Gooey Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies - with toasted walnuts.

These cookies are seriously so good. They are gooey, nutty, chocolately perfection. The secret is to bake them just enough so they are barely cooked through, then let them cool in the pan. It felt unnatural to take them out of the oven early, but trust me, it makes them so delicious!

The recipe is Avery Ruzicka’s from Cherry Bomb The Cookbook, and is the first recipe I have made from the bright pink book. It did not disappoint. If you prefer your chocolate chip cookies to be soft and nutty, this is the recipe for you.

I’ve made quite a few chocolate chip cookie recipes in my day, and after biting into these, this recipe will be my go-to. They are kid-and husband-approved, and did I mention that they are HUGE! I love the added walnuts, but if that’s not your thing, you can always omit them.

I recommend enjoying them immediately after allowing them to cool a little, especially if you love melted chocolate like I do. Of course, they are still amazing the next day and I usually pop them in the microwave for 10 seconds for ultimate gooeyness.

Ingredients

Makes 10-12 cookies

1 1/2 cups walnuts (optional)

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/2 cups brown sugar, packed

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 1/3 cups whole wheat flour

1 tsp salt

3/4 tsp baking soda

2 cups dark chocalote chunks

Directions

If using walnuts, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F

Spread the walnuts in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, tossing them halfway through. Watch towards the end of the bake time to ensure they won’t burn. Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool before coarsely chopping them. Set them aside.

For the dough, using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and brown sugar together on medium speed for approximately 2 minutes, or until slightly fluffy.

Switch the mixer to low speed. Add the eggs and vanilla, and mix for 2 minutes, until combined.

In a separate mixing bowl, whisk the flour, salt, and baking soda together. Keep the mixture on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture to the bowl, combining it with the wet ingredients. I use a measuring cup to scoop the flour and add it to the bowl in increments.

Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and stir in the walnuts and chocolate chunks until evenly distributed.

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop out the dough and begin to shape and form the cookie. They should be about 3 inches wide and about 1 inch thick resembling a hockey puck., Make sure you leave plenty of room between each cookie, as they will spread while baking.

Chill the formed cookies in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. This helps them stay soft while baking.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Bake the cookies for about 10-14 minutes, until they are barely cooked through. Move the cookie sheets to wire racks and allow the cookies to cool on the sheets. Enjoy them immediately or store them in an air-tight container.

These will keep for several days and can be reheated if needed.

What is your favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe?