Last week, with sweltering temperatures threatening to break the triple digits, I waited until almost dusk to head out on my afternoon walks. I usually blitz through the park at the end of the street, past the excitedly shouting kids chasing each other around the playground, to reach the quiet solitude of the empty residential streets beyond.
As I powered through on Wednesday night, focusing on my cell to dial my momâs number, a familiar voice broke through my concentration and stopped me mid-pace. âWave hi to Amy!â Â
I turned towards the play structure and spotted the only two figures in the park: my old bossâs wife and their 15-month-old daughter. The little girl giggled from the baby swings, while the mother raised her hand in a friendly greeting. I smiled and clicked off my phone, turned around, and strolled over to say hello.
Despite my original intention of arriving home before the slew of sporting events started airing on TV, I ended up chatting with her for 20 minutes! As my first time seeing Baby A since last summer, her full head of hair and big toothy grin completely tugged at my heartstrings. I just couldnât leave!
The little girl kept bringing her hands together in the baby sign language motion for âmore,â so her mom continued to gently push her the entire time we talked. Occasionally, Baby A would stretch out her tiny hand to reach towards me, and Iâd hold out my palm for her to touch in a soft high-five. Such a precious gift in my busy evening!
These Cinnamon-Spiced Coffee Cookies are also a sweet treat! With the flavor of my old bossâs favorite drink acting as the backdrop and paired with the warmth of cinnamon, these cookies taste like the aromas lingering in the air of a coffee shop as the baristas sing out the melodic beverage names. Made with entirely wholesome ingredients, these soft and chewy sweets are something you can feel good about eatingâtheyâre clean-eating friendly and skinny too!
This healthy cookie recipe is one of the easiest youâll ever make. You donât even need a mixer! Just whisk the dry ingredients in one bowl, the wet ingredients in another; then stir them together. Youâll have fewer dishes to wash without the mixer, which is always a good thing in my kitchen!
To avoid pulling out a mixer, youâll use melted butter instead. Even though Iâve included it in most of my other clean-eating cookie recipes, do NOT substitute coconut oil! Unlike butter, coconut oilâs melting point is too low to dissolve the instant coffee crystals, so they stay very solid and refuse to incorporate. Learn from my mistake: only use butter (or a good-quality margarine like Earth Balance Buttery Spread).
Even in the butter and egg mixture, the instant coffee crystals still take a while to dissolve. I whisked for 3-5 minutes before they full incorporated! The instant coffee tends to clump onto your whisk or fork, so occasionally scrape it off with a spatula to help it dissolve faster. If after 5 minutes, you still see a small lump or two in your bowl, itâs okay to throw out those tiny blobs. You should still have enough coffee flavor without them!
Note: Instant coffee and coffee grounds are not the same thing. Instant coffee is regular coffee that has already been brewed then converted to a solid concentrated form. Itâs usually found near regular coffee grounds in the grocery store.
Chilling is mandatory for this cookie dough. Because of the extra liquid from the maple syrup, the dough is incredibly sticky after initially mixing everything together. If you immediately popped it in the oven, itâd spread out into one gigantic cookie on the baking sheet! (Remember these?)
So plan ahead and chill the dough for at least 30 minutes. For the cookies in these photos, I left the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes then shaped it into rounded, almost spherical mounds on the baking sheet. They basically looked as tall as they were wide! Use your favorite silicon spatula to shape the dough; it will still stick to your fingers after chilling if you try to roll or touch it.
Hereâs my secret to extra soft & chewy cookies: slightly underbake the dough; then leave the cookies on the warm baking sheet to cool after removing them from the oven. The centers continue to cook through without the outsides turning crisp and crunchy. Itâs my favorite cookie-baking trick and helps them stay soft for an entire week!
With their light hint of maple and cozy cinnamon, these soft and chewy Cinnamon-Spiced Coffee Cookies are an irresistible treat any time of day! Slowly nibble on one in the morning with your steaming latte, or serve up one over cold vanilla ice cream in the evening and dive in with a spoon.
Just suggestions, of course! Not like Iâd know from personal experience or anythingâŚÂ âĽ
These extra soft and chewy cookies taste just like the tantalizing aromas in a coffee shop! Warm cinnamon, earthy coffee, and a hint of maple combine into an irresistible cookie flavor. Store any leftovers between sheets of wax paper in an airtight container for up to a week.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, stir together the butter and instant coffee until the instant coffee has partially dissolved. Add the egg, whisking until the instant coffee fully dissolved, and scraping off the instant coffee from your whisking utensil with a spatula as necessary. (This may require 3-5 minutes. If there is still a clump of coffee crystals after that time, discard it.) Stir in the vanilla and maple syrup until thoroughly incorporated. Add in the flour mixture, stirring just until incorporated. Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 325°F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat.
- Drop the dough into 12 rounded scoops on the prepared baking sheet. (If chilled for longer than 1.5 hours, flatten slightly.) Optional: Lightly sprinkle the tops with a little extra cinnamon. Bake at 325°F for 12-14 minutes. Cool on the pan for at least 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. (If the cookies threaten to break apart when transferring after 15 minutes, let them cool completely to room temperature on the baking sheet.)
Note: Do NOT substitute coconut oil for the butter! The instant coffee crystals do not dissolve in melted coconut oil. For a dairy-free version, try a good-quality margarine like Earth Balance Buttery Spread.
What a perfect cookie to pair with a cup of coffee! Anything with cinnamon is right up my alley…especially soft cookies with coffee in them!
Gayle, I’m a cinnamon addict! I love it in everything, and I almost always use double what most other people do. I made sure to use a “normal” amount in these cookies, but then I had to sprinkle extra on top. đ
Loved your tip for extra soft and chewy cookies. I will definitely try that next time I bake some, thank you! And these cookies look delightful.
Thanks Kaylin! I hope the underbaking trick works for you. Whenever I do that, my cookies last for an entire week! (The only reason they don’t get eaten sooner is because my guy generally avoids baked goodies. More for me! đ )
Oh my gosh those look divine. I LOVE cinnamon and coffee together, I’ll have to make these ASAP. Maybe with nutella sandwiched in the middle. đ
Thanks! I love your idea of putting Nutella in between the cookies… I definitely need to try that with my next batch!
I love how crispy these cookies look! And the cinnamon spice sounds delectable!
Thanks Ashley! I’m a cinnamon addict… I almost always use more than other people’s recipes call for — I can’t get enough! đ
Nothing melts my heart like baby and toddler smiles đ What a sweet surprise!
Cinnamon also melts my heart (cheesy lol!) but it is so true. I just love the stuff! And these coffee cookies look uh-mazing!
Thanks so much Mary Frances! It’s true about both babies and cinnamon for me too! I’m a cinnamon addict (when following other people’s recipes, I almost always use double the amount!) and can never get enough. đ
I love these cookies Amy! Cinnamon and coffee sound incredible together! Pinned!
Im so excited to try this! Immnot seeing when to add the vanilla and maple syrup? I’m guessing it is before chilling
Oh my goodness — thank you so much for pointing that out! You’re correct, and I just updated the recipe. I hope you enjoy the cookies Sandra! đ
Mmmm, I could totally go for one of these cookies over vanilla ice cream! đ Who cares that it’s just about dinner time đ
Dinner is overrated… It’s always dessert time in my world! đ