The very BEST Giant Salted Espresso Hot Fudge Cookies for your summer weekend baking. Easy homemade chocolate fudge sauce stuffed into the best buttery cookies. YES, it’s true, and they are SO VERY GOOD! Each cookie dough ball is hand stuffed with a ball of frozen fudge and sprinkled with espresso salt before baking them to perfection. There’s nothing not to love about these sweet hot fudge stuffed cookies. Each bite is slightly crisp on the edges with a warm center full of gooey melted fudge sauce. These are truly the very best cookie you will eat…maybe ever. You can even add vanilla ice cream with a cherry on top.

overhead close up photo of Giant Salted Espresso Hot Fudge Cookies

Happiest Friday you guys. Today is a great day because – we have cookies! Potentially the very best cookies I will ever share with you. And I promise, this is not an exaggeration. I actually surprised myself at how great they turned out. So I of course, have many, many words to say about them.

Jumping right into the inspiration…

Look, there’s a lot happening in the world right now. It’s challenging for just about everyone. And It’s not that cookies can solve all the problems of the world, but they can make things feel better. Ah, the power of a delicious cookie! So my goal today is to share a recipe that will make you all smile.

Enter these cookies. I drew inspiration from a cookie I shared way, way back during the very first year of HBH. They’re called hot fudge ice cream sundae cookies. Honestly? I’m not sure how well that recipe actually works…so maybe don’t try to bake them. But I took the idea of hot fudge on a cookie and applied it to these cookies you see here. And you guys? They are heaven.

overhead prep photo of cookie dough in bowl

Here is the thing, recipe testing…it can take time.

These cookies? They took some serious time, but you know? I got them just right and I’ve never been so excited to share a cookie with you guys. The recipe changed over the course of three days of testing. But I was able to use my creativity, and make these cookies truly worthy of the title “the best”.

Am I being slightly dramatic, sure, but these really aren’t your ordinary cookies, they really are The Best.

And an added bonus was that in the process, I found the perfect Father’s Day dessert that I know my dad will love.

overhead prep photo of frozen fudge sauce balls

Here are all the details you need to know.

Start with the chocolate fudge sauce. This is a simple mix of cocoa powder, sugar, milk, and chocolate chips. Melt everything together on the stove or in the microwave. Once melted, add a touch of butter for richness, and a splash of vanilla for the best flavor.

Simple, but so darn good. This sauce is rich, creamy, and perfectly sweet.

The sauce needs some time in the freezer, so freeze for thirty minutes, until firm. Once firm, roll the fudge sauce into balls and freeze another thirty minutes or until you’re ready to bake the cookies. The fudge balls need to be frozen. There’s no dancing around this step. I know it’s a little annoying to have to plan out your cookie making, but I’m highly recommending you start the fudge sauce process the day before. Or at least the morning you plan to bake the cookies. It’s a very EASY process, but chilling requires time. Just try and plan for that best you can.

overhead prep photo of Giant Salted Espresso Hot Fudge Cookies on baking sheet before baking

Onto the cookies. Gather your ingredients. You’ll need the basics…butter, sugar, flour, etc. Simple, nothing fancy, but all good.

Next, beat, mix, stir, bake, wack that pan on the counter, bake again, wack again, eat warm…ENJOY!

That was the quick version, here are the nitty, gritty details…

The dough needs to be rolled into big two tablespoon-size balls, then add that frozen fudge ball to the center. Then add another tablespoon size cookie dough ball over top. So yes, two tablespoons of cookie dough, plus one tablespoon of fudge sauce, plus one more tablespoon of cookie dough.

G.I.A.N.T  C.O.O.K.I.E.S.

overhead photo of Giant Salted Espresso Hot Fudge Cookies

Final step…

A sprinkle of espresso salt, better known as flaky sea salt mixed with instant espresso (or coffee) powder.

This might sound odd, but please trust me, this is one of the keys to creating the very best cookie. The coffee highlights the flavors within the chocolate. You don’t realize it’s even there, but it’s what makes the cookie extra special.

And the salt? Well, that just seals the deal and creates a cookie that’s almost impossible to stop eating. That and the hot fudge sauce melting out of each cookie. Oh, that fudge sauce, it’s just so good. So delicious. So perfect.

overhead photo of Giant Salted Espresso Hot Fudge Cookie broken in half

The key to success…

…make sure to seal the fudge sauce inside the cookie dough before baking. It’s easy to do, but make sure there are no cracks or some of the fudge sauce may leak out. 

…tap that baking sheet on your counter midway through baking, then return to the oven. When the cookies have completely finished baking, remove them from the oven and tap the baking sheet once more. You guys, this step is KEY. It will ensure you have the least cakey chocolate chip cookie. Instead, you’ll get a cookie with crisp edges and a gooey center. Tapping the baking pan on the counter deflates the center of the cookie, pushing the edges out. I used this same method for my pumpkin cookies. And I now do it every time I bake any cookies…because it works. I learned this tip from the New York Times and you need it too.

So with that, let’s all agree that this weekend’s baking project should be giant salted espresso hot fudge cookies.

Nothing not to love about these sweet, flaky, hot fudge cookies. Enjoy them warm…with a side of ice cream…maybe add a cherry and make a little sundae situation. Or let them cool a little and make an ice cream sandwich. Or…simply eat them hot, right out of the oven, with a little extra espresso salt on top.

The Best! Enjoy everyone and see you tomorrow for a very fun Cocktail Saturday.

overhead photo of Giant Salted Espresso Hot Fudge Cookies

Looking for other cookie ideas? Here are some summertime favorites… 

Crinkle Top Chocolate Peanut Butter Skillet Blondies

Brown Sugar Oatmeal Cookie, Cookie Dough Ice Cream Sandwiches

Salted Pretzel Nutella Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches

Lastly, if you make giant salted espresso hot fudge cookies, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!

Watch the How To Video:

Giant Salted Espresso Hot Fudge Cookies | halfbakedharvest.com
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4.15 from 255 votes

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

The Recipe

Giant Salted Hot Fudge Cookies with Coffee Salt

Each bite is slightly crisp on the edges with a warm center full of gooey melted fudge sauce...THE BEST!

Prep Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings 12 cookies
Calories 219 kcal

Ingredients

Fudge Sauce

Cookies

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  1. 1. To make the chocolate fudge filling. In a medium bowl, melt together cocoa powder, milk, chocolate chips, dark chocolate, and butter in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, until smooth. Stir in the vanilla. Transfer to a glass container. Freeze 30 minutes, until firm.

    2. Roll the fudge sauce into scant tablespoon-size balls and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Freeze until firm, at least 30 minutes or overnight.

    3. To make the cookies. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until combined. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until combined. Add the vanilla, beating until creamy. Add the flour and baking soda. Remove 2 of the frozen fudge balls and cut into 4 pieces. Fold chunks of fudge into dough, leaving streaks of fudge throughout.

    4. Roll the cookie dough into 2 tablespoon-size balls. Place 1 frozen fudge ball in the center of the dough, pushing down gently into the dough. Add 1 additional tablespoon size cookie dough ball on top, sealing the dough around the fudge. Place the balls 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet (don't bake more than 4 cookies per baking sheet).

    5. Mix the flaky salt and coffee. Sprinkle the salt mix over each cookie. Transfer to the oven and bake for 8 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and tap the baking sheet on the counter 3 times to flatten them down. Return to the oven and bake another 4-5 minutes or until the cookies are just beginning to set on the edges, but still doughy in the center. Remove from the oven and tap the baking sheet on the counter 2-3 times to flatten them down again. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet. They will continue to cook slightly as they sit on the baking sheet. Sprinkle with flaky salt mix.

    6. Eat warm (with ice cream...highly recommended) or let cool and store in an airtight container for up to 4 days. 

Recipe Notes

Sticky Dough: I use 2 1/4 cups flour when baking these cookies, but some find that the dough works better for them with an additional 2 tablespoons flour. If your cookie dough feels too sticky/wet to roll, add 2-3 tablespoons additional flour. 

Freezing: cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw, then add salt mix as directed. 

overhead horizontal photo of Giant Salted Espresso Hot Fudge Cookies