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Thick and chunky, these Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies have a soft, chewy texture with crunchy walnuts and melted chocolate in every bite. Ready in under an hour!
If you love walnuts and you love chocolate, you are going to LOVE these cookies! These Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies are not your average chocolate chip cookies. They’re based on my Thick Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe, so they stay thick and soft in the center instead of spreading while they bake.
While not quite as large as the original recipe, these chocolate chip walnut cookies are thick and chunky but they will stay soft when they’re baked and a little bit chewy thanks to the cornstarch.
Basically, if you like your chocolate chip cookies with a little texture and you enjoy walnuts, these are the cookies for you!
Key Ingredients
Here are the most important ingredients in these chocolate chip and walnut cookies. Scroll down to the recipe card for the full ingredient list and measurements.
- Unsalted butter – At room temperature.
- Sugar – A combination of brown sugar and granulated sugar are used in these chocolate chip cookies.
- Cornstarch – My secret ingredient to keep these cookies extra soft!
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips – Be sure to reserve some extra to add just before baking.
- Chopped walnuts – See below for notes on toasting.
- Sea salt flakes – Optional but recommended!
Toast the Walnuts
Toasting your walnuts is optional but recommended for extra flavor. It’s so easy too!
Once your oven is preheated, simply spread the walnuts on a baking sheet and bake for 6 to 8 minutes. Stir onces to ensure they’re toasted evenly. Allow to cool before adding to the dough.
These thick chocolate chip cookies with walnuts come together in a few easy steps.
- Cream the butter and sugar. Beat the butter with both sugars until well creamed. Add the eggs and vanilla extract, beating until well incorporated.
- Add the dry ingredients. Whisk the dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Slowly add to the dough, mixing on low speed. Add the chocolate chips and walnuts.
- Bake. Scoop the dough onto the baking sheet, two inches apart. Bake for 11 to 13 minutes.
Tips for Success
Here are a few things to keep in mind while making these cookies.
- Make your dough balls a little larger. I use a large cookie scoop to portion out the dough but instead of leveling off the cookie scoop, I make them just a little larger so the cookies and nice and thick.
- Make sure the butter is not too soft. The butter should be at room temperature but not melted or too soft. Think soft enough for your finger to make a dent if you push on it but not so soft the stick loses shape. Butter that is too soft will cause the cookies to spread and flatten.
- How to tell when the cookies are done? The edges should be crisp while the centers should be slightly underbaked and not too gooey.
- Cool on the baking sheet. Do not transfer these cookies immediately to the cooling rack. Allow them to cool for 15 minutes or so on the baking sheet, so the centers can set and firm up a bit.
Storage & Freezing
These walnut chocolate chip cookies will last for 3 or 4 days when stored in an airtight container at room temperature. Keep in mind that they will be softer and chewier the sooner you eat them.
They also freeze well. I like to wrap each one individually then place it in an airtight container to prevent freezer burn. Thaw on the counter or if you’re impatient like me, pop one in the microwave for 30 seconds. Warm cookie heaven!
- Giant Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Chewy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Giant Chocolate Chip M&M Cookies
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 11 minutes
- Total Time: 41 minutes
- Yield: 22 to 24 cookies
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeDescription
Thick and chunky, these Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies have a soft, chewy texture with crunchy walnuts and melted chocolate in every bite. Ready in under an hour!
Ingredients
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup (220g) packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup (95g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) pure vanilla extract
- 3 cups (420g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons (4g) corn starch
- 1 teaspoon (5g) salt
- 1 teaspoon (4g) baking soda
- 1 bag (12oz/340g) semi-sweet chocolate chips (reserve ¼ cup for topping the cookies)
- 1 ¼ cups (150g) chopped walnuts
- Maldon sea salt flakes (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet. Allow the butter to soften for at least 20 minutes. Chop walnuts if needed.
- Beat the butter with the brown and granulated sugar. Beat on medium speed until well combined, 2-3 minutes until well creamed. Next, add the eggs and vanilla extract and continue beating until well incorporated.
- In a separate bowl, combine the remaining dry ingredients. Stir to combine and slowly add the dry ingredients into the dough, mixing on low speed until the dough starts to form. Before the dough thickens, add the chocolate chips and walnuts. Save ¼ cup of chocolate chips for topping the cookies. Beat until incorporated. Set aside.
- Using a large cookie scoop to scoop the dough and place the dough 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Place extra chocolate chips on top of the dough. Bake for 11-13 minutes. The center of the cookies should be slightly underbaked but not too gooey. Add a pinch of flakey sea salt when it’s fresh out of the oven. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for at least 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.
Notes
Storing: These will last for 3 or 4 days when stored in an airtight container at room temperature. They also freeze well, both as cookie dough or baked cookies. Thaw on the counter before baking the cookie dough.
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
I make these for work and they are always gone so quickly. I use either walnuts or pecans. Whatever I have at the time. I also always use the flaked salt on top. I always put my batter together after work. Then in the morning i make the cookies so everyone at work gets them fresh. I also use a round cookie cutter once they come out and go around each cookie to round them out perfectly. This is such a perfect recipe for me. I love the thicker cookies. Recipe is so versatile. You can change out the chocolate chips with other types. I usually mix some semi sweet chips, milk chocolate and dark chocolate chips to equal the 12 oz. or cut up a bar of chocolate for a different texture. So moist.
Thanks for such another great recipe that i can always count on. Co-workers thank you too.
That’s wonderful Penny, thank you so much!!
Really excited to make these! Is there any way I could add oatmeal to them? If so, how much would you recommend, and should I take away any flour if I do that?
Hi Allison, you would want to swap out some of the flour for oats. You could try maybe 3/4 cups to start? Depends how much oatmeal you want. I have a really good Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie you could add walnuts too instead if you’d like. Here’s the recipe: https://beyondfrosting.com/chewy-oatmeal-chocolate-chip-cookies/
I made these today. They are the best cookies ever. I was a little concerned that they were undercooked but after cooling they were perfect. Thanks for the recioe
That’s wonderful Bob! Thank you so much for sharing!
These are by far the worst chocolate chip cookies I have ever made. I’m giving it 2 star because they did keep their shape and came out thick as the recipe states. However, they are not chewy at all, just thick and dry. Also very bland tasting, not sweet enough and just no flavor.
Oh man, I’m sorry you feel that way Jessie. The base recipe is my absolute favorite. If these were dry, it’s possible the flour was over measured or the cookies were over baked. I recommend that you remove them from the oven before the middle are set which creates the soft and chewy texture.
Any way I can make these without eggs?
I have not tested these with an egg replacement, so I am not sure
These are money worthy!!! Let me tell you, there so good…
I added a teaspoon of cinnamon to mine , other then that everything else was the same besides the sea salt. I believe I may add that next time… Thanks for sharing your recipe…
Yeees! Thank you so much! I love to hear that!
Delicious soft gooey cookies! Everything you said about these cookies is true!
Wonderful! I am so happy you enjoyed them!!! Thank you!
I made these last week for my grandsons. They loved them and asked if I could make more on a weekly basis.
That’s wonderful Julia!! So happy to hear that, thank you!
What does the corn starch do in the recipe? I am allergic to corn, is there an alternative? Thank you.
It helps keep the cookie soft because it’s so thick. You could try using cream of tartar but I have not tested it
First time I’ve seen cornstarch in a choco chip cookie recipe. What does it add?
I covered this in my blog post :). It helps keep the cookies soft and not dry because they’re so thick.
I don’t see at what point you add the optional Maldon flakes unless I missed it?
Thanks Stefanie for letting me know, I add it once the cookies are baked and fresh from the oven, I’ll add the note
Thank you, I have made these a couple of times and they are absolutely phenomenal I cannot even imagine what adding that flaky sea salt will elevate them to!
Yeah!! Thank you so much!