Name: Salted Caramel Mocha Chunk Cookies (with Frangelico and Browned Butter!!)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 13 min
Total time: 28 min
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour; 3/4 cup oats, ground into a coarse powder ((I use a coffee grinder)); 1 tsp baking soda; 1 tsp corn starch; 2 tbsp Dutch-processed cocoa powder; 1/2 tsp salt; 1 cup unsalted butter; 1 1/4 cups dark brown sugar; 1/2 cup white sugar; 2 tsp vanilla extract; 1 egg + 1 yolk, at room temperature; 3 Starbucks VIA instant coffee packets ((Or 1 1/2 tbsp espresso powder)); 2 tbsp Frangelico liqueur; 3/4 cup chopped dark chocolate; 1 cup caramel baking pieces ((I used Kraft caramel bits)); flaky salt for topping

These salted caramel mocha chunk cookies are the ultimate cookies! Crispy edges, gooey centers, a smidge boozy, and an ultra chocolate browned butter cookie dough oozing with gooey caramel bits. If you’re looking for a cookie recipe that will steal the show this holiday season… this is that recipe.
Whenever I need to make cookies for an event, I spend days dreaming up possibilities. I love a good cooking experiment, especially when people are “wowed” upon first bite. These cookies are so good they’ve made it into my permanent recipe collection. (I mean, have you seen the photo above??)

Let’s move on to the components that make these cookies so dang good.

Browned Butter

Using browned butter elevates cookies to the next level. It adds nutty caramel notes that make these irresistible. Browning butter is a simple process that only takes a few minutes. For the detailed process including photos of each step, see my brown butter cappuccino chocolate chunk cookie recipe.

Ground Oats

Added for the perfect amount of chewiness.

Coffee

Because these are mocha cookies. I use Starbucks VIA packets because they’re convenient, they easy to dissolve, and they add a strong coffee flavor. You can also substitute espresso powder or finely ground coffee.

Dutch-Processed Cocoa Powder

…because dark chocolate is the best type of chocolate.

Frangelico

Hazelnut liqueur flavored with cocoa and vanilla beans. Does it get any better than this??? No, no it does not.

Happy baking!

Salted Caramel Mocha Chunk Cookies (with Frangelico and Browned Butter!!)

Crispy edges, gooey centers, a smidge boozy, and an ultra chocolate browned butter cookie dough oozing with gooey caramel bits. If you’re looking for a cookie recipe that will steal the show this holiday season… this is it.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 13 minutes

Chilling Time 2 hours

Total Time 28 minutes

Servings 30 cookies

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup oats, ground into a coarse powder (I use a coffee grinder)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp corn starch
2 tbsp Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups dark brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg + 1 yolk, at room temperature
3 Starbucks VIA instant coffee packets (Or 1 1/2 tbsp espresso powder)
2 tbsp Frangelico liqueur
3/4 cup chopped dark chocolate
1 cup caramel baking pieces (I used Kraft caramel bits)
flaky salt for topping

Instructions

To brown the butter:

Place butter in a medium saucepan (with a silver bottom, not dark/Teflon or you won't see the color change) over medium heat. Whisk butter as it melts. Continue to whisk as the melted butter becomes almost foamy. Keep whisking, and don't walk away from the pan. The butter foam will eventually settle and the butter will continue to bubble. Keep whisking! Eventually you'll notice the butter will start to brown and there will be a nutty aroma. Once butter is browned and smells nutty, immediately remove from heat and pour into another bowl. This process happens fast and you don't want it to burn!
Take bowl of browned butter and set it in the fridge to cool down while you get out and prepare the rest of the ingredients. The butter should cool until it's warm (or room temperature) but certainly not hot.

To prepare cookie dough:

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, corn starch, cocoa, and salt. Stir in ground oats. Set aside.
In mixer bowl using whisk attachment, combine both sugars and browned butter. (The butter should still be melted, but not super hot.) Whisk on high for 20 seconds. Scrape down walls with a spatula, then add room temperature egg and additional yolk, and vanilla. Whisk on high for 30 seconds. Scrape down sides. Add Starbucks VIA/coffee powder and Frangelico liqueur, and whisk on high again. The mixture should now be thick, glossy, and completely combined (with small coffee specks).
Remove whisk attachment and switch with paddle attachment. Slowly add in flour mixture, about half a cup at a time. Use spatula to scrape sides and bottom of mixer bowl when necessary. Mix until flour mixture is just combined, but do not over mix. Add in chopped chocolate and caramel pieces and then chill dough for at least two hours in the refrigerator (I prefer overnight).
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Scoop dough into 1 1/2" balls and bake on parchment paper for 12-14 minutes. Top each cookie with a pinch of flaky salt immediately after removing from oven.