If you love an oatmeal cookie but crave something a little more exciting, these Brown Butter Espresso Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies are for you! Brown butter adds nuttiness, espresso powder adds a bold richness, and chunks of chocolate create gooey chocolate puddles. Serve these warm with a sprinkle of flaky salt and a glass of milk for the perfect mid day treat or to satisfy a late night sweet tooth!
TL;DR (Quick Recipe Overview)
Recipe: Brown Butter Espresso Oatmeal Cookies
Ready In: 1 hour (mainly chilling time!)
Serves: 18 cookies
Staple Ingredients: espresso powder, butter, eggs, old fashioned oats, cinnamon, chocolate chunks
What Makes It Special: the soft and chewy texture of your favorite oatmeal cookie made with a nutty brown butter base, rich espresso powder, and creamy chocolate chunks. The brown butter really gives these cookies depth and pairs well with the espresso flavor. I press extra chocolate chunks on top before baking for gooey puddles of chocolate!
Guys, these are so so good! The dough starts with browned butter which adds a delicious toastyness (don’t think this is a word!), then we mix instant espresso powder directly into the butter so it starts to dissolves. These two things combine smell so wonderful and will have your kitchen smelling great! Then we add in our other classic cookie ingredients, white sugar, brown sugar, flour, eggs, vanilla, etc.
I developed these based off of my gingerbread oatmeal cookies and my brown butter & toffee sugar cookies. The result was a oat cookie similar to a classic oatmeal cookie with extra depth and nuttiness. These would be so good with a scoop of vanilla bean or coffee ice cream as an ice cream sandwich!
I know you probably bought the big tube of oats for these, so you might as well try some of these yummy recipes as well! Like my eggnog oatmeal cream pies, oatmeal raisin cookie bars, or my peanut butter chocolate chip oat cookies. Find all of my cookie recipes and dessert recipes here for more inspiration!
More Homemade Cookies
Recipe Ingredient Notes
- All-Purpose Flour: Classic base that gives these cookies structure and the right spread. No substitution here.
- Ground Cinnamon: just a pinch, adds that classic cinnamon note that pairs so well with the oats.
- Unsalted Butter: we brown this for a rich, nuttiness. Melted butter can be used instead.
- Granulated Sugar: Helps the dough spread and creates a light crisp edge as it bakes.
- Light Brown Sugar: Adds moisture, chew, and a deeper molasses-driven sweetness. Dark brown sugar will intensify spice and richness.
- Eggs, room temperature: Bind the dough and promote even mixing. Room temp helps with even mixing.
- Instant espresso powder: instant coffee can be used in a pinch, we use powder so we don’t add additional liquid into the dough.
- Chocolate chunks: semi-sweet, milk, or dark chocolate will work. Or use a chopped chocolate bar.
- Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats: Provide soft, chewy structure. Avoid quick oats, which break down and make the dough dense.
How to Make The Oatmeal Cookies
Let’s talk a little about how to make the cookies (The printable instructions are in the recipe card below.)
Quick overview:
- Brown Butter.
Add butter to a saucepan, heat over medium-high heat stirring constantly for 5-7 minutes until the butter starts to brown. Allow to cool slightly and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- Combine wet ingredients.
To the butter, add in the espresso powder and stir to begin dissolving, Then add in the brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Whisk to combine.
- Add in dry ingredients.
To the wet ingredients, mix in the dry ingredients until fully combined. Fold in the oats and chocolate chunks.
- Scoop, chill, bake, and enjoy!
Chill dough, preheat oven, scoop even amounts of dough, about 2 ounces per cookie. Form into a ball and place onto the prepared baking sheets spacing about 2-3″ apart. Bake and let cool before transferring to a wire rack.
You Can Freeze This Cookie Dough
Simply make the cookie dough according to the recipe, scoop even sized amounts of dough onto a sheet pan and place in the freezer until hard. Transfer the cookie dough to an airtight container or freezer bag labeled with the date, type of cookie, and baking instructions (or reference back to this post for baking directions!). Keep in your freezer stash for 3-4 months. Remove desired cookie dough when needed, thaw, bake, and enjoy! You may even want to make a double batch!
Video Step-By-Step
Rachel’s Baking Tips
Brown the butter: Wait for deep golden color and a toasted aroma. Darker brown butter gives the spices more intensity and caramel-like notes, don’t skip this part it adds so much to the cookies! Also don’t rush or the butter could burn.
Use old-fashioned rolled oats: Quick oats will break down and make the dough dense. Rolled oats hold structure and create the best texture
Chill the dough: Give the dough a quick chill for 30-60 minutes to help the dough set and and keep the cookies from spreading too much when baking.
Espresso Brown Butter Chewy Chocolate Oat Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cup All purpose flour
- 1 tsp Baking powder
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 1 tsp Salt
- 2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1 cup Unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp Instant Espresso Powder
- 1 cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 cup Light brown sugar, packed
- 2 whole Eggs, room temperature
- 1 tbsp Vanilla
- 1 1/2 cups Old fashioned oats
- 6 ounces Semi-sweet or dark chocolate chunks
Instructions
- Add butter to a saucepan, heat over medium-high heat stirring constantly for 5-7 minutes until the butter starts to brown. Scrape any brown bits off the bottom. Remove butter from the heat before it burns, you want it to have a dark amber color and nutty smell. Allow to cool slightly and transfer to a large mixing bowl.1 cup Unsalted butter
- To the butter, add in the espresso powder and stir to begin dissolving, Then add in the brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Whisk to combine.1 cup Granulated Sugar, 1 cup Light brown sugar, 2 whole Eggs, 1 tbsp Vanilla, 1 tbsp Instant Espresso Powder
- To the wet ingredients, mix in the dry ingredients until fully combined. Fold in the oats and chocolate chunks. Cover dough and allow to chill for 25 minutes.2 1/2 cup All purpose flour , 1 tsp Baking powder, 1 tsp Baking Soda, 1 tsp Salt, 2 tsp Ground Cinnamon , 1 1/2 cups Old fashioned oats, 6 ounces Semi-sweet or dark chocolate chunks
- After chilling, line a sheet pan with parchment paper and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Use a portion scoop or spoon to scoop even amounts of dough, about 2 ounces per cookie. Form into a ball and place onto the prepared baking sheets spacing about 2-3" apart. Repeat with remaining cookie dough.
- If desired, press extra chocolate chunks into the tops of the cookies before baking, this created those bakery style chocolate puddles!
- Bake at 350 for 9-11 minutes until golden brown, cookies will still be soft in the middle. Allow to cool for a few minutes on the cookie sheet before transferring to a cooling rack. Sprinkle with sea salt if desired and enjoy!
Notes
- Brown the butter fully: Let it turn golden for the deepest flavor.
- Do not overmix: Stir until the flour disappears to keep the bars soft.
- Watch the bake time: Pull them when the center looks set. They continue to set up as they cool. This ensures your cookies are chewy!
- Use chocolate chunks: Larger pieces melt into gooey puddles! Chopped dark chocolate works well too.
- Adjust espresso to taste: we dissolves this into the brown butter for extra flavor. Add more if you want a bolder flavor, instant coffee can work in a pinch but might leave some texture behind.
Nutrition
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Ingredient Highlight: Instant Espresso Powder
This simple pantry staple adds depth and richness without making the cookies taste like coffee or adding extra liquid. A small amount enhances the chocolate and balances the sweetness, bringing out a warm, bold flavor that pairs perfectly with the nutty brown butter.
Storage and Serving
Storage: Keep the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 to 4 days. They stay soft and chewy. For longer storage, refrigerate up to 1 week or freeze for up to 2 months in a freezer-safe plastic bag.
Serving: These are great at room temperature or microwave for a few seconds to soften them, they are delicious when they’re warm!
Frequently Asked Recipe Questions
Yes. Freeze cookies in a single layer, then transfer to a freezer bag or container. Thaw at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving or microwave.
No, regular melted butter can be used but the brown butter adds a depth and nuttiness..
Yes. The cookies will still be delicious. Espresso simply enhances the cookie, but the flavor is not overwhelming. If you prefer a more classic oatmeal chocolate chunk cookie, feel free to leave it out.
Chocolate chunks or chopped dark chocolate are great and melt into puddles. Semi-sweet chips work too, but chunks give you that bakery-style look and texture.
Yes. Chopped pecans, walnuts, or dried cherries work well. Add up to 1 cup without adjusting the base recipe.
Helpful Recipe Tools
- Rubber Spatula – a must have! I like these because they don’t come apart so I don’t have to worry about water getting inside the spatula and causing mold.
- Pyrex Mixing Bowl Set – I love this set of nesting bowls. Pyrex glass does not break easily so you can trust on these bowls for years, they come in 3 useful sizes and can stack.
- Parchment Paper – love this for lining pans, it helps to easily life out bars and brownies for slicing.
Did you try this recipe?
Let me know what you thought by leaving a comment below and sharing your final dish on Instagram, Facebook, & Pinterest!
Cheers!
-Rachel
The recipe looks great. However I only have quick oats. Can I substitute?
I have not tried substituting quick oats, but I believe they should be interchangeable.
Looks great, but what is the oven temperature?
What is the oven temperature for this recipe?
So sorry! It is 350 degrees F.