Caramel Macchiato Cookies

5 min read JUN 14, 2022

Some of us like to wake up and smell the coffee but cookies aren’t bad either. Caramel macchiato cookies not only taste like your favorite, delicious, and sweet coffee from your favorite cafe but their nibblish size, caramel drizzling, and chocolate toppings will have your mouth watering and asking for more with every bite. 

If you love caramel macchiatos, you will absolutely love the cookie version. Keep reading to find out more about this super easy recipe for caramel macchiato cookies, how to bake them, and other variations you might have not known about.

What This Article Covers:



Caramel Macchiato Coffee


Caffè macchiato in Italian means "stained coffee" or "marked coffee." The "stained" or "spotted", refers to the small amount of foamy milk used to "stain" a shot of espresso. In Italian, caffè means “coffee” and macchiato refers to "stained" or "spotted." 

caramel macchiato cookies recipe

The term “macchiato” became popularized by baristas needing to differentiate between an espresso and an espresso with a little bit of milk in it. An espresso with a tiny bit of milk in it was "marked." 

The caramel macchiato is a classic macchiato beverage. It’s made from vanilla syrup, espresso, a topping of milk foam, and caramel drizzle. It tastes like a sweet mixture of an espresso and a cappuccino. Basically like coffee with lots of milk in it.

Caramel Macchiato Cookies Recipe


Ingredients:

  • 2 and 1/4 cups of Flour
  • 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
  • 1-2 Shots of Espresso (Depending on Desired Strength)
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
  • 3/4 Cup Brown Sugar + 1/4 cup for Rolling
  • 3/4 Cup Sugar + 1/4 cup for Rolling
  • 1/4 Cup Cream Cheese, cut into pieces and softened
  • 6 Tablespoon Butter, melted
  • 1/3 Cup Vegetable Oil
  • 1 Egg
  • 1 Tablespoon Milk
  • 1 Teaspoon Vanilla
  • 1 Cup of Salted Caramel Sauce
  • 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
how to bake caramel macchiato cookies

Instructions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. 
  2. Brew your espresso and leave it aside to cool.
  3. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Make sure that the baking tray is ungreased.
  4. In a large bowl mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Put aside.
  5. In a different large bowl mix together ¾ cup Brown sugar and ¾ cup sugar with softened cream cheese. Mix it until it is smooth.
  6. Add melted butter and stir until everything is mixed thoroughly.
  7. Mix in the oil, then whisk in the egg, milk, espresso, and vanilla.
  8. Stir in the flour mixture slowly using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula.
  9. In a small bowl or dish, whisk together the remaining ¼ cup of brown sugar and ¼ cup of white sugar. This will be used for rolling the cookies in later.
  10. Using a cookie scoop, gather about 2 tablespoons of dough, roll into a ball and then roll into the brown and white sugar mixture. Place 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet.
  11. With the bottom of a flat bottom glass, gently press down onto the top of each cookie dough ball until they are about 2 inches in diameter.
  12. Sprinkle cookies with additional brown and white sugar mixture. Bake for 12 minutes or until they just turn golden brown on the edges.
  13. Let cookies cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes before removing them. After you remove them, allow them to cool on a wire rack.
  14. In a small microwavable bowl, microwave the caramel and milk uncovered on High for 1 minute to 1 minute 30 seconds, stirring once, until the caramel is melted. Spoon 1/2 teaspoon caramel on top of each cookie. Cool for about 15 minutes.
  15. In another small microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips and shortening uncovered on High for 1 to 1½  minutes or until chips can be stirred smooth. Drizzle chocolate over cookies. Let it stand for about 30 minutes or until the chocolate has set.

Makes: 24 cookies

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Baking Time: 12 minutes

recipe of caramel macchiato cookies

Variations of the Recipe


Some people prefer the caramel to be inside the cookie. If this is your goal, add the chocolate chips into the final mixture before unwrapping caramels and cutting them in half. 

You can then shape the dough into golf ball-sized discs by hand or using a scoop with one or two pieces of caramel in the center of each dough ball. Place dough balls into the freezer for 5 minutes. Bake as normal.

You can also come up with your own variations of cookies of caramel macchiato not limited to only cookies but can incorporate caramel macchiato banana bread, caramel macchiato cupcakes, coffee caramel cheesecake, and other caramel macchiato cake recipes.

Caramel Macchiato Cookies FAQs 


Do I need to use homemade caramel for this recipe?


You don’t need to use homemade caramel. 

If you want to make your own caramel, go ahead and do so. 

However, there are a few things you may do to make things easier. To make a smooth creamy caramel, simply melt some unwrapped soft caramels with some butter. This is how the recipe describes it. 

If soft caramels are unavailable, a caramel ice cream topping can be bought and used to fill each small thumbprint.  

recipe for caramel macchiato cookies

What if I don’t have an espresso machine?


If you can’t make fresh espresso at home, espresso powder is a good substitute.

Is it okay to use store-bought/premade sugar cookie dough?


You can easily swap out the cookie dough ingredients in this recipe with store-bought. It's a terrific place to start when you want to make a simple sugar cookie more unique. These mixtures are rather easy to come by, and can usually be found among the boxed cake mixes in the grocery store's baking section.

Final Thought


Caramel macchiato cookies and their variations are a delectable and easy-to-make treat and can be enjoyed with any beverage of your choice. The most important thing is to get it as close to your favorite caramel macchiato coffee as possible to really test your skill.

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