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Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies
The BEST Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies. The Famous Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe that everyone goes crazy over!
I’ve got issues.
I am a cookie junkie of epic proportions.
There’s probably a support group somewhere for people like me.
When I was a teenager, I would go to the library and thumb through cookbooks to find every single chocolate chip cookie recipe and would beg my Mom to try out the recipe creations almost daily. Issues, I tell you.
I started off by following recipes and then I thought….let’s take a walk on the wild side and start experimenting by throwing stuff in and see what happens. What’s the worst that can happen? Well, that’s another story. Little tweaks here and there were the difference makers – browning the butter, raising or lowering the temperature of the oven, and trying out some interesting ingredients.
When I won a trip to NYC to film a perfect cookie segment for the Cooking Channel’s Perfect 3 Show in the Food Network studios, I went online to seek out the best bakeries in Manhattan. The highest rated cookie was awarded to Levain Bakery and I knew that it had to be mine. Pronto.
Oh, and it was legit. Legit and different. Unique in such a way that I had to figure out how in the world they did it. I became a mad scientist in the kitchen to figure out the how to make the Famous Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies.
I developed a massive crush on a cookie.
I have never, ever worked on a recipe as much as this one. Another trip had to be made to NYC in the name of food science to do some more investigative research. A trip to the Truvia Baking Star competition in NYC meant multiple trips to buy my favorite cookie. We rode our bikes in the freezing cold just for that one bite. By the time we arrived, my feet were frozen, but sacrifices have to be made, right?
I came home and tweaked some more and then it happened…. that glorious batch was perfection and I finally had it.
I was taught in kindergarten that it’s nice to share so that’s what I am doing. Sharing my years of experimenting so we can all have Levain at home. It’s just the right thing to do.
Let’s start with the basics.
Use cold butter. Cut into small cubes. Since you are collecting it straight out of the fridge, you need to cut it into small pieces so the butter and sugar can become friends and make a creamy masterpiece. It takes about 4 minutes for them to warm up and become besties.
This is where it’s all over for me….cookie dough. It’s my kryptonite, unfortunately, and I blame my hips on this goodness. Who else loves this stuff?
Now, these aren’t some ordinary bite-size cookies. No these are a full-on meal. Well maybe for some people. Here’s the deal – you make them big. Really big. Like only four can fit on a cookie sheet, BIG. These are the BEST CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES EVER. Yep, I said it.
Usually, with thick cookies, they turn out like hockey pucks – cakey messes that hardly resemble a gooey cookie.
This is where these are different. We are going to crank up the heat in the oven to cook the outside quickly and leave that center nice, warm and gooey. As a cookie should be.
There are a few ingredients and techniques that set these cookies apart. First, you use cornstarch to add thickness without making the cookie dry. It does wonders in these cookies! Using cake flour also lends to a more tender cookie but you can also substitute all-purpose flour. Here’s one of my favorite cake flours — King Arthur Cake Flour
I am a huge fan of using nonstick silicone baking mats (Silpat) placed on top of the cookie sheets, which allows the cookies to be easily removed from the pan and to bake nicely. My cousin gave me a set as a gift years ago and I had no idea what I was missing out on! These are ones I have loved —Silicone Baking Sheets – 2 pack
You may want to eat these Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies the second they come out of the oven, but patience is a virtue and you must exercise some with these cookies. They need to “set up” so give them at least 10-15 minutes before you devour them. The amazing part of these cookies is that they are the only cookies I have ever made that are still cookie perfection even after a few days.
If you LOVE these cookies, you will love these other Levain Bakery copycat recipes:
- Levain Bakery Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies
- Levain Bakery Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Levain Bakery Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
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Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Crush Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup Cold Butter cut into small cubes
- 1 cup Brown Sugar
- 1/2 cup Sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 1 1/2 cups Cake Flour*
- 1 1/2 cups Flour
- 1 teaspoon Cornstarch
- 3/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 3/4 teaspoon Salt
- 2 cups Chocolate Chips
- 2 cups Walnuts roughly chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 410 degrees.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together cold cubed butter, brown sugar, and sugar for 4 minutes or until creamy.
- Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each one.
- Stir in flours, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Mix until just combined to avoid overmixing. Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts.
- Separate dough into large balls and place on lightly colored cookie sheet. They are bigger than you think! You will fit 4 cookies on one large cookie sheet. The dough makes 8 extra large cookies.
- Bake for 9-12 minutes or until golden brown on the top. Let them rest for at least 10 minutes to set.
Video
Notes
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Now go make some Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies! You need one (or two or three….no judging here) of these warm, gooey cookies, a big glass of cold milk and a to-do list with nothing on it except catching up on Netflix or those cheesy Holiday Hallmark movies that somehow keep playing on my TV.
If you are a huge fan of Levain Bakery cookies or just eating the best chocolate chip cookies, you will love my other copycat recipes — Levain Bakery Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies and Levain Bakery Dark Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies.
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Happy Baking!
I made these today and they turned out so well!
I have never had the real Levain cookies, so I guess I can’t give an accurate comparison, but I know that these cookies hit all of the marks that the Levain cookies are known for. They were very gooey on the inside, like molten cookie dough, and crisp and crunchy on the outside.
I followed the instructions pretty accurately, but I did chill the dough for about half an hour before molding and baking.
I baked at the recommended temperature for about 9 and a half minutes, and broiled it at 475 for 2 more minutes to get a more brown exterior. No need to take out the cookies while the oven gets hotter, just leave them in there and set it Broil-475 for two minutes! Keep an eye on them though because broiling has potential to burn if you leave it in for even half a minute longer.
If you want the inside less gooey, I recommend baking for 11 minutes and broiling for 1-2.
I also think that refrigerating my dough made the inside more molten if that is what you’re going for.
Overall such a great recipe.
Melissa! This recipe is AMAZING! Thank you so much. It was a win on the first try. I have been craving a Levain Cookie every since I moved home from NYC. It was the perfect way to break in my Kitchen Aid. Thank you for sharing!
Hello!
I LOVE your Levain cookie recipe, and I make it all the time 🙂 I am wondering if you know the weighted measurements for the ingredients? I have found the results a little inconsistent, sometimes they spread more than I would like them to and I’m sure it’s just slight differences in measurements.
I’ve been experimenting with using brown butter in this recipe and definitely recommend if you haven’t tried it 🙂 I brown the butter, pour it into a liquid measuring cup, and add about a tablespoon of water or whatever is needed to makeup the difference for liquid lost during the browning process. I also use dark brown sugar when I do this with the Trader Joe’s dark pound plus bar and they are PERFECTION.
Thanks for this recipe!!!!
Hows the difference versus the cold butter vs brown butter?? do you use both?
Hi there. I have been making these for a while now. The best recipe ever. Also the oatmeal raisin cookies. And the chocolate peanut butter. Heres my question. Can you make the plain chocolate chip dough, leave out the chips, and make them into red velvet? I would love to make these cookies into different flavors. But I’m not sure how. Thank you. Love your site. Also do you have an Instagram?
Easy recipe for such good cookies! And spot on to Levain! The only thing I had trouble with was the bake for the size. I weighed mine out at 6 oz each. Cooked for 12 mins and they seemed done judging by the outside. Let rest for 15 mins but cut one in half and it was raw inside. Back in the oven and then they were perfect inside but a bit burned on the outside. So next time I will just make them smaller in size. Still delicious though. Ate a full one and want another!
Hi, I made this cookies, it was good when it was hot but when it’s cold it’s really really hard. I wonder what did I miss?
Hi does it matter which attachment to use on mixer? I borrowed my SIL’s kitchen aid mixer but she forgot to give me the flat beater so I ended up using the spiral wire whip. My first time attempting this cookie, so i mixed sugar and butter combo longer than 4 mins, stopping multiple times to scrap off the mixture (phew not much fun) and mixing in eggs one at a time for a few mins. I could not tell if the mixture was the correct “creamy” texture. After folding in the dry ingredients cookie dough was def more on chunky, drier side. Ekk I’m scared wet mixture was not as creamy as it needed to be. Any thoughts? TY so much, praying I am being overly anxious.
Well, I have to defend this recipe because it’s perfect. Im one of the many reviews that have done this cookie and lOVE it. Yes, I made a smaller version of the cookies but made exactly the recipe as written. And I did refrigerate the dough overnight… and everyone loved them. Don’t discard a recipe until you tried for yourself.
I see alot of chatter about this cookie but not that many reviews from people who actually made them. Seems odd when people discuss a cookie before making it which always leads me to believe they are fake reviewers. I saw what looked like 3 possible real reviews. Any cooks out there care to leave a detailed review? Im deeply suspicious these days of cooking websites…especially ones with glossy pictures.
Hi Rebecca! There are 339 reviews and I would say almost every single one of them comments on how they turned out. Keep scrolling down and you will see more recent ones. Since I posted this recipe in December 2015, I have had thousands of people make this recipe. I would never ever ask for fake reviews. My Mom doesn’t even leave reviews. Hahaha!
I made them exactly as per the recipe and they turned out great.
When I posted my first comment in 2019 I had already made these cookies 3 times. Since then I’ve made them more times than I can count. The recipe produces exactly what it claims to: heavenly chocolate chip cookies that look and taste like what you can buy at Levain bakery. Bonus: you only dirty one bowl and don’t have to remember to bring butter to room temperature. What point is there in reviewing in more detail? The blog post itself contains plenty of detail already. BTW I have never met the writer of this blog and have zero incentive to spend time writing fake reviews. So give these a try! Worst case scenario you’re out an hour of your time and some basic kitchen ingredients. Best case (and this is what will actually happen) you have the most delicious cookies you’ve ever tasted!
Did you use salted or unsalted butter?