Chocolate Walnut Cookies

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Reader Rating
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 10 cookies

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Double Chocolate Walnut Cookies are soft, chewy and fudgy. Easy to prepare and made with cocoa powder, chocolate chips and chopped walnuts, they’re a chocolate lover’s dream! 

chocolate cookie with chocolate chips with a bite taken out of it

You really can’t go wrong with chocolate desserts, and these chocolate walnut cookies are my current obsession. 

They’re chewy like my coconut cookies, fudgy like my vegan brownies and loaded with walnuts like my thumbprint cookies, so really the best of all dessert worlds. 

I know adding nuts to cookies is potentially controversial — you either love them or you hate them. As you can probably guess, I’m a huge fan and think they add depth to these cookies.

Recipe features

  • A delicious fudgy cookie with a chewy texture
  • Loaded with both chocolate chips and walnuts for added flavor
  • A rich and decadent chocolate cookie recipe 
ingredients to make cookies like flour and sugar

Ingredients

Butter – Preferably unsalted butter. If you use salted butter, omit the salt in the recipe. 

Brown sugar – Light brown sugar is the way to go.

Egg – I used a regular large egg, but a flax egg would work too if you want these to be egg-free. To make a flax egg, mix 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal and 2.5 tablespoons of water together, then let the mixture sit for 5-10 minutes. 

Vanilla – No substitution! Pure vanilla extract is the way to go. 

Flour – All purpose flour or gluten free 1:1 baking flour work best. I haven’t tested these with any other kinds of flour. 

Cocoa powder – Unsweetened cocoa powder is the way to go! 

Chocolate chips – I almost always opt for semi-sweet chocolate chips in my cookie recipes, but dark chocolate chips work too.

Walnuts – Make sure to chop them before adding them in.

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Instructions

Step 1: Mix wet ingredients. Cream the butter and sugar together in a large bowl. Then, add the egg and vanilla and whisk to combine. 

Step 2: Add dry ingredients. Stir the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl. 

Step 3: Combine. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet, then use a stand mixer or hand mixer to mix the dough together, being careful not to over-mix. Fold in the chocolate chips and walnuts by hand. 

2 images: a bowl with whisked butter and sugar on the left and with cocoa powder, flour, chocolate chips and walnuts added on the right

Step 4: Bake. Use an ice cream scooper to scoop the dough and place it onto a baking sheet, spacing the cookies 2 inches apart. Bake them for 10 minutes, then immediately remove the pan from the oven and bang it on the counter top (see tips and tricks section below for instructions on how to do this). Leave the cookies on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. 

raw chocolate cookie dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet

Tips and FAQs

  • Pan-banging method: I talk about this in my almond flour chocolate cookies post, but this method helps the cookies spread out slightly, which improves the overall texture. To do it, remove the baking sheet from the oven, then lift it one inch above your stovetop or countertop and drop the pan onto the counter. Repeat this 3-4 times until you see the cookies spread out slightly. 
  • Make sure to line your baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat mat to ensure the cookies don’t stick. 
  • Don’t pack the flour full. Using too much flour will prevent the cookies from spreading properly. Spoon the flour mixture into the measuring cup to ensure you’re using the correct amount.

Do I have to use walnuts?

Nope — feel free to use your favorite kind of nut. I think almonds or hazelnuts would be delicious. 

Should I toast the walnuts beforehand? 

You can, but I didn’t. If you prefer to toast them, heat the oven to 350°, spread the walnuts out onto a baking sheet and toast them for 6-8 minutes. 

Storage

Room temperature: Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 days. 

Freezer: Store cookies in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months.

Make ahead: Store unbaked cookie dough in a covered bowl up to 2 days before baking.

chocolate cookies with walnuts in them

More chocolate recipes

If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!

5 from 15 votes

Chocolate Walnut Cookies

Servings: 10 cookies
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Total: 25 minutes
Double Chocolate Walnut Cookies are soft, chewy and fudgy. Easy to prepare and made with cocoa powder, chocolate chips and chopped walnuts, they're a chocolate lover's dream! 
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Ingredients 

  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 3/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/3 cup chocolate chips
  • 1/3 cup walnuts, chopped

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 350°. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together, then add the egg and vanilla and whisk to combine.
  • To that same bowl, add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt and stir to combine. Last, fold in the chocolate chips and walnuts by hand.
  • Use an ice cream scoop to scoop the cookie dough onto the baking sheet, leaving at least 2" in between each cookie. Bake the cookies for 10 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven, lift it 1 inch above your counter and drop the pan on the countertop a few times, which will help to flatten out the cookies a bit.
  • Leave the cookies on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. Enjoy!

Notes

*Calories are per cookie and are an estimation

Nutrition

Calories: 251kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 315mg | Potassium: 124mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 322IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 1mg
Did you make this?Leave a comment and star rating below!
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Welcome! I’m Erin, author of the Almond Eater.

Here, you'll find recipes for all diet types, because I believe that healthy food should be delicious without being complicated.

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5 from 15 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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35 Comments

  1. Sharon Kautman says:

    Would this. Be better if the walnuts were toasted first?

    1. Erin Alvarez says:

      You can if you want to!

  2. frida says:

    5 stars
    i did this recipe 5 times in one day because my dad and brothers would eat all the cookies. i recommend it i changed the recipe a bit and did it half this and half without cocoa

    1. Erin Alvarez says:

      LOL that’s amazing — happy to hear everyone liked the cookies!

      1. Tyler Gottschalk says:

        5 stars
        Glad I stumbled upon this recipe as it’s easy and one of the best cookies I’ve ever made! A big hit in this household.

        I used 100/% oat flour which was perfect for the texture.

      2. Erin Alvarez says:

        Wow, thanks for the compliment! And good to know oat flour works in this recipe.

  3. Peggy says:

    Have you ever added cinnamon to this recipe? If so, how much?

    1. Erin Alvarez says:

      I haven’t! If you want to try it, I’d start small, either 1/4 or 1/2 teaspoon. Then, if it ends up being not enough, you can increase by 1/2 teaspoon next time.

  4. LILY says:

    if i froze these, how would i go about defrosting them?

    1. Erin says:

      I’d thaw at room temperature!

      1. lily says:

        thank you very much–they are in the oven now! 🙂

  5. Judy Cox says:

    5 stars
    Would gluten free flour work with this recipe? Would like to try it for friends that eat gluten free.

    1. Erin says:

      Yes, as long as you use gluten free 1:1 flour (I love Bob’s Red Mill brand)

  6. Rachel says:

    5 stars
    These are incredible! A perfect dupe for the four seasons version! I add a tiny bit of sea salt to the top after they cool and it finishes them off perfectly!

    1. Erin says:

      Thanks Rachel! Glad you enjoyed the cookies!