Double Chocolate Chip and Walnut Cookies
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My Chocolate Chip and Walnut Cookies are the perfect mix of chewy and crunchy. Made with a simple cake mix base, they’re quick to prepare and packed with rich chocolate flavor and nutty texture. A great go-to recipe when you want homemade cookies without the fuss.
If you love easy chocolate cookie recipes, try my Chocolate Mint Cookies and my Stuffed Chocolate Cookies. They will satisfy your chocolate lovers and save you some time.
Why this Double Chocolate Chip Cookies with Walnuts Recipe Works
With rich chocolate fudge cake mix as the base, every bite is soft, chewy, and packed with gooey chocolate chips and crunchy walnuts. Best of all, they come together in just minutes, proving that bakery-style indulgence doesn’t have to mean hours in the kitchen. Whether you’re baking for family, friends, or simply treating yourself, this recipe delivers comfort and decadence in every bite.
- Ultimate Simplicity: Using a box of cake mix drastically reduces the number of ingredients to measure, often only needing the mix, eggs, and a fat source (butter or oil).
- Fast Prep: The dough comes together in minutes, often in just one bowl, making it perfect for a quick craving or last-minute baking.
- Soft and Chewy Texture: The cake mix base inherently creates a cookie with a super soft, moist, and chewy, almost brownie-like, texture that stays fresh for days.
- Rich Flavor: The combination of chocolate cake mix and extra chocolate chips provides an intense, double-chocolate flavor that satisfies the deepest cocoa cravings.
Why are My Chocolate Walnut Cookies Flat?
Cake mixes often call for oil, which makes batter looser. If you substitute butter and it’s too soft or melted, cookies spread quickly. Do not skip chilling, the fat melts before the cookie sets, causing spreading.
If the oven runs hot, the fat melts before the cookie edges set. Cake mix is already light; overmixing adds air and weakens structure, leading to collapse.
What Reader’s Are Saying…
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“Love how easy this was to make – short on time & they taste great. Thank you”
~ Glenda
Ingredient Notes for Decadent Chocolate Cookies
If you love easy recipes that take only a dew ingredients but taste like a rich bakery cookie, then you have to make this delicious recipe.
Get the full printable recipe with specific measurements and directions in the recipe card below.
- Chocolate Cake Mix: This is the most important ingredient. It provides all the necessary dry ingredients (flour mixture for structure, sugar for sweetness, cocoa powder for flavor, and chemical leaveners like baking soda for rise) in a pre-proportioned, uniform blend.
- Large Eggs: You need 2 large eggs to make these chewy chocolate cookies.
- Walnuts (Chopped): Adds nutty flavor and crunch. Walnuts add a necessary nutty, earthy flavor that complements the deep cocoa and provide a contrasting crunchy texture to the soft, chewy cookie.
Variations and Substitutions for this Chocolate Recipe
- Chips: Swap out or add to the semi-sweet chocolate chips with white chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, butterscotch chips, dark chocolate chips or mint chocolate chips (for a mint-chocolate variation).
- Nuts: Substitute chopped walnuts with pecans or almonds. You can also omit the nuts entirely.
- Candy: Fold in M&M’s, Reese’s Pieces, or chopped Andes mints/peppermint bark for a festive touch.
- Extra Flavor: Whisk in 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract for depth of flavor, or 1/2 teaspoon of espresso powder to enhance the chocolate flavor.
Special Equipment Needed for the Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
You will need the standard equipment like measuring spoons and wither a stand mixer or hand mixer along with the tools below.
- Cookie Scoop (Recommended): A 1-inch or 1.5-tablespoon scoop ensures uniformly sized cookies, leading to even baking.
- Parchment Paper or Silicone Baking Mats (Recommended): Prevents sticking and makes cleanup easier.
- Wire Rack: Use a wire rack to cool the finished cookies completely.
How to Make Double Chocolate Walnut Cookies
These light and fluffy cookies are a perfect cookie with crispy edges to make during the busy holidays. They have a brownie like consistency that are decadent and delicious.
Get the full printable recipe with specific measurements and directions in the recipe card below.
- Prep: First, pre heat the oven and line the baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- Mix: Mix the ingredients in a large bowl to form the cookie dough. Scraping down the sides of the bowl. Next, add the chips and the nuts to the dough.
- Scoop: Then scoop the cookies onto a baking sheet. Finally, bake the cookies and then let the cookies cool on a wire rack.
Prep Ahead Suggestions for the Chocolate and Walnut Cookie Recipe
You can do several things to prep the chocolate chip and walnut cookie dough in advance. However, this dough comes together very quickly.
- Mix the Dough: The dough can be mixed up to the point of adding the chips and nuts.
- Chill the Dough: The dough is often best when chilled for 30 minutes to 48 hours. Chilling firms the dough, which can prevent over-spreading and result in a chewier, thicker cookie.
- Scoop and Freeze Dough Balls: Pre-scoop the dough into balls and store them in the freezer for easy, on-demand baking.
Alternate Cooking Methods for Fudgy Dark Chocolate Cookies
- Cookie Bars: Press the dough into a greased 9×13 inch pan and preheat oven to 350°f and bake for 20-25 minutes until the edges are set and the center is just barely cooked and has a chewy middle. Cool completely before cutting.
Store, Freezing and Use Leftover Chocolate Chip and Walnut Cookies
- Storing: Room Temperature: Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-5 days. They stay soft.
- Freezing: Cooled, baked cookies can be frozen in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months.
- Using Leftovers:
- Ice Cream Topping: Crumble cooled cookies over vanilla or chocolate ice cream.
- Cookie Crumbles: Process them into fine crumbs to use as a crust for cheesecake or as a topping for yogurt parfaits.
- Cookie Sandwiches: Sandwich them with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of buttercream frosting.
Common Questions About This Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies Recipe
Yes, you can absolutely use butter instead of oil in cake mix cookies, but the swap changes both texture and flavor. You can use the same amount as a 1 to 1 ratio.
I love a good macadamia nut in this recipe but you can use whatever nut your family likes to add that crunchy texture.
Always measure the ingredients exactly, use room temperature ingredients and to find out more, check out this guide.
Expert Tips for Making the Best Chocolate Chip and Walnut Dessert
There are many ways to adapt the basic recipe to make your cookies even better. Check them out below.
- Don’t Overbake: The key to a soft and chewy cookie is to slightly underbake it. The cookies are done when the edges are set and the center is still soft and a little glossy. They will continue to set up as they cool.
- Add a Splash of Vanilla: Even a simple cake mix dough benefits from pure vanilla extract for a more “homemade” flavor.
- For Puffier Cookies: Use a full stick of softened butter instead of melted, and/or add 1-2 tablespoons of flour to the dry cookie mix.
- The Finisher: Immediately after removing the cookies from the oven, gently press a few extra chocolate chips and walnut pieces onto the tops. This is purely for aesthetics but gives a beautiful, bakery-style look.
- Serve this Chocolate Chip and Walnut Cookies recipe with: Christmas Cake Mix Cookies, Snowman Brownies, and my Twix Cookie Bars.
More Recipes You Might Like
Double Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies
Equipment
- OCTAVO 5 Speed Hand Mixer Electric
Ingredients
- 1 box chocolate fudge cake mix
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup chocolate chips
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add cake mix, eggs, and oil into a large bowl. Mix well with a large spoon until all ingredients are combined.
- Add chocolate chips and walnuts. Mix with a large spoon.
- Scoop dough using a cookie scoop, and place onto the parchment lined baking sheet, 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 7-10 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool.
Christina’s Notes
- Add Different Chips: Such as, white chocolate or peanut butter chips, chocolate chunks or semi sweet chocolate chips, or even add extra chocolate chips.
- Short cut tip: Freeze the cookie dough balls on a tray and then put them in the freezer so you can have fresh baked cookies any time.
- Variation tip: Ice your cookies or try a chocolate drizzle for these Double Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies.
- Alternate ingredient: Try adding some candy coated chocolates or sprinkles to your cookies.
- Alternate cooking method tip: Air fryer cookies are awesome, try making this chocolate cookie in the air fryer.
- Dietary consideration tip: Omit the nuts if you know people who might be allergic.
For more helpful information about this recipe, such as variations, substitutions and other pro-tips, scroll up on the page.
These cookies look divine!! What an amazing idea to use cake mix for the dough. Saved the recipe and can’t wait to try them on the weekend.
Love how easy this was to make – short on time & they taste great. Thank you
Always a favorite! Absolutely delicious!