These Gluten Free Espresso Chocolate Chip Cookies are rich, chewy, and packed with espresso flavor. The espresso deepens the chocolate flavor, giving each bite a cozy, mocha-like vibe without being overpowering. It’s the kind of cookie that feels just right alongside your afternoon coffee - or as an excuse to have cookies instead of coffee.

Recipe Ingredient Notes

Gluten Free Flour: I tested these gluten free espresso cookies using both Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Baking Flour (blue bag) and King Arthur Measure for Measure. While both versions are tasty, I prefer the cookies made with Bob’s Red Mill - they spread more evenly and have a chewier texture. If you’re using King Arthur, try reducing the amount of flour by about 10 grams to help encourage better spreading.

Brown Butter: Brown butter adds a rich, nutty depth to these cookies, enhancing their flavor with notes of caramel and toasted hazelnut. It gives the cookies a more complex taste without overpowering the espresso.

Milk Powder: Adding milk powder - either whole or non-fat - intensifies the nutty, caramelized flavor of the brown butter, making these cookies even more flavorful. While optional, it’s a great addition for brown butter lovers. Just be sure to use dairy-based milk powder, as non-dairy alternatives like coconut milk powder won’t produce the same effect.

Espresso Powder: This product can be found at any grocery store in the same aisle as coffee. I use Instant Espresso Powder from DeLallo. You can also use Instant coffee.

Espresso: When browning butter, it loses some of its water content. To make up for that, I like to add a shot of really strong espresso back to the recipe (for that extra coffee flavor)

Chocolate: I use a chopped dark chocolate bar in this gluten free espresso chocolate chip cookie recipe for rich, melty pockets of chocolate in every bite. Unlike chocolate chips, chopped chocolate melts more evenly into the dough, making sure there is a little bit of chocolate in every bite.

Espresso Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

Making the gluten free espresso chocolate chip cookie dough is simple and pretty straight forward. Just be sure the brown butter has cooled slightly - it should still be liquid but no longer hot. I prefer mixing everything with a spatula rather than a whisk, since whisks can whip too much air into the eggs and lead to a cakier texture. And for these cookies, we're going for chewy, not cakey.

1. Place the cold, unsalted butter (cut into pieces) in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Melt the butter over medium heat, let it simmer for 30–45 seconds, then stir in the milk powder. Keep stirring as it foams and turns a nutty amber color with golden brown specks. Watch closely, as it can burn quickly.
2. Remove from heat and pour into a large mixing bowl (scraping in all the brown bits). Add the espresso powder to the brown butter and give it a quick stir to ensure its completely disolved.
3. Allow the brown butter to cool for at least 20 minutes before using.

4. In a small bowl combine the gluten free multi purpose flour, baking soda and kosher salt. Whisk together and set aside until needed.
5. Once the espresso brown butter mixture has cooled but is still liquid, stir in the light brown sugar and granulated sugar using a flexible spatula. Mix until the sugars are fully incorporated and the mixture resembles wet sand.
6. Add the room temperatue egg, a shot of espresso (or really strong coffee), and vanilla extract. Stir until the mixture is smooth and glossy.

7. Fold the dry ingredients and the chopped dark chocolate into the wet mixture using a spatula. At first, the dough will look dry and crumbly, but keep mixing - it will come together as the ingredients hydrate.
8. Chill the dough for espresso chocolate chip cookies for at least two hours to let the butter firm up and make it easier to scoop. If you skip this step, the dough will be too soft and difficult to work with. You can refrigerate it for up to 24 hours.

Baking Instructions

The dough for gluten free espresso chocolate chip cookies should be refrigerated for at least two hours before baking it. This gives the dough time to fully hydrate.

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Use a medium cookie scoop (about 1.5 tablespoons) to portion out the dough. You should get around 16 - 18 cookies, depending on how much you “sampled.” If the dough has chilled for a long time, it may be a bit firm, so let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes if needed.
3. Once the oven is fully preheated, place 6–8 dough balls on a baking sheet and bake for 11–12 minutes. The cookies should be golden around the edges and slightly puffy in the center - don’t overbake, as they’ll continue to set as they cool.
4. After removing them from the oven, use a round cookie cutter or glass to gently scoot the cookies into a perfect circle.
5. Let the espresso cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 - 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. And yes, this is the perfect time to sneak "a test cookie" - especially with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt on top.
6. Repeat with the remaining gluten free espresso chocolate chip cookie dough.

Storage & Freezing

These gluten free espresso chocolate chip cookies stay soft and flavorful for days - if they don’t disappear first. The brown butter and brown sugar keep them moist, making them just as good a day or two after baking. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

To freeze the dough, scoop it into portions and gently flatten each ball slightly to help with spreading. Freeze on a lined baking sheet until solid, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container. Bake straight from frozen, adding an extra minute or two to the bake time.

Baked cookies freeze well too - just let them cool completely before storing in an airtight container or freezer bag. When you're ready, let them thaw at room temp -no reheating needed.

FAQ - Gluten Free Espresso Chocolate Chip Cookies

Note about Salt in my Recipes

I use Diamond Kosher Crystal Salt in all of my recipes unless otherwise stated. If use use a different brand or kind of salt in your kitchen please adjust accordingly since some salts can be saltier. If you use Morton’s Kosher Salt please be aware that their salt granules are smaller in size, denser, and crunchier and twice as salty.

Baking in grams

I share my recipes in grams and by weight since baking by weight is the most accurate way to bake. Digital Scales are very affordable and easy to use. You can purchase them on Amazon for less than a set of measuring cups. For small amounts under 10 grams, I like to use this Precision Pocket Scale. Measuring cups are very inaccurate which can cause significant errors when it comes to gluten-free baking or baking in general. Especially since I bake with gluten-free flours which weigh differently than “regular” flours. I do provide some ingredients like spices and leavening agents in measuring spoons. To learn more about Baking with a digital scale, make sure to check out my post about Baking by weight.

Note about Ovens and Oven Temperatures

All my recipes are tested and developed with a conventional oven. I always bake my baked goods on the rack placed in the MIDDLE of my oven. This way the heat coming from the bottom will not burn my baked goods.

If you are baking with convection (fan-forced), please adjust the recipes accordingly. Convection oven can cause baked goods to dry out quickly and still be raw inside. Since takes at least 15-20 minutes for a standard American Oven to be fully preheated. I highly recommend investing in an Oven Thermometer.

Substitutions and Modifications

Any dietary or ingredient modifications/substitutions to this recipe may alter the end result in appearance and taste. I test my recipes several times as published in this post and The Gluten Free Austrian Blog is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe you find on our website.