Slightly Boozy Espresso Martini Cookies Recipe

If you love for your sweet treats to have a bit of a kick, these slightly boozy espresso martini cookies should be next in line on your home baking wishlist. Brought to us by recipe developer Catherine Brookes, these cookies feature the perfect mixture of chocolate, intense espresso, and a subtle hit of vodka and coffee liqueur. They look, smell, and taste like something you'd find in a fancy bakery, delivering all of the sophistication of an espresso martini in an incredibly easy-to-make dessert form.

Though it's wonderfully straightforward, this recipe is packed with flavor. A blend of cocoa powder and espresso powder provides a delicious, mocha-like richness, while dark and white chocolate chips deliver melty morsels of sweetness throughout. Vodka adds that slight alcoholic kick; along with the silky coffee liqueur glaze, it gives the cookies depth and a grown-up feel.

Chilling the dough ensures the perfect texture. Once they're baked, cooled, and glazed, you can garnish each cookie with a crunchy chocolate-covered espresso bean to get them party ready! Serve them up with a post-dinner coffee, or better yet, a real espresso martini to tie all of those amazing flavors together.

The dry ingredients for these espresso martini cookies are all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and espresso powder. You'll also need softened unsalted butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, an egg, vanilla extract, and vodka. Then, mix through dark and white chocolate chips. To make the glaze, combine powdered sugar and coffee liqueur (such as Kahlúa or Tia Maria).

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and espresso powder.

Add the butter and sugars to the bowl of an electric stand mixer and beat on medium speed until smooth and creamy.

Add the egg and vanilla and beat again to combine.

Add the vodka and mix.

Transfer the dry ingredient mixture to the stand mixer bowl and mix on a low speed until combined.

Add the dark and white chocolate chips and briefly mix to distribute them throughout the cookie dough. Chill in the fridge for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Take approximately 2 tablespoons of the cookie dough at a time and roll it into a ball between your palms. Place the balls on the prepared baking sheets.

Bake for 12 minutes.

Leave the cookies on the baking sheets for about 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Mix together the powdered sugar and coffee liqueur until you have a smooth glaze. It should be pourable yet thick.

Drizzle the glaze all over the cooled cookies.

Top each cookie with a chocolate-covered espresso bean, if desired, and serve.

If you want to give your cookies that boozy edge, using vodka and coffee liqueur in the recipe is highly recommended to keep with the classic cocktail. However, if you'd prefer an alcohol-free version, they'll still be rich, chocolatey, and totally delicious. To tweak the recipe, just swap out the vodka for an equal amount of milk (or a plant-based alternative). This will maintain the right consistency of the dough without the need for alcohol. 

Then, in place of the coffee liqueur in the glaze, you can use brewed espresso or strong coffee instead. This will keep the glaze flavorful and smooth and will add a deeper coffee taste. If you'd prefer to keep the caffeine hit more on the subtle side, just switch the liqueur for milk or water, adding a few drops of vanilla extract, if desired.

There's also the option to experiment with different types of alcohol in the glaze. Try using other flavored liqueurs, such as almond, hazelnut, caramel, or Irish cream, which would all pair beautifully with the coffee and chocolate. Dark liquors like brandy and whiskey can also work well here if they're mixed with the powdered sugar in place of the coffee liqueur.

That drizzle of coffee liqueur glaze and an elegantly placed chocolate-covered espresso bean make for a show-stopping, espresso martini–esque finish, but there's absolutely the option to branch out and try some different topping ideas for these cookies. For a simple and sophisticated look, try garnishing the cookies with a sprinkling of flaky sea salt when they're fresh from the oven. For extra chocolatey goodness, dip half of each cookie into some melted white, milk, or dark chocolate. This dipping technique can also be used with the classic coffee liqueur glaze to create a slightly different look.

To add a satisfying crunch, scatter some finely chopped nuts over the warm cookies, such as walnuts, pecans, or hazelnuts. You could even mix these through the batter itself. If a fun and colorful vibe is more your thing, garnish the cookies with some rainbow sprinkles or a candy like M&Ms. For those with a sweet tooth, another option is to place a few mini marshmallows on top of the freshly baked cookies and return the batch to the oven for a minute or two to allow them to melt.