Is Instant Espresso the Same as Espresso Poweder?

Often found in the coffee aisle of grocery stores, instant espresso and espresso powder are the same thing. (Head to How to Make Espresso Cookies to learn more about instant espresso powder.) However, instant espresso powder is not the same thing as instant coffee, which contains bigger, thicker granules that will not yield the same richness and depth of flavor in this recipe.

Kitchen Tested

Easy Espresso Cookies

Name: Easy Espresso Cookies
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 2 h 5 min
Yield: 18
Ingredients: 1 roll (16.5 oz) refrigerated Pillsbury™ Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough; 2 tablespoons unsweetened baking cocoa; 2 tablespoons instant espresso powder; 2 tablespoons milk or heavy whipping cream; 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Prep time:30 min
Total time:2 hr 5 min
Ingredients:5
Servings:18
Calories per serving:130

By Pillsbury Kitchens(Opens in a new tab)Updated 06/24/2024

Easy Espresso Cookies

Prep time:30 min
Total time:2 hr 5 min
Ingredients:5
Servings:18
Calories per serving:130

Here’s a cookie recipe that will really wake up your taste buds! Espresso Cookies are the new cool kid on the cookie block because they combine two of our favorite things in life: Fresh, strong espresso and a comforting chocolate chip cookie. This indulgent infusion of rich chocolate and bold espresso flavors puts a decadent spin on a classic treat, and Pillsbury’s version makes it easy-peasy to go from prep to plate.

What makes an espresso cookie so special? It’s the fusion of a robust coffee flavor with the classic sweetness of a chocolate chip cookie. Espresso no longer works its magic just in your morning cup; it brings an exciting twist to your baking, too. Espresso brings out the very best in chocolate flavors, allowing them to linger on your tastebuds long after the last bite.

While coffee lovers appreciate the intensity of espresso’s strong flavor and its ability to give us a jolt of energy to start the day, bakers are recognizing more and more that espresso is a true workhouse ingredient in baking, too. Not only is it an accessible, affordable ingredient to work with, but it packs a major punch with just a small amount in many recipes, both sweet and savory.

While we love the symphony of flavors to enjoy in every bite of these coffee-infused cookies, we also love that they’re so simple to make. You only need five ingredients—including our ready-to-bake Pillsbury™ Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough—to bring this creation to life, which makes it a winning recipe for busy families who still love to eat a sweet treat. Just because a recipe is indulgent or full of flavor doesn’t mean it needs to take hours or special skills to make, and this cookie is proof. All the ingredients are easy to grab at the grocery store, too, so you can spend less time hunting down hard-to-find ingredients and more time making memories in the kitchen.

Trust in the magic of this recipe, as it turns your everyday cookie into a culinary masterpiece that belongs at every kitchen table.

How To Make Espresso Cookies

Once you try these chocolate chip espresso cookies, you’ll want to make this recipe over and over—thankfully, it’s so easy, that you can! Check out the full detailed instructions for this recipe below, but here’s the gist:

Soften the Dough

Grab your Pillsbury™ Cookie Dough from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature to soften slightly, about 10 to 15 minutes. This makes it easier to blend other ingredients into the dough.

Make the Espresso-Chocolate Mixture

Mix cocoa powder, espresso powder and milk together in a small bowl until a loose paste forms. Once mixed, knead the mixture into the softened dough until everything is blended.

What is instant espresso powder? Instant espresso powder is brewed espresso that been dehydrated into water-soluble granules that dissolve in liquid. We highly recommend using instant espresso powder for this recipe rather than brewed espresso or espresso grounds, which will alter the texture and flavor of the cookie.

Shape and Bake

Roll the dough into balls and place on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Bake one sheet at a time, leaving the second baking sheet in the fridge so the dough doesn’t get too soft before baking. Once the first batch is done baking, pull the second batch from the fridge to bake.

Top with Chocolate

What’s better than coffee and chocolate? Coffee and chocolate with more chocolate! Once the espresso cookies have cooled, top them with a drizzle of melted semisweet chocolate. Let the chocolate drizzle set completely, about one hour, before eating the cookies. (We know it’s hard, but it’s worth the wait.)

What Does Adding Espresso do for Cookies?

You might think that adding espresso to this espresso cookie recipe is to add a coffee flavor to the cookie, and you’d be half-correct—it definitely adds a layer of bold coffee taste to each bite, but espresso has another superpower: It makes chocolate taste more... chocolatey!

Just as salt enhances the flavor of savory dishes, the richness and acidity of espresso enhances the classic flavor notes of chocolate in baked goods. This is why you might see a classic chocolate cake recipe that calls for espresso powder in its ingredient list—it’s because the espresso powder makes the chocolate flavor more flavorful, not because you want the cake to taste like coffee.

In this recipe, we added enough espresso powder to bring out the chocolate notes but also add a hint of coffee taste, so you get the best of both flavors in these easy espresso cookies.

How to Store Espresso Cookies

Espresso cookies are just as easy to store as they are to bake. Whether you want to eat them right away or freeze them for later, here’s how to store these cookies for the best results.

At Room Temperature: You can store these cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days.

In the Refrigerator: If you like to eat cold cookies, or you want to keep these coffee cookies for a little bit longer, you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week.

In the Freezer: Place fully baked and cooled cookies in a resealable food-storage plastic bag or airtight container and freeze for up to three months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

Espresso powder naturally contains caffeine; however, the amount added to many baking recipes, including these espresso cookies, isn’t enough to give you the same jolt of energy as a cup of brewed espresso or coffee.

This espresso cookie recipe calls for 2 tablespoons of instant espresso powder in total, which equates to approximately 1/9 teaspoon per cookie. The amount of caffeine per teaspoon of instant espresso powder varies, so be sure to check the content in the brand you’ve purchased.

If you are concerned about the caffeine in this recipe, you can use the same amount of decaffeinated instant espresso powder. The flavor and texture will remain the same.

We do not recommend adding more espresso powder to these cookies to increase the caffeine content; doing so will make the cookies dry and yield a bitter taste. Just serve them with your favorite cup of coffee instead!

Brewed espresso is a concentrated form of dark coffee, made by brewing fine-ground coffee beans with high-pressure hot water to deliver a strong flavor and a significant caffeine boost in a small amount of liquid. It also has a slightly thicker, creamier texture than regular coffee and is often the base for many coffee drinks, such as lattes, due to its well-balanced flavor when combined with milk. Both coffee and espresso contain antioxidants, but espresso is considered to have a higher concentration of antioxidants based on its traditional brewing method.

In this espresso cookie recipe, instant espresso powder is used instead of brewed espresso to control the flavor and the amount of liquid added to the recipe.

Easy Espresso Cookies

Prep time:30 min
Total time:2 hr 5 min
Ingredients:5
Servings:18
Calories per serving:130

Ingredient

1 roll (16.5 oz) refrigerated Pillsbury™ Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
2 tablespoons unsweetened baking cocoa
2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
2 tablespoons milk or heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions

Step 1
Let cookie dough stand at room temperature 10 to 15 minutes to soften. Meanwhile, heat oven to 350°F. Line 2 cookie sheets with cooking parchment paper.

Step 2
In large bowl, mix baking cocoa, espresso powder and milk with spatula until blended. Crumble cookie dough into cocoa mixture; knead or stir until well blended.

Step 3
Shape dough into 18 balls, about 1 rounded measuring tablespoonful each; place 9 dough balls, 2 inches apart, on each cookie sheet. Place second cookie sheet in refrigerator while you bake first sheet. Bake 10 to 13 minutes or until edges of cookies are set. Cool on cookie sheet 2 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack to cool completely, about 15 minutes. Bake second sheet of cookies.

Step 4
In small microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips uncovered on High 30 to 60 seconds, stirring after 30 seconds until melted and smooth. Transfer melted chocolate to small resealable food-storage plastic bag; cut small corner off one end of bag. Drizzle on tops of cookies. Cool completely, about 1 hour, until chocolate is set.

Recipe Tips

For a salted chocolate flavor, add a small pinch of coarse sea salt to the top of each cookie after topping with melted chocolate drizzle.
For a crunchier cookie to serve with a glass of espresso, be sure to bake the cookies for the full bake time. For a softer treat, bake the cookies for the minimum bake time.

Nutrition Facts

Calories
130
Total Fat
6g
Protein
0g
Total Carbohydrate
17g
Sugars
11g

Servings: 18

Serving Size: 1 Cookie

Amount Per Serving Calories : 130

Nutrition Facts
Food Component / Nutrient	Amount	% , Daily Value*
Total Fat	6g	9%
Saturated Fat	2&½g	14%
Trans Fat	0g	% Value Not Available
Monounsaturated Fat	0g	% Value Not Available
Polyunsaturated Fat	0g	% Value Not Available
Omega-3	0g	% Value Not Available
Cholesterol	0mg	0%
Sodium	80mg	3%
Total Carbohydrate	17g	6%
Dietary Fiber	0g	0%
Soluble Fiber	0g	% Value Not Available
Insoluble Fiber	0g	% Value Not Available
Sugars	11g	% Value Not Available
Protein	0g	% Value Not Available
Vitamin D	Value Not Available	0%
Calcium	Value Not Available	0%
Iron	Value Not Available	6%
Potassium	30mg	1%
Vitamin A	Value Not Available	0%
Vitamin C	Value Not Available	0%
Vitamin E	Value Not Available	0%
Thiamin	Value Not Available	0%
Riboflavin	Value Not Available	0%
Niacin	Value Not Available	0%
Vitamin B6	Value Not Available	0%
Folic Acid	Value Not Available	0%
Vitamin B12	Value Not Available	0%
Pantothenic Acid	Value Not Available	0%
Phosphorus	Value Not Available	0%
Magnesium	Value Not Available	0%
Zinc	Value Not Available	0%
Manganese	Value Not Available	2%
Selenium	Value Not Available	0%
Copper	Value Not Available	2%
Beta-Carotene	Value Not Available	% Value Not Available
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Exchanges

Starch ½,
Fruit 0,
Other Carbohydrate ½,
Skim Milk 0,
Low-Fat Milk 0,
Milk 0,
Vegetable 0,
Very Lean Meat 0,
Lean Meat 0,
Medium-Fat Meat 0,
High-Fat Meat 0,
Fat 1,
Fruits 0c,
Vegetables 0c,
Grains 0oz-eq,
Meat & Beans 0oz-eq,
Dairy 0c,
Fats & Oils 0tsp

Carbohydrate Choice

Carbohydrate Choice1

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