Salted Espresso Oatmeal Cookies
Chewy oatmeal cookies get a dark coffee boost and a flaky salt finish for a small-batch dessert with big diner energy.
Prep: 15 · Cook: 20 · Total: 35 · Serves: 18 · Difficulty: Easy · Rating: 4.7/5 (68 reviews)
INSPIRED BY
This original cookie blends the cozy chew of an oatmeal cookie with the roasty edge of a coffeehouse treat. Brown butter and flaky salt make the familiar formula taste confidently grown-up.
Story
Casey keeps a cookie like this in the back pocket for the days when dessert needs to happen before anyone loses patience. The espresso deepens the chocolate without shouting, and the oatmeal brings the soft, chewy center everyone reaches for. A pinch of flaky salt makes the whole batch taste bakery-level.
By Casey
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chunks
- Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, swirling, until it smells nutty and turns amber; cool for 5 minutes.
- Whisk the brown butter, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla in a large bowl until glossy and smooth.
- In a second bowl, stir the oats, flour, espresso powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
- Fold the dry mixture into the butter mixture until no dry streaks remain, then fold in the chocolate chunks.
- Scoop 18 rounded tablespoons of dough onto two parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart, and sprinkle with flaky salt.
- Bake at 350 F for 9 to 11 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers still look soft; cool on the sheets for 10 minutes.
Chef Tips
- Let browned butter cool briefly so it adds flavor without scrambling the egg.
- Pull the cookies when the centers look slightly underdone; they finish setting as they cool.
- Use finely ground espresso powder, not coffee grounds, for a smooth flavor.
- Freeze scooped dough balls for up to two months and bake from frozen with 2 extra minutes.
Cook's Notes
- **Butter:** Watch closely once it turns amber because it can darken quickly.
- **Espresso:** Instant espresso powder dissolves into the dough and gives a clean coffee flavor.
- **Texture:** Cool the cookies on the pan so the centers finish gently.