tag @lovemischka or use the hashtag #lovemischka on Instagram, Facebook, Tiktok, or Pinterest. 

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