These Chewy Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies are soft and chew on the inside, and crispy on the outside. Thick cookies studded with crunchy walnuts and sweet chocolate chip morsels, then sprinkled with a touch of sea salt.
I'm not a huge baker, but I love making cookies. Snickerdoodles, sugar cookies, big fat ginger molasses cookies, snickers cookies....these are definitely my jam. They're so fun to customize and tweaking just a few ingredients or baking methods can produce such wildly different results.
And while nothing beats the good old fashioned chocolate chip cookie, that too has lots of room to play with. Add in some marshmallows, brown the butter, or use different types of chocolate chips and you'll have 3 different types of cookies. And I love them all! But this great recipe for delicious chocolate chip walnut cookies may be one of my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipes ever.
Thick, chocolate chip walnut cookies studded with both semi-sweet and dark chocolate chips and the perfect hint of saltiness. They are the BEST chocolate chip walnut cookies you'll make.
In This Post
Why These Cookies Are The BEST
These walnut chocolate chip cookies are a family favorite and are impossible to resist! What sets these cookies apart from the rest? So many things!
- Easy. These chocolate walnut cookies don't take long to make and don't require any special ingredients - you'll have most of what you need on hand.
- Thick. If you're looking for a thick cookie, stuffed with chocolate and walnuts, you've found it.
- Texture. These treats have a chewy interior texture, crispy edges, and the perfect balance of sweetness and nuttiness.
- Taste. The addition of both semi-sweet and dark chocolate chips and chocolate chunks ensures melty, gooey pockets of chocolate in every bite, while the chopped walnuts add a delightful crunch.
- Healthier. Ok, so these are not really healthy, but the addition of the walnuts does earn a few points toward at least making them a little bit healthier than your traditional chocolate chip cookie.
Key Ingredients
You need just a few ingredients for this chocolate chip walnut cookies recipe:
- All purpose flour. No need to get fancy with cake flour here. This recipe calls for good old fashioned all purpose flour.
- Sugars. The dynamic duo of dark brown sugar and white sugar adds depth and sweetness to these cookies. The tightly packed light brown sugar contributes to the chewy texture, creating a cookie that's irresistibly soft and flavorful.
- Chocolate. A combination of dark chocolate chips, semi-sweet chocolate chips, and chocolate chunks ensures that every bite is filled with rich, decadent chocolate goodness.
- Chopped Walnuts. The addition of chopped walnuts brings a delightful nuttiness to the cookies, complementing the sweetness of the chocolate. It's the perfect nod to classic chocolate chip cookies with an added layer of flavor and texture.
- Sea Salt. A sprinkle of flakey sea salt on top of the baked cookies enhances the overall flavor , providing a satisfying contrast to the sweetness.
How To Make Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies
As I said above, this is a simple recipe. Here's how to make these easy chocolate chip walnut cookies
- Prepare the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Mix the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients - flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Mix well.
- Mix the wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, cream together cubed unsalted butter, granulated sugar, and tightly packed light brown sugar. (You can do this using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, or using a hand mixer/electric mixer. Add eggs and pure vanilla extract, beating until well combined.
- Combine. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just incorporated. Fold in dark chocolate chips, semi-sweet chocolate chips, chocolate chunks, and chopped walnuts. Your mixture dough may feel a little dry, and that's ok. If it's too dry to handle, add a tablespoon of milk or water to soften it up. Be careful not to overmix, which can also result in a dry, crumbly cookie dough.
- Chill the dough. Wrap the chocolate chip walnut cookie dough in plastic wrap and chill it in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes. This step prevents excessive spreading during baking, ensuring thick and chewy cookies and a more developed flavor. It also helps to soften the dough, as the chilling time allows the dough to hydrate, making it easier to roll out the cookie dough balls in the next step.
- Make the cookie dough balls. Use a cookie scoop to form ½ - 1 inch dough balls, then place in a single layer onto a cookie sheet. These cookies are big, so cook no more than 4-6 cookies per sheet. Press a few extra chocolate chunks into the top the cookie dough balls (this is mostly for appearances.)
- Bake. Bake for approximately 15 minutes, until the cookies have a crispy edge and are a light golden brown (they'll still be a bit soft in the center but will harden up once they cool on the pan and cooling rack).
- Add sea salt. Sprinkle lightly with flakey sea salt immediately after removing from the oven.
- Cool. Let the cookies rest on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Variations And Substitutions
- Go nut-free. If you have nut allergies or prefer a nut-free option, simply omit the walnuts. This is the perfect chocolate chip cookie even without the walnuts!
- Try a different nut. Walnuts give these cookies a great taste and texture, but if you have a favorite nut like pecans or almonds, go for it!
- Flour alternatives. Experiment with alternative flours like almond flour or oat flour for a unique twist on this classic recipe.
- Brown the butter. This step always turns classic cookies into amazing cookies. It adds a rich flavor and is a great way to elevate the taste.
- Add some oatmeal! Add some rolled oats to turn these into walnut and oatmeal chocolate chip cookies!
- Make them crispier! These cookies are the perfect combo of crispy and chewy, but if you want them to be slightly crispier, let them cook for an additional 1-2 minutes in the oven before removing them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Allow the cookies to cool completely and store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. For longer storage, you can also freeze the cookies in an airtight container for up to 4 months.
Absolutely! Freeze the unbaked cookie dough in an airtight container for up to 3 months. When a cookie craving strikes, simply bake as needed. (I love doing this and then just cutting off a bit here and there when the need arises.)
Yes! Just substitute the unsalted butter for a vegan butter.
Certainly! While the recipe calls for a combination of dark chocolate and semi-sweet, feel free to mix it up when it comes to the chips. You could even add some cocoa powder to make the base of the cookie more chocolatey!
Chilling the dough before baking is key to achieving that chewy texture. This step ensures the cookies hold their shape while baking, resulting in a satisfyingly chewy bite.
Absolutely. This recipe serves as an excellent base for crafting your favorite chocolate chip cookies.
They're pretty darn close! The texture and thickness is pretty much the same. I also added dark chocolate to these cookies to give them a bit of a deeper flavor.
I truly believe these are the BEST Chewy Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies around. They're the perfect combination of sweet and salty, and the crispy, chewy texture, melty chocolate and crunchy nuts make this recipe a favorite. (If you can't tell - I'm a huge fan!)
If you try these Chewy Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies, let me know what you think in the comments below. And don't forget to tag me @frontrangefed on Instagram - I love to see your masterpieces!
More Cookie Recipes
- Chocolate Chip Marshmallow Cookies
- The New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
- Soft Ginger Molasses Cookies
- Chocolate-Dipped Orange And Almond Shortbread Cookies
- Big Soft Sugar Cookies
- Lemon Ricotta Cookies
- Peanut Butter Pretzel Bites
- Mexican Wedding Cookie Recipe
Recipe
BEST Chewy Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 16 tablespoon cold, unsalted butter (two sticks), cubed
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 ¼ cup dark brown sugar (tightly packed)
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup chocolate chunks
- 1 ½ cup chopped walnuts
- sprinkle sea salt (for finishing)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or a slip mat.
- Combine the dry ingredients - the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda - in a large bowl and mix well.
- In another bowl, or a stand mixture, add the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar and combine. Add the eggs, then vanilla, beating continuously until combined, about 1-2 minutes. Carefully add the flour mixture on low speed until it’s incorporated into the sugar mixture. Add the chocolate chips, the chunks and the walnuts and stir lightly until just combined (don’t over-mix). The batter will be thick at this point and you may want to switch over to a large wooden spoon to make sure everything is fully mixed. (If your batter feels too dry, add a tablespoon of milk or water to soften it up and make it easier to mix.
- Chill the dough for about 20 minutes in the fridge. This will improve the texture of the cookie and will also help prevent the cookies from spreading when baking. It also helps the dough meld together, making the dough balls easier to form in the next step.
- Using a large cookie scoop, scoop out the dough and roll it into ½ - 1 inch balls. Place the dough on the prepared baking sheets, no more than 6 cookies per pan. Press a few extra chocolate chunks into the top of each cookie.
- Bake the cookies for about 15 minutes, or until they turn a light golden brown color and are slightly crispy at the edges.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and sprinkle with flakey sea salt.
- Allow the cookies to rest on the pan for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- For crispier cookies, bake them 1-2 minutes longer.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
- Cookies can be frozen in an airtight container for up to four months.
- Cookie dough can be frozen for up to 3 months and used as needed.
Michelle Richards says
Turned out amazing. Only thing I changed was I used caramel chocolate chips. I am saving this recipe as my go to.
Sarah Jenkins says
Thanks Michelle!
denise forrester says
Whats a stick of butter weight? for those who live outside of the world where you live please.
Sarah Jenkins says
A standard stick of butter is 8 tbsp. I've updated the recipe. Enjoy!
samantha says
The description references dark brown sugar but recipe list calls for light. Which is preferable? Thanks!
Sarah Jenkins says
Hi Samantha, thanks for flagging! I actually used dark brown sugar. I've updated the recipe to reflect that. Let me know how they turn out!
Hannah says
Hello, how many cups of rolled oats should I add?
Sarah Jenkins says
If adding rolled oats to the cookies, substitute one cup of the flour for rolled outs. So you would use 2 cups of flour, 1 cup of oats.
groyeroanfud says
I made this recipe today. I must share that the cookies turned out crunchy, not chewy. The dough was so crumbly I could barely get it to stay together while placing them on the cookie sheet. I was thrilled to end up with something I totally didn't expect. The resulting cookies stayed the same size/shape that they were when I put them in the oven, despite using the baking soda and baking powder. As it happens, I'd been looking for just such a recipe for decades, because I could never find a one that approximated the shape (half sphere) and consistency of famous amos cookies. If the next batch I make turns out to be as described, I'm sure I'll enjoy them as intended.
Sarah Jenkins says
Thanks for sharing! Not sure why they turned out crunchy, but so glad you enjoyed them!
Ashley L. says
I wonder if something was off. I measured by weighing in grams. My dough was smooth and just sticky enough. The cookies were so chewy and perfect. Room temperature eggs, proper chilling of dough, not too long, and perfect measurements with good quality ingredients.
Lisa says
Haven't made yet. But am very confused 🙂 by "Diced Tomatos" [sic] in the ingredients photo. LOL.
Sarah Jenkins says
Oh my! Thank you for flagging that!! Yes, diced tomatoes are definitely NOT a part of this recipe - photo editing error on my part. I've fixed it. Thanks again!
Jack says
The Best!! Easy to make. Couldn't stop eating that first batch¡. Thank you!!
Sarah Jenkins says
Thanks Jack! They are my family's favorites too!
Giangi Townsend says
We just finished a batch and are all in love with your chewy chocolate chips. Soft and rich in flavor, we could not stop eating them.
Thank you for the recipe.