Pillowy soft, deliciously thick, and perfect for dunking in a glass of milk, my Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies recipe is my go-to when I’m in need of a quick chocolate fix. Yielding just 4 large, bakery-sized treats, this small batch of cookies is ideal for my 2-person household. Best of all, you don’t even need to get out your mixer!
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About This Recipe
Hi, my name is Emily, and I’m obsessed with desserts! Me choosing to be a pastry chef was no accident; I’m a firm believer that the world is a better, sweeter place with dessert! As it turns out, there’s usually some form of dessert lurking in the cookie jar or in the fridge at our house. But lately, I’ve been on a bread-baking kick so I haven’t had much in the way of a sweets fix.
Earlier this week, I had a strong hankering for something sweet after dinner, so I threw together these small-batch walnut chocolate chip cookies. And friends? They hit the spot. They’re super soft, nice and thick, and taste just like the cookies you’d get from your favorite bakery. One batch of these bad boys yields just 4 cookies, which gave us 2 days of dessert bliss.
Even better than just being a small-batch cookie recipe, these chocolate chip walnut cookies are made using melted butter, which means there’s no creaming in the recipe. No creaming means no mixer is needed! You’ll just need a mixing bowl and a sturdy spoon to whip them up. Easy peasy!
Ingredients & Substitutions
This walnut chocolate chip cookies recipe uses mostly pantry staples. Here’s what you’ll need:
- All-Purpose Flour - If needed, you should be able to swap in a gluten-free AP flour mixture here with no problems.
- Kosher Salt - If you’re using a different type of salt, be sure to reference this conversion chart for proper measurement.
- Baking Soda - Don’t try using baking powder instead.
- Unsalted Butter - Organic, grass-fed, and/or cultured butter always tastes better than conventional.
- Granulated Sugar & Brown Sugar - I like using both types of sugar in these chocolate walnut cookies. If you’re using just one, I suggest reaching for brown.
- Egg - Per usual, you’ll want to let your egg come to room temperature for easier mixing.
- Vanilla Extract - A tablespoon might sound like a lot for just 4 cookies, but trust me. Amping up the vanilla flavor results in a bakery-style flavor that you’ll adore! Feel free to swap in vanilla powder or paste instead.
- Chocolate Chips - I prefer either semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips to play against the walnuts, but use your own favorite.
- Walnuts - If you can spare an extra minute or two, toasting the walnuts in a dry pan will improve their flavor!
- Flaky Sea Salt - For a little crunch and the perfect balance of salty-sweetness.
Equipment
Perhaps the best part of this small-batch walnut chocolate cookie recipe is how little you need in terms of equipment. Here’s all you’ll need:
- Mixing Bowl & Sturdy Spoon - Yep, you can make these cookies by hand, no mixer necessary!
- Sheet Pan - Investing in nice, unwarped sheet pans is one of the nicest things you can do for yourself if you love to bake.
How To Make A Small Batch Of Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies
These small-batch chocolate chip cookies with walnuts come together in no time at all. Here’s how they’re made:
Step 1: Dry Ingredients. Whisk together the all-purpose flour, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl.
Step 2: Wet Ingredients. Mix together the butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl. Add the dry ingredients and stir until everything is combined. Finally, stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts.
Step 3: Chill the dough for 30 minutes then separate the dough into 4 large cookies total - ball and flatten, top with extra chocolate chips and walnuts if desired.
Step 5: Baking Prep. Prepare your baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the cookies about 4-inches apart on your baking sheets.
Step 6: Bake & Sprinkle. Bake at 350 for 12 minutes or until the edges of cookies are slightly golden - then remove from the oven and top with flaky sea salt while they cool.
Optional Variations
This walnut chocolate cookies recipe is perfect for a quick dessert fix, but there are plenty of ways to customize it for your needs:
- Double the recipe, double the cookie fun. While I built this as a specifically small-batch cookie recipe, you can easily double it for a more shareable batch.
- Swap out your mix-ins. Try using a different kind of nut like pecans, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, or pistachios. Swap in white or milk chocolate, or use different types of baking chips. M&Ms or leftover Cadbury Eggs would also be great here!
Expert Tips
- Don’t skip the chilling step. Chilling your cookie dough helps prevent it from spreading while baking, which results in a softer, thicker, puffier cookie. If you’re feeling super impatient, you can speed up the process a little by using the freezer instead of the fridge.
- Use parchment paper for easy cleanup. Lining your baking tray with a piece of parchment will eliminate the need for scrubbing the pan. I’ll chalk that up as one for the good guys! PRO TIP: If your parchment paper keeps rolling up on itself or otherwise misbehaving, simply crumple it into a ball and then unfurl it. It should now do your bidding!
- Use high-quality chocolate. If you’re in the market for chocolate chips, brands like Guittard and Ghiradelli are the best places to start. You can also give your chocolate walnut cookies some extra textural interest by using chopped bar chocolate or feves instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yep! Cookie dough balls should keep well in the freezer for up to a month. Just pull them out as cookie cravings strike and bake straight from frozen. They may need a few extra minutes to bake to golden perfection.
Since taste is totally subjective, that’s entirely up to you! I love the slight bitterness of walnuts against semi-sweet chocolate, but pecans are a delightful stand-in!
Absolutely! Just swap in your favorite vegan butter.
More Small-Batch Recipes
- Chocolate Chip Cookies Without Brown Sugar
- Layered Lemon Cake with Lemony White Chocolate Frosting
- One Pan Double Chocolate Cake
As always, I love seeing your creations and hearing from you! If you try making this Small-Batch Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies recipe, please leave a review or share your creation with me on social media! You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, Youtube and Pinterest - for more delicious recipes sent straight to your inbox, sign up for my newsletter!
Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies (Small Batch)
Equipment
- Bowls
- Whisk
- Spatula
- Parchment Paper
- Cookie Sheet
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ Cup (150 g) All-Purpose Flour
- ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Baking Soda
- ⅓ Cup (75 g) Unsalted Butter, Melted
- ¼ Cup (55 g) Brown Sugar
- ¼ Cup (50 g) Granulated Sugar
- 1 Egg, large
- 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
- ¾ Cup (150 g) Chocolate Chips, with a few saved for post-bake
- ½ Cup (60 g) Walnuts, chopped
- Flakey Sea Salt, post-bake
Instructions
- Whisk together the all-purpose flour, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl.1 ¼ Cup All-Purpose Flour, ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt, ¼ teaspoon Baking Soda
- Mix together the butter, sugars, egg, and vanilla in a large bowl. Add the dry ingredients and stir until everything is combined. Finally, stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts⅓ Cup Unsalted Butter, ¼ Cup Brown Sugar, ¼ Cup Granulated Sugar, 1 Egg
- Divide the dough into four balls and roll into spheres - place on a lined plate or baking tray. Place your dough in the fridge overnight, or at a bare minimum for thirty minutes - this helps add to the texture, flavor and spreading of the cookie when they are ready to bake.1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract, ¾ Cup Chocolate Chips, ½ Cup Walnuts
- Prepare your baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the cookies about 3-4 inches apart on your baking sheets.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and one sheet at a time, bake your cookies until the edges are firm and the centers are soft, about 12 minutes.
- Sprinkle with flakey sea salt, cool your cookies on a wire rack and enjoy!Flakey Sea Salt
Notes
- Double the recipe, double the cookie fun. While I built this as a specifically small-batch cookie recipe, you can easily double it for a more shareable batch.
- Swap out your mix-ins. Try using a different kind of nut like pecans, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, or pistachios. Swap in white or milk chocolate, or use different types of baking chips. M&Ms or leftover Cadbury Eggs would also be great here!
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