Easy Walnut Cookies Recipe

Learn How to Bake These 4-Ingredient Walnut Cookies With My Quick and Easy Recipe

This super easy Walnut Cookie recipe is loaded with walnuts, requires only 4 basic ingredients, and is ready in just 25 minutes.

They are extremely addictive, offering a rich, sweet, and nutty flavor, and are the perfect accompaniment to your morning coffee or afternoon tea.

These scrumptious no-egg walnut cookies are perfect for days when you want to bake something homemade without spending hours in the kitchen.

Jump to:

• Why This Recipe Works?
• Ingredients You'll Need
• Step-by-Step Instructions
• Top Tips From the Chef
• Freezing Walnut Cookie Dough
• How to Store the Leftovers
• Recipe FAQs
• Related Recipes
• Easy Walnut Cookies Recipe

Why This Recipe Works?

• With only four ingredients, this recipe is as straightforward as it gets. You don’t need any fancy equipment or ingredients.

• These walnut cookies are perfect for various occasions, be it a casual family gathering or a more formal event.

• They pair wonderfully with coffee or tea and are great for gifting.

• This is a great recipe to get your kids or grandkids involved in.

Ingredients You'll Need

Please scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredients list with measurements, complete recipe method, recipe notes, and nutritional information.

• Walnuts - Incorporating walnuts into baking is an excellent way to enhance the flavor and texture of your cookies. If you prefer, you can substitute with pecan nuts, pistachios, or almonds. For a more intense flavor, lightly toast them before adding to the cookie dough.

• Butter - This recipe calls for softened unsalted butter. Leave the butter at room temperature for a couple of hours (depending on the room temperature) until it is soft.

• Icing sugar - Opting for icing sugar instead of brown sugar helps keep the cookies soft and tender. Its powdery consistency, along with a small amount of cornstarch, contributes to a more crumbly texture in the cookies.

• Plain white flour - Also known as all-purpose flour, it is ideal for baking cakes, cookies, pastries, and for thickening sauces. Remember to sift it before use in your pastries.

• Vanilla paste - For a deep and delicious vanilla flavor, I use organic vanilla bean paste or extract. It is best to avoid using artificial vanilla for this recipe.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Making these tender, buttery, and nutty sweet cookies at home is surprisingly straightforward and easy.

Here are a few simple steps that you need to follow:

Preheat the fan oven to 180° C (356° F). 

Line 2 large baking trays with parchment paper, and set them aside.

In a large mixing bowl, place the flour and add the softened butter, icing sugar, and crushed walnuts.

Gently mix them with your fingertips until combined, and form a nice soft dough.

Take a piece of cookie dough about the size of a walnut, approximately 20 grams, and shape it into a ball.

Gently press on the cookie ball to flatten it and place it on a baking tray.

Repeat this process until you use up all the cookie dough. This recipe should yield approximately 44 cookies.

Bake the cookies for 15 minutes, or until they are slightly browned on the sides.

Combine a tablespoon of icing sugar with a teaspoon of cinnamon, and dust this mixture over the cookies while they are still warm.

Top Tips From the Chef

• Use high-quality, fresh walnuts for the best flavor. Toasting the walnuts lightly before adding them to the dough can enhance their nutty taste.

• If you need to soften butter quickly and forgot to leave it out at room temperature, there's a speedy solution! Heat a large glass jar by filling it with boiling water. Once the jar is warm, empty the water and cover the butter with the jar for a few minutes. This will soften the butter efficiently.

• Cookie recipes often require precision, and using a kitchen scale to measure ingredients by weight is the most reliable method for achieving perfect outcomes.

• If time allows, chill the dough in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes before baking. This helps the cookies maintain their shape and enhances the flavors.

• Mix the dough just until the ingredients are combined. Overmixing can lead to tough cookies.

• Leave enough space between each cookie on the baking sheet as they will spread a bit while baking.

• Keep an eye on the cookies as they bake. They should be just golden around the edges. Overbaking can make them too hard.

Freezing Walnut Cookie Dough

After preparing the cookie dough, shape it according to the instructions as if you were going to bake the cookies.

Arrange them on a baking sheet and place them in the freezer.

Once the cookies are completely solid, transfer them to a freezer-safe container or zip bag.

When you're ready to bake, place the number of cookies you need on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake in a preheated oven for 16-17 minutes, or until they are lightly browned on the sides.

How to Store the Leftovers

You can store these egg-free walnut cookies in a cookie jar or a sealed container for up to 5 days at room temperature.

If you want to keep them longer, you can refrigerate them for up to a week in a sealed container.

Alternatively, you can freeze the leftover baked cookies in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

Recipe FAQs

Related Recipes

For more scrumptious cookie recipes, why not try:

Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.

I hope you enjoy the process of making these scrumptiously nutty and super crispy 4 ingredients walnut cookies as much as you enjoy eating them! 🙂 

Bon appétit! / Afiyet olsun!