Easy Caramel Macchiato Cookies

These cookies taste like your favorite coffee run, but without leaving the house or changing out of sweatpants. Soft and chewy centers, whisper-crisp edges, and that espresso-caramel vibe that makes the whole kitchen smell like a café. Picture a classic chocolate chip cookie, minus the chocolate, plus espresso powder, caramel bits, and a quick drizzle situation that feels fancy without trying too hard. If you love a caramel macchiato, this is your cookie. If you don’t… well, give it one bite with a glass of cold milk and tell me you aren’t rethinking everything.

My husband swears these are “breakfast cookies,” which is a bold claim I’m choosing not to challenge. Our little crew will literally hover by the oven timer and call dibs on the gooey ones with caramel puddles. The first time I made them, I forgot to chill the dough and they baked into cookie-sheets (plural) of caramel lace. Still ate them. Learned my lesson. Now they’re a weekend staple: I scoop, the kids steal caramel bits, and he pretends he’s helping by “taste-testing” the glaze. It’s chaotic and perfect.

How to Make It

Think simple cookie energy: cream butter + sugars, beat in egg/vanilla/espresso, fold in dry stuff, stir in caramel bits, chill, bake, drizzle. If you’ve got instant espresso powder, you’re golden. If not, use strong instant coffee—just bump it a touch. The chill is the part you’ll want to skip—don’t. It keeps those caramel bits from making a complete (delicious) mess. I scoop them big—like 2 tablespoons—because I like a fat cookie with chewy middles. And when you pull them from the oven, trust me: let them rest on the sheet. Caramel is basically lava in disguise.

✔Ingredient Notes

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– Unsalted butter: Soften it to room temp so it creams easy. Cold butter = sugar pebbles and flat cookies. Melted butter works in a pinch but chill longer.
– Brown sugar: The chewy factor. I use light, but dark adds deeper molasses-y drama.
– Granulated sugar: Helps the edges get that slight crisp. Don’t skip unless you want all soft.
– Instant espresso powder: The star. 2 to 3 teaspoons is the sweet spot. Decaf is totally fine.
– All-purpose flour: Measure with a light hand (or 240 g). Too much = cakey cookies. Been there.
– Baking soda + baking powder: A little of both for lift without puffy muffin-dom.
– Salt: Don’t be shy. It reins in the sweet and makes the coffee pop.
– Egg + yolk: The yolk is for extra chew. If you only have one egg, it still works—slightly less fudgy though.
– Caramel bits: Use the little baking caramel bits or chop soft caramels. Keep pieces small so they don’t ooze out everywhere.
– Vanilla: Macchiato = vanilla-caramel-coffee vibe. Two teaspoons, live a little.
– Glaze (powdered sugar + milk + vanilla): Optional but pretty. Makes them feel coffee-shop official.
– Caramel sauce: Warm a little for drizzling. Or skip if you like things less sweet.

✔Recipe Steps

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C); line two baking sheets with parchment and set an oven rack in the center.
2. Cream 3/4 cup unsalted butter with 3/4 cup packed brown sugar and 1/3 cup granulated sugar for 2 minutes until fluffy.
3. Beat in 1 large egg, 1 egg yolk, 2 teaspoons vanilla, and 2 to 3 teaspoons instant espresso powder until smooth.
4. Whisk 2 cups (240 g) flour, 3/4 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, and 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt; fold into the wet mix just until no dry streaks remain.
5. Stir in 1 cup caramel bits; chill the dough 30 minutes (10 if you’re impatient, but 30 is best).
6. Scoop 2-tablespoon mounds, tuck any exposed caramel under, and bake 9 to 11 minutes until edges set and centers still look soft; cool on the sheet 10 minutes, then drizzle with a quick glaze (1 cup powdered sugar + 2 to 3 tablespoons milk + splash vanilla) and warm caramel if you want.

What to Serve It With

– Big glass of cold milk or a vanilla latte (lean into the theme).
– Salted nuts or pretzels on the side for that sweet-salty magic.
– Fresh berries if you’re pretending this is balanced. I see you.

✔Tips & Mistakes

– Chill the dough. I know, I know. But it keeps the caramel from sprinting out the sides.
– Use parchment, not a bare pan. Caramel sticks. Ask my sink.
– Tuck stray caramel bits inside the dough before baking so they don’t burn on the tray.
– Pull them when the centers look slightly underdone; they finish on the sheet.
– Weigh your flour if you can. Too much flour = dry cookies. 240 g is the goal.
– If they’re too puffy, tap the pan on the counter right out of the oven to deflate and get those crinkles.

✔Storage Tips

Pop cooled cookies into an airtight tin at room temp for 3 to 4 days. They’re actually amazing cold—dense, chewy, a little fudgy in the middle. Breakfast cookie? Absolutely. No shame here. For longer storage, freeze baked cookies (up to 2 months) or freeze scooped dough balls (up to 3 months). Bake dough from frozen at 350°F, adding 1 to 2 minutes. Rewarm baked cookies 8 to 10 seconds in the microwave if you want the caramel melty again.

✔Variations and Substitutions

– Decaf swap: Use decaf espresso powder; flavor stays, jitters don’t.
– Brown butter move: Brown the butter, cool to room temp, then proceed. Adds nutty depth.
– Salted caramel: Sprinkle flaky salt on the glaze while it’s wet. Chef’s kiss.
– Add-ins: White chocolate chips or dark chocolate chunks play really nicely here.
– Gluten-free: Use a 1:1 GF flour blend with xanthan; dough might need an extra tablespoon of milk.
– Dairy-free: Use plant butter and a dairy-free caramel; glaze with oat milk.
– No espresso powder: Sub 1 tablespoon very strong instant coffee or 2 tablespoons brewed espresso reduced to 1 tablespoon (cool it first).

Frequently Asked Questions

Easy Caramel Macchiato Cookies

Buttery, coffee-kissed cookies studded with caramel bits and finished with a silky caramel drizzle—your favorite café drink in cookie form.

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Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes minutes

Total Time: 32 minutes minutes

Servings: 24

Calories: 120kcal

Ingredients

 

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Main Ingredients

• ▢ 0.75 cup unsalted butter, softened
• ▢ 0.75 cup granulated sugar
• ▢ 0.5 cup light brown sugar, packed
• ▢ 1 count large egg room temperature
• ▢ 2 tsp vanilla extract
• ▢ 1.5 tsp instant espresso powder adjust to 2.0 tsp for stronger coffee flavor
• ▢ 1 tbsp whole milk adds macchiato-style richness
• ▢ 2.25 cup all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
• ▢ 1 tsp cornstarch for extra softness
• ▢ 0.75 tsp baking soda
• ▢ 0.5 tsp fine sea salt
• ▢ 1 cup caramel bits or chopped soft caramels
• ▢ 0.25 cup caramel sauce for drizzling
• ▢ 0.5 tsp flaky sea salt for finishing, optional

Instructions

Preparation Steps

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, beat softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
• Beat in the egg, vanilla, instant espresso powder, and milk until smooth and combined.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and fine sea salt. Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix just until no dry streaks remain.
• Fold in the caramel bits. If dough feels very soft, chill for 20 minutes for easier scooping.
• Scoop dough into 2.0 tbsp mounds and arrange 2.0 inches apart on prepared sheets.
• Bake until edges are set and centers look slightly soft, 10 to 12 minutes. Rotate pans halfway for even baking.
• Cool on the sheet 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack. While warm, drizzle with caramel sauce and sprinkle lightly with flaky sea salt.
• Let cookies cool completely to set the drizzle. Enjoy with a glass of cold milk or your favorite macchiato.

Notes

For bolder coffee flavor, increase instant espresso powder to 2.0 tsp. If caramel bits ooze, gently nudge warm cookies into neat rounds with a spoon. Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 4 days or freeze up to 2 months.