Orange, Chocolate Chunk, & Walnut Cookies (with vegan & gluten free option)

Chocolate and orange together is one of my absolute favorite things. The addition of orange oil or flavor to chocolate makes an incredibly moreish dessert. These cookies have bittersweet chocolate, orange zest and extract, and toasted walnut crumbles to make them even more addicting—you can’t help but want to eat more of them! There’s also a vegan and gluten free recipe option if you keep scrolling, and they’re just as delicious!

I’ve loved the combination of chocolate and orange ever since I had my first Terry’s chocolate orange at Christmas when I was a child. I remember thinking how neat it was to crack open the orange, and how delicious the chocolate orange segments were! I still love Terry’s (and most British chocolate) year-round.

These cookies have the already winning combination of bittersweet chocolate and orange, but I wanted to add a crunch. I thought about cornmeal or oats, but I wanted something more flavorful. Processing walnuts into smaller pieces brings out the flavor and texture of the nut without having large chunks taking over each bite. However, if you love large chunks of nuts in your cookies, you’re welcome to leave them chopped!

A bittersweet chocolate bar is chopped into fine pieces with some small chunks. I like my cookies to be fairly balanced, and smaller chocolate pieces prevent the chocolate from dominating while still being very present in every bite. Make sure to add all of the chocolate “dust” to your cookie dough for extra chocolate flavor!

Fresh orange zest as well as orange extract give a double dose of citrus flavor. The dough is chilled for 30 minutes to let the dough relax and deepen the flavors.

ORANGE, CHOCOLATE CHUNK, AND WALNUT COOKIES

Makes 16-17 cookies

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup (74 g) toasted walnuts, blitzed into fine pieces
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (107 g) light brown sugar
• 11 tablespoons (156 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• the zest from one large orange (about a heaping tablespoon)
• 1 egg, at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon orange extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate bar, chopped
• flaky sea salt, like Maldon, for topping

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat a small frying pan on medium-low. Blitz the walnuts in a food processor until they are in pea sized pieces—some smaller. Dump the walnuts in to the pan and spread them in an even layer. Stir often. It takes about 7 minutes to toast the walnuts—they will become darker (but not burnt) and smell like popcorn. Turn off the stove and remove the pan from the heat.

Chop the chocolate bar into chunks and shards; set aside.

Whisk the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda in a mixing bowl; set aside.

Measure the sugar and softened butter into the bowl of a standing mixer. Zest the orange, adding the zest to the butter and sugar. Beat on medium for about three to four minutes, or until light and fluffy. Add the egg, vanilla and orange extracts, and beat on medium for two minutes. Add the flour and stir until just combined, then fold in the walnut crumbles and chocolate. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

While the dough is resting in the refrigerator, preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Scoop the cookie dough in large balls (50 g or 2 1/2 tablespoons worth). Lightly flatten the dough balls with your palms. Place six balls on a baking sheet at a time and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are set. Sprinkle with sea salt. Let them cool on the baking sheet then transfer to a wire rack.

Note the size of the walnut crumbles. There are small chunks along with finer grained pieces, but you do not want to create a meal or flour!

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VEGAN & GLUTEN FREE VERSION

Makes 16-17 cookies

• 1 1/2 cups (222 g) gluten free flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 flour)
• 1/2 cup (60 g) buckwheat flour
• 2/3 cup (74 g) toasted walnuts, blitzed into fine pieces
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt— omit if the plant butter is salted
• 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (107 g) light brown sugar
• 10 tablespoons (142 g) plant butter, set out for 30 minutes— use baking sticks, not a spread
• the zest from one large orange (about a heaping tablespoon)
• 1 tablespoon ground flax seed— for the flax egg
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice— for the flax egg
• 1/8 teaspoon orange extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 6 ounces vegan dark chocolate chips. or chopped vegan chocolate bar*
• coarse sea salt, like Maldon, for topping

*During the pandemic, I could only get my hands on vegan chocolate chips. I think a chopped chocolate bar would make a more attractive cookie as well as create those chocolatey layers, but use whatever you have on hand!

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat a small frying pan on medium-low. Blitz the walnuts in a food processor until they are in pea sized pieces—some smaller. Dump the walnuts in to the pan and spread them in an even layer. Stir often. It takes about 7 minutes to toast the walnuts—they will become darker (but not burnt) and smell like popcorn. Turn off the stove and remove the pan from the heat.

Chop the chocolate bar into chunks and shards; set aside. If using chocolate chips, measure in a small bowl and reserve for later (save some chips to press in to the tops of the dough balls).

Whisk the gluten free flour, buckwheat flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda in a bowl; set aside.

Measure the sugar, plant butter, and orange zest into the bowl of a standing mixer. Beat on medium for about four minutes, or until light and fluffy.

To make the flax egg, stir the ground flax seed and orange juice together in a small bowl. Let it thicken for at least five minutes. Add the flax egg, vanilla and orange extracts, and beat on medium for two minutes. Add the flours and stir until combined, then fold in the walnut crumbles and chocolate. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 40-45 minutes.

While the dough is resting in the refrigerator, preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Scoop the cookie dough in large balls (50 g or 2 1/2 tablespoons worth). Flatten the dough balls with your palms a good bit—these do not spread as much. Sprinkle with sea salt and place six balls on a baking sheet at a time and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are set. Let them cool on the baking sheet then transfer to a wire rack.

Since I loved these cookies so much, I wanted to make a gluten free and vegan version so my brother-in-law and sister could enjoy them too! I cut the traditional gluten free flour with some buckwheat flour to decrease the sandier texture of GF flour. I like the texture of GF flours in cookies, but I think a more classic flour texture works better in a chocolate chip cookie.

A flax egg, mixed with freshly squeezed orange juice instead of water for added orange flavor, replaces a traditional egg.

The taste of the toasted walnuts really shine in the vegan and gluten free version. These cookies are so deliciously nutty, orangey, and chocolatey!