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The silky depth of dark chocolate meets the earthy crunch of walnuts in these Chocolate Walnut Cookies. It’s basically a Hallmark movie that writes itself. Mr. Walnuts has a tough exterior, but Chocolate just knows she can soften him if she can get him into the oven. Tiny cups of milk are in their future. It’s pure, indulgent bliss!
Chocolate Walnut Cookies
Whenever I wake up to one of those mornings where the temperature outside is a little chilly, it makes everything inside feel just a bit cozier. And, that never fails to put me in the mood to bake. I want to fill the house with the scent of something scrumptious in the oven. These chocolate walnut cookies are perfect for mornings like that.
Each cookie is chewy with nice crisp edges, and the walnuts give each bite a wonderful crunch. The chocolate plays nicely with the walnuts. It’s rich, but not overpowering. I have eaten more of these cookies than I can count. But, um, it was all just recipe testing, ok? Totally just another part of the job. In fact, I can feel another “test” coming on, soon.
Dark Chocolate Cookies
Oh, dark chocolate. I could say such nice things about dark chocolate. We go way back. I love its bitterness that adds depth and complexity to chocolate. Make a dessert just sweet enough and balance it well, and I become a diehard fan. And, these dark chocolate cookies with walnuts are exactly that kind of experience.
If you want to add a little flourish to these cookies, I recommend finishing them with quality sea salt flakes. So many flavors and textures are already balanced here. But, you hit these cookies with that salty and sweet combination? Much like the sea salt ice cream that I’ve been telling everyone I meet about lately, the results will be show-stopping, for sure.
Chocolate Walnut Cookie Recipe
These are wonderfully unique cookies. With just a quarter cup of flour in this chocolate walnut cookie recipe, the dough is jam packed with dark chocolate and walnuts. And, each cookie is fudge-y rich and bursting with flavor as a result.
Now, it you don’t happen to be a fan of walnuts, you can substitute pecans. But, hear me out first, ok? The first time I planned to make these cookies, I initially thought to make them with pecans. But, I knew that Sean loves walnuts in his cookies, and decided to go that route. And, oh man. I am so glad that I didn’t use pecans.
In the 10+ years since I first made these cookies, I’ve never again been tempted to swap in pecans. The rich, deep cocoa taste of chocolate plays beautifully with the earthy, slightly bitter notes of walnuts, forming a delicious contrast. Give it a try and see!
Chocolate Cookie Recipes
Are you like me? Do you also find chocolate cookie recipes absolutely crave-worthy? I’ve got more options to choose from, if you’re in the mood to try another.
Dark chocolate toffee cookies are crispy, chewy cookies with a deep chocolate flavor, toffee crunch, and gooey chocolate chips. And, these chocolate turtle cookies are just as crisp and chocolatey with the addition of chewy caramel throughout each bite.
I also think that these chocolate covered marshmallow cookies are fabulous. They’re thick and chewy cookies, topped with gooey marshmallows and a generous dollop of fudge frosting, which makes them a serious crowd pleaser. Caramel stuffed double chocolate chip cookies are a cookie that I crave every single time I see these photos. They are legitimately mouthwatering.
And, one of the simplest, you-need-to-try-this treats there is, chocolate peanut butter ritz cookies are the perfect blend of salty, sweet, peanut butter and chocolate. And, there’s zero baking required! So, they’re a perfect last-minute addition to a holiday cookie tray.
Chocolate Walnut Cookies
Ingredients
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate (I typically use Ghiradelli Bittersweet Dark Chocolate Chips.)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups walnuts chopped
- 6 ounces semi sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl and set aside.
- Melt the bittersweet chocolate and the butter in a double boiler and whisk smooth. If you prefer to use the microwave, combine the butter and chocolate in a glass bowl and heat for 1 minute at a time at 50% power, stirring until smooth. Set aside the melted chocolate to cool to room temperature.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Whisk until thoroughly combined. Slowly drizzle the egg mixture into the melted chocolate, whisking constantly.
- Add the flour mixture to the chocolate mixture and stir until smooth. Add the chocolate chips and chopped nuts and stir again.
- Scoop rounded tablespoons of the dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake until the cookies appear dry on the outside, about 9-10 minutes. Remove from the oven while the cookies are still gooey and soft inside.
- Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling. The cookies will be soft when you place them on the rack, but they will firm up as they cool.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
{originally published 3/15/12 – recipe notes and photos updated 12/12/25}
recipe slightly adapted from and with thanks to Alice Medrich’s Cookies and Brownies via Chef Dennis
Mary, these look amazing!
Wow, that is my kind of cookie! Decadence at its finest 🙂
I am so glad you made those glorious cookies! We must pay homage to the Queen of Chocolate, Alice Medrich!
Thanks for the shout out!
I only had three bittersweet squares. Cut down the nuts to one cup. The cookies were still outrageously good.
I’m so happy you love the cookies, Hughes!
Satisfies the die-hard chocoholics in our home. Thanks!
I’m happy to hear that you like the cookies, Esther!
How many cookies per recipe?
This recipe makes a dozen cookies, Carol.
Can you sub the sugar ?
I’m sure you could, Debbie, but I haven’t tried using any sugar substitutes in this recipe. I couldn’t say how the cookies would turn out.
Was wondering if the 1/4 cup was right, seems like it should be more.
Yes, that is correct. You’ll only need 1/4 cup of flour.
Hi Mary im wanting to make the Chocolate Walnut Cookies, and noticed that there is only 1/4 cup of flour? was wondering if that is an error in the amount?
That is correct, Barbara! You only need a quarter cup of flour for the recipe.
Hi, Mary!
These look awesome to make, but with so little flour in them, what texture are they once baked? I am looking for good cookies and such to make, bake, and send to my daughter in Washington state (I’m on the east coast) as her annual Christmas/New Year’s baking gift package. Would these cookies shipped make it intact, do you think? It takes about five days to get there.
Also, would you recommend that the walnuts be toasted first prior to adding to the cookie dough? Thank you!!
These are a chewy cookie and they tend to hold up well. I think they’ll travel well in an airtight container and I’d recommend that your daughter freeze them as soon as they’re received. I don’t typically toast the walnuts first.
My mom made these every Christmas. They were her favorite. I’ve been looking for this recipe the last several years as I’d lost hers.
I’m so excited to make these. Thank you so much for posting it!!
I’m so glad you found the recipe!
I made these cookies last night and the batter was real wet and the cookies turned out real flat, almost paper thin. I don’t think it had enough flour.
Hey Keesha, I’m sorry to hear that the cookies were a frustration! Did you by chance alter any of the other amounts in the recipe? Reducing the nuts or amount of chocolate would dramatically alter the results here. The nuts actually provide much of the structure to these cookies. I’ve made this recipe exactly as written quite a few times and the cookies turn out as pictured each time. I’m not sure what could have caused them to flat and spread like that for you if you included all of the listed ingredients.