Thick, chewy Double Chocolate Cookies with a hint of espresso and plenty of walnuts mixed in. These are a rich treat, perfect for pairing with coffee and sharing with your favorite friends.

Double chocolate espresso walnut cookies cooling on a silver rack.

Chocolate, more chocolate, espresso, and walnuts? A dream team if ever there were one. These cookies are rich, fudgy, and decadent, and worth every last nibble and bite, if you ask me. The chocolate effect is intense and satisfying, the texture is tender and indulgent, and the walnuts provide just the right amount of complementary crunch.

Of course, if you are not into walnuts, it’s easy to just leave those out. I did leave out walnuts from about one-third of this batch, because my son is not a huge fan. He was insistent that I report they are still very, very delicious even — especially, if you ask him — without the nuts.

Pro Tip

This dough must be chilled for about 2 hours prior to baking. Plan for that in advance!

I first tried a different recipe for double chocolate espresso cookies about 8 years ago, when we were living in Belgium. Exceptional baking chocolate is easy to find there! Those were terrific, but when I recently made these double chocolate Valentine’s cookies, based on a recipe from Sally’s Baking Recipes, it occurred to me that this recipe would be an even better base for the espresso walnut variety. A few test batches later, we all confirm this is indeed the case.

It’s a tough job, baking and eating all these treats, but my family and friends are collectively up to the challenge. 🙂

Small black-rimmed white plate holding seven double chocolate espresso walnut cookies, with a small carafe of milk and extra walnut halves in the background.

Ingredient & Substitution Notes

Here are a few notes and shopping tips about the ingredients you’ll need. Find full amounts in the print-friendly recipe card below.

  • All-purpose flour. I have not tested this with a 1-to-1 gluten-free flour, but a friend has and tells me it worked perfectly.
  • Cocoa powder. You want the regular, natural unsweetened cocoa powder, such as Hershey’s. Not Dutch-processed for this recipe.
  • Baking soda and salt.
  • Butter. I usually use unsalted butter, but using salted will not be a problem if that’s what you’re used to – if so, cut the amount of added salt in half. Or, don’t! It’s a minor thing.
  • Granulated white sugar and brown sugar. The brown sugar can be light or dark.
  • Two large eggs.
  • Vanilla extract.
  • Espresso powder. You can buy a small jar of espresso powder especially for baking — it lasts a very long time in the pantry — or just use instant espresso grounds from the coffee aisle of your everyday grocery store.
  • Semi-sweet chocolate chips and walnut pieces. Feel free to substitute dark chocolate chips or chocolate chunks, and omit or use other nuts in place of the walnuts. I have a particular soft spot and separate recipe for pistachio chocolate chunk cookies!

Why add espresso to chocolate baked goods?

Espresso or coffee powder has a bitter taste, similar to unsweetened cocoa. When they are paired together, the espresso can intensify the chocolate flavor of everyday cookies, brownies, and cakes. Don’t worry — a tiny bit will not make your dessert take like a mocha, or keep you awake all night! It just enhances the chocolate effect

How To Make Double Chocolate Espresso Cookies

This is a general overview. See the full print-friendly recipe card below for details as you cook.

  1. Cream together the butter and sugars. The mixture should be light and fluffy.
  2. Add eggs and vanilla. The mixture will now look a little lumpy, but should be well-combined. Scrape down the sides of your bowl to ensure the consistency is even throughout.
  3. Whisk together the dry ingredients, then add them to the butter-egg mixture.
  4. Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts by hand. You want to avoid over-mixing at this stage to ensure the most tender, moist cookie interiors.
  5. Chill the dough. This dough needs to spend about 2 hours in the refrigerator, in my experience, to ensure consistently thick cookies after baking.
  6. Scoop, roll, and bake. You do not need to roll the dough balls into even balls, but it does give the cookies noticeably smoother edges.

Pro Tip

An important note on yield: this recipe creates a pretty large batch — at least 30, but recipe testers have gotten as many as 58 (!) cookies per batch, depending mainly, I assume, on how large they scoop the dough balls. If you do not want a large batch, the recipe is very easy to cut in half. And if you make this, I would be especially grateful for your feedback on yield in the comment section below the recipe card.

White countertop with a cooling rack filled with double chocolate espresso cookies with walnuts.

If you would like to press additional chocolate chips or walnuts into the tops, do it right after removing from the oven, then let cookies cool briefly on a wire rack. The extra adornments are mainly for looks, though more chocolate and walnuts taste good, too!

Storage

Allow these cookies to cool completely to room temperature, then store tightly covered at room temperature for 3-4 days.

Small plate piled with double chocolate espresso cookies with walnuts.

Related Recipes

Some of our other favorite cookie recipes include these magical “stay soft” chocolate chip cookiesbakery-style chocolate chip cookieschewy ginger molasses dropscrisp oatmeal cookies, or “melt in your mouth” Amish sugar cookies.

If you try these Double Chocolate Espresso Walnut Cookies, don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. I love hearing how recipes turn out in your kitchen, and it helps other readers, too.

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Double Chocolate Espresso Walnut Cookies

Thick, chewy double chocolate cookies with a hint of espresso and plenty of walnuts mixed in.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter at room temperature
  • 1 cup granulated white sugar
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar light or dark
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 and 1/3 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 cup walnut pieces

Instructions

  • In a large bowl or bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar together on medium-high speed until they are creamed together and light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla extract, then scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat again on medium-high until evenly mixed.
    1 cup butter, 1 cup granulated white sugar, 1 cup packed brown sugar, 2 large eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and espresso powder. Add these dry ingredients to the butter-sugar mixture and beat on low speed just until combined.
    2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 and 1/3 cups unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
  • Add the chocolate chips and walnuts, and stir in by hand.
    1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, 1 cup walnut pieces
  • Chill the dough for about 2 hours. If you leave the dough in the refrigerator for 3 hours or more, plan to let it rest at room temperature for 15-20 minutes to make it easier to scoop and roll. (See note about an option to scoop, then chill the cookies.)
  • When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
  • Scoop the dough into portions of roughly 1.5 Tablespoons each, then roll into smooth balls and arrange 2-3 inches apart on cookie dough sheets. Bake for 11-12 minutes, until the edges are set but the centers are still soft.
  • Press extra chocolate chips and walnuts into the cookie tops immediately after removing from the oven, if desired for looks. Let cookies cool for 5-10 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!

Notes

  • Store cookies tightly covered at room temperature for 3-4 days.
  • If you prefer, you can scoop and roll the cookie dough into balls prior to chilling. Place the dough balls on a plate or baking sheet, chill for 2 hours, then bake as directed. Dough balls can also be frozen for up to 3 months and baked from frozen, adding 2-3 minutes to the baking time.

Nutrition Estimate

Calories: 212 kcal, Carbohydrates: 26 g, Protein: 3 g, Fat: 12 g, Saturated Fat: 6 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3 g, Trans Fat: 0.3 g, Cholesterol: 28 mg, Sodium: 130 mg, Potassium: 137 mg, Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 16 g, Vitamin A: 209 IU, Vitamin C: 0.1 mg, Calcium: 23 mg, Iron: 2 mg
Did you make this recipe?Leave a review below, then snap a quick picture and tag @nourishandfete on Instagram so I can see it!

This post was originally published on May 25, 2017, but has been revamped with a revised recipe, new photos, and more relevant information on ingredients, storage, and substitutions.