Lucille Ball's 6-Ingredient Walnut Crisps Are One of the Easiest Cookies I’ve Ever Baked

Published on December 17, 2025

It’s impossible to unlock mom’s snickerdoodles from the top of my all-time cookie hall of fame. But that doesn’t mean I’m unwilling to entertain other options. The internet’s most popular chocolate chip cookie, Million Dollar Sugar Cookies, and John Legend’s Loaded Oatmeal Cookies put up a strong fight, but the cinnamon-sugar delights are still firmly situated at the top of the podium.

The latest contender in my cookie quest comes from a funny place, quite literally. These Walnut Crisp cookies are courtesy of comedian and actor Lucille Ball Arnaz, who rose to fame in the 1950s on the sitcom I Love Lucy. According to a story about the star in a 1955 edition of the magazine TV Program Week, “the real Lucy is known to acquaintances not only as an efficient housewife but also a highly imaginative and original cook.” 

To drive home that point, that feature included this icebox cookie recipe. I already love Lucy, so let’s find out if we’ll love Lucy’s desserts, too.

How to Make Lucille Ball's Walnut Crisps

In about 15 minutes, you can have these Walnut Crisps ready to chill, then slice-and-bake at your leisure. Here’s how to make the celebrity’s treasured cookie recipe, which we found via Karie Bible’s fascinating Hollywood Kitchen site.

1. Make the cookie dough. In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to beat an egg, then blend in brown sugar and melted butter. In a separate bowl, sift all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix the dry ingredients into the brown sugar mixture, then stir in finely chopped walnuts and a splash of vanilla extract.
2. Shape and chill. Place the cookie dough on a sheet of waxed paper, then form it into a log, twisting the ends to protect the dough from any external smells or crumbs. Refrigerate until firm.
3. Bake and enjoy. When you’re ready to enjoy, unwrap the dough and slice it into thin rounds. Bake on greased cookie sheets in a 375° F oven for 5 minutes, or until brown.

Tips for Making Walnut Crisps

As you can see, Lucille Ball’s cookies are as easy to make as her sitcom was to love. (I’ll never forget that iconic chocolate factory scene!) If you’re feeling inspired to whip up a batch of these retro cookies, too, here are a few pointers I learned from my trial and our Test Kitchen:

• Don’t rush the chilling. True to the succinct recipe style of Lucy’s era, the instructions are so streamlined, they omit some very important details. After rolling and wrapping the dough into a log, she suggests that we “chill until firm.” We find that it’s better to err on the generous side when estimating chill time. Otherwise, it’s all too easy to flatten or scrunch the dough during slicing. Our recipe developers recommend refrigerating slice-and-bake cookie dough for 2 hours.
• Prep ahead. No need to feel handcuffed to baking your batch the same day you mix the cookie dough. Chill icebox cookie dough logs for up to 4 days before baking, or freeze them for up to 3 months. If working from frozen, slice the dough into discs and add a few extra minutes to the total bake time.
• Measure up. Lucille asks us to “slice thin” before placing the cookies on a baking sheet. What does that mean, exactly? We find that ¼-inch thick is the sweet spot for many icebox cookies. 
• Go nuts. With any icebox cookie recipe with mix-ins, like the walnuts here, it’s important to chop these extras nice and small. Otherwise, the dough is at higher risk of crumbling apart when you slice it. Finely chop the walnuts before incorporating them into the dough. If walnuts aren’t your jam, pecans, cashews, peanuts, or even mini chocolate chips would also work well here.
• Use a serrated knife. We speak from experience—and a recipe fail or two—when we say that icebox cookie dough isn’t always a cinch to slice cleanly. For the best possible outcome, reach for a sharp serrated knife. Slowly but firmly press it down in one motion to make the cut, rather than sawing through the log.
• Roll with it. To promote evenly-round cookies, try rotating the log about one-quarter turn after each slice. This will help the dough stay circular rather than squishing, since a bit of force is required to cut the cookies.
• Use your senses. The recipe calls for a 5-minute bake time. This will vary based on the size of your cookies, though. My batch took more like 8 minutes. When the cookies are aromatic, set around the edges, and pass these cookie doneness tests, remove them from the oven.

The Verdict on Lucille Ball's Walnut Crisps Recipe

Although the mix-ins vary—nuts vs. oats—this quick and easy cookie recipe reminded me of Ree Drummond’s Oatmeal Crispies. Both are a breeze to make in advance to keep on ice for quick-fix cookies any time—and both are excellent options for those who prefer thin and crispy cookies over thick and chewy alternatives. (Fans of Ina-approved Tate’s Cookies would likely dig these, too!)

This is a solid recipe that produces nutty, buttery cookies that aren’t shatteringly crisp, but do lean to the crunchier side. My only critique is related to the fact that I’m a member of the tender, chewy cookie fan club, so I don’t envision I’ll be recreating this recipe as often as others like Hermit Cookies or Copycat Banana Bread Cookies. 

Still, Walnut Crisps will be winners for many crunchy cookie lovers. For my fellow soft-batch devotees, I bet these would be delightful as the foundation for ice cream sandwiches, with a scoop of butter pecan, caramel, or vanilla ice cream between a couple crisps. As the sweet sandwiches freeze, the cookies will soften up just enough to satisfy any audience…just like the comedian who dreamed up this timeless dessert.