Turkish Coffee Shortbread Cookies are buttery and delicious with a striking flavor combination of strong coffee and warm cardamom ~ these are cookies to linger over!
Turkish coffee shortbread cookies are buttery cookies with an intense cardamom-laced coffee flavor.
I’m giving you added value because these cookies are dipped in thick, bittersweet chocolate. Without doubt, they’re a sophisticated, adult treat.
Actual ground coffee is used in the batter for these shortbread cookies.
Yep, those are flecks of actual coffee beans in there. We’re not fooling around with the coffee flavor here.
I’ve always had a mild obsession with the flavors of Turkish Coffee
The complex flavors of coffee and cardamom linger on the palate and make for a really unique cookie. They go perfectly with (you guessed it) a nice cup of coffee!
I’m always looking for suggestions, what’s the most unusual cookie you make?
Notes for making Turkish coffee cookies ~
- Use room temperature butter, I find that the dough comes together a lot easier that way.
- Make sure to mix the dough thoroughly so that there are no dry crumbly bits before you try to roll it out.
- If you want a thicker layer of chocolate, once the cookies are set, give them a double dip. You will need more chocolate in this case.
Turkish Coffee Shortbread Cookies
Turkish Coffee Shortbread Cookies are buttery and delicious with a striking flavor combination of strong coffee and warm cardamom ~ these are cookies to linger over!
Yield 4 dozen
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature.
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 2 Tbsp finely ground coffee, espresso or french roast. Use less for a more subtle effect.
- 1 Tbsp ground cardamom, use less for a more subtle effect.
chocolate coating
- 8 oz bittersweet chocolate chips, or bar chocolate, cut in small pieces.
- 1 tsp vegetable oil
Instructions
- Set oven to 350F
- Put the sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and add the butter and salt. Mix together until combined. It doesn't have to be completely smooth.
- Mix in the flour, cardamom, and ground coffee until the dough just comes together.
- Pull the dough together with your hands and set on a floured surface. Roll out to about 1/4 inch.
- Cut out the cookies using your preferred cookie cutter, I used a 2" round.
- Transfer the cookies to a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes.
- Let cool slightly before transferring to a cooling rack.
- To make the chocolate coating, put the chocolate and vegetable oil in a small Pyrex measuring cup and microwave for 30 seconds. Stir. Microwave for another 30 seconds. Stir until melted.
- Dip half of each cooled cookie in the chocolate, and let the excess drip off. Set the cookies down on parchment paper to harden.
Don’t forget to pin these Turkish Coffee Shortbread Cookies!
Other shortbread cookies you might want to try ~
- MILK CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER SHORTBREAD COOKIES ~The View From Great Island
- MEXICAN CHOCOLATE SHORTBREAD COOKIES ~ Recipe Girl
- PISTACHIO SHORTBREAD COOKES ~ The View From Great Island
- LEMON BASIL SHORTBREAD COOKIES ~ A Beautiful Plate
73 Comments
John Hare
February 9, 2021 at 5:28 pmIs there a version of this Expresso shortbread cookie in the shape of a heart where the dough on one side is darker than the other but this is in not from being dipped in chocolate? I found these at an Italian bakery but can’t find them anymore. Not sure if these cookies I am looking for are Italian or Turkish or just something common to that area of Europe. Please advise.
Sue Moran
February 9, 2021 at 5:59 pmGosh John that sounds amazing but I’d have to do some research, which I’m happy to do 🙂
Filomena
December 30, 2020 at 6:11 amHi,
These cookies sound amazing, but I have to ask: by “finely ground coffee espresso” you do mean actual coffee grounds, not instant espresso powder, right?
I would think you would feel the grounds (like sand…?) as you eat the cookie. You don’t?
Sue
December 30, 2020 at 7:25 amThe coffee ingredient is actual coffee, ground very finely. In some of my recipes I use espresso powder, and you could use that with these cookies, if that’s what you have. In that case I would use less.
Candice
December 17, 2020 at 8:22 amCould these me made in a tart pan? Pressed in, baked and cut into wedges? If so, how long a bake would you recommend
Sue
December 17, 2020 at 8:27 amYes, you can bake the dough in a tart pan, but I can’t be certain on bake time, I’d check it at 25 minutes, it will depend on your pan size.
Lola
December 13, 2020 at 6:51 pmThese cookies have been such a hit with my friends and family. Will be making these again. I used a chili chocolate to dip the cookies in to finish them off. Amazing!
Lia
November 15, 2020 at 8:33 pmUmm so much wow ? these came out amazing. I don’t have a stand mixer so used a hand mixer. Otherwise followed the recipe exactly. I lightly drizzled them with dark chocolate instead of dipping them as I don’t tend to like cookies that are very sweet. Left half of the batch chocolate free. Turned out incredible!
Mackenzie
May 22, 2020 at 10:49 amHello! I would love to bake these, but I unfortunately do not have a stand mixer. Before I make an attempt, can you advise if it is even possible to properly mix the ingredients without one? These sound amazing and would totally be worth the extra elbow grease, but if it compromises the cookie quality, I will just have to wait until I can visit my mom and make them with her!
Sue
May 22, 2020 at 10:52 amYou can definitely make shortbread by hand, that’s the old fashioned way. Just be sure to completely blend the butter into the flour. You can even do it with your fingers.
Mackenzie
May 30, 2020 at 8:22 pmThank you so much for your quick reply! I forgot to check back but we just made them today and they are amazing! So simple to make, but so complex in flavor! Really excited to share these with others!!
Chrissy
May 8, 2020 at 5:24 pmI know this post is almost 6 years old, and I don’t know if the blog is still active. I have a question. I actually have some Turkish coffee. Could I add that instead of espresso grounds and cardamom? If you’ve tried this, what measurement would you suggest?
Sue
May 8, 2020 at 9:42 pmYou will need a dry powdered form of coffee for this recipe Chrissy. Liquid would throw the balance of ingredients off.
Steve and Chantal
April 18, 2020 at 5:24 pmBloody delicious… and very sexy looking! ??
Gabby
February 25, 2020 at 3:32 pmJust curious? About how many cookies does this make? Using a 2 inch round cutter like u do. Making these to take to work and I’m trying to decide if I need to double the recipe.
Sue
February 25, 2020 at 4:41 pmIt will make about 4 dozen small cookies.
Ashley
December 17, 2019 at 9:06 amHi Sue, could I use espresso powder for this? Like what you put in tiramisu and that sort of thing?
Sue
December 17, 2019 at 9:49 amYes, definitely.
Amy Buondonno
November 26, 2019 at 1:01 pmA very delicate shortbread! Don’t roll them too thin or try to move from the parchment before they’re completely cool, unless you want a lot of broken ones. Delicious!
Lau
October 9, 2018 at 5:50 pmA great idea to use a bit of espresso ground too fine for my machine (and great for bringing to my parent’s house, where pots of coffee get made nonstop in the morning, until lunchtime)
Sue
November 14, 2019 at 8:54 amFor sure!
Rebecca R
September 15, 2017 at 7:12 pmWhat is the best way to store these and fit how long can I store them? Thanks!!
Sue
September 15, 2017 at 7:46 pmYou can store them at room temp or int he fridge, Rebecca. As for how long…that depends on how hungry you are 😉 But seriously, I’m not sure, I’d say about 2 weeks.
nick
March 3, 2017 at 6:34 amok, i will try with both, green and black cardomin, which one did you use when you made these? the look awesome and an adult wow looking cookie.
Sue
November 14, 2019 at 8:55 amAlways green cardamom, Nick. The black is strong, more for curries, etc.
Nancy Zoll
December 21, 2020 at 3:41 pmSo thrilled I found this recipe. These are somewhat fragile in making, but after cooled firm up nicely.
I subbed 1 T of Cinnamon instead of the Cardamon which I’m not a fan of….. absolutely delish!!
And did add a few drops of Coffee flavoring beside the expresso. One of the best cookies I’ve eaten and not too sweet. Thanks for the recipe Sue!
Nadia Ashkenazy-Jones
February 16, 2017 at 1:31 amHi Sue,
My husband and I wanted to make some cookies for friends who’ve invited us for lunch today. I trawled through the internet yesterday for a good while, and finally came across these which look so sophisticated and have such a good combination of flavours so I decided they were the ones to go for. Just finished making them and they are simply divine, thank you very much! So brilliant having the internet isn’t it … You are from the US, I am Icelandic, my husband is British, and we are currently living in Greece, and now we’ve made Turkish shortbread cookies. Lovely 🙂
Sue
February 16, 2017 at 4:00 amI’m thrilled they worked out for you Nadia, and I so appreciate you taking the time to come back and report on them…and yes, what a wonderful world we’re living in that a simple recipe can be shared internationally like this!
Kaitlin
December 22, 2016 at 8:14 amHi Sue,
If I make the dough ahead of time, could you share some instructions for thawing and baking? Thank you!
Sue
December 22, 2016 at 8:25 amWhat you can do is slice the dough first, then lay the slices on a tray and freeze them solid, then pack them in a sturdy freezer bag or container. You can also freeze the whole log, just wrap it in plastic and put it in a freezer bag. To bake, I would probably thaw the dough first, you can do that overnight in the refrigerator. If you’re short on time, you could set it out on the counter for a couple of hours. If the dough is very cold your baking time might be a little longer. Hope this helps!
LPB
January 24, 2016 at 6:23 amJ’ai fait ces biscuits pour des amis et moi. Je prépare régulièrement des biscuits et ceux-ci sont les meilleurs que j’ai cuisinés. Je conserverai précieusement cette recette et la referai souvent! Merci 🙂
Leah
December 6, 2015 at 1:09 pmI tried to make these, but they were impossible to roll out, far to dry to achieve that. i was pretty careful with measurements, but even with a tad more butter and sugar i had no success rolling them out. i’ve pressed them into a cookie pan and will make them a broken style cookie – just put them in the oven – i’ll let you know how that works out. any tips when your dough doesn’t hold together? i live at a fairly high altitude. could this be the problem? is so do you have an adjustment for that? any guidance would be appreciated.
Sue
December 6, 2015 at 2:20 pmI’m sorry it gave you trouble Leah, here are a few thoughts…possibly you had a bit too much flour, or maybe you needed to mix the dough a bit longer to incorporate the butter thoroughly? I’ve heard that different butters can have different moisture contents, so possibly that was an issue, too. Lately I’ve been making my shortbread dough with room temperature butter, so you could try that. Hope this helps!
Shelley K.
November 7, 2016 at 3:39 pmI’ve also tried to add 1-1.5 tbsp milk into some of my shortbread cookie doughs and I find that helps. (Although I’ve never had an issue with this particular recipe).
Marina
October 11, 2018 at 7:18 amThanks for the tip! I was having the same issue, my dough was way too crumbly to roll out. Splash of milk fixed it right up.
Kim
December 14, 2020 at 7:57 amI had the same problem. Would adding an egg help to bind the dough better? Any thoughts? I was super excited to try these, but they were just crumbles! Ended up in the trash.
Sue
December 14, 2020 at 8:04 amShortbread is a crumbly dough Kim, it’s a matter of really working the soft butter into the flour, and that’s what gives it it’s unique texture. You can add an egg, and the cookies will still be good. They will be a little softer in that case.
Margaret Johnson
November 4, 2015 at 4:38 pmI made these today.(Actually I made the dough last night and froze it, thawed it, turned out great) I didn’t roll them out flat and use a cookie cutter. I rolled it into a log, and cut the cookies from that. Theyre not as perfectly round I suppose but it didn’t matter to me. Thats just how I’m used to making shortbread. These cookies are amazing. Since I dont have turkish coffee I used Sri Lankan (“Expo” brand) coffee which is very finely ground too. They were absolutely delicious. Thank you for posting.
Sue
November 4, 2015 at 6:44 pmThank YOU for sharing your feedback Margaret!
Noelle Perry-Earle
August 16, 2015 at 8:30 amSue, I have baked A LOT of cookies in my time but I have to tell you these were top five ever. Simply fabulous in every way. They turned out exactly as the photo showed. The dough was easy to work with and the dark chocolate and cardamon melds perfectly with the espresso. Just perfect. Thanks ever so much for these. They’ll be made time and again!
Sue
August 16, 2015 at 10:11 amWow, how about you come back and comment EVERY day, Noelle 🙂 I’m so glad you like them, I think they are unusual and don’t appeal to everybody, but for those who love deep rich coffee, I think they are fun. You’ve made my day!
Erica
July 25, 2015 at 11:39 amHello!
I came across this recipe and have been searching for a coffee cookie recipe. After reading the reviews, I can’t wait to give this recipe a try.
However, how can I make the cookies thin and crispy?
Can’t wait to try this recipe.
Thanks for sharing!
Sue
July 25, 2015 at 1:08 pmMake your cookies thinner and cook them a little longer for crispness, Erica.
Alex
June 26, 2015 at 1:28 amHi there. Tried your recipe yesterday for a friend’s birthday – we both love to drink Turkish coffee. I forgot how I stumbled upon this, but I never imagined it in cookie form until now. DELICIOUS! I will definitely make these again!
sabo
February 17, 2015 at 9:57 amOMG – I’ve finally made them! I have been running around your recipe for awhile by now. They are great!
I adapted it to German and put it up on my blog. Thx for sharing it! http://www.sabotagebuch.de/wordpress/2015/02/17/kaffeekekse/
Sandra
Sue
February 17, 2015 at 10:01 amThanks Sabo — I saw them on your blog, you did a lovely job, thanks for sharing them!
sabo
February 17, 2015 at 12:12 pmyou’re welcome 🙂 I’m so glad I found them on your blog since I love cookies and cake w/ coffee or espresso – either as a flavour or ingredient 🙂
Sue
February 17, 2015 at 2:19 pmI do too!
Kelly
November 24, 2014 at 4:30 pmSilly question maybe but do you use green or black cardamom?
Sue
November 24, 2014 at 4:50 pmNot silly at all! I almost always use green cardamom, Kelly. The black pods are quite strong, and are usually used for savory dishes like curries.
Lauren @ Healthy Delicious
November 3, 2014 at 10:00 amThese sound incredible!
Magda
October 2, 2014 at 5:24 amThey look brilliant. I love coffee and it’s been a while since I made cookies!
Have a great week
Laura (Tutti Dolci)
September 18, 2014 at 12:50 pmBring on the cookies, I adore them! These look heavenly!
Amanda
September 18, 2014 at 9:12 amYou are rockin’ my world with this! So amazing!
Tricia @ Saving room for dessert
September 18, 2014 at 5:42 amI can’t wait for your shortbread cookbook! Oh yes – you need to write one 🙂 These are so creative and beautiful. What a perfect combination of flavors. Love my coffee!
Catherine
September 17, 2014 at 8:49 pmThese cookies sound wonderful. These are wonderful flavors and the chocolate looks so tempting.
Catherine
Joanne Rice
September 17, 2014 at 4:13 pmMay I assume that the cardamom goes in when the ground coffee does?
Sue
September 17, 2014 at 5:36 pmYes and thanks, Joanne, just fixed that 😉
Susan
September 17, 2014 at 2:57 pmMy kind of cookie! I love shortbread of all sorts but the coffee bean bits must taste wonderful.
Priscilla @ She's Cookin'
September 17, 2014 at 2:26 pmShortbread cookies are classic, but with the addition of coffee and cardamom flavors they’re definitely new and unusual, and I want some!
Eileen
September 17, 2014 at 1:37 pmYES. These guys are definitely going to make an appearance in my kitchen sometime in the next few months — and preferably several appearances. I love how easy they are! Do you think these would work as a slice and bake? I am guessing yes. In that case, I will also stash some in the freezer!
Sue
September 17, 2014 at 5:40 pmYes, and that’s the way I do most of my shortbread cookies. I will say that you would need to slice these fairly thin, though, because the flavor is strong, I think a thick cookie would be overpowering.
Liz @ Floating Kitchen
September 17, 2014 at 12:41 pmThese sound delicious. Love the combination of cardamon and coffee. And I love that you’re going to be tracking down unusual/new combinations. It’s about to become cookie overload season, so I certainly looking for something above the standard Christmas sugar cookies and ginger snaps. These are certainly on my “to-make” list!
Sue
September 17, 2014 at 5:40 pmThanks Liz 🙂
[email protected] is How I Cook
September 17, 2014 at 11:22 amYou really need to do a book on shortbread. Yours are the best! I think I might develop a minor obsession with these, too!
Sue
September 17, 2014 at 11:30 amThanks Abbe! I’ve been trying to narrow down an idea for a book, shortbread sounds good 🙂
savvy
September 17, 2014 at 11:20 amA perfect holiday GROWN-UP cookie!! Thanks-esp since I do attend a cookie swap in early Dec!! These look divine!!
Sue
September 17, 2014 at 11:37 amYeah — why should kids get all the good cookies??
cheri
September 17, 2014 at 10:33 amHi Sue, these cookies have my name written all over them. love everything about them especially the cardamom.
Sue
September 17, 2014 at 11:33 amThe more I use cardamom the more I love it.
Monique
September 17, 2014 at 10:23 amThey look exciting to me:)
Mary
September 17, 2014 at 9:24 amThese cookies sound divine, Sue! The most unusual cookie I’ve made is definitely pfeffernusse. A friend requested them last year and I’ve never tasted anything like them. It’s definitely a love it or hate it flavor combination. I don’t know anyone who is neutral on them. Luckily, my husband adores them.
Sue
September 17, 2014 at 10:10 amI’ve never made, let alone pronounced, those! I think they have pepper in them? I’ll check out your recipe, thanks Mary!