Yes — you can turn cookie butter into a cocktail. The Biscoff Espresso Martini blends vodka, coffee liqueur, a shot of fresh espresso, and a spoonful of Biscoff cookie butter, shaken with ice until frothy, then strained into a chilled coupe and rimmed with crushed Biscoff crumbs. It tastes like a coffee shop dessert that learned to party.
I wrote this because I love things that are slightly ridiculous and deeply comforting. This recipe keeps the smooth bitterness of espresso front-and-center, but layers in that caramelized speculoos warmth so the cocktail drinks like dessert without feeling heavy. It’s ideal after dinner or whenever you want a grown-up milkshake that behaves itself.
Ingredients
- 2 oz vodka (use a clean, neutral vodka)
- 1 oz coffee liqueur (Kahlúa or similar)
- 1 oz freshly brewed espresso, hot or cooled slightly
- 1 tbsp Biscoff cookie butter (smooth)
- 1/2 oz simple syrup, or 1/2 tsp maple syrup — adjust to taste
- 1/2 oz heavy cream or 1 oz oat milk (optional — for a silkier foam)
- Crushed Biscoff cookies for rimming and garnish
- Whole Biscoff cookie for garnish (optional)
- Ice for shaking
Substitutions: use peanut butter-style cookie butter alternatives if you can’t find Biscoff. For a vegan version, use oat milk and skip the heavy cream.
Instructions
- Prep your glass: Put crushed Biscoff crumbs on a small plate. Wet the rim of a chilled martini coupe with a little simple syrup or espresso, then dip the rim into the crumbs so it’s evenly coated. Chill the glass in the freezer while you mix.
- Bloom the cookie butter: Spoon the Biscoff cookie butter into a small bowl. If it’s very stiff, loosen it by microwaving for 8–10 seconds or stirring in 1/2 tsp warm water — you want it spoonable but not soupy.
- Add to shaker: In a cocktail shaker, add the vodka, coffee liqueur, hot (or warm) espresso, loosened cookie butter, simple syrup, and cream or oat milk if using.
- Dry shake first (optional): Seal the shaker and shake vigorously without ice for 10 seconds. This helps the cookie butter emulsify and kick-starts foam formation.
- Add ice and shake hard: Add a good handful of ice, seal, and shake very hard for 15–20 seconds. The goal is frothy emulsion and cold chill.
- Double strain into your chilled coupe: Use a Hawthorne strainer and optionally a fine mesh strainer to catch any tiny cookie bits. Strain so the top is glossy and the foam is silky.
- Garnish and serve: Sprinkle a pinch of crushed Biscoff crumbs on the foam, rest a whole Biscoff cookie on the rim, and serve immediately.
- Adjust and enjoy: Taste and tweak — add another 1/4 oz simple syrup if you want it sweeter or more espresso if you want it bitter-forward.
Tips & Notes
1) Why dry-shake? Cookie butter is fatty and sticky. Dry-shaking helps emulsify the fat with the espresso and liqueur so the final foam is glossy instead of oily.
2) Espresso temperature: I like using hot espresso — the heat helps melt the Biscoff for a smoother mix — but don’t pour boiling coffee into a sealed metal shaker (pressure hazard). Let it cool 20–30 seconds first or use a slightly cooled shot.
3) Make a Biscoff syrup: For faster mixing at parties, whisk together 1/2 cup cookie butter with 1/2 cup hot water until smooth, then strain through a sieve. Use 1/2–3/4 oz syrup in place of the spoon of butter.
Serving idea:Pair this cocktail with a slice of tart apple galette — the apple’s brightness cuts the cookie-butter sweetness beautifully.
Weird fact: Biscoff cookies were originally created to be airline snacks because they keep well at room temperature. It feels wrong and right at the same time to turn an airplane cookie into a cocktail that’s made for reclining couches and late-night playlists.
I didn’t find any existing posts for “espresso martini” to link to on the site, so this one stands alone — but I like to imagine it joining the family next to other cozy dessert drinks. If you try a riff — maybe with toasted hazelnut liqueur or a dash of smoked salt — tell me what you did; I love eccentric tweaks.