Say hello to my first baking project of this holiday season: espresso caramel thumbprint cookies!
Go on. Swoon with me. It’s OK.
These are, hands down, one of the best (if not THE best) cookies I have ever made in my life. Seriously. The combination of flavors here is just incredible, and texturally, they’re amazing. Soft and delicate on the outside and gooey and decadent in the center.
I LOVE these. My husband also declared these in the top three cookies I’ve ever made. I’m telling you: they’re ridiculously GOOD.
We have homemade salted espresso caramel filling, soft and fluffy espresso-flavored dough, and a cinnamon-sugar coating! It’s like salted caramel meets coffee meets snickerdoodle cookies.
Sounds pretty wonderful, right?
Let’s get into how to make these Espresso Caramel Thumbprint Cookies, shall we?
Ingredients You’ll Need for Espresso Caramel Thumbprint Cookies:
- Salted espresso caramel sauce – a homemade caramel sauce really makes these special. We flavor this one with espresso and lots of flaky sea salt. Good news: it’s easier than you might think!
- Butter – I like unsalted butter for all baking projects. Ensure your butter is at room temperature for maximum creaminess!
- Sugar – for these, we’re using a combination of granulated white sugar and light brown sugar. The combination of the two is important for texture AND flavor.
- Egg yolks – we’re using egg yolks instead of whole eggs for this recipe. The richness and moisture they add is very important for the final texture of these cookies. The yolks keep them fluffy and soft!
- Vanilla – I love using a vanilla bean paste for these cookies, but a good-quality vanilla extract will work wonderfully as well. The vanilla works beautifully with the flavors of espresso and cinnamon.
- All-purpose flour – used for structure in these cookies. My go-to baking flour.
- Instant espresso powder – one of my favorite baking ingredients! All the flavor of coffee in a smooth, easy-to-dissolve powder. We’re using it in both the dough and caramel for this recipe.
- Cornstarch – the cornstarch helps attain the soft and fluffy texture of these cookies.
- Ground cinnamon – the cinnamon adds amazing flavor here and keeps the snickerdoodle theme alive! We use the cinnamon in both the dough and in the sugar coating for the cookies.
- Kosher salt – I love to bake with kosher salt. It’s important for adding balance to a sweet recipe, while also enhancing the other flavors in the recipe, such as cinnamon, vanilla, and coffee.
How to Make Espresso Caramel Thumbprint Cookies:
- Make the salted espresso caramel sauce. Cook sugar in a pot until it is melted and amber in color. Mix in the butter, heavy cream, vanilla, espresso powder, and sea salt to finish.
- Cool the caramel sauce. In order for the sauce to work well in the formed cookies, it’s important to have the caramel come to room temperature. It will thicken as it cools.
- Mix up your cookie dough. Using a stand mixer, combine the ingredients for the dough, mixing the wet ingredients together first and then adding in the dry. The dough will be thick and should easily hold its shape when pinched between two fingers.
- Form the cookie dough balls. Roll the dough into balls about a heaping tablespoon big. Make sure the dough balls are firmly and smoothly rolled (this helps prevent them from cracking later).
- Roll the cookie dough balls in cinnamon sugar. Whisk together cinnamon and granulated sugar and roll the dough balls in it to coat.
- Make the thumbprint indentations. Place the dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Using a teaspoon measuring spoon (or your thumb!), make an indentation in the center of the cookie, being gentle when pressing into the dough so it doesn’t crack.
- Chill the cookies and preheat the oven. Place the tray of formed thumbprint cookies into the freezer for at least 20 minutes. While they chill, preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Bake the cookies. Transfer the chilled cookies from the fridge to the hot oven. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the dough is firm to the touch and the cookies are golden around the edges.
- Fill the cookies with the salted caramel sauce. Once the cookies have cooled, fill the centers of the cookies with 1 teaspoon of the caramel sauce. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and allow the cookies to sit at room temperature until the caramel is set.
Common Questions about Espresso Caramel Thumbprint Cookies:
Do I need to use a stand mixer to make these espresso caramel thumbprint cookies?
No! You can make this dough with a hand mixer and mixing bowl, or you can mix them by hand.
How do I store espresso caramel thumbprint cookies?
These are best stored at room temperature in an airtight container. They are best stored in a single layer and not on top of one another, due to the caramel.
How long will espresso caramel thumbprint cookies keep?
If stored in a well-sealed container, they will keep for up to a week at room temperature.
Can I use store-bought salted caramel sauce to make these cookies?
Absolutely! While I highly recommend making your own, you can definitely make your life easier and use your favorite store-bought variety.
Can I substitute ground coffee for the instant espresso powder?
No. Unfortunately, ground coffee or espresso will not dissolve into the dough/caramel the same way instant will. You can use instant coffee granules instead of espresso powder, if needed. The flavor and texture will be similar. This espresso powder is my go to. It’s affordable and adds delicious flavor to so many things. It lasts forever in the pantry, too!
How do I keep my dough from cracking?
It is important to be gentle when forming the indentation in these cookies. Working with room temperature dough and thoroughly forming tight and smooth cookie dough balls will make forming the cookies much easier. If the dough does crack a bit, it’s totally fine! Just gently press the cracked dough back together before chilling the formed cookies.
These are a favorite for sure. I love the combination of salted caramel and coffee, and the snickerdoodle coating makes me weak in the knees!
I hope you’ll join me in my (and my husband’s) obsession and try these out this holiday season. They are a fun and different cookie to make for holiday cookie swaps or gifts!
Espresso Caramel Thumbprint Cookies
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 24 cookies 1x
Description
These Espresso Caramel Thumbprint Cookies are an extraordinary combination of textures and flavors, and they make for a fun and unique cookie! Soft, fluffy cookies flavored with vanilla, cinnamon, and espresso are rolled in cinnamon sugar (like a snickerdoodle!), baked, and then filled with the most decadent homemade salted espresso caramel sauce. These are really something special!
Ingredients
For the Caramel Filling:
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or extract)
- 1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt (plus more for garnish)
For the Cookie Dough:
- 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar
- 2 large egg yolks, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or extract)
- 2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
For Rolling the Cookies:
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
For the Caramel Filling:
- Start by making the caramel filling so it has adequate time to cool before using it to fill the cookies.
- Set a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the sugar all over the bottom of the pan. Cook the sugar, stirring constantly, until it melts and turns a light amber color, about 5-7 minutes. Make sure to watch it and stir it the entire time – sugar burns quickly! It will clump up quite a bit before it melts, so don’t be alarmed if it looks crystallized and clumpy before it fully melts. Just keep stirring!
- Add the cubed butter, a few pieces at a time, and whisk carefully until it is melted and combined. The butter will make the sugar sizzle up a bit, so be careful.
- Once all the butter is melted and incorporated, carefully pour in the heavy cream. It will splatter so do so very slowly and carefully.
- Stir to combine and bring the caramel to a boil. Boil for 1 minute.
- Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the espresso powder, vanilla, and sea salt. Stir well to incorporate.
- Fully cool the caramel to room temperature. It will get thick and glossy as it cools.
For the Cookie Dough:
- Combine the softened butter and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer (you can also mix with a hand mixer in a standard bowl). Beat the butter and sugars together until smooth, creamy, and slightly fluffy, about 5 minutes.
- Add in the egg yolks and vanilla bean paste and beat to combine.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, espresso powder, cinnamon, cornstarch, and salt until well combined.
- Add the dry ingredients into the wet and mix until combined. The dough will be thick and crumbly. It should easily hold it’s shape when you press it together..
For Coating the Cookies:
Whisk together the sugar and cinnamon in a shallow bowl until well combined.
Forming the Cookies:
- Using a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop out heaping tablespoon balls of the dough, roll them into smooth balls in your hands, and then roll them in the cinnamon sugar to coat.
- Place the coated cookie dough balls on parchment-lined baking sheets, leaving a couple inches of space in between.
- Use a ½ teaspoon measuring spoon to gently press an indentation in the center of the cookie dough (you can also use your thumb – the measuring spoon just ensures that the indentations are round and even).
- Transfer the formed cookies to the freezer for 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375°F while the cookies chill.
- After the cookies have chilled for 20 minutes, transfer them straight to the hot oven. I did mine in two batches.
- Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, or until set and lightly golden brown around the edges.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool completely on the tray.
- Once they are cooled, fill the cookies with the caramel sauce, using roughly 1 teaspoon for each cookie. The caramel will be very thick, so I find that using two small spoons to fill the cookies works best.
- Sprinkle flaky salt over the caramel.
- Allow them to set completely before storing – for me this took about 30 minutes of sitting at room temperature for the caramel to firm up.
Notes
- These cookies can be stored at room temperature for up to a week. I recommend storing them in a single layer, so the caramel doesn’t stick them together.
- You can use store-bought caramel sauce to fill these cookies, if preferred. I do highly recommend making the caramel sauce here, though. It is flavored with espresso and flaky sea salt, which makes it extra special.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes (includes chill time)
- Category: cookies
Hi There. I'm Molly. I'm a food-obsessed, self-taught cook and I can't wait to share my passion for all things culinary with you. My love for egg yolks is just the tip of the iceberg!
Yum! I was wondering..do you think they would store ok in the freezer? Would the caramel hold up, do you think?
Hi Colleen. I’m actually not sure, as I haven’t tried freezing them. I think if you were to make the dough balls and freeze them before rolling in cinnamon sugar, baking, and filling, THAT would work. As for freezing the already-baked cookies – I’m unsure! Hope this helps.
I freeze almost ALL my Christmas cookies with not problems! I will be making and freezing these with a layer of waxed paper between the layers.
Oh great! Would love to know how it works out for you. I’m sure others would love to know, too! 🙂
Okay I just need to BATHE in this caramel!!!! It is sooo amazingly tasty! This recipe is a definite winner. I had trouble not getting mine to crack but I’ll keep working on it. Doesn’t stop me from eating them 😀
I am so happy to hear, Stephanie! Yes, thumbprint cookie dough of ANY kind can be tricky that way. The good news is that the cracks are mostly not a big deal. Thank you for taking the time to leave a review!
Amazing! Every recipe I have tried by you has not only been good, but GREAT so thank you!! 😁❤️