If you’re craving big, soft, homemade easy chocolate chip cookies that melt in your mouth, you’ve come to the right place! These easy chocolate chip walnut cookies are soft, chewy, and packed with melty chocolate and crunchy walnuts in every bite.
Whether you're baking for your kids, a cozy family night, or just treating yourself, this quick cookie recipe is a total crowd-pleaser!
Why You’ll Love This Cookie Recipe
- Perfect with a cold glass of milk or tea!
- Quick and easy to make with pantry staples.
- Soft and chewy with crisp edges.
- Kid-friendly and perfect for any occasion.
- Packed with gooey chocolate and crunchy nuts.
What Each Ingredient Does in These Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Butter - Softened butter is the base of the dough and gives cookies that rich, melt-in-your-mouth flavor. It also helps create a soft, chewy texture. Be sure it’s softened, not melted.
- White Sugar - Adds sweetness and helps the cookies spread slightly as they bake. It gives those golden crisp edges that balance the soft center.
- Brown Sugar - Contains molasses, which adds moisture and a deeper caramel flavor. It helps give the cookies their classic chewy texture.
- Eggs - Act as a binder and provide structure. They also help keep the cookies soft and tender.
- Vanilla Extract - Boosts and deepens the flavor of all the other ingredients—don’t skip it!
- Hot Water + Baking Soda - Dissolving baking soda in hot water helps it distribute evenly. Baking soda gives cookies their rise and softness.
- Salt - Balances out the sweetness and enhances the chocolate and nutty flavors.
- Flour - Gives the cookies structure. Be sure to spoon it into your measuring cup and level it off (rather than scooping), to avoid dry or dense cookies.
- Chocolate Chips - These add pockets of melty, sweet goodness. Semi-sweet is classic, but dark or milk chocolate work great too.
- Walnuts - Add a nutty crunch that complements the chocolate. Blend them for subtle texture or leave them chunky for a nice bite. You can also skip them for a nut-free version!
How to Make Chocolate Chip Cookies
Step One: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step Two: In a large bowl, whisk together the softened butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until the mixture is light and creamy.
Step Three: Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, then stir in the vanilla extract.
Step Four: Dissolve the baking soda in hot water, then pour it into the batter and mix to combine.
Step Five: Gradually stir in the flour and salt until just incorporated—be careful not to overmix to keep your cookies tender.
Step Six: Gently fold in the chocolate chips and chopped walnuts.
Step Seven: Using an ice cream scoop or spoon, drop evenly sized mounds of dough onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
Step Eight: (Optional) Press a few extra chocolate chips on top of each cookie dough mound for that classic bakery look.
Step Nine: Bake for 10 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown but the centers still look soft.
Step Ten: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Pour yourself a glass of milk and enjoy your warm, chewy cookies!
Pro Tips for Perfect Big Cookies
- Don’t scoop flour straight from the bag! Spoon it into your measuring cup and level it off to avoid adding too much.
- Use room-temperature butter for the perfect texture.
- Want extra soft cookies? Bake until just golden on the edges—they’ll finish setting as they cool!
- Use the paddle attachment if using a stand mixer to avoid overmixing.
- Add flaky sea salt on top before baking for an elevated twist!
Frequently Asked Questions About Baking Cookies
Cookies usually don’t spread if there’s too much flour or if the butter is too cold. Be sure to measure your flour correctly—spoon it into the measuring cup and level it off—and use softened butter (not straight from the fridge or melted).
This can happen if the butter was too warm or if the dough was overmixed. Try chilling the dough for 15–30 minutes before baking to help the cookies hold their shape better.
Yes! Scoop the dough onto a tray and freeze until firm, then transfer to a zip-top bag. Bake straight from frozen—just add 1–2 extra minutes to the bake time.
Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can add a slice of bread to the container to keep them soft.
Absolutely. You can leave out the walnuts or substitute them with pecans, almonds, or even white chocolate chips for a nut-free version.
Bake until the edges are golden brown and the centers look just set. They’ll continue to cook on the baking sheet after coming out of the oven—don’t overbake!
You can, but the flavor and texture will be different. Butter adds richness and helps create that chewy texture, so it's highly recommended for best results.
More Kid-Friendly Dessert Recipes:
- Strawberry Stuffed French Toast
- Recipe for 1 Hour Cinnamon Rolls
- Best Cookies Recipe - Oreshki with Dulce de Leche Cream
- Oatmeal Banana Cookies
- Pink Cake Pops
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📖 Recipe
Big Chocolate Chip Cookies
Equipment
- mixer
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter softened
- 2 teaspoons hot water
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups chocolate chips
- 1 cup walnuts chopped or blended
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the softened butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until creamy.
- Mix in the eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla and stir to combine.
- Dissolve baking soda in hot water and mix it into the batter.
- Add flour and salt. Stir until just combined—don’t overmix!
- Fold in the chocolate chips and walnuts.
- Scoop dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet using an ice cream scoop for even sizes.
- Optional: Add a few chocolate chips on top for that bakery-style look!
- Bake at 350°F for about 10 minutes, or until edges are golden brown.
- Pour a glass of cold milk or hot tea and enjoy warm, melty cookies right out of the oven!
Notes
- Avoid scooping flour directly from the bag—instead, spoon it gently into your measuring cup and level it off for the best results.
- If you’re using a stand mixer, opt for the paddle attachment to mix without overworking the dough.
- For thicker cookies or to prevent spreading in a warm kitchen, chill the dough for 15–30 minutes before baking.
- Sprinkle a pinch of flaky sea salt on top before baking to add a delicious, gourmet touch!
Nutrition
Yolanda Phillips
The taste is amazing but my cookies did not flatten. I thought I followed the recipe correctly. Could I be over beating the sugar and butter? It said to whisk so I too used my kitchen aid whisker. Any help would be appreciated 🤗
Love Keil
So glad you loved the taste Yolanda! 🤗 Yes, over-beating with the whisk can add too much air—try the paddle attachment and mix just until creamy. Also, too much flour can stop cookies from spreading. Be sure to spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off (don’t scoop straight from the bag). Hope that helps—happy baking! 🍪💛
Angela Sharpelyuk
So PERFECT! We've been through a dozen recipes of chocolate chip cookies to try and find the perfect consistency of chewy center and these ARE IT! Thanks????
Munchkin Time
Omg! Thank you for giving this recipe a try and for an amazing recipe review!
Anisa
This will be my for ever new recipe i love it
Munchkin Time
I am glad to hear that Anisa!:)
Ileana Berumen
Que delicia de galletas! Saludos desde Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, México
Munchkin Time
Thank you so much Ileana! 😀