These coffee biscuits look like tiny coffee beans, but the best part is their rich cocoa-and-coffee flavor. They have lightly crisp edges, a tender center, and just enough sweetness to make them perfect with a hot cup of coffee.
The dough is soft but easy to shape, and you do not need a special cookie cutter. Simply roll small pieces into ovals and press a line through the center to create the classic coffee-bean look.
I love serving these cookies with a latte or packing them into homemade cookie boxes. For more simple cookie ideas, try my Easy Banana Sesame Cookies or these Classic ANZAC Biscuits.
Instant coffee is important in this recipe because it provides concentrated flavor without adding too much liquid to the dough. Instant espresso powder also works and gives the biscuits a slightly deeper coffee flavor. This guide to baking with espresso powder explains how it can strengthen both coffee and chocolate flavors in baked treats.
Table of contents
Ingredients
Let’s Make Coffee Biscuits
- Make the Coffee Mixture
- Mix the instant coffee with the milk until the coffee dissolves and the mixture looks smooth.
- Cream the Butter and Sugar
- Beat the softened butter and powdered sugar until creamy. Mix in the egg yolk.
- Add the Coffee
- Pour in the dissolved coffee mixture and beat until evenly combined.
- Make the Dough
- Add the cornstarch, cocoa powder, baking powder, and flour. Mix only until a soft dough forms.
- Shape the Cookies
- Roll small pieces of dough into ovals.
- Place the ovals on a parchment-lined cookie sheet, leaving a little space between them.
- Use a small scraper/knife to press a single line down the center of each oval (don’t cut all the way through).
- Bake
- Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 10–12 minutes.
- Cool
- Cool for 5 minutes on the pan, then transfer to a wire rack.
These biscuits may still feel slightly soft when they first come out of the oven. They become firmer and crispier as they cool, so avoid baking them for too long. Overbaking can make the cookies dry and reduce their delicate texture.
Serve the cooled biscuits with hot coffee, tea, or my creamy Chill Coffee. For a complete coffee-themed dessert, pair them with a scoop of 3-Ingredient Coffee Ice Cream.
How should I store coffee biscuits
Let the biscuits cool completely, then store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 7 days. Keep the container away from heat and moisture to help the biscuits remain crisp. For broader food-storage information, you can consult the USDA FoodKeeper storage resource.
Common Mistakes to Avoid For The Best Coffee Biscuits
- Using Melted Butter
Use softened butter, not melted butter. Melted butter makes the dough too loose and can cause the coffee biscuits to spread instead of holding their coffee-bean shape.
- Not Dissolving the Coffee Completely
Mix the instant coffee with the milk until no granules remain. Undissolved coffee can leave bitter spots throughout the cookies.
- Adding Too Much Flour
Too much flour makes the biscuits dry and crumbly. Measure the flour carefully and stop mixing as soon as a soft, workable dough forms.
- Overmixing the Dough
Mixing too long after adding the flour can make the cookies firm instead of tender. Combine the ingredients only until no dry flour remains.
- Making Uneven Cookies
Try to shape the dough pieces into similar-sized ovals. Large and small biscuits will bake at different speeds, which can leave some underbaked and others too dry.
- Cutting Too Deeply Through the Center
Press a line into each oval to create the coffee-bean look, but do not slice through the dough. A deep cut can cause the biscuit to split during baking.
- Skipping the Chilling Step When the Dough Is Soft
If the dough feels sticky or loses its shape, chill it for about 10 minutes. This helps the biscuits keep their neat oval shape in the oven.
- Overbaking the Biscuits
Remove the biscuits when the tops look set and the edges feel lightly firm. They continue to crisp as they cool, so baking them too long can make them hard and dry.
FAQs
Instant coffee works best because it adds flavor without extra liquid. Brewed coffee can make the dough too soft.
The butter may have been too warm, or the dough was overmixed. Chill the shaped biscuits for 10 minutes before baking if your kitchen is warm.
Use a small bench scraper, butter knife, or the edge of a spatula and press one firm line down the center without slicing through.
Yes. Wrap and refrigerate the dough up to 24 hours. Let it sit a few minutes at room temp so it’s easy to roll.
They crisp up more as they cool. Let them cool fully before judging the final texture.
Yes. Double everything and bake in batches so the cookie sheet isn’t crowded.
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Coffee Biscuits
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, mix the instant coffee with the milk until dissolved.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter and powdered sugar until smooth and creamy. Add the egg yolk and mix until combined.
- Add the coffee mixture and beat until evenly mixed.
- Add the cornstarch, cocoa powder, baking powder, and flour. Mix just until a soft dough forms.
- Roll small pieces of dough into smooth ovals and place on the prepared cookie sheet.
- Press one line down the center of each oval with a small knife or scraper to create the coffee-bean shape.
- Bake for 10–12 minutes, until set and lightly firm at the edges.
- Cool 5 minutes on the pan, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
Nutrition
Video
Notes
- For best shaping, use softened butter (not melted).
- If the dough feels too soft, chill it for 10 minutes before rolling.
- Swap milk with any milk (dairy or unsweetened plant milk).
- Use instant espresso powder instead of instant coffee for a stronger flavor.
- Don’t overbake—these crisp more as they cool.
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
