Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies

Cookie fans! These Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies are a must try, and this recipe is one you’ll be adding to your favorite cookies of all time!

I love the smell of fresh-baked cookies, and there’s nothing quite as tasty as the classic chocolate chip cookie.

Most people don’t know that the original Toll House chocolate chip cookies have walnut in them, but that recipes uses butter, and I think that you’ll like the way that my version bakes up. I think it is a game changer, and for comparison’s sake, I made a batch with butter and one with butter-flavored Crisco to see the difference. You can see that below.

You should probably know that I made these chocolate chip cookies EVERY SUNDAY for 3 years. My kids love them. My husband would eat them until he was sick. After that third year, I told him that I was done. When he realized I was serious, he told me to teach him how to make them, and he would take over. 

Once the kids left for college, we had too many, and he would deliver them to friends who he thought needed them. And when we moved into the BEST neighborhood on the planet, we started inviting the neighbors over. That is how our Cookie Parties got started and how he became THE COOKIE MAN.

If you love a good, indulgent cookie with tons of chocolate chips and crunchy walnuts, this recipe is for you.  It makes thick chocolate chip walnut cookies that are delicious.  This recipe has simple ingredients and is easy to make, and will turn you into the cookie mom/cookie woman/cookie man!!!

Equipment Needed

• A large mixing bowl
• An electric mixer or stand mixer
• Measuring cups and spoons
• A whisk
• A spatula
• A baking sheet
• Parchment paper (I have these in every size they make – amazing!)
• A wire cooling rack
• A flour sifter

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter-flavored Crisco shortening
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 3 eggs (or 2 large eggs)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

How to Make the Perfect Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (176°C) and line your baking sheets with parchment paper

2. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer (stand mixer or hand mixer), combine the shortening, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy.

3. Then mix in the egg one at a time, stirring in the vanilla extract.  Set this bowl aside.

4. Mix the flour, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl using a whisk. Put flour mixture into a sifter and sift into wet bowl.

5. At a low speed, mix the whisked dry ingredients into the wet ingredients mixture until just combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.

6. At medium speed, mix in the semi-sweet chocolate chips and chopped walnuts until their distributed evenly throughout the cookie dough.  To not break up walnuts and chocolate chips, you can fold these ingredients in by hand.

7. Using a large spoon or large cookie scoop, put cookie dough balls of your chocolate chip walnut cookie dough about 2 inches apart onto your cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

8. Bake time is 10-12 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and the cookie center is set.

9. Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.  They’ll still be a little bit soft when they first come out of the oven, but they’ll firm up nicely during cooling.

Once your cookies are cooled, they will keep in an airtight container or your cookie jar for up to a week.

A few tips to get a perfect cookie:

• Don’t overmix the dough, or you may get tough cookies.
• Use good-quality chocolate chips and walnuts.
• If you make the dough ahead of time and refrigerate it, let it come to room temperature before baking unless you want the cookies to be thicker.  If so, refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes or more before baking.
• If you can’t finish them in a week, you can freeze the leftover cookies in a freezer-safe container and thaw them when you want to eat them.

Chewy vs. Crunchy?

Do you like your cookies chewy or crunchy? If you are wondering how to make cookies chewy (or how to make cookies crunchy) we’ve got you covered with technique for each way:

Most chocolate chip cookie recipes call for butter, but we don’t like the way that it makes the cookies kind of melt. We prefer chewy cookies with some structure. For comparison’s sake, I made a batch with butter to show you the difference.

If you prefer the melty-looking ones (because, let’s be real – most of us like the ones that we grew up eating), substitute butter for the shortening. Or, go half and half.

Variations for Chocolate Chip Cookies

• Use milk chocolate, dark chocolate, or even white chocolate chips.
• Instead of walnuts, try pecans, almonds, or macadamia nuts.
• Add dried fruit, like cranberries, raisins, or cherries.
• Try adding some shredded coconut or toffee bits.
• Add extra chocolate chips.
• For a little extra decadence and as an indulgent treat, melt your favorite chocolate and drizzle it over the top of the baked cookies.

With this recipe and these tips, you can make delicious chewy chocolate chip walnut cookies in no time. These chocolate chip walnut cookies strike the perfect balance between crispy edges and a chewy texture. The walnuts add a nutty flavor that goes perfectly with the partially melted and gooey chocolate chips. 

This recipe may become a contender for your new favorite cookie recipe!  So why not try making a large batch of these delicious cookies?

They’re the perfect indulgent treat to share with friends or family, and you can even customize them with your favorite nuts, chocolate, fruit, or other fun ingredients. 

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as our family has!  

If you’re ever in the mood for making some more delicious recipes, don’t hesitate to look around SheShared.com for MORE amazing cookie recipes and recipes for other delicious foods. Other favorite dessert recipes include:

• Nestle Toll House Cookie Bars
• Strawberry Napleons
• Chocolate Bark

Maybe your next favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe will be there!