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    Home » All Recipes » Vegan Cookies + Brownies

    Vegan Coffee Sugar Cookies

    Published: Feb 17, 2021 · Modified: Aug 28, 2021 by Megan · This post may contain affiliate links.

    1.4K shares
    Jump to Recipe
    vegan coffee cookies with espresso and vnailla

    These Vegan Coffee Sugar Cookies are filled with ground coffee and vanilla bean for the ultimate best espresso cookies. The perfect eggless & dairy-free cookie with a boost of caffeine!

    overhead shot of pile of espresso speckled cookies with glaze on top

    I am SO excited to be bringing back SGTO's sugar cookie of the month. If you're not familiar, last year around April 2020 we made these Vegan Lemon Sugar Cookies that, needless to say, were a huge hit. It was clear with all the craziness going on in the world, we could all use some cookies made from scratch.

    Hence, a monthly series dedicated to new sugar cookie flavors was born! There have been a lot of fun cookie recipes like Earl Grey cookies & Matcha Sugar Cookies, but this new vegan espresso cookie...simply AMAZING!

    pile of espresso cookies with glaze on top surrounded by coffee beans and one cookie missing a bite

    Ingredients & Substitutions

    While you can find the full list of ingredients in the recipe card, here's a quick recap of what you need to make these cookies along with a few substitution notes!

    • Vegan butter : I prefer using Earth Balance or Flora butter for baking. Country Crock is another good option!
    • Organic Cane Sugar: I get asked all the time "Can I make these cookies refined sugar-free?" and the short answer is maybe, but they won't taste as good or spread properly. When it comes to sugar cookies, cane sugar is best.
    • Espresso or ground coffee: Make sure to use HIGH quality ground coffee or espresso as the flavor really shines through. This is the time to splurge and use your favorite espresso!
    • Vanilla bean paste: Vanilla Extract can be subbed 1:1 but the flavor will not be as intense.
    • All-purpose flour
    • Baking powder
    • Salt
    • Organic powdered sugar: Totally optional, but this is for the vanilla bean glaze on top!
    spoonful of vanilla bean glaze being drizzled onto a stack of coffee cookies

    Tips for coffee sugar cookies

    First, cream butter and sugar with coffee

    Creaming the butter and sugar together helps to create a fluffier coffee cookie. When we cream the ground coffee/espresso into the fat, we are helping that flavor get the best distribution in the cookies.

    two pictures of butter sugar and espresso being creamed together in mixing bowl
    Creaming butter, sugar, and espresso

    Chill dough for at least 1 hour

    Chilling the espresso sugar cookie dough for just 1 hour makes a HUGE difference. First of all, it helps to reduce the spread and leads to cookies that are crispier on the outside and chewy on the inside. Second, it actually leads to sweeter cookies as the sugar will absorb moisture during the chill time.

    Roll cookies in sugar before baking

    This is my go-to cookie hack to those perfect wrinkly crinkly cookie tops. First I like to roll the coffee cookie dough into a round ball. Then I swirl around in a bowl of sugar.

    Adding sugar to the outside of cookies makes the outside dough cook faster in the oven and essentially "cracks" the dough.

    two pictures of rolling cookie dough into balls and rolling in a bowl of sugar
    Rolling cookie dough into balls and into a bowl of sugar before baking

    Always slightly underbake sugar cookies

    If you're having a problem getting chewy cookies it's usually due to baking cookies for too long. Cookies should come out slightly underbaked with still soft centers.

    Remove from the oven and tap them onto the counter. Then, let the coffee cookies continue cooking on the tray for another 5 minutes out of the oven for that perfect chewy texture.

    raw cookie dough balls on baking sheet before baking
    Cookie dough balls on baking sheet before baking

    FAQ & Expert Tips

    Can I make these coffee cookies gluten-free?

    I haven't tried it personally, but many people say that a 1:1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour like Bob's Red Mill works well in my cookie recipes. Unfortunately, subbing almond flour, coconut flour, or any other flour alternative 1:1 does not work in this recipe.

    What about making cookies refined sugar-free?

    I actually do not recommend making sugar cookies refined sugar-free as subbing cane sugar affects the spread of the cookies. However, if you must substitute make sure to use granulated sugar like coconut sugar or maple sugar. Also, I recommend skipping the step of rolling the cookies in sugar unless using cane sugar.

    What coffee/espresso works best in these cookies?

    I like using ground espresso for the best flavor. I personally used a local blend from a coffee shop in Seattle, but any high-quality espresso will work.

    How long will cookies stay fresh?

    Cookies are always best enjoyed the day they are made, however, they can also be stored in a closed container at room temperature for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.

    You can store them in the fridge for 1-2 weeks, however, I find it dries out the cookies so I do not recommend it. The freezer is actually my preferred storage method for the best quality!

    Sugar Cookie Troubleshooting

    My cookies spread too much: This can be caused by a few things including not letting the cookies chill in the fridge for a full hour, expired baking powder, not creaming the butter properly, or using too little flour.
    My cookies are cakey and fluffy: This is usually due to too much flour or overbaking the cookies. The best way to prevent this is to measure flour in grams and always make sure to remove the cookies from the oven when they are still slightly undercooked.

    hand picking up top cookie from a stack of cookies

    I truly hope you love these caffeine-packed Vegan Coffee Cookies are this month's sugar cookie of the month! I'm currently working on a few exciting flavors for next month and can't wait to share them soon. Enjoy!

    -TSG

    More vegan cookie recipes you will want to bake next:

    • Vegan Salted Espresso Brownie Cookies
    • Vegan Brown Sugar Chai Cookies
    • Vegan S'mores Cookies
    • Vegan Earl Grey Sugar Cookies

    If you loved this recipe, please leave a 5-star review on the recipe card. I always appreciate your feedback and support! You can also follow along on my Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Pinterest, or sign up for our newsletter!

    Vegan Coffee Sugar Cookies

    Soft & chewy Coffee Sugar cookies speckled with espresso and vanilla bean!
    4.88 from 8 votes
    Print Pin
    Course: Vegan Cookies + Brownies
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes
    Additional Time: 30 minutes
    Total Time: 55 minutes
    Servings: 10 cookies
    Author: Megan Horowitch

    Ingredients 
    US Customary - Metric

    Coffee Sugar Cookies

    • ½ cup vegan butter
    • ½ cup+ 2 Tablespoons sugar ½ cup for dough, 2 Tbsp for rolling before baking
    • 3 tsp ground espresso make sure to use a high quality espresso
    • 1 flax egg 1 Tablespoon (8 grams) ground flaxseed mixed with 3 Tbsp water
    • 2 tsp vanilla bean paste
    • 1 cup+ 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
    • ½ tsp baking powder
    • ¼ tsp salt can increase to ½ tsp if using unsalted butter

    Vanilla Bean Glaze:

    • 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
    • 1 Tbsp plant-based milk
    • ½ cup powdered sugar must be sifted

    Instructions

    • First add the butter, ½ cup of the sugar, and the ground espresso to a bowl and cream together until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Then, add in the flax egg and vanilla bean paste and whip together another 30 seconds.
    • Next, add in the sifted flour, baking powder, and salt to the mixing bowl. Mix JUST until a smooth and thick cookie batter forms and no streaks of flour remain. Do not overmix or else you will form too much gluten and the cookies will not spread as much and be tough.
    • Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, add to the fridge, and let chill for about 1 hour.
    • After 1 hour, cover a baking sheet in parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350F. Next, remove the dough from the fridge and use a 2 Tbsp cookie scoop to form your cookie dough (about 40 grams per cookie of dough).
    • Roll into balls between your palms and then roll in the 2 Tbsp of sugar that was set aside so that each dough ball is coated in sugar.
    • Place the coffee cookie dough balls onto the baking sheet at least 2 inches apart since they will spread while baking. Then, gently press down each cookie dough ball with your palm for flatter cookies.
    • Bake for 9-11 minutes until bottoms are lightly browned and the cookie is cooked through but has slightly soft centers. The cookies will continue baking after they are removed from the oven so the centers should still be soft, but not glossy or raw, when they are removed from the oven.
    • Remove the cookie tray from the oven and immediately tap the tray on the counter to produce a more “wrinkly” cookie. Then, let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for another 5 minutes. Then, move the cookies to a wire rack to finish cooling. Once cooled, make the glaze
    • While the cookies are cooling, make the vanilla glaze by adding the vanilla bean paste and plant based milk to a small bowl and mixing together. Then, gradually add in the powdered sugar and whisk together until a thick glaze forms. Drizzle the glaze on completely cooled cookies and let sit about 5 minutes to harden. Serve and enjoy!

    Notes

  • For round cookies, swirl the warm cookies between a round pastry/cookie cutter while the cookies are still warm.
  • Cookies can be stored on the counter at room temperature for 3-4 days. They can also be frozen up to 1 month and just need to defrost at room temperature before eating. Cookies can also be stored in a closed container in the fridge and will keep up to 2 weeks, but it will make them less chewy.
  • If you are making smaller cookies, please adjust the cooking time to 8 minutes. For larger cookies you will need a longer cooking time.
  • Nutrition

    Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 209kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 2g | Sodium: 151mg | Potassium: 26mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @shortgirltallorder or tag #sgtoeats!
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Annemarie says

      June 12, 2021 at 11:16 am

      Just made these! Without the glaze, but they are really tasty! Great recipe. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Megan says

        June 12, 2021 at 1:14 pm

        So glad you liked them, thanks for sharing!

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Megan! I believe eating plant-based food can be enjoyable for everyone. Eating plants doesn't have to be hard and it certainly shouldn't be boring. I am here to help you on your journey to eating food you actually feel good about and to make cooking at home fun again! 

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