These thick and gooey, bakery-style Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies have the perfect balance of melty chocolate and crunchy, toasted walnuts. This crowd-pleasing recipe has all the tips and tricks you’ll need to make the ultimate chocolate chip cookies at home!
In this article you'll learn:
- How to make thick, bakery-style chocolate chip walnut cookies with gooey centers, crisp edges, and the perfect salty-sweet balance.
- The shaping method that creates oversized Levain-style cookies with a rustic, bakery look.
- Why toasted walnuts make a big difference in flavor and texture, and how to toast them properly.
- Pro baking tips including how to measure flour correctly, the best butter temperature, and how to mix chocolates for depth of flavor.
- Storage and freezing instructions for both baked cookies and unbaked dough so you can make them ahead.
Generated with AI and experts from the Tara Teaspoon team.
I am guessing you are a nuts-in-your-cookies kind of person since you are on this page looking for cookie recipes. Some might say adding nuts to chocolate chip cookies is sacrilegious, but I think nuts are great!
Don't get me wrong, I also love classic chocolate chip cookies, but I'm a huge fan of the buttery, nutty crunch toasted walnuts add to cookies.
Why you'll love this recipe
I live near the NYC Levain Bakery and have enjoyed their chocolate chip walnut cookies. They make a heavy, dense chocolate chip cookie loaded with chocolate and lots of toasty walnuts. The thick texture is sublime!
Although inspired by their cookies, I didn't feel like the Levain Bakery cookies had the right balance of flavors and they definitely needed more salt.
I knew I needed to channel that inspiration into my own version of walnut chocolate chip cookies, and I couldn't be happier with how this recipe turned out.
Here's what you can look forward to in a batch of chocolate chip and walnut cookies:
- Divine texture: These thick, bakery-style cookies are pillowy soft in the center and have delicious crisped edges.
- Balanced flavor: Because these chocolate chip cookies are also loaded with walnuts, they have the best mix of rich, gooey chocolate coupled with nutty crunch. The sweet and salty flavors blend together flawlessly.
- Perfect size: This recipe makes 8 giant cookies. These quarter-pound beauties would be at home in any bakery and are great for sharing or gift giving.
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Ingredients
Before getting started, take a look at these ingredient tips to help you gather everything you'll need. See recipe card for quantities.
- Salted butter: To avoid lumps and prevent over-mixing, use cool room temperature butter. It will need about 30 minutes to soften on the counter.
- Brown sugar: You can use light or dark brown sugar. The darker the sugar, the more moisture it will add to the cookies.
- Granulated sugar: Contributes to the crisped cookie edges!
- Large egg: Make sure to use a large egg, not medium or extra large.
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour: For the best results, measure the flour with a food scale. If you don't have one, use the spoon and level method to prevent adding too much flour to the dough.
- Baking soda
- Fine salt
- Chocolate chips: You can use either semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips. I love to mix them half and half!
- Walnut pieces: Although optional, toasting the walnuts will give the cookies the best flavor. Learn how to toast walnuts below.
How to make chocolate chip and walnut cookies
You'll love how easy it is to make these cookies following our step-by-step instructions! See recipe card for comprehensive directions.
Make the cookie dough
- Step 1: In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and both sugars until light and fluffy.
- Step 2: Mix in egg and vanilla until incorporated.
- Step 3: Add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix on low speed until flour is just incorporated.
- Step 4: Fold in chocolate chips and walnuts by hand until evenly disbursed.
How to shape bakery-style cookies
If you've ever wanted to learn how to make cookies look as beautiful as they taste, this is your chance to get the inside scoop!
- Step 1: Use a cookie scoop and a kitchen scale to measure out 4.2 to 4.6 ounces of cookie dough. You'll have 8 equal balls of dough.
- Step 2: Use your hands to gently roll the dough into a ball.
- Step 3: Tear the dough ball in half.
- Step 4: Rotate the split pieces so that the jagged edges face outward and press the smooth sides together to form a shaggy dough ball.
- Step 5: Prep dough balls until all the dough is used up. Then place them spaced apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Step 6: Bake until golden around the edges and just set in the center. Remove from the oven and use a round cutter to gently shape the still-warm cookies into perfect circles. Let cool on the baking sheet about 10 minutes, then finish cooling on a wire rack.
Make-ahead tip: To make ahead, divide dough into cookie-sized balls and chill in the fridge in a zip-top bag for up to 3 days; or freeze up to 3 months. Chilled dough balls can be baked immediately, but will need about 18 minutes in the oven. Frozen dough balls should be left at room temperature for about an hour before baking them according to the regular recipe directions.
Tara's top tips
Make the BEST chocolate walnut cookies with these pro tips!
- Make a double batch so you can share!
- Use soft, but still cool butter for best results.
- Weigh the flour for accuracy, since we all scoop and measure flour differently.
- Use chocolate chips or chop your own chocolate chunks.
- Try mixing milk and semi-sweet chocolate for a balanced flavor.
- Don't over-bake your cookies. They should look set on the edges and just slightly underdone in the center. They'll finish baking as they cool on the cookie sheet.
Equipment
Making an investment into your kitchen tools will make a big difference in the quality of your baked goods. Here are some equipment suggestions for making great cookies:
- These are made with the usual, traditional cookie method. You can use a stand mixer or a hand mixer.
- To prevent over-packing flour, I like to use these stacking measuring cups. They are not super deep, so the flour is less likely to get packed down.
- kitchen scale
- Spring Chef Measuring Spoons are perfect because they fit in small jars!
- If you like to make cookies, grab a set of three cookie scoops so you can choose the right cookie ball size for every batch.
- These Vollrath Rimless Baking Sheets are the best baking sheets for chocolate chip cookies. They are worth the money because they have a heavy gauge and will last forever.
- Line your baking sheet with a thin layer of non-stick parchment paper. It helps the bottoms of the cookies bake evenly without getting overly browned.
- An oven-thermometer ensures your oven is not running hot or cold.
- round cutter
Storage instructions
These are the best chocolate chip and walnut cookies because they store well, and you can freeze the dough OR the baked cookies!
- Room temperature: Baked chocolate chip and walnut cookies can be stored in an airtight container or zip-top bag for up to 3 days. Don't store in the fridge as that will make them stale.
- Freezing unbaked cookies: Divide dough into cookie portions and place in a zip-top bag to freeze. The dough balls can be frozen up to 3 months and stay fresh. Check out my tips on silicone bags for freezing. To bake: Let the dough balls defrost on the counter for 30 minutes to 1 hour, and then bake as instructed in the recipe card below.
- Freezing baked cookies: When baked in advance, cool the cookies completely and then freeze in zip-top plastic bags for up to 2 months. To reheat: Microwave frozen cookies for 10 to 15 seconds until just warm.
FAQ
The oven is already hot, so why not toast the walnuts before you start making the dough! Toasting nuts removes any bland, raw flavors and helps release the nuttiness. Toasting walnuts also gives them a nice crunch and chew.
For cookies I like to just LIGHTLY toast my nuts. Here's how to do it:
Spread walnuts on a baking sheet and bake in a 350ºF oven for 7 to 10 minutes. The color may change slightly, but mostly you should pay attention to how the nuts smell. You'll notice a toasty, nutty smell when they are done. Be careful not to over-toast the nuts or they will be too strong.
Yes and no. Although this recipe only makes 8 cookies, they are large, quarter-pound cookies like those you'd find at a bakery.
If you want to feed a larger crowd, this recipe is easily doubled. Use the button on the recipe card below to calculate doubled ingredient amounts.
More easy cookie recipes
Keep your sweet tooth in check with more delicious cookie recipes like these tried and true classics:
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📖 Full Recipe
Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies
Ingredients
- ¾ cup (1½ sticks) salted butter (softened to cool room temperature)
- ¾ cup brown sugar (light or dark, packed)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2¼ cups (288g) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon fine salt
- 1¾ cups chocolate chips* (semi-sweet or milk)
- ¾ cup (2.5 ounces) walnut pieces*
Instructions
- Heat oven to 325ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar, until lightened and just fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until incorporated.
- Add the flour, baking soda and salt. On low speed mix, until flour is just incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts.
- Weigh dough into about 4.2-ounce to 4.6-ounce balls or divide dough into 9 equal balls. Place on baking sheet spaced apart and bake until cookies are golden around the edges and just set in the center, 12 to 14 minutes. Don't overcook! Chilled cookie dough can be baked straight from the fridge but will need closer to 18 minutes in the oven.
- Let cool about 10 minutes on the baking sheet (the cookies will finish baking as they cool down). Then remove from pan to wire rack to cool completely.
- Store baked chocolate chip and walnut cookies in an airtight container or zip-top bag at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Notes
- Make-ahead: Divide dough into cookie-sized balls and chill in the fridge in a zip-top bag for up to 3 days. Chilled dough balls can be baked immediately, but will need about 18 minutes in the oven.
- Freezing unbaked cookies: Divide dough into cookie portions and place in a zip-top bag to freeze. The dough balls can be frozen up to 3 months. Before baking, let the dough balls defrost on the counter for 30 minutes to 1 hour, and then bake as instructed in the recipe card.
- Freezing baked cookies: When baked in advance, cool the cookies completely and then freeze in zip-top plastic bags for up to 2 months. To reheat, microwave frozen cookies for 10 to 15 seconds until just warm.
Nutrition Per Serving
Tara Teaspoon
I’ve been in food publishing for over 25 years, creating recipes & food-styling for magazines, books, television, food brands, & advertising. With two cookbooks under my belt and thousands of my recipes at your fingertips, I hope you'll be inspired to spend more time in the kitchen!
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