Chocolate Chip-Nut Cookies

These classic chocolate chip-nut cookies are exactly the kind of dependable recipe I like keeping in my collection. They bake up golden and lightly crisp around the edges while staying soft and tender in the center. Brown sugar gives them a deeper caramel flavor, semisweet chocolate chips add plenty of richness, and chopped nuts bring just enough crunch to keep every bite interesting. A small amount of cinnamon is optional, but it adds a subtle warmth that works beautifully with the chocolate.

One of the smartest details here is baking the cookies on parchment paper. It helps the bottoms brown more evenly, makes transferring the cookies easier, and saves time when cleanup rolls around. This is the sort of cookie I can make for an after-school treat, a bake sale, or a weekend dessert without turning the kitchen upside down. Just remember to leave them on the baking sheet for those first few minutes after they come out of the oven; that little rest helps the soft centers set without overbaking.

Love this recipe? Pin it to your Cookies & Desserts board on Pinterest so you don’t lose it!

Ingredients

2½ cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

½ tsp ground cinnamon (Optional)

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup packed brown sugar

½ cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

12 oz semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup nuts, coarsely chopped

Parchment paper, for lining baking sheets

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven. Heat the oven to 175°C / 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Combine the dry ingredients. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon, if using, until evenly combined.
3. Cream the butter and sugars. In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar with an electric mixer until noticeably lighter and fluffy.
4. Add the eggs and vanilla. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla.
5. Make the dough. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Mix on low just until no obvious streaks of flour remain. Avoid overmixing.
6. Add the chocolate and nuts. Fold in the chocolate chips and chopped nuts until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
7. Portion the cookies. Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between cookies.
8. Bake. Bake at 175°C / 350°F for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are golden and the centers look set but still soft.
9. Cool. Leave the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer them carefully to a wire rack and allow them to cool completely.

Cooking Notes

For soft-centered cookies, take them out when the edges are golden but the centers still look slightly soft. Residual heat from the baking sheet will finish setting them.

Use room-temperature softened butter rather than melted butter. Melted butter changes the dough’s structure and can cause excessive spreading.

Measure flour carefully. For best results, spoon it into the measuring cup and level the top instead of packing it down.

Walnuts and pecans both work particularly well. You can also omit the nuts and replace them with additional chocolate chips for a nut-free variation.

If your kitchen is especially warm and the dough feels very soft, chill it for 20-30 minutes before baking to reduce spreading.

Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for about 4 days. The dough can also be portioned and frozen for convenient small-batch baking.

Nutrition

The full recipe produces approximately 48 cookies, or 24 servings of about 2 cookies each. Because baked cookies lose moisture rather than substantial amounts of fat or carbohydrate during cooking, their final weight decreases while most calories remain in the finished batch.

Estimated Nutrition per Serving

• Calories: 274 kcal
• Fat: 15.0 g
• Carb: 34.0 g
• Protein: 4.0 g

Serving size: Approximately 2 cookies

Yields: 24 servings, about 48 cookies

Nutrition is an estimate and will vary with the type of nuts, chocolate chips, butter, and exact cookie size.

Recipe Science

Chocolate chip cookies rely on a balance of flour, butter, sugar, and eggs to establish their final structure. Flour and egg proteins provide the framework, while butter contributes tenderness and richness. Brown sugar supplies both sweetness and moisture, while granulated sugar assists with spreading and crispness. Chocolate and nuts contribute additional fat, flavor, and texture.

During baking, butter melts, the dough spreads, proteins set, and moisture evaporates. Browning reactions at the surface create the characteristic toasted flavor and golden edges. Removing the cookies while their centers remain somewhat soft prevents excessive moisture loss. The five-minute cooling period on the baking sheet allows residual heat to finish setting their structure.

Dietary Notes & Health Alerts: At approximately 8 g saturated fat per serving in the supplied nutrition information, this recipe provides about 40% of the FDA Daily Value of 20 g, qualifying as high in saturated fat. Sodium, at approximately 252 mg, is about 11% of the 2,300 mg Daily Value and is not considered high. Total sugar is listed at 21 g, but the supplied information does not distinguish added sugar precisely enough for a reliable comparison with the 50 g Added Sugar Daily Value. Smaller portions, reduced-fat chocolate additions, or replacing some chocolate with additional nuts can alter the nutritional profile.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Soft Centers, Golden Edges: The short baking time creates that classic contrast between tender middles and lightly browned edges.
• Loaded With Chocolate: A full 12-ounce bag of semisweet chocolate chips puts chocolate in practically every bite.
• Easy Cleanup: Parchment-lined baking sheets help prevent sticking and make cleanup much quicker.
• Simple Pantry Ingredients: The dough uses familiar baking staples without complicated techniques.
• Easy to Customize: Choose walnuts, pecans, or your favorite nuts; leave out the cinnamon or nuts when preferred.

FAQ

• Can I make these without nuts? Yes. Simply leave them out. You can add a little more chocolate if you’d like to replace some of the lost volume.
• Why did my cookies spread too much? Butter that is overly warm is a common culprit. Chill very soft dough for 20-30 minutes before baking, and always start with a cool baking sheet.
• How do I keep the centers soft? Don’t wait until the entire cookie looks browned. Remove the cookies when the edges are golden but the centers still appear slightly soft.
• Can I make the dough ahead? Yes. Refrigerate covered cookie dough for up to about 3 days. Let very firm refrigerated dough soften briefly at room temperature before portioning.
• Can I freeze the cookie dough? Absolutely. Freeze individual dough portions until firm, then transfer them to a freezer-safe container. They can be baked from frozen with a little additional baking time.

Conclusion

There is something wonderfully comforting about having a reliable chocolate chip cookie recipe tucked into your collection, and this one has all the essentials: buttery dough, plenty of chocolate, crunchy nuts, and those irresistible soft centers. Make it exactly as written the first time, then have fun adjusting the nuts, cinnamon, or chocolate to make it your family’s own.

What do you like in your chocolate chip cookies: walnuts, pecans, extra chocolate, or no nuts at all? Happy baking, friends!