Brown Butter Espresso Cookie Skillets

Brown Butter Espresso Cookie Skillets

If you love coffee desserts, these brown butter espresso cookie skillets are going to be your dream dessert.

They’re deeply flavored with espresso, rich with brown butter, studded with semi-sweet chocolate, and baked until the centers are molten and glossy. Each mini cast iron skillet hides pockets of espresso crème anglaise, which melt into the cookie as it bakes and create an incredibly gooey, coffee-forward center.

Served warm with ice cream, caramel toffee sauce, and flaky salt, this is the kind of dessert that feels straight out of a cozy coffee shop.

And if you’re worried about the espresso flavor being too strong — don’t be. You can easily adjust the espresso level to match your taste.

Why These Cookies Are So Full of Espresso Flavor

A lot of espresso desserts only use coffee as a background flavor. These cookie skillets are different — the espresso is meant to really shine.

There are three places espresso shows up in this recipe:

• In the cookie dough itself, which gives the base a warm coffee flavor
• In the espresso crème anglaise pockets, which melt into the cookie as it bakes
• In the optional espresso chocolate chip gelato served on top

The result is a dessert that tastes like a rich espresso drink turned into a gooey skillet cookie.

If you prefer a more subtle coffee flavor, simply use 1 teaspoon of espresso powder instead of 2 teaspoons in the dough and anglaise.

What Is Espresso Crème Anglaise?

Crème anglaise is a classic French dessert sauce made with cream, egg yolks, and sugar. It’s similar to the base used for many ice creams and custards.

For this recipe, the crème anglaise is flavored with espresso and chilled until thick but still spoonable. Instead of pouring it over the cookie, small blobs are tucked into the dough before baking.

As the skillet bakes, the anglaise melts into the surrounding cookie, creating pockets of creamy espresso custard inside the cookie itself.

Don’t let the name scare you, it’s a simple technique that makes the texture incredibly gooey and gives the cookie even more coffee flavor.

Tips for the Best Gooey Cookie Skillets

A few small details make a big difference with skillet cookies:

Don’t overbake.
The edges should be set while the center still looks glossy and slightly jiggly.

Use good quality espresso powder.
Instant espresso powder gives the cleanest, richest coffee flavor.

Serve warm.
The molten center and espresso pockets are at their best when the cookie is still warm.

You Might Also Like These Desserts

If you love cozy, bakery-style desserts like these espresso cookie skillets, you might also enjoy:

Brown Butter Deep Dish Cookie : One of my personal favorites, and top recipes!

FAQ

Can I make these ahead for a dinner party?

Yes. You can assemble the skillets up to 24 hours in advance, cover, and refrigerate them. Let them sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes, then bake just before serving.

Can I make this in one large skillet?

Yes. Use an 8–9 inch cast iron skillet instead of four mini skillets. The baking time may increase by a few minutes.

Can I make these without the crème anglaise?

You can, but the espresso crème anglaise is what creates the extra gooey pockets of espresso custard inside the cookie. Without it, the texture will be more like a classic skillet cookie.

How strong is the espresso flavor?

These cookies are meant to have a noticeable espresso flavor, but you can easily adjust it. Use 1 teaspoon of espresso powder instead of 2 if you prefer a milder coffee taste.

What ice cream works best?

Any flavor works, but espresso chocolate chip gelato or vanilla ice cream are especially good with the brown butter and espresso flavors.

Brown Butter Espresso Cookie Skillets

A gooey brown butter espresso cookie baked in mini cast iron skillets with pockets of espresso crème anglaise and semi-sweet chocolate. Serve warm with ice cream, caramel toffee sauce, and flaky salt.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 18 minutes mins

Rest Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Servings: 4 4-inch cast iron skillets

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

Espresso Crème Anglaise

• 90 g heavy cream ⅓ cup + 1 Tbsp
• 1½ –2 tsp instant espresso powder
• 15 g brown sugar 1 Tbsp
• 1 large egg yolk
• Pinch fine sea salt

Brown Butter Espresso Cookie Dough

• 113 g unsalted butter ½ cup, to brown
• 120 g brown sugar ½ cup packed
• 50 g granulated sugar ¼ cup
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1½ –2 tsp instant espresso powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp fine sea salt
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 165 g all-purpose flour 1¼ cups
• 60 g mini semi-sweet chocolate chips ⅓ cup
• 40 g semi-sweet chocolate chunks ¼ cup

For Serving

• Ice cream any flavor (I used espresso chocolate chip gelato)
• Monin Sea Salt Caramel Toffee Sauce
• Flaky salt

Equipment

• Digital kitchen scale
• Small saucepan-
• Mixing bowl
• Whisk
• Rubber spatula
• Ramekins
• 4 (4-inch) mini cast iron skillets
• 3 Tbsp cookie scoop

Method

 

Make the Espresso Crème Anglaise

1. In a small saucepan whisk together heavy cream (90 g / ⅓ cup + 1 Tbsp), espresso powder (1½–2 tsp), brown sugar (15 g / 1 Tbsp), egg yolk (1), and a pinch of salt.
2. Place over low heat, stirring constantly.
3. Cook until the mixture lightly coats the back of a spoon, about 170–175°F (77–80°C).
4. Remove immediately from heat and transfer to a container.
5. Refrigerate until thickened but still spoonable.
6. The espresso crème anglaise can be made up to 1 day ahead.

Brown the Butter

1. Add unsalted butter (113 g / ½ cup) to a small saucepan over medium heat.
2. Cook until the butter foams and the milk solids turn deep golden brown and nutty.
3. Transfer to a mixing bowl.
4. You will lose water during browning and end up with about 93 g browned butter, which is perfect for this recipe.
5. Browned butter can be made 1 day ahead. Re-melt until liquid before using.

Make the Cookie Dough

1. Whisk brown sugar (120 g / ½ cup) and granulated sugar (50 g / ¼ cup) into the warm browned butter until glossy.
2. Whisk in egg (1), egg yolk (1), espresso powder (1½–2 tsp), and vanilla extract (1 tsp) until emulsified.
3. Add fine salt (½ tsp) and baking soda (½ tsp) and whisk briefly.
4. Fold in all-purpose flour (165 g / 1¼ cups) until just combined.
5. Stir in mini chocolate chips (60 g / ⅓ cup) and chocolate chunks (40 g / ¼ cup).
6. Reserve a small handful of both the chocolate chips and chunks for topping before baking.

Assemble the Skillets

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. Drizzle a small amount of avocado oil into each 4-inch mini cast iron skillet and wipe to lightly coat.
3. Use a 3 Tbsp cookie scoop to add dough to each skillet. Press about two-thirds of the dough evenly into the bottom.
4. Spoon teaspoon-sized blobs of espresso crème anglaise over the dough. The anglaise will be loose rather than firm.
5. Scatter the remaining cookie dough loosely over the top.
6. Sprinkle the reserved chocolate chips and chocolate chunks over each skillet.

Bake

1. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 17–18 minutes, until:
2. edges are set, centers are glossy and slightly jiggly
3. Do not overbake.

Serve

1. Let the skillets rest 10 minutes.

Top with:

1. scoops of ice cream (espresso chocolate chip gelato is incredible here), a drizzle of Monin Sea Salt Caramel Toffee Sauce, and flaky salt.
2. Serve warm.

Notes

• Recipe is designed for four 4-inch mini cast iron skillets.
• You can alternatively bake the dough in one 8–9 inch skillet. Bake time will increase slightly.

Make Ahead (Dinner Parties)

You can fully assemble the skillets up to 24 hours in advance.

1. Prepare the dough and espresso crème anglaise.
2. Assemble the skillets completely (including the chocolate topping).
3. Cover and refrigerate.

Before baking, let the skillets sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes, then bake as directed.

This is a great option for dinner parties because you can place the skillets in the oven right before dessert and serve them warm with ice cream.

Storage

Refrigerator:
Store leftover cookie skillets covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

To Reheat:
Warm in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 8–10 minutes, or until the center softens again. Top with fresh ice cream before serving.