Thick and Delicious Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies

There is nothing like the aroma of freshly baked cookies in the air! My Thick and Delicious Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies have golden-brown edges, a soft center, and a delightful crunch of toasted walnuts. A modern twist to this timeless indulgent cookie that I have added browned butter, which adds a bit of a nutty flavor to the gooey chocolate.

Say hello to your new favorite cookie! 

Why this recipe works

• Walnut chocolate chip cookies are a delicious treat!
• This recipe uses simple ingredients.
• There is the perfect balance of flavors and textures with crunchy walnuts and rich chocolate.

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Ingredients

• White whole wheat flour. All purpose flour can be used. 
• Corn starch. This helps cookies get their soft centers.
• Baking powder.
• Salt.
• Brown sugar. Light brown sugar is used in this recipe but dark brown sugar works as well. 
• White sugar.
• Unsalted butter
• Pure vanilla extract.
• Milk. I like to use 2%. Whole milk works too. 
• Egg.
• Dark chocolate chips. This is what I normally have on hand. Any chocolate chips can be used such semi-sweet chocolate chips. 
• Walnuts.

How to make these easy chocolate chip walnut cookies

1.Start with preheating the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. 

2. Next, brown the butter: Add the butter slices to a small sauce pan on medium/low heat. 

With a spatula or wooden spoon gently stir the butter around as it melts. To avoid burning, do not leave it unattended. As it melts the butter will begin to foam and turn golden brown in about 15 minutes. Meanwhile the milk solids pieces at the bottom of the pan will be brown and you will smell the nuttiness. When done, transfer to a heat safe dish or glass measuring cup. Set it aside and let cool for 10 minutes. 

3. Add the dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl and gently whisk together.

4. In a mixer, add sugars plus the egg. Cream together at medium- low speed. Then add the brown butter when ready. Follow with the adding the milk and the vanilla. 

5. In 2-3 batches, mix in the flour. Then fold in the chocolate chips and the crushed walnuts. Then chill batter for one hour.

6. Using a medium cookie scoop, scoop out 12 cookies and place about 1 inch apart on the cookie sheet. 

7. Place cookies in the preheated oven for about 12-13 minutes or until golden brown. When done, spinkle with a touch of sea salt and let cool for about 10 minutes. Then gently move to a cooling wire rack.

Storing leftover Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies

Store any leftover cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days. If you want to freeze unbaked cookie dough, use a freezer-safe container and store for up to 3 months. The best way to store cookie dough in the freezer is to scoop the dough into dough balls and then freeze. 

Helpful tips for thick chocolate chip walnut cookies

Browning the butter– I learned to brown butter from Sally’s Baking Addiction. She recommends using a light color pan so you can see if the butter is browning. I use a metal sauce pan, which works as well. On medium low heat, browning 1 cup of cold butter can take 15-20 minutes.

My oven and stove top are pretty powerful, so I like to keep the heat on the lower side. It’s best to pull the butter out of the fridge for a bit before you brown it.

If the butter is softer and not as cold, it will take less time to brown. Also another important tip is don’t leave it unattended. Once the butter is foaming and milk solids are turning golden, take it off the heat and transfer to a heat safe dish or glass measuring cup. If you leave it in the hot pan, it will continue to cook and burn it. You can also brown butter in the microwave. Though this is something I haven’t tested. 

I recipe tested this recipe a few times and at first I used whole wheat flour. I noticed it gave a bit of a dryer texture. I later learned white whole wheat flour has a lighter texture- so baking with it will yield a more softer result. And yes- I agree! Whole wheat flour can be used but the texture will be a bit different. 

A hand mixer or a stand mixer with a paddle attachment can be used. 

The bake time can vary depending on your oven. For thick cookies, 12 minutes in my oven is just enough. But if you want to make smaller cookies, you will need to adjust the time to 8-10 minutes in the oven. 

Chilling the dough- Throughout my recipe testing, I didn’t chill the dough. But the last couple of times, I did and I liked the results.  

Serving suggestions and alternatives

Walnuts can be omitted or you can choose your favorite nut. 

Use any kind of chocolate chunks!

Add a pinch of salt to the tops of the cookies once it is out of the oven. 

Recipe inspiration

This chocolate chip walnut cookie is inspired by a recipe from an old school baking cookbook called Good Housekeeping Book of Cookies-Double Chocolate Walnut Drops. While their recipe uses shortening and melted chocolate in the cookie batter, I wanted my recipe to have that modern twist by adding the brown butter. Also the brown sugar gives this cookie crispy edges.

Check out these other delicious treats: Flourless Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies, Stone Fruit Galette and my Easy Fruit Pizza Without Cream Cheese.

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