Walnut Brownie Cookies
These Walnut Brownie Cookies are made with a rich chocolate cookie studded with semi-sweet chocolate chips, topped with a smooth chocolate ganache and finished with a handful of chopped toasted walnuts! They are a chocolate lover’s dream!
The Crumbl Walnut Fudge Brownie Cookies weren’t my favorite, so I hope you love this better than Crumbl version of walnut brownie cookies! For more delicious chocolate brownie cookie recipes, be sure to try my Crumbl Brownie Batter Cookies, Crumbl Peanut Butter Brownie Cookies, and Crumbl Mint Brownie Cookies!
Why This Recipe Works
- Generously topped with walnuts. These walnut chocolate cookies are rich and delicious! And what’s even better is the walnut portion on the cookies actually gives you walnuts in every single bite!
- Rich chocolate walnut cookies. The chocolate cookie base for these cookies is perfectly sweet to pair with the rich chocolate content in the cookies and in the chocolate ganache.
- A texture party! You guys know how much I love textures! These walnut chocolate cookies deliver on all fronts! The moist chocolate cookie with the bites of semi-sweet chocolate chips, then the smooth chocolate ganache and the crunch of the walnuts on top! It’s perfection!
Ingredient Notes
- Unsalted Butter: If using salted butter instead of unsalted, reduce the amount of salt 1/4 of a teaspoon per 1/2 cup of butter in the recipe.
- Light Brown Sugar: You can use dark brown sugar or light. The only difference is there is a higher content of molasses in the dark brown sugar, so you’ll get a richer molasses color and flavor in the brownie walnut cookies.
- Light Corn Syrup: The tiny bit of corn syrup is important because it helps keep the cookies softer longer.
- Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder: This cocoa powder is different from unsweetened or natural cocoa powder. You’ll want to use the Dutch process cocoa powder for these cookies for a dark chocolate look and flavor. For more information, read more about the Best Cocoa Powder for Baking.
- Cornstarch: The cornstarch helps keep the cookies moist! The cornstarch locks onto the moisture in the cookie dough and holds onto it!
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips: Just like delicious walnut brownies that have chocolate chunks in them, we add some to these chocolate walnut cookies too!
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate: Use a baking chocolate bar. Chocolate chips contain stabilizers which help them keep their shape. Baking chocolate doesn’t have stabilizers.
- Walnuts: The Crumbl Walnut Fudge Brownie Cookies from the shop had a pitiful amount of walnuts on top! I was a little disappointed. So, we’ve amped up the amount of walnuts! You can also add walnuts into the cookie dough as well (anywhere from 1/4-1/2 cup chopped walnuts).
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Toast the walnuts. Place the 1/2 cup walnuts on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Toast in an oven preheated to 350°F for 8 minutes. Remove and roughly chop. Set aside.
- Make the chocolate brownie cookie dough. Cream the butter and sugars in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment until smooth. Add the eggs, corn syrup, and vanilla extract and combine. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl and mix until just combined.
- Portion into dough balls. Using a 1/4 cup, portion the dough into balls. Place 6 on the prepared baking sheet. Using the palm of your hand, gently press down on the dough balls to create thick disks.
- Bake the Crumbl walnut brownie cookies. Bake at 350°F for 10-11 minutes or until the edges are set and the tops of the cookies are no longer overly shiny. Remove. Do not over bake. Let cool on the pan for 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the chocolate ganache. Place the chopped chocolate in a heat-proof bowl. Heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove and immediately pour over the chocolate. Do not stir! Let sit for 2-3 minutes. Gently stir until smooth.
- Add the toppings to the walnut brownie cookies. Spoon some of the chocolate ganache on the brownie cookies. Top with a tablespoon of walnuts per cookie. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips
When adding the dry ingredients to the bowl with the creamed wet ingredients, do not over mix! If you over mix the dough, it will get tough (similar to over kneading bread).
Flattening the cookie dough into thick disks will help the cookies bake into the perfect thickness. Without gently flattening them a touch, they will end up baked in a similar shape as the dough balls.
You can add some chopped walnuts to the cookie dough as well as on top if you want even more walnuts.
Using the baking chocolate for the chocolate ganache will give you a smoother texture. Chocolate chips are made with stabilizers to help them keep their shape. That’s why when you make Chocolate Chip Cookies, the chocolate doesn’t melt into the dough and disappear. Baking chocolate doesn’t have stabilizers so it will melt and incorporate with the cream better to get a much smoother ganache texture.
Make Ahead, Storing, and Freezing
If making the walnut brownie cookie dough ahead of time, store the dough in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Remove and let come to room temperature then form into dough balls and continue following the recipe from there.
Store any leftover walnut chocolate cookies in an airtight container in the fridge for 5-6 days. The cookies need to be stored in the fridge if they are topped with the chocolate ganache (due to the heavy cream in the ganache).
Walnut chocolate cookies that don’t have the ganache on top can be store in an airtight container or Ziplock bag at room temperature for 3-4 days.
To freeze the cookies (that are topped with ganache and chopped walnuts), flash freeze on a baking sheet until the ganache is firm. Wrap in plastic wrap and store in an airtight container or freezer-safe bag in the freezer for 1-2 months. Remove let thaw in the fridge for a few hours, then remove the plastic wrap and continue to thaw in the fridge.
To freeze the cookie dough, roll into balls and gently flatten into the thick disks. Flash freeze on a baking sheet until firm. Transfer to an airtight container or freezer-safe bag and freeze for 2-3 months. Remove and bake from frozen. You may need to add an additional minute onto the bake time.
My post on Freezing Cookie Dough goes through everything you need to know about storing cookie dough, freezing cookie dough, and baking frozen cookie dough!
Recipe FAQs
Yes you absolutely can! To up the amount of walnuts, add 1/4-1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts to the cookie dough at the very end. I recommend simply stirring them in with a spatula.
Sure, but the cookie flavor and color won’t be the same. See my Best Cocoa Powder for Baking post for more details.
There are brownie recipes that do have walnuts in them! It’s a popular mix-in with chocolate brownies. That’s why these walnut brownie cookies taste just like those brownies! They have the semi-sweet chocolate chips in the cookies, the fudgy chocolate ganache on top, and are topped with a ton of deliciously toasted chopped walnuts!
More Brownie Cookies
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Walnut Brownie Cookies (Crumbl Copycat)
Ingredients
Brownie Cookies
- 1 cup unsalted butter - softened
- 1 1/4 cups light brown sugar - packed
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup dutch processed cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Topping
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 4 oz semi-sweet chocolate - finely chopped
- 1/2 cup walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside.
- Toast the walnuts. Once the oven has preheated, place the ½ cup of walnuts on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 8 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and roughly chop. Set aside. We will use the walnuts for topping once the cookies have been baked and topped with the chocolate topping.
- Make the cookie dough. Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment cream the butter, brown sugar, and sugar on medium speed for 1-2 minutes. Add the eggs, corn syrup, and vanilla extract and mix until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
- Add the flour, cocoa, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Mix until the dough comes together.
- Using a ¼ cup, portion the dough into round balls. Place the balls on the baking sheet. Using the palm of your hand press down on each ball until it creates a very thick disk. Place 6 per cookie dough balls per baking sheet.
- Bake for 10-11 minutes or until edges are set and the center is no longer overly shiny, be careful not to overbake.
- Remove from oven and let cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the chocolate topping. Place chopped chocolate in a medium sized heat-safe bowl. Place the heavy cream in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Once boiling immediately pour the heavy cream over the chocolate and let sit 2-3 minutes. Gently stir the chocolate and cream until smooth.
- Spoon a tablespoon of the ganache over each cookie, sprinkle with a tablespoon of chopped walnuts.
- Enjoy warm or at room temperature.
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4 Comments on “Walnut Brownie Cookies”
Tried these and they are tasty. Made them for a potluck and everyone devoured them. I highly recommend.
Glad you loved them, Vanessa! Thanks for the 5-star review!
I made this awhile back I made no changes except leaving nuts off a few for my kids. These were definitely one of my favorites easy to make and the chocolate on top once you warm it up is like a chocolate lava cake taste I am absolutely planning to remake these as soon
Moist cookie, delicious chocolate topping — love the nuts on top. Great cookie!