Chocolate chip cookies that wake you up? Yes, please. These Vegan Espresso Chocolate Chip Cookies are fudgy, bold, and powered by real espresso for maximum flavor. Let's learn how to make them!
If you've ever wished your morning coffee and your favorite cookies could become one, these Vegan Espresso Chocolate Chip Cookies will be your new best friend.
They're rich, chewy, loaded with melty chocolate, and finished with a bold espresso kick that makes every bite taste like pure café-level bliss. You'll only need 1 bowl and pantry-staple ingredients!
If you love these as much as I do, you'll also want to try my vegan double chocolate cookies and my vegan banana chocolate chip cookies.
Ingredients
Here is your cookie-making grocery list:
- Vegan butter: Provides richness, moisture, and that classic buttery cookie flavor while helping create soft, chewy centers.
- Light brown sugar: Adds deeper caramel notes and extra moisture thanks to the molasses content, keeping the cookies chewy.
- Granulated sugar: Helps the cookies spread while baking and contributes to slightly crisp edges.
- Nondairy milk: Adds a touch of moisture to bring the dough together and replace the liquid that eggs would typically provide.
- Vanilla extract: Enhances the flavor of the chocolate and espresso, making the cookies taste warmer and more rounded.
- Instant espresso powder: Dissolves right into the dough, infusing the cookies with bold coffee flavor and intensifying the chocolate.
- Cornstarch: Acts as a vegan-friendly egg replacer by binding the dough and helping create soft, tender cookies.
- Baking soda: Gives the cookies lift and helps them spread evenly for that ideal cookie shape.
- Sea salt: Balances the sweetness and boosts the overall flavor, making the chocolate and espresso stand out.
- All purpose flour: Provides structure to the dough and gives the cookies their chewy texture.
- Chopped dark chocolate (50-70%): Melts into puddles and creates rich chocolate pockets throughout the cookie - more luxurious than chips.
- Flaky sea salt (for sprinkling): Adds a pop of flavor contrast, enhances the chocolate, and gives a bakery-style finish.
Why You'll Love These Cookies
- Coffee + chocolate = pure magic. The espresso intensifies the chocolate flavor, making every bite rich and bold, almost like a mocha in cookie form.
- Bakery-style texture. Crisp edges, thick chewy centers, and big melted chocolate pockets. No flat, sad cookies here.
- Simple pantry ingredients. No specialty items needed. Just espresso powder and everyday vegan baking staples.
- Quick to make. No chilling required (unless you want extra-thick cookies). Mix, scoop, bake, eat.
- Vegan but no one will know. Seriously. These taste just like classic espresso cookies, only dairy-free and egg-free.
How to Make Vegan Espresso Chocolate Chip Cookies (with pictures!)
Please see the recipe card at the bottom of the page for full instructions and ingredient measurements.
Begin by creaming together the vegan butter and sugars with an electric hand mixer. Beat for at least 1 minute or until light and fluffy.
Add the cornstarch, baking soda, salt and espresso powder to the bowl and mix well. Beat in the flour until just combined. Do not over-mix!
Stir in the chocolate chunks. Cover bowl and chill cookie dough for at least 1 hour.
Drop 2-tablespoon scoops of cookie dough onto the baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Cream the butter and sugars well. Give it a solid 2-3 minutes - this incorporates air, helps the cookies rise, and creates that soft-chewy bakery texture.
- Dissolve the espresso in the milk (optional but recommended). Mixing the espresso powder into the nondairy milk before adding distributes the flavor evenly throughout the dough.
- Don't over-mix once the flour goes in. Stir just until no dry spots remain. Over-mixing = tough cookies.
- Use chopped chocolate instead of chips. Chopped bars create melty pools of chocolate throughout the cookie - way more decadent than chips.
- Slightly under-bake. Pull them when the edges are set and the centers look a little soft. They'll finish baking on the sheet pan as they cool.
- Always chill the dough. A quick 60-minute chill keeps them from spreading too much and really deepens the flavor.
- Salt on top makes a difference. A sprinkle of flaky sea salt enhances the chocolate and espresso flavors and balances the sweetness.
Please check out my post on how to make vegan cookies! Here you will find all kinds of information to help ensure your cookies come out perfectly every time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes - the cookies will still turn out delicious. You can omit it completely, or replace it with 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder for a deeper chocolate flavor without the coffee notes.
They have a subtle espresso flavor that enhances the chocolate - more "mocha vibes" than full-on coffee. If you want a stronger coffee flavor, increase the espresso powder to 3 tablespoons.
It's optional but HIGHLY recommended. If you like thicker, chewier, bakery-style cookies, chill the dough for 30-60 minutes. If you prefer thinner, crispier cookies, bake right away.
You can, but the texture will be different - slightly more crisp and spread-prone. If using coconut oil, make sure it's solid and reduce the nondairy milk to 1 tablespoon.
Chopped dark chocolate (50-70%) works best because it melts into rich puddles. Chocolate chips will work in a pinch, but they won't spread and melt the same way.
How to Chop Chocolate for Cookies
Time needed: 1 minute
Chopping Chocolate
- Choose the Right Chocolate
Use a chocolate bar with at least 50-70% cocoa for baking. Avoid "baking chips" if you want melty, even pieces, as chips often contain stabilizers that prevent smooth melting.
- Prepare Your Workspace
Place a cutting board on a stable surface and have a sharp chef's knife ready.
Cut in Half: Slice the bar in half lengthwise to make it easier to handle. - Chop into Strips
Cut each half into ½-inch thick strips.
- Dice into Chunks
Rotate and cut the strips into small, even chunks - roughly ½-inch or smaller depending on your recipe.
- Optional Tip
For smaller chocolate "pockets," lightly dust the chopped chocolate with a little flour to prevent sinking in the dough.
- Storage
Keep unused chocolate in a cool, dry place until ready to bake.
Recipe Variations
Here are a few ways you can mix up your cookies:
- Mocha Lovers: Add 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder to the dough for a chocolatey espresso twist.
- Nutty Delight: Fold in ½ cup chopped walnuts, pecans, or hazelnuts for added crunch and flavor.
- Extra Chewy: Replace ¼ cup of all-purpose flour with cornstarch or oat flour for softer, chewier cookies.
- Double Espresso Kick: Increase the instant espresso powder to 3 tablespoons for a bolder coffee flavor.
- Chocolate Swap: Use milk chocolate or white chocolate chunks instead of dark chocolate for a different flavor profile.
- Mini Cookie Bites: Roll dough into smaller 1-inch balls for bite-sized cookies perfect for parties or lunchboxes.
- Toppings: Sprinkle extra flaky sea salt, cocoa nibs, or a drizzle of melted chocolate on top before baking for a bakery-style finish.
Storage
Room Temperature: Keep baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2-3 days. Place a slice of bread in the container to help maintain softness.
Refrigeration: Store in the fridge for up to a week, but allow cookies to come to room temperature before enjoying - refrigeration can firm them up.
Freezing:
- Cookie Dough: Scoop the dough into balls, freeze on a tray until solid, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag. Bake from frozen, adding 1-2 minutes to the bake time.
- Baked Cookies: Freeze fully baked cookies in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 1 month. Thaw at room temperature before eating.
If you make this recipe be sure to tag @censoredbaker on Instagram!
PrintVegan Espresso Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chewy espresso cookies loaded with dark chocolate chunks and topped with flaky sea salt.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Bake Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 25 3-inch Cookies 1x
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
1 cup vegan butter, slightly softened
1 cup light brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons nondairy milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
1 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
2 ¼ cups all purpose flour
1 ½ cups chopped dark chocolate (50-70%)*
flaky sea salt for sprinkling
Instructions
- Mix: Add vegan butter, light brown sugar and granulated sugar to a large bowl and cream together with an electric hand mixer until light and fluffy. This should take about 1 minute. Add nondairy milk, vanilla extract, instant espresso powder, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. Beat again until ingredients are evenly distributed. Beat in the flour until just combined. Do not over-mix. Stir in the dark chocolate.
- Chill: Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill for 1 hour or overnight. This step is important. Do not skip!
- Bake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop cookies onto prepared baking sheet 2 inches apart. Place baking sheet on center rack of preheated oven and bake for 10-12 minutes or until cookies begin to look golden around the edges. Sprinkle cookies with flakey salt. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
*Cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days or can be frozen for up to 1 month.
*If you don't have any dark chocolate on hand you can substitute nondairy chocolate chips instead.
*I prefer to scoop my cookie dough prior to chilling. Once cookie dough has been prepared you can scoop out your dough, placing the unbaked cookies on a baking sheet. Cover the sheet with plastic wrap and place in the fridge to chill until you're ready to bake.
*Do your cookies look misshapen? Take a 4-inch circle cookie cutter (or use the top of a large mug or glass) and gently swirl it around the cookies the minute they come out of the oven. They key is getting to them before they set. This will leave you with perfectly round cookies!
Ella says
I baked these for some friends and they were a HUGE hit! Everyone couldnt stop eating them! I made them with einkorn flour since we dont do well with regular gluten and that worked out super well. I also replaced the cornstarch with a flax egg (1bs ground flax and 2 tbs of water) which also worked great. The recipe ended up being dryer than i thought was right so i added a bit more non-dairy milk.
I am making them again right now and am going to try gluten free flour 🙂
Lyndsey Hiltner says
So, so glad you enjoyed Ella! Also it's so awesome that you were able to get them to work gluten-free - now I'm going to try it!