Name: Chewy Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 27 min
Ingredients: 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened; ¾ cup granulated sugar; ¾ cup packed light brown sugar; 1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk; 2 tsp vanilla extract; 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour; 1 tsp baking soda; ½ tsp kosher salt; 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips; 1 ½ cups chopped walnuts; Flaky sea salt for finishing (optional)

These chocolate chip walnut cookies are thick in the middle with crisp edges and plenty of melted chocolate in every bite. The walnuts add a toasty crunch that makes them feel a little more grown-up than the classic, but they still hit that warm, fresh-from-the-oven spot every single time.

If you have been chasing that bakery-style chewiness without ending up with flat, greasy puddles, this is the recipe I keep coming back to.

Why These Are My Go-To Cookies

I love a cookie that stays soft for days, and the extra egg yolk plus a higher brown sugar ratio does exactly that. The centers stay tender while the edges bake up lacy and crisp, so you get both textures in one cookie.

The walnuts toast right in the oven as the cookies bake. That warm, nutty smell hits you before you even pull the tray out, and the flavor sits in the background without overpowering the chocolate.

This is a dough that needs zero chill time, which means you can be eating a warm cookie less than half an hour after the craving strikes.

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened: letting it sit out for 30 minutes is enough, it does not need to be super soft
¾ cup granulated sugar: helps the edges spread and get crisp
¾ cup packed light brown sugar: keeps the centers chewy
1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk: the extra yolk adds richness and chew
2 tsp vanilla extract: use the real stuff if you have it
2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour: spoon it into the cup and level it, do not scoop directly from the bag
1 tsp baking soda: helps the cookies puff up, then settle into their crinkly tops
½ tsp kosher salt: if using table salt, use a little less
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips: I like ones around 60% cacao for a bittersweet edge against the sweet dough
1 ½ cups chopped walnuts: chop them from halves so you get chunky bits, not dusty crumbs
Flaky sea salt for finishing: optional, but a few crystals on top right out of the oven are a good move

Variations / Substitutions

Brown the butter: melt the butter and cook it until the milk solids turn amber, then cool until solid again before creaming. This gives you a deep, caramel-like undertone that plays well with walnuts.
Different nuts: toasted pecans or hazelnuts swap in 1:1, just chop them about the same size.
All chips, no nuts: leave out the walnuts and add an extra ½ cup of chocolate chips so the cookies still feel loaded.
Dairy-free version: stick margarine or a plant-based butter stick works, keep everything else the same.

Chocolate Dipped Shortbread Cookies are next on our list if these cookies are your kind of dessert.

How to Make Chewy Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies

Step 1: Cream the Butter and Sugars

Put the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar into a large bowl. Beat with a hand mixer on medium speed until the mixture looks fluffy and noticeably lighter in color, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides once so no butter chunks hide at the bottom.

You will see the sugar granules dissolve into the butter, and the whole thing will become pale and almost mousse-like. If the butter was too cold it will stay chunky, so give it a little more time.

Step 2: Beat in the Egg and Vanilla

Add the whole egg, the extra egg yolk, and the vanilla extract to the butter mixture. Beat on low just until everything is combined and the mixture looks smooth and silky, around 30 seconds.

Stop as soon as the streaks of yolk disappear. Overmixing here can make the cookies dense later, so a gentle hand now pays off.

Step 3: Mix in the Dry Ingredients

Whisk the 2 ¼ cups flour, 1 tsp baking soda, and ½ tsp kosher salt in a separate bowl so the leavening is evenly distributed. Dump the dry mix into the wet ingredients all at once, then stir with a wooden spoon or a spatula just until no dry flour pockets remain.

The dough will look a little soft and sticky, and you should still see a few faint flour streaks when you start folding in the next ingredients. The last bits will finish mixing in with the chocolate and walnuts.

Step 4: Fold in the Chocolate and Walnuts

Pour in the 2 cups chocolate chips and the 1 ½ cups chopped walnuts. Fold them through the dough with a spatula, scooping from the bottom and turning the bowl as you go. Stop when the chips and nuts are suspended evenly and the dough looks uniform.

At this point the dough is thick enough to hold its shape on a spoon. It will smell sweet and buttery with bits of chocolate pressing against the sides of the bowl.

Step 5: Scoop and Bake

Heat the oven to 375°F and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop the dough by rounded tablespoonfuls (a number 40 cookie scoop holds about 1 ½ tbsp) and space them 2 inches apart on the sheets. Bake one sheet at a time on the middle rack for 10 to 12 minutes. The cookies are done when the edges are set and golden brown but the centers still look slightly underdone and puffy.

That underbaked look is exactly what you want. The residual heat from the pan will finish cooking the centers while they cool, leaving you with that soft, chewy middle. If you wait until they look completely set in the oven, they will be crisp all the way through.

Step 6: Sprinkle with Salt and Cool

Pull the baking sheet out of the oven and immediately sprinkle a few flakes of sea salt over the hot cookies if you are using it. Let the cookies rest on the sheet for 5 minutes so they firm up enough to lift without bending, then slide a spatula under each one and move them to a wire rack.

They will be fragile at first, so be gentle. After cooling completely, the tops sink into those classic crinkles and the chips set into glossy little pools.

Tips for Chewy Cookies

Measure flour by spooning it into the cup and sweeping off the excess. Scooping straight from the bag packs in too much flour and makes the cookies dry and puffy instead of chewy.
Do not overmix once the flour is in, or the gluten will make the cookies tough. Stop mixing as soon as the dough comes together.
Using a cookie scoop gives you even-sized dough balls that bake at the same rate. The first tray might need 10 minutes and the second 9, so watch the color.
If you want thicker cookies that spread less, chill the portioned dough balls for 30 minutes while the oven heats.

Bake times by cookie size:

Scoop Size	Dough per cookie	Bake time at 375°F
Tablespoon	about 1 ½ tbsp	10–12 minutes
Golf ball	about 3 tbsp	13–15 minutes
Jumbo scoop	about ¼ cup	15–17 minutes

Storing Leftovers

Keep the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature with a slice of bread tucked inside. The bread releases just enough moisture to keep them soft for 4 to 5 days. For warm cookies from the stash, microwave one for 8 to 10 seconds.

The dough freezes well too. Scoop it into balls onto a parchment-lined tray, freeze until solid, then bag them up and bake straight from frozen, adding a minute or two to the time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make these without walnuts?

Yes, just leave them out and add an extra ½ cup of chocolate chips so the cookie still feels full of something good. The bake time does not change.

Why did my cookies spread into thin pancakes?

The butter was likely too warm when you started, or the dough sat on a hot baking sheet. Chill the scooped dough balls for 20 minutes and always use a cool sheet for each batch.

Can I use dark chocolate instead of semisweet?

Absolutely. Chips or chopped bars around 70% cacao work really well, especially against the sweet nuts. The flavor will be deeper and less sweet.

How do I get that shiny, crackly top?

Beating the butter and sugars until pale and fluffy creates tiny air pockets that lift the dough as it bakes, and using an extra egg yolk adds richness that helps the surface develop that sheen.

Can I swap the egg yolk for a whole egg?

You can, but the texture will be a little less chewy and more cakey. If you only have whole eggs, use two whole eggs and reduce the flour by 1 tablespoon.