Calling all coffee fans! These coffee walnut cookies are especially for you! Beautiful chewy coffee infused cookies packed with wonderfully earthy walnuts. If you are a fan of the British classic coffee and walnut cake, this cookie will be right up your street!
What is the difference between cookies and biscuits?
Cookies are generally made from a dough that is much softer than biscuit dough, in that you can’t roll or stamp it out. When baked, cookies tend to be softer and chunkier than biscuits, often with a bit of chewiness too which means you can almost “bend” your cookies. Biscuits on the other hand will bake much firmer and will have a more delicate texture to them meaning they can snap or be broken and not bend. Biscuits tend to be used more often when a filling is required, or if decorating with icing art, but cookies can be “stuffed” resulting in the filling being baked within the cookie itself.
Having said all this, I am well aware the word “biscuits” are used in parts of the world to also mean a tender baked dough not dissimilar to what we in the UK call “scones”. They are both made in a very similar way, but served differently.
Ah the joys of the English language!
What ingredients do I need to make these coffee walnut cookies?
- Unsalted butter: I like to use unsalted butter so I can control how much salt is in the bake. For best results, use butter at room temperature
- Brown sugar: for sweetness, but also chewiness, in the coffee walnut cookies.
- Caster sugar: gives sweetness, and a little crisp, in the cookies.
- Vanilla: for delicious flavour!
- Flour: I use plain/all purpose flour to make these coffee walnut cookies. I prefer adding raising agents separately, as I do with salt, so I can control the amount used of each in my bakes.
- Coffee powder: because coffee cookies recipe!
- Cornflour/cornstarch: gives the cookies that beautiful soft tenderness in texture we all love!
- Baking powder/bicarbonate of soda: the leavening agents in this bake, to give the cookies enough lightness so they bake into chewy delights!
- Salt: enhances the flavours in the cookie. You won’t taste it, I promise!
- Egg: helps with the binding and structure of the cookies.
- Walnuts: the second part of the flavours in this cookie. Essential, and totally irresistible!
What equipment do I need to make cookies?
- Baking tray*: to bake the cookies on. I would recommend at least couple of baking trays so you can bake multiple trays of cookies at a time.
- Digital kitchen scales*: I always recommend using digital kitchen scales to weigh ingredients out over using a volume based measuring system, as cups. Weighing out the ingredients is much more accurate than measuring by volume, and will ensure better results in the cookies, so I would definitely take the plunge if you have not already.
- Measuring spoons*: for measuring smaller quantities such as tablespoons (tbsp) and teaspoons (tsp), a set of dedicated measuring spoons is a must! These are far more accurate than everyday eating spoons, and are really easy to get hold of too.
- Mixing bowl*: to mix all the ingredients together to make the coffee walnut cookies.
- Handheld electric mixer*: investing in a good electric mixer, whether stand mixer or hand held electric mixer, is a brilliant help with all baking, and will make baking these cookies a total breeze!
- Sieve*: to remove lumps from the dry ingredients, ensuring everything gets mixed together evenly.
- Spatula*: to help with mixing ingredients and scraping the mixing bowl down
- Ice cream scoop*: helps to portion out the cookie dough evenly into cookies so they bake up evenly in the oven. My scoop holds about 2 tbsp or 50g of cookie dough, so measuring using any of these methods would work too!
How to make my homemade coffee walnut cookies
Cookies are one of my favourite bakes, mainly because they actually come together so quickly and easily! The hardest part is the waiting for them to bake and then set after baking. If you can get past this little inconvenience, cookie making will be pure joy!
Step 1: Line two baking trays with parchment paper and set them aside. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F.
Step 2: In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugars until smooth and slightly paler in colour. Add in the vanilla and mix through. Sift the flour, coffee powder, cornflour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) and salt into the mixing bowl. Beat together until the mixture resembles coarse wet delicious coffee flavoured sand.
Step 3: Tip in the beaten egg and mix until just combined and the mixture is starting to form large clumps of cookie dough. Finally, add in the broken walnut pieces and gently fold through to disperse evenly.
Step 4: Divide the mixture evenly into about a dozen cookie dough balls. You can do this using a cookie/ice cream scoop or by measuring out two tablespoons of dough for each cookie. If you prefer weighing the cookie dough, each ball will weigh about 50g. Gently press each cookie dough ball together just enough so it holds together. Place the cookie balls on the baking trays, allowing enough space for them to spread as they bake.
Step 5: Pop the baking trays in the hot oven and bake for 9-10 minutes or until little cracks have made their way to the middle of the cookies. Remove from the oven and leave to cool on the baking tray. Enjoy!
Cookies FAQ
There are several factors that can affect your cookies and how they turn out. Whilst I will try to answer as many questions as I can, I’m bound to miss some, so please ask away in the comments below!
Why should I use cornflour (cornstarch) in my cookies?
Cornflour, or cornstarch, gives the cookies a soft and tender consistency that just flour alone doesn’t achieve. It also helps keep the cookies thick when baked. You can swap it out for the same amount of flour if you wish, but you will love the result of it in the cookies so I would definitely recommend including it!
How do I make chewy coffee and walnut cookies?
I have found I prefer a mix of white and brown sugar in my coffee walnut cookies. The white sugar adds to the crispy outside of the cookies. However, it is the brown sugar that is key for a wonderfully chewy cookie. The reason for this is the molasses in brown sugar. Molasses helps retain more moisture in the cookies, making them thicker, softer and deliciously chewier!
Can I use oil instead of butter in my cookies?
Oil and butter are unfortunately not interchangeable particularly in my cookie recipes. This is because oil has a lower melting temperature to butter. The result is they will spread more when baking, even after chilling, so it just is not possible to get the same final results.
What if my cookie dough is too soft?
If your cookie dough feels too soft, chill your dough for 10-15 minutes before separating into balls. Please keep in mind if you did not use block butter when making the cookies, they will remain soft and not firm up. I always use block butter, not oil or the kind that is spreadable from a tub, in my cookies. Using butter should result in the cookies really firming up, especially if chilled or frozen, and holding their shape beautifully when baked.
How do I know if my coffee walnut cookies are done?
You know the coffee cookies are done if the edges are slightly darker and the little cracks on top have found their way to the middle of the cookie. Remove them from the oven, but please keep them on the baking tray. They will continue to bake in the residual heat from within the cookie and the baking tray. Leaving them on the tray to cool and firm up is super important for beautiful chewy cookies.
Why are my cookies cakey?
There are several reasons why cookies might have turned out cakey. The most likely is that there was too much leavening agent or egg in the cookie mixture. Egg can act as a leavening agent and give cookies more rise than desired, making them cakey.
Why are my cookies crumbly?
Again, there are many reasons cookies turning out crumbly, but there are two highly likely culprits. It could be that they were baked too long, and so have dried out. Or alternatively, it might be that too much flour was used when making the cookie dough, hence leading to drier cookies.
How long will these coffee walnut cookies keep? And how should I store them?
These coffee and walnut cookies never last long when I make them! If you have more restraint than our family does, they are at their best if devoured within 3-4 days from baking, and kept in an airtight container.
Can I freeze these coffee walnut cookies?
Yes! You can freeze them both unbaked and baked. Keep reading for how to freeze both unbaked and baked cookies.
For unbaked cookies, freeze the cookie dough in individual cookie balls for a couple of hours until really firm. Once frozen, transfer them into a lidded container suitable for the freezer. These dough balls will keep for two months in the freezer.
For baked cookies, make sure they are fully cool, then wrap individually tightly in cling film and place in a lidded container before freezing.
How do I thaw my cookies?
If you froze the cookies as unbaked cookie dough, simply remove the frozen cookies and place them on a lined baking tray. Remember to leave about 2 inches between each cookie ball for them to spread as they bake. Pop them in a preheated oven straight from frozen, and bake. It really is that simple! Just remember to add a couple of minutes extra to the baking time due to them being frozen.
If you baked the coffee walnut cookies before freezing, you can just defrost them fully at room temperature and enjoy. However, if you want to get the crunchy edges and soft middle back, you might need to reheat them. Simply pop them on a cookie sheet (no need to spread out too much, since they are just being heated up again) and reheat in the oven at 180C/350F for about 3-5 minutes, then leave on a cooling rack for a few minutes before enjoying.
Additional tips for making this coffee cookies recipe
- Prepare all your tools and ingredients before you start mixing. And remember to preheat the oven too, as these cookies come together super quickly!
- Take time to read through the recipe so you are familiar with what steps come next. Do not skip details, ingredients and instructions given as it could affect the results of your final bake.
- When adding the egg towards the end, remember not to beat it too much. You want to mix it in so it is combined but not beaten to add any additional air into the mixture nor to make the cookie tough. The chewy density of these cookies comes from the ingredients being just combined. That’s what makes it such a beauty of a recipe!
- To make these into giant cookies, increase the amount of dough used in each cookie. You can easily double the amount of cookie dough, and make just six or seven cookies if you wish. Just remember to adjust the baking time accordingly, as larger cookies will require longer to bake through.
Troubleshooting
If you have any other questions about this recipe, please leave me a comment below, I will do my best to help you. And if you do make this recipe for coffee walnut cookies, please do leave me a rating and review below. I would so appreciate your feedback and it is incredibly helpful for others looking for a recipe too. Additionally, you could also post a picture on Instagram and tag me when you share it with the world. Please do, you know I would love to see it!
More cookie recipes for you to enjoy
Please do check out these other unmissable recipes on my blog:
Coffee walnut cupcakes: Delicious, soft, light and fluffy cupcakes, packed with coffee flavour and with chunks of walnuts all the way through. They are topped with the most amazing smooth coffee buttercream, then crowned with a walnut and a couple of coffee beans. Coffee heaven!
Carrot cake traybake: This is a delicious moist and fluffy cake packed with grated carrots, walnut chunks and my delicious spice mix, then spread generously with a tangy cream cheese icing and even more walnut pieces. Not only is this a super easy bake, but it’s always a crowd pleaser!
Biscoff cookies: Soft and chewy, these easy to make Biscoff butter cookies are packed with smooth cookie butter spread and extra Biscoff biscuit chunks. Pure Biscoff heaven!
Thanks for joining me today, my friends. Enjoy this classic British flavour in a cookie and happy baking! x
Recommended equipment I used *
| Baking tray | Digital kitchen scales |
| Measuring spoons | Mixing bowl |
| Handheld electric mixer | Sieve |
| Spatula | Ice cream scoop |
Coffee Walnut Cookies
12
servings15
minutes10
minutes230
kcal25
minutesClassic coffee and walnut flavours in a cookie! How yum!
Keep the screen of your device on
Ingredients
115 g (½ cup) unsalted butter
50 g (¼ cup) caster sugar
100 g (½ cup) brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
215 g (1 ½ cups + 1 tbsp) plain (all purpose) flour
1 tbsp (generous) instant coffee powder
2 tsp cornflour (cornstarch)
0.5 tsp baking powder
0.5 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
0.5 tsp salt
80 g (⅔ cup) walnut halves, broken into chunks
1 large egg
Directions
- Line two baking trays with parchment paper and set them aside. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugars until smooth and slightly paler in colour. Add in the vanilla and mix through. Sift the flour, coffee powder, cornflour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) and salt into the mixing bowl. Beat together until the mixture resembles coarse wet delicious coffee flavoured sand.
- Tip in the beaten egg and mix until just combined and the mixture is starting to form large clumps of cookie dough. Finally, add in the broken walnut pieces and gently fold through to disperse evenly.
- Divide the mixture evenly into about a dozen cookie dough balls. You can do this using a cookie/ice cream scoop or by measuring out two tablespoons of dough for each cookie. If you prefer weighing the cookie dough, each ball will weigh about 50g. Gently press each cookie dough ball together just enough so it holds together. Place the cookie balls on the baking trays, allowing enough space for them to spread as they bake.
- Pop the baking trays in the hot oven and bake for 9-10 minutes or until little cracks have made their way to the middle of the cookies. Remove from the oven and leave to cool on the baking tray. Enjoy!
Notes
- Prepare all your tools and ingredients before you start mixing. And remember to preheat the oven too, as these cookies come together super quickly!
- Take time to read through the recipe so you are familiar with what steps come next. Do not skip details, ingredients and instructions given as it could affect the results of your final bake.
- When adding the egg towards the end, remember not to beat it too much. You want to mix it in so it is combined but not beaten to add any additional air into the mixture nor to make the cookie tough. The chewy density of these cookies comes from the ingredients being just combined. That’s what makes it such a beauty of a recipe!
- To make these into giant cookies, increase the amount of dough used in each cookie. You can easily double the amount of cookie dough, and make just six or seven cookies if you wish. Just remember to adjust the baking time accordingly, as larger cookies will require longer to bake through.
Hi. Wanted to give this a try. Can I avoid egg & use 60 gms of Greek yogurt?