The Best Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies Recipe – These sweet, soft, and perfectly crumbly butter cookies are loaded with crunchy walnut pieces and mini chocolate chips for a decadent, delightful treat.

plate of 8 chocolate chip walnut cookies on a plate, one cookie with bite taken

Why We Love This Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies Recipe

Chewy cookies, crispy cookies, soft and light and fluffy cookies… We’ve got fantastic recipes for whatever kind of cookie you are craving!

Personally, I am a big fan of treats that are loaded with goodies. Sweet, salty, and/or earthy ingredients take cookies to the next level of deliciousness! And what could be better than a bit of all three?

This Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies Recipe incorporates ground walnuts and mini chocolate chips into a soft, crumbly butter cookie base. The texture and luxurious buttery flavor are so good! Kind of like homemade Pecan Sandies, but with walnuts.

As far as chocolate chip cookie recipes go, this one is one of my favorites. It has a deeper flavor thanks to the ground walnuts in the cookie and more texture with a large walnut on top! If you are a nut fan like me, you are going to go crazy for these easy walnut chocolate chip cookies!

These are great for all kinds of events like holidays, birthday parties, and weekend treats! Our recipe makes a large batch of 48 freezer-friendly cookies, so it’s perfect to make ahead for special occasions or to keep craveable snacks on hand.

top view plate of 5 cookies, one with bite taken

Ingredients You Need

Walnut cookies with chocolate chips use simple, pantry staples! Here’s what you’ll need:

  • Unsalted buttersoftened, for that delightful buttery taste
  • Granulated sugarwhite sugar or other preferred sugar, such as coconut
  • Light brown sugarto get just the right deep, sweet earthiness
  • Vanilla extractessential to bring together the cookie flavors
  • Saltbalances the sweetness
  • All-purpose flouror your preferred GF-friendly baking alternative
  • Mini chocolate chipsyour choice of semi-sweet or dark chocolate
  • Ground walnutsstore-bought or home-ground
  • Walnut halvesraw
hand holding walnut and chocolate chip cookie to camera, with bite taken out

How to Make the Best Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Set out several large baking sheets and line them with parchment paper.

Set out an electric stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a large bowl and a hand mixer. Add the softened butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla extract, and salt to the mixer. Beat on high to cream the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy.

Pro Tip: It usually takes 3 to 5 minutes to cream the mixture properly, but has a huge impact on the texture of the cookies. Stay patient!

large standing mixing bowl with raw dough

Meanwhile, grind 1 cup of walnut pieces in a food processor or blender. Grind long enough to create a fine walnut crumble or flour, but not walnut butter! Save all the prettiest walnut halves for the tops.

Once the butter mixture is light and fluffy, scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula. Then turn the mixer on low and mix in the dry ingredients: all-purpose flour and ground walnuts.

adding measuring cup of ground walnuts to the standing mixer bowl

When the mixture is smooth, mix in the mini chocolate chips. As soon as they are well incorporated, turn off the mixer, so as to not over-mix the dough.

standing mixer bowl and paddle with chocolate chip and walnut raw cookie dough

Use a 1 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop, a cooking scale, or a spoon to measure out 1-ounce balls of dough. Roll the balls tightly and place them on the parchment-lined baking sheets 2 inches apart.

Tip: Wash, dry, and lightly butter your hands to smoothly roll the dough balls.

round balls of cookie dough on parchment

Then press a walnut half in the top of each ball, pressing down until the cookie is about 3/4 of an inch tall

Get the Complete (Printable) Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies Recipe + Video Below. Enjoy!

hand adding walnut half to each raw cookie dough ball

Bake the cookies for 15 to 18 minutes. Check at the 15-minute mark…

baked chocolate chip walnut cookies on parchment on a baking sheet

The centers should be barely cooked through but not doughy, and the edges should be just slightly golden and crisp.

Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for at least 5 minutes to continue firming.

Transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Enjoy!

top view 12 baked chocolate chip walnut cookies on parchment paper

Tips & Tricks

  • Don’t over-mix the cookie dough! The trick to that soft, chewy texture is to only mix the cookie dough until everything is just combined. Over-mixing can result in a tough cookie!
  • These cookies will look underdone when you take them out of the oven! The outsides should just be starting to color and the inside will still be quite soft. They will cook more on the hot baking sheet when you take them out of the oven, and will set even more when on the cooling rack!
  • You can make pecan chocolate chip cookies by simply replacing the ground walnuts and walnut halves with pecans here!
side view 5 walnut and chocolate cookies on a plate, one with bite taken

Frequently Asked Questions

Can these chocolate chip cookies be made with pecans?

Yes, you can make these amazing cookies with pecans!

How do I make gluten-free walnut cookies?

Substitute all-purpose flour with your favorite GF baking mix.

Why does this chocolate chip cookies recipe not use eggs?

It might be odd to see a cookie recipe like this without eggs, but that is because this cookie base is more like a shortbread cookie than a classic chocolate chip cookies! This gives it that crumbly, buttery texture that is to die for.

Can this walnut cookie recipe be made without chocolate chips?

You certainly leave out the mini chips for purely walnut-tastic treats.

How many cookies does this recipe make?

This is a LARGE recipe that yields 48 cookies (which accounts for all the butter). You can half it, or store some of the cookie dough in the freezer for later.

How do you freeze walnut cookie dough?

Roll the raw cookie dough into a log shape, wrap it in plastic, and transfer it to an airtight container or zipper bag. Keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw the dough in the refrigerator overnight, then unwrap and continue the recipe as instructed.

How long do homemade cookies last?

Baked cookies will keep well for up to 5 days at room temperature. To freeze, wrap each cookie in plastic wrap, then place them all together in an airtight zipper bag. Keep in the freezer for up to 3 months, and defrost on the counter or in the fridge overnight.

close view chocolate chip cookies with walnuts on a plate

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Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookie Recipe + Video

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
These sweet, soft, and perfectly crumbly butter cookies are loaded with crunchy walnut pieces and mini chocolate chips for a decadent, delightful treat! Our chocolate walnut cookies recipe makes a large batch – perfect for special occasions or to make ahead and freeze.
Servings: 48 cookies

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Set out several large baking sheets and line them with parchment paper.
  • Set out an electric stand mixer. Add the softened butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla extract, and salt to the mixer. Beat on high to cream the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy. *It usually takes 3 to 5 minutes to cream the mixture properly, but has a huge impact on the texture of the cookies.
  • Meanwhile, grind 1 cup of walnut pieces in a food processor or blender. Grind long enough to create a fine walnut crumble or flour, but not so long you make walnut butter! Save all the prettiest walnut halves for the tops.
  • Once the butter mixture is light and fluffy, scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula. Then turn the mixer on low and mix in the all-purpose flour and ground walnuts. When the mixture is smooth, mix in the mini chocolate chips. Once they are well incorporated, turn off the mixer, as to not over-mix the dough.
  • Use a 1 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop, or a cooking scale, to measure out 1 ounce balls of dough. Roll the balls tightly and place on the baking sheets 2 inches apart.
  • Press a walnut half in the top of each ball, pressing down until the cookie is about 3/4 of an inch tall.
  • Bake the cookies for 15 to 18 minutes. Check at the 15 minute mark. The centers should be just barely cooked through but not doughy, and the edges should be just slightly golden. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets to continue firming.

Video

Notes

Yes, you can make these amazing cookies with pecans.
This is also a great recipe to make with GF baking mix instead of wheat flour.
Freezing Dough: Roll the raw cookie dough into a log shape, wrap it in plastic, and transfer it to an airtight zipper bag. Keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw the dough in the refrigerator overnight, then unwrap and continue the recipe as instructed.
Freezing Cookies: Baked cookies will keep well for up to 5 days at room temperature. To freeze, wrap each cookie in plastic wrap, then place them all together in an airtight zipper bag. Keep in the freezer for up to 3 months, and defrost on the counter or in the fridge overnight.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie, Calories: 172kcal, Carbohydrates: 16g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 21mg, Sodium: 53mg, Potassium: 36mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin A: 246IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 15mg, Iron: 1mg
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Author: Sommer Collier
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