Espresso Chocolate Fudge Cookies

These espresso chocolate fudge cookies are what I make when I need something seriously chocolatey but don’t want to spend all day in the kitchen. They’re deeply rich without being overly sweet, and the espresso powder does this amazing thing where it makes the chocolate taste more intense without making the cookies taste like coffee.

The centers stay soft and fudgy while the outside gets slightly crisp – it’s a really satisfying texture. Plus, they’re pretty foolproof as long as you don’t overbake them.

What you need for Espresso Chocolate Fudge Cookies

How to make Espresso Chocolate Fudge Cookies

1. Start by taking your butter out of the fridge about an hour before baking – you want it soft enough that your finger leaves an indent when you press it, but not so warm that it’s starting to melt or look greasy.

2. Preheat your oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Trust me, parchment makes cleanup so much easier with these chocolatey cookies.

3. In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. I use an electric mixer on medium speed for about 3-4 minutes until it’s really light and fluffy – you’ll see the color change to a lighter beige and the texture will look almost whipped.

4. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each one. Then mix in the vanilla extract. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula – this ensures everything mixes evenly.

5. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking soda, and salt. The espresso powder tends to have little clumps, so use your whisk to break these up – you don’t want bitter coffee spots in your cookies.

6. Gradually add the dry ingredients to your wet mixture, mixing on low speed just until combined. The dough will be quite thick and look almost like brownie batter. Stop mixing as soon as you don’t see any dry flour streaks.

7. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon or spatula. The dough will be pretty stiff at this point – that’s exactly what you want.

8. Scoop rounded tablespoons of dough onto your lined baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie. They’ll spread a bit while baking.

9. Bake for 11-13 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through. Here’s how to tell they’re done: the edges should be set and look slightly firm, but the centers will still look a bit soft and puffed up. Don’t wait for them to look completely done – they’ll continue baking on the hot sheet after you take them out.

10. Let them cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes – during this time they’ll settle and get those lovely crackly tops. Then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

The cookies should have a slight sheen on top when they’re done, and they’ll be soft in the middle but with crispy edges. If you break one open while it’s still warm (I always do!), you’ll see melty chocolate chips and a fudgy center. They’ll firm up more as they cool but stay nice and chewy.

Espresso Chocolate Fudge Cookies

Espresso Chocolate Fudge Cookies

Deeply rich without being overly sweet, these espresso chocolate fudge cookies are soft in the middle but with crispy edges.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 24 minutes mins

Total Time 44 minutes mins

Servings 24 Cookies

Ingredients

  

• 1 cup unsalted butter softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar packed
• 2 large eggs
• 2½ cups all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Instructions

 

• Start by taking butter out of the fridge about an hour before baking – you want it soft enough that your finger leaves an indent when you press it, but not so warm that it’s starting to melt or look greasy.
• Preheat your oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. I use an electric mixer on medium speed for about 3-4 minutes until it’s really light and fluffy.
• Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each one. Then mix in the vanilla extract.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking soda, and salt.
• Gradually add the dry ingredients to your wet mixture, mixing on low speed just until combined. The dough will be quite thick and look almost like brownie batter.
• Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon or spatula. The dough will be pretty stiff at this point – that’s exactly what you want.
• Scoop rounded tablespoons of dough onto your lined baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie. They’ll spread a bit while baking.
• Bake for 11-13 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through.
• Let them cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes – during this time they’ll settle and get those lovely crackly tops. Then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.