12 Walnut Dessert Recipes for Fall (Rich & Cozy)

Walnuts bring rich, buttery crunch to fall desserts. These 12 recipes fold them into cakes, cookies, pies, and candies — the coziest way to celebrate walnut season.

Below you’ll find 12 reader-favorite recipes, each with a photo, ingredients, and step-by-step instructions. Save your favorites and enjoy!

1. Classic Walnut Cake

Tender butter cake loaded with toasted walnuts.

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 1.5 cups sugar
• 1 cup butter
• 3 eggs
• 1.5 cups walnuts
• 1 tsp vanilla

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350°F.
2. Cream the butter and sugar.
3. Beat in the eggs and vanilla.
4. Fold in the flour and walnuts.
5. Bake 40 minutes.

2. Walnut Blondies

Chewy brown sugar blondies packed with walnuts.

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 cups flour
• 2 cups walnuts
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 tsp vanilla

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350°F.
2. Mix the butter, sugar, and condensed milk.
3. Fold in the flour and walnuts.
4. Spread in a 9×13 pan.
5. Bake 28 minutes.

3. Walnut Pie

Gooey Southern-style pie with a walnut crunch.

Ingredients

• 1 pie crust
• 1 cup corn syrup
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1.5 cups walnuts
• 1 tsp vanilla

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350°F.
2. Whisk the syrup, sugar, eggs, and vanilla.
3. Stir in the walnuts.
4. Pour into the pie crust.
5. Bake 50 minutes.

4. Cinnamon Candied Walnuts

Sweet crunchy candied walnuts for snacking and gifting.

Ingredients

• 2 cups walnuts
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg white
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 300°F.
2. Toss the walnuts with egg white.
3. Coat with sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
4. Bake 30 minutes, stirring twice.
5. Cool completely.

5. Walnut Snowball Cookies

Buttery cookies rolled in powdered sugar.

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups flour
• 1 cup walnuts
• 3/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• extra powdered sugar

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350°F.
2. Cream the butter and powdered sugar.
3. Mix in the flour, walnuts, and vanilla.
4. Roll in balls.
5. Bake 14 minutes; roll in sugar twice.

6. Walnut Brownie Bites

No-bake fudgy bites with dates and cocoa.

Ingredients

• 2 cups walnuts
• 1 cup dates
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp vanilla

Instructions

1. Process the walnuts into crumbs.
2. Add the dates, cocoa, honey, and vanilla.
3. Process until sticky.
4. Roll in balls.
5. Chill 1 hour.

7. Walnut Brittle

Crisp buttery brittle studded with walnuts.

Ingredients

• 1 cup walnuts
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp baking soda

Instructions

1. Boil the sugar, butter, and water to 300°F.
2. Stir in the walnuts and vanilla.
3. Add baking soda and stir.
4. Pour onto a greased sheet.
5. Cool and break apart.

8. Maple Walnut Muffins

Bakery muffins with maple and toasted walnuts.

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup walnuts, chopped
• 3/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp maple extract

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 375°F.
2. Whisk the maple syrup, butter, and eggs.
3. Fold in the flour and walnuts.
4. Fill muffin cups.
5. Bake 18 minutes.

9. Walnut Turtle Cake

Chocolate cake with caramel, walnuts, and chocolate.

Ingredients

• 1 chocolate cake mix
• 1 cup walnuts
• 1 cup caramel sauce
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup butter

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350°F.
2. Bake the cake mix in a 9×13 pan.
3. Poke holes and pour over caramel.
4. Top with walnuts and chocolate chips.
5. Bake 5 more minutes.

10. Walnut Divinity

Old-fashioned fluffy candy with walnuts.

Ingredients

• 3 cups walnuts
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 egg whites
• 1 tsp vanilla

Instructions

1. Boil the sugar, syrup, and water to 260°F.
2. Beat the egg whites to stiff peaks.
3. Drizzle in the hot syrup.
4. Fold in the walnuts and vanilla.
5. Drop spoonfuls on parchment.

11. Walnut Coffee Cake

Streusel-topped coffee cake with walnuts.

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup walnuts
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp cinnamon

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350°F.
2. Make the walnut streusel.
3. Mix the cake batter.
4. Layer batter and streusel in the pan.
5. Bake 40 minutes.

12. Walnut Fudge Squares

Rich no-bake fudge with walnut crunch.

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups walnuts
• 1 cup Medjool dates
• 1/2 cup cocoa
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla
• pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Process the walnuts into fine crumbs.
2. Add the dates, cocoa, maple, and vanilla.
3. Press into a lined pan.
4. Chill 2 hours.
5. Cut into squares.

Love these 12 walnut dessert recipes for fall? Pin this roundup for later and explore more easy recipes at simplymealful.us.