There is NO better way to satisfy your sweet tooth than sinking your teeth into a warm cookie! These Chewy Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookies give you that soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture, with a distinct nutty crunch and delicious pools of melty chocolate.
Plus, this homemade chocolate chip cookie recipe with nuts is easy to make — even for beginner bakers! This cookie recipe requires just one bowl, no chilling time, and just 9 ingredients to whip up.
In this recipe, you’ll learn my best tricks and techniques for chewy cookie dough, how to store your cookies, and even how to freeze the dough! Let’s dive in!
Rooted in my commitment to sustainability, I absolutely love recipes that require only one bowl to mix up! Less clean-up means I’m saving on both time and water. Thats a win, win for me!
Green tip: Speaking of cleanup, if you have a dishwasher-use it! Comparing dishwashing to handwashing, using an efficient dishwasher uses 1/6th the amount of water to get your dishes clean!
Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies Ingredients
Here’s everything you need:
- Shelled walnuts.
- Unsalted butter. If you want to use salted butter, just omit the added salt.
- Light brown sugar. Dark works, too. While granulated sugar will work, it won’t have the color and taste you expect from a classic chocolate chip cookie.
- Vanilla extract.
- Egg.
- All-purpose flour.
- Salt.
- Baking soda.
- Chocolate chips. Dark or semi-sweet.
Chocolate Chip Cookies with Walnuts Tips and Tricks
Preheat and Prep Your Walnuts
Start by pre-heating your oven to 375°F and lining a large cookie sheet.
Green tip: Consider using reusable baking mats for a more sustainable option!
I also like to measure and prep everything ahead of time, so my baking process is simple and seamless. Before starting my cookie dough, I always chop my walnuts.
Keep some larger pieces of walnuts and chop some into tiny fragments. This will ensure you get the nutty taste in every bite and are still left with some bigger pieces as well for that extra bit of crunch.
How to Make Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
It’s imperative that your butter is softened! This does not mean melted and definitely does not mean too cold and solid. If you don’t have time to let the butter come to room temperature naturally, check out how to soften butter quickly.
The key to perfectly textured cookies is creaming your butter and sugar together to aerate the dough. The sugar cuts into the butter, adding little air bubbles that ultimately make for a softer and chewier cookie.
Use a hand mixer on high to whip the softened butter and brown sugar together for 2-3 minutes, until it’s smooth and airy.
Then. mix in the vanilla extract and egg until combined. Next, add the flour, salt, and baking soda and mix until well-integrated. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides, ensuring everything is combined.
I like to set a handful of walnuts and chocolate chips aside to press into the top of each cookie. Fold in the rest with a spatula so that they are evenly distributed.
P.S. If you’re one of those people who enjoys eating the cookie dough more than the actual cookies (you’re in good company!), then check out these Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites next!
How to Perfectly Bake Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies
Use a large cookie scoop or two heaping tablespoons of cookie dough to shape your cookies and place them on your prepped cookie sheet.
These chocolate chip cookies with walnuts are pretty much foolproof! They hold their shape even without any chilling time! Still, you can expect minor spreading, so leave some space between each cookie.
Use that handful of walnuts and chocolate chips to push a few of both into the top of each cookie.
Here’s the key to perfectly baking these next-level homemade chocolate chip cookies: always bake them on the top rack!
Heat rises, so the top rack of your oven is often significantly hotter than the bottom rack. If you place one cookie sheet on the top rack and one on the bottom, there will be a noticeable difference in baking time.
If both sheets don’t simultaneously fit on the top rack, I highly recommend baking the cookies in two separate rounds, so that they can all bake on the top rack.
These cookies with walnuts and chocolate chips will bake beautifully in just 8-10 minutes at 375°F.
When the cookies are ready, the top and edges will start to turn golden brown and are a little bit crispy to touch. It’s okay if the center is slightly underdone, as they will continue to bake as they cool.
If you want perfectly round cookies, grab a round cookie cutter that’s a little bit larger than your cookie. While they’re still hot, scoot the cookie cutter around it. You’ll be left with perfect circles!
How to Properly Store Homemade Cookies
At room temperature, these chewy chocolate chip cookies will last for 5-7 days when covered or stored in an airtight container. In an airtight container in the fridge, they will last up to three weeks.
Quick tip: Storing your cookies with a piece of bread will keep them softer and chewier. This is the perfect use for the end piece!
These cookies do tend to firm up within the first few days of storing them. If you want to keep them softer and chewier, store a piece of bread in the container with them. Believe it or not, moisture from the bread stops the cookies from drying out.
You can also freeze them once they’re baked for up to a year, but I recommend freezing the unbaked dough instead. More on that next.
Green tip: Of the billions of tons of food wasted annually, 50% of food waste happens at home. Reduce your contribution to food waste by properly storing baked goods!
How to Freeze Cookie Dough
Freezing some or all of the dough for your chocolate chip walnut cookies is a great way to have dough on hand all year. Doing so means you can have freshly baked cookies whenever you want!
Shape the cookie dough into cookie dough balls and store them in a freezer safe storage bag (consider reusable storage bags for a more sustainable option!). They can be stored this way for 12 months.
Watch them closely when you bake them and add an extra minute or two to your baking time if need be.
Foolproof Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies
PIN Print RATEEquipment
- Large Cookie Scoop (optional)
- Reusable Baking Mat (optional)
Ingredients
- ½ cup shelled walnuts (I buy the halves and pieces)
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup light brown sugar (tightly packed)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ cup chocolate chips (dark or semi-sweet)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or a reusable baking mat. Chop the walnuts into small chunks.
- To a large mixing bowl, add softened butter and brown sugar. Use a hand mixer on high to cream together until light and smooth (about 2-3 minutes).
- Add the egg and vanilla extract and use your hand mixer on low to combine.
- Add the flour, salt, and baking soda and mix to combine, careful not to overbeat. Use a spatula to scrape any flour off the sides of the bowl and integrate it into your dough.
- Add the walnuts, and chocolate chips to your dough and use a rubber spatula to fold to combine. I like to keep a small handful of each out to place on top of the cookie dough once it's formed into cookies.
- Use a large cookie scoop or 2 heaping tablespoons of dough to form your cookies, adding them to the prepped baking sheets. Leave at least an inch of space in between each cookie for minor spreading. Add the conserved walnuts and chocolate chips on top.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes on the top rack. It's okay if they are slightly underdone. Allow them to cool on the baking sheet so they continue to bake as they cool. If you want perfectly round cookies, use a round cookie cutter, scooting it around the cookie while they are still hot. Enjoy!
Pro Tips
- You can freeze excess cookie dough before baking it to give you fresh baked cookies every time when the craving hits! Just bake them as normal straight out of the freezer.
- Want more recipes like this? Check out this list of unique chocolate chip cookies!
