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If you love rich, chocolatey cookies with a bit of crunch, these chocolate walnut cookies will quickly become a favorite. The dough is enhanced with melted unsweetened chocolate for deep flavor and coated in sugar before baking, giving them that beautiful crackled look.
A touch of espresso powder is optional but recommended to intensify the chocolate taste. Chopped walnuts add texture, but hazelnuts or pecans work just as well—or you can skip the nuts entirely for a softer, simpler cookie.
The dough is easy to mix, chills quickly, and bakes into evenly shaped cookies with crisp edges and soft centers. Whether you keep the walnuts or try another nut, these cookies are an excellent choice for holiday trays, everyday snacking, or gifting.
What You’ll Like About These Cookies
Deep chocolate flavor. Melted unsweetened chocolate and optional espresso create a rich, bold cookie.
Chewy texture. Brown sugar and melted chocolate help the cookies stay soft with slightly crisp edges.
Customizable. Swap walnuts for pecans, hazelnuts, or skip nuts entirely.
Ingredient Notes
- Butter: Softened butter creams smoothly and helps create a tender, chewy texture.
- Brown sugar: Adds moisture and deeper caramel notes.
- Unsweetened chocolate: Provides bold chocolate flavor; melt and let it cool slightly before using.
- Cream of tartar: Contributes to the cookies’ crackled tops.
- Espresso powder: Optional but enhances chocolate flavor without making the cookies taste like coffee.
- Walnuts: Finely chopped nuts add texture; other nuts can be substituted.
- Granulated sugar: Used for rolling to create the sparkly coating and subtle crunch.
How to Make These Cookies
- Lightly grease baking sheets or line them with parchment paper.
- Cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, then beat in the egg, vanilla, and cooled melted chocolate.
- In another bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt, and optional espresso powder. Stir the dry ingredients into the chocolate mixture, then fold in the chopped walnuts.
- Cover and refrigerate the dough until firm. While the dough chills, preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Shape the dough into 1-inch balls, roll them in granulated sugar, and place on prepared baking sheets. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the cookies are set.
Pro Tip:
Chill the dough thoroughly before shaping. Cold dough not only helps the cookies hold their shape but also produces the best crackled tops after baking.
Recipe Variations
- Add espresso powder. A teaspoon of espresso powder deepens the chocolate flavor.
- Swap the nuts. Use hazelnuts, pecans, or even macadamias instead of walnuts.
- Make them nut-free. Omit the nuts for a softer, chocolate-only cookie.
- Add a hint of spice. A pinch of cinnamon or cayenne adds a subtle warmth.
- Double the chocolate. Stir in 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips for extra richness.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve these cookies with coffee or espresso for a perfect pairing.
- Pair with a glass of cold milk for a classic treat.
- Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream and make a quick cookie sandwich.
- Garnish a dessert platter with these cookies and some fresh berries.
How to Store and Reheat
Refrigerate. Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Freeze. Freeze the cookie dough balls (before rolling in sugar) for up to 3 months; bake straight from frozen, adding 1 to 2 minutes to the baking time. Baked cookies can also be frozen for up to 2 months.
To Reheat. Warm cookies in the microwave for about 10 seconds to restore their soft texture.
Chocolate Walnut Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
- 1 ⅓ cups flour
- 1 tsp cream of tartar
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder (optional)
- ½ cup finely chopped walnuts
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, combine the brown sugar and butter and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract. Beat in the cooled melted chocolate.1 cup light brown sugar | 1/2 cup unsalted butter | 1 large egg | 1 tsp vanilla extract | 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cream of tartar, soda, salt, and espresso powder, if using; mix well. Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture and stir until well combined. Fold in the walnuts.1 1/3 cups flour | 1 tsp cream of tartar | 1/2 tsp baking soda | 1/4 tsp salt | 1 teaspoon espresso powder (optional) | 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
- Cover the bowl and chill for 45 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Put the 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar in a bowl. Shape dough into 1-inch balls and roll in the sugar. Arrange the cookies on the prepared baking sheet.2 tbsp granulated sugar
- Transfer the baking sheets to the oven and bake the cookies for 12 to 15 minutes, or until they are firm.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Nutrition
Disclaimer:
Our nutritional information is based on a third-party application that analyzes the ingredients list to determine the values. The information is meant to be helpful, but should be considered an estimate. Values may differ depending on measurements, brands, serving variations, and database availability.
