Salted Espresso Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Many of you know that my quest for the perfect chocolate chip cookie ended years ago when I discovered the Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe. It’s the ultimate when it comes to chocolate chip cookies and as far as I’m concerned, no other cookie can hold a candle to it. Not long after I settled on that recipe I found my favorite chewy oatmeal-raisin cookie. I’ve thought multiple times about some different variations on that oatmeal cookie, but hadn’t gotten down to it until now. One of my Chief Culinary Consultant’s favorite cookies is an oatmeal-chocolate chip cookie that his mom makes, so I wanted to start with the addition of chocolate and go from there. What I ended up with was a cookie spiked with espresso powder, which kicked the chocolate up a notch while giving the cookies just the slightest undertone of a Kahlua-like flavor, and sprinkled with flaky sea salt. The salt provides the perfect amount of balance to the espresso and chocolate and makes these cookies total show stoppers.
You know I’m not one for small, dainty cookies and these definitely fall into the “go big or go home” category, which is just the way I like ’em. I have been seeing a lot of cookies around lately that include chopped up pretzels in the batter, for an addition of something salty. I love the idea, but have always found that the pretzels get quite soft and lose their flavor once baked into the cookies. The addition of the fleur de sel on the top of the cookies provides that salty flavor without the lackluster pretzels. These cookies are packed full of oatmeal and chocolate chips and are the ultimate combination of salty and sweet. Be prepared for an empty cookie jar immediately after you make these!
Two years ago: Anise Cookies
Three years ago: Scallion Pancakes with Ginger Dipping Sauce
Four years ago: Fresh Blueberry Pie
Salted Espresso Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1½ cups (187.5 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) salt
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, softened but still cool
- 1 cup (220 g) light brown sugar
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 3 cups (243 g) old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1½ cups (270 g) semisweet chocolate chips
- Fleur de sel, for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
- Whisk together the flour, espresso powder, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.
- Beat the butter on medium speed until creamy. Add the sugars; beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time.
- Stir the dry ingredients into the butter-sugar mixture with a wooden spoon or large rubber spatula. Stir in the oats and chocolate chips.
- Working with a generous 2 tablespoons of dough each time, roll the dough into 2-inch balls. Place the balls on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them at least 2 inches apart. Sprinkle the tops with a pinch of fleur de sel.
- Bake until the cookie edges turn golden brown, 22 to 25 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 2 minutes. Transfer the cookies with a wire rack and let cool for at least 30 minutes.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
I feel like the baking time was very off. The first batch came out almost burnt after 20 minutes. I baked the 2nd batch for 16 minutes, that was better. Also, very, very sweet.Â
Excellent! Made them exactly as written. Â Will definitely be making these again..thanks for an awesome recipe!
They taste amazing but???? BAKE FOR 10 MINUTES!!!!!????
I make these annually for a friends birthday. They are nicknamed Devil Cookies. You can not stop eating them! I like to use one Starbucks Instant coffee package for one recipe. Also I use an icecream scoop for portioning out the dough. It’s perfect for 18 cookies plus a little extra for the cook to eat while it is raw!
Hello, is it ok to use quick-cooked oats instead?
Unfortunately not – they will absorb the moisture in the cookies quite differently and the texture will be compromised.
I love this recipe! But I made them smaller than she does so if you are to do the same, I would suggest baking them for about 13 minutes. This is one of those recipe’s I would use all the time.
Wow, these are amazing!!!!!
But what in the WORLD is up with the cooking time?! I was confused by the fact that the cooking time in the recipe is twice as long as normal cooking time for cookies (about 10-12 minutes), and should have gone with my gut instinct to check them at 10 minutes. Instead, I checked them at 15 minutes, and they were way overdone. : ( Thankfully, I made a big batch, and was able to bake the rest of them for the correct time, which seems to be around 12-13 minutes.
Overall, I love the recipe!
I just made these cookies and YUM!!!! Oatmeal, coffee, chocolate and fleur de sel OMG!!!! I just died and went to heaven!! I didn’t have espresso powder, but I used my espresso beans and grinded them on extra fine like a powder. Perfect! Thanks for this great addition to add to my life long recipe book!!
Taste is fabulous….but perfect if you want a scrape off the cookie sheet, crispy cookie. These were a total mess for me. I’m a soft cookie girl, & these aren’t it. They stook like crazy, & were quite a mess to get off. I added flour to the second go round, & that helped some, but still gonna play. W the ingredient list. I love brown eyed baker recipes as an always making girl, buy this one was a flop.
Hello, I have a question which needs an answer ASAP. I made the dough, but I don’t have enough time to bake all the cookies today. Maybe I rolled the dough balls too small, but I baked two batches now, and I still have half of the raw stuff to go. Can the dough be frozen or refrigerated for a day?
Hi Morri, You can refrigerate the dough. You may need to add a few minutes to the bake time, however.
Thanks for the quick answer!
I cut the ingredients in half cuz I didn’t want to make too much, and instead of 2 tablespoon, I rolled 1 tbsp of dough and baked 18 minutes and still come out burnt on the sides. Any suggestions?
Hi Tammy, Make sure your oven isn’t running hot (use an oven thermometer), make sure you line your baking sheets with parchment or a silicone baking sheet, not greased.
I tried this and oh god woman it’s soooooo goooood i loved it!!! Though i used nescafe instant black coffee powder coz i didn’t have espresso and it still tasted great. A little crunchy on the outside and super chewy on the inside, just perfectly the way i like it. Next time i’ll add chopped walnuts for a little crunchy effect. This is my new favorite cookie recipe! Thanks for sharing!
My 13 year old son has made these cookies twice now…all by himself. They are some of the best cookies I have had. YUM! Thank you for sharing!
Aw, that’s so awesome! I’m glad your family is enjoying the cookies!
These look so good!! Definitely saving this for after swimsuit season. :-)
This is a stupid question but do you leave the dough in balls for sprinkling the salt and baking or should I flatten them out a bit? Thanks!
Hi Carrie, I left them in balls.
I found that simply sprinkling salt on top wasn’t enough for me. So I melted up some chocolate and drizzled it over the chocolate and added more salt which stuck to the chocolate drizzle. I would say it made them even tastier.
Anyone looking for espresso powder, check the coffee aisle for Starbucks VIA, almost every one has them and it’s great. I love it in a pinch for a fast cup of coffee, but it also makes some amazing brownies, chocolate custards, hot chocolate, whatever you want. I prefer the italian roast cause it has a nice acidic twang, but they are all great. Thinking of this particular recipe, I bet the carmel flavor would add a nice layer of flavor to these… hmmm… yes…
Hey Michelle,
I am dying to make these! Question: What brand espresso powder do you use? Where do you buy it?
Hi Michelle, I use Medaglia D’Oro Instant Espresso Coffee (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00060PTLO/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00060PTLO&linkCode=as2&tag=broeyebak-20) – I usually find it in a local Italian grocery store, but as you can see, you can also get it on Amazon, and King Arthur Flour also sells espresso powder.
this is a flavour that ive never even heard of! they look so delicious!
I LOVE salted caramel anything… and these look especially amazing! :-)
Maria thanks for the suggestions! I will do what you recommended.
You have officially made the perfect cookie. Salt. Espresso. Oatmeal. Chocolate Chips. My life is now complete! :)
I love oatmeal cookies of all kinds and I can’t wait to give these a try!
Chocolate, coffee, and salt in a cookie? Yes, please!
Hi Michelle,
Made these today and they turned out beautifully….in my oven though, it only took 18 minutes. I love using Fleur de Sel in cookies….yummo!!
You had me at “espresso”! Please feel free to stop by my blog anytime- I just did a post on my favorite challah recipe, and I’m currently featuring a July giveaway! Happy Weekend!
Veralynn
joiedeveralynn.blogspot.com
Those cookies do look fabulous. I have 5 or 6 oatmeal cookies already that I really love, but I may have to try these anyway. Especially love the color.
Awesome looking cookies. I can’t wait to make them.
I made these and they were excellent – chewy but soft in the middle, just perfect all the way around! Thanks for another great cookie recipe!!
Excellent addition to jazz up these cookies! I love the idea of salt and espresso together.
Now I just need to go get some espresso powder as these look heavenly. I love coffee, and I have yet to make a dessert or cookie with using it in it!! I must try :)
You had me at kahlua-like.
@ Lori re: espresso powder:
I used to be able to get Medaglia D’Oro instant espresso in my local grocery stores; it’s very dark and has that crystal flake texture of an instant coffee. I used this for baking in the past, but I havent been able to find it again in my relatively small town, so I recently purchased Williams Sonoma espresso powder at one of their stores. It has a much more powdery texture, almost looks like cocoa powder. It’s worked great in the couple recipes I’ve used it for. Another option is to ask your local cafe to grind some espresso into a fine powder for you to use in baking.
The “salted espresso” in the name called me :) Love these cookies!
well – i tried to upload my image of these cookies – they turned out fantastic! Thanks again for the recipe!
Mmmm, these look amazing!! Love how big they are!
Wow, these look amazing. I’ve had a craving for oatmeal cookies, so I think I will make these today or tomorrow. I’ll have to try your chocolate chip recipe, too, and see if I like it better than the Jacques Torres recipe, which is my current favorite.
I’m afraid to make these. I’m imagining all the extra pounds I’d gain!
Salted espresso? That sounds wonderful!
I’m a huge fan of your thick and chewy chocolate chip cookies, they’re perfect.
Adding oats and espresso to the mix? Things can only go up!
Putting espresso in my cookie recipes is one of my most favorite things to do — SO GOOD. This looks awesome. I guess I’ll just have to try it. ;)
Love the addition of espresso powder here Michelle! I also like that you use a very high ratio of oats to flour. I like a lot of oat texture in my oatmeal cookies! And finding the “perfect” cookie is exhausting but such a blessing to finally have it. :)
These look amazing!!! I love oatmeal cookies!
bake for 22 to 25min? I know they are big but that seems like a long time to me for a cookie.
It was way too long when I made this recipe. The first 2 batches were burnt to a crisp. I did the next 2 batches for 10 minutes and it was perfect.
Ovens can run hotter or cooler, however as you can see, mine were definitely not burnt at 22 minutes. My guess is that your oven runs quite warm if they were done in 10 minutes.
These look great!! I can’t wait to try them.
These look yummy! I love “go big or go home” cookies. No wimpy cookies here :)
These sound amazing! Must go get espresso powder!!
Wow! these are all my favorite things rolled up into one big cookie -I need these!
Oh my goodness — this combination sounds right up my alley! Can’t wait to give them a try!!
I am most definitely trying these tonight!!! salty+sweet+COFFEE?!?!?! YES!
where can I buy espresso powder. Can you recommend a brand? Thanks
Nescafé makes an awesome espresso powder
Hi Lori, I use Medaglia D’Oro Instant Espresso Coffee (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00060PTLO/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00060PTLO&linkCode=as2&tag=broeyebak-20) – I usually find it in a local Italian grocery store, but as you can see, you can also get it on Amazon, and King Arthur Flour also sells espresso powder.
Williams Sonoma makes a wonderful one for baking. I think the King Arthur Flour site has it too.
Great flavor combination! Can’t wait to try these.
These are lovely! Can’t wait to try!
Cookies and milk? I’m in!!
OK now I have to try these AND the chocolate chip ones you speak of… I have been on the hunt for the perfect recipe for a while now :)
finding one’s perfect go-to cookies, both choc chip and oatmeal, and being able to cross those two off the life bucket list is big stuff…well, for anyone who likes cookies as much as I do, it’s big stuff!
Oh my goodness! These look amazing! I need to get some espresso powder so I can make these.