Bakery-Style Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies

These chocolate chip walnut cookies are thick, chewy cookies made even more irresistible with brown butter and toasted walnuts. Browning the butter adds a subtle caramelized depth that pairs beautifully with melty chocolate and crunchy walnuts throughout the dough. The result is a cookie with crisp golden edges, soft centers, and layers of flavor that feel classic yet elevated. Perfect for cookie lovers who want something comforting with a little extra richness.

These cookies are your classic, old-school style cookie with a new twist. They are perfectly thick but not too thick, they've got great edges but chewy centers and stay delicious for a few days. We brown the majority of the butter to create a delicious caramel undertone in the cookie. Once you've baked with brown butter you won't want to go back. Browning butter is not hard, I have a whole tutorial on how to brown butter.

I highly suggest that you use roasted or toasted walnuts. You can buy pre-roasted walnuts or you can toast them yourself in the oven on a sheet tray for about 5-8 minutes at 350F. This really helps the nuts have the best flavor. Trust me, don't skip it. Another walnut classic is this walnut banana bread!

Flavor Builders in This Dough

• Brown butter: Browning most of the butter creates a deeper caramel flavor that gives these cookies a rich, bakery-style taste.
• Light brown sugar: Adds moisture and chewiness while contributing a subtle molasses note.
• Egg + egg yolk: The extra yolk helps create a soft, chewy center rather than a cakey texture.
• Chocolate chips or chopped chocolate: High-quality chocolate melts more smoothly and creates pockets of gooey chocolate throughout the cookies.
• Toasted walnuts: Toasting enhances their nutty flavor and adds a satisfying crunch in contrast to the soft cookie.

You can most certainly swap the walnuts out for your other favorite nut; macadamia nuts, pistachios, pecans, or even peanuts! Check out my pistachio cookie recipe too!

For ingredient quantities please reference the recipe card below. On the recipe card there is a button for US or M (Metric) measurements.

Let's Bake Some Bakery Style Cookies

You will need to start with browning the butter. For a detailed process check out this post on how to brown butter. 

Pour the brown butter into the bowl of an electric stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a heatproof bowl. Mix in the last 4 tablespoons of butter diced into small pieces. Mix until completely dissolved in the brown butter.

For another dessert with that beautiful walnut crunch don't miss my easy Carrot Cake.

Don't skip these

• After baking 100s of batches of cookie dough I know that using brown butter really enhances the flavor of the dough.
• I have made these cookies with raw walnuts and with toasted walnuts, the toasted walnuts are far superior.
• It may not seem necessary but chilling the cookie dough provides a more well rounded flavor of cookie and a thicker, chewier cookie. Trust me, I've tested 100s of cookie recipes.

★★★★★ Please let me know if you make this recipe by leaving a star rating and comment below!

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Recipe Card

Bakery-Style Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies

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These chocolate chip walnut cookies are thick, chewy cookies made even more irresistible with brown butter and toasted walnuts. Browning the butter adds a subtle caramelized depth that pairs beautifully with melty chocolate and crunchy walnuts throughout the dough. The result is a cookie with crisp golden edges, soft centers, and layers of flavor that feel classic yet elevated. Perfect for cookie lovers who want something comforting with a little extra richness.

• Total Time: 2 hours 32 minutes
• Yield: 26 Cookies 1x

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 8oz (1 Cup) Salted Butter, divided
• 150 grams (¾ Cup) Granulated Sugar
• 150 grams (¾ Cup) Light Brown Sugar
• 1 Large Egg + 1 Large Egg Yolk, at room temperature
• 1 Tablespoon Pure Vanilla Extract
• 344 grams (2 ¾ Cup) All-Purpose Flour/ Plain Flour
• ¾ Teaspoon Baking Soda
• ½ Teaspoon Baking Powder
• ½ Teaspoon Salt
• 213 grams ( 1 ¼ Cup) Chocolate Chips or Chunks
• 1 cup Toasted Walnuts, roughly chopped

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Instructions

1. To brown, the butter cook 6oz (12 tablespoons) of the butter over low to medium heat. Swirl it every so often. The process will take around 5 minutes, depending on the size of your pan. For a detailed process check out this post on how to brown butter. 
2. Continue cooking the butter until you get a nutty aroma. The scent is nutty yet caramel-y. Pour the brown butter into the bowl of an electric mixer or a heatproof bowl. Mix in the last 4 tablespoons of butter diced into small pieces. Mix until completely dissolved in the brown butter.
3. Add in the brown sugar and granulated sugar. Mix until fully combined. Add in the whole egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract until combined for about 30 seconds. At this point, you will have a pretty dark brown color. Let the batter rest for 30 seconds then mix for another minute and a half to two minutes until you achieve a much lighter color. You will end up with a much lighter and thicker batter. 
4. In a separate bowl whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together and set aside. 
5. Mix in the flour mixture until fully combined. Fold in chocolate chips and walnuts. Scoop the dough into balls, I like to use a medium size cookie scoop for about 2 ½ tablespoons of dough per cookie, and place them on a piece of parchment paper or Silpat liner then cover in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours. When ready to bake turn the oven on to 375F/1 C and place 6 cookies spread apart on a silicone-lined or parchment paper baking sheet. 
6. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown but still look a bit undercooked. Then let cool on the tray for 5 minutes sitting on top of a wire rack then transfer the cookies directly onto the wire rack to cool completely. Store in an air-tight container for up to 5 days.

Notes

• Allow the cookies to cool before arranging them in an airtight container. Store the cookies in the freezer for up to 3 months. When it comes time to enjoy them, remove however many cookies you want from the container from the freezer and allow the cookies to thaw at room temperature.
• You can also freeze the cookie dough before baking. Simply complete the recipe up to the point of chilling the dough. Instead of placing the well-wrapped dough in the refrigerator for 2 hours, place it in the freezer for up to 1 month. When you are ready for freshly baked cookies, transfer the cookie dough balls straight to the baking tray and bake. You will probably need to bake the cookies another minute or two- if they do not spread well by minute 9 I would lightly bang the pan on the counter and return it to the oven. This will nudge the cookies to spread.

• Author: Elizabeth Waterson
• Prep Time: 20 Minutes
• Chill Time: 2 Hours
• Cook Time: 12 Minutes
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Bake
• Cuisine: American

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