These chocolate chip walnut cookies are thick, chewy and packed with flavor thanks to toasted walnuts, warm vanilla and tons of chocolate chips. The perfect way to switch up a classic – these nutty chocolate chip cookies take little effort and taste like they’re from a bakery!
Thick & Gooey Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookies
If you like chocolate chip cookies that are slightly gooey in the middle with crispy edges and tons of flavor – then these chocolate chip walnut cookies are for you. The recipe is adapted from my bakery-style chocolate chip cookie recipe to produce a cookie that’s packed with flavor and a little nutty, thanks to the walnuts. There’s no need to chill the dough with this recipe either, so you can go from ingredients to fresh out of the oven cookies in way less time than so many other recipes. These cookies are extra thick too, which is perfect for packing them with all the chocolate chips.
The Keys to Cookie Success
There’s a few key ingredients & tips that make this recipe turn out perfectly.
- Toast Your Walnuts: This may sound like overkill, but toasting the walnuts first adds so much flavor. Spread the chopped walnuts into an even layer on a cookie sheet and bake in the preheated oven at 350F (180C) for 5-10 minutes or until you smell a nutty aroma. Trust me.
- Use Cold Butter: This recipe is developed using cold butter just like my bakery-style chocolate chip cookies. The cold butter keeps the edges crispy and insides gooier. For easier mixing, chop the butter into small cubes before mixing. Cold butter vs softened butter vs melted butter all perform differently in baking. Because this recipe was developed using cold butter (not frozen), make sure it’s not softened or starting to melt.
- Cornstarch: Cornstarch – AKA cornflour for my Aussie and UK readers – helps make your cookies tender. Even adding in just a bit really contributes to the gooey cookie centers we’re looking for.
- Just the Right Amount of Flour: If you’ve ever made cookies and thought they were dry, it’s most likely that there was too much flour. For this recipe we need enough flour so that the cookies are thick, but not enough to make them dry. Always measure the flour carefully. Whisk first, then spoon the flour into a dry measuring cup and level off the top. Don’t just scoop from the flour bag. For the most accurate results, always measure using a scale.
Freezing the Dough
Cookie dough freezes beautifully, which is great for when you need a cookie emergency. Place the dough balls in a freezer bag, squeeze out the air, seal and freeze for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven as directed and place the frozen cookie dough balls on your lined cookie sheets. Bake as directed – the cookies will just need 1-2 minutes longer.
Baked and cooled cookies can also be frozen. I recommend placing a sheet of wax paper or baking paper in between layers of cookies to avoid them sticking together. For best results, thaw cookies in the fridge then bring to room temperature. Thawing them slowly helps to avoid them
If you love baking with nuts, then be sure to try:
Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies
Equipment
- Cookie Sheets
Ingredients
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
- 1 ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch AKA cornflour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon coarse salt feel free to use less if you prefer
- ½ cup unsalted butter cold & cut into chunks
- ½ cup brown sugar packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- ¾ cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F (180C or 170C on a fan forced oven).
- Add the chopped walnuts to a cookie sheet and spread into an even layer.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes or until you can smell a nutty aroma. Be careful not to let the nuts burn. Remove from the oven and leave the oven turned on.
- Line cookie sheets with parchment paper for baking the cookies.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- In a large bowl beat the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until fluffy.
- Beat in the egg and vanilla extract. Be sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- With the mixer on a low speed, beat the flour mixture into the butter mixture. Gradually increase the speed until combined. The batter will be thick.
- Stir in the toasted walnuts and chocolate chips. I always reserve a few extra chocolate chips for dotting on top of each cookie.
- Form the dough into balls with about 3 tablespoons of dough each. You can use a large cookie scoop or a 2 scoops of a medium cookie scoop. You'll get 10-11 very large cookies.
- Place cookie dough balls at least 2 inches apart on the lined cookie sheets. Bake 1 cookie sheet at a time in the oven for 10-12 minutes, or until the tops look just set. As one sheet is baking, place any cookie sheets with unbaked dough in the fridge.
- Cool baked cookies on the cookie sheet for at least 10 minutes. Optionally, add a few extra chocolate chips on top of each cookie.
Notes
- Walnuts: Measure the walnuts after chopping. Toasting the walnuts is optional but recommended.
- Smaller Cookies: If you prefer to make smaller cookies, form the dough into balls with about 1.5 tablespoons of dough each. The cookies will bake for 8-10 minutes
- Freezing the Cookie Dough: Cookie dough balls can be placed in a freezer bag and frozen for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen, as directed in the recipe. They'll likely need 1-2 minutes longer.
- Storage: Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. Cookies are always best fresh.
- Nutrition: Details provided are an estimate only and based on 1 cookie, assuming the recipe yields 10 equal cookies. You may be able to get 11 large cookies from the recipe.
Nutrition
The ingredients so thick I couldn’t hardly mix it. . Sadly the cookies didn’t turn out. Not happy with the recipe waste of ingredients