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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!
Just made these. Not going to lie, pretty disappointed. I followed some of the other tips posted here and used a double pan to prevent the bottoms from burning. Dough turned out fine. Cooked the cookies for 12 minutes and let them rest for over 10 minutes. Cookies stayed tall and didn’t spread that thin. Legit still raw on the inside. 🙁 I have no clue how a 6oz cookie dough ball would be able to cook in 9 minutes, which is on the low side of this recipe, I had to put them back in the oven for another 8 minutes on top of the 12, this was at 410 degrees as well. To be honest, the dough isn’t great either, the NYT cookie recipe produces a much better tasting cookie. Listen to the other reviews on here about the same thing, these cookies are raw inside if you follow this recipe.
I can not believe you put together this recipe! I live just outside of Philadelphia and venture up to NYC several times a year. While there, I never miss out on Levain. I just made these cookies and OMG! Heaven! Absolutely spot on. Don’t change a thing (Ok, I actually used 3 cups regular flour). Just amazing! Thanks so much. Can’t wait to try your other recipes.
Side note: If you could somehow come up with a recipe for Taco Mahals (Bleeker St) Chicken Tikka tacos, I would not need to return to the city. I have literally dreamt of those.
So I’m trying this recipe right now as I’m leaving this comment. I followed this recipe to a tee, including the sizes of the cookies. I thought to myself, “410 for 10 minutes? There’s no way these enormous things will be cooked through in 10 minutes!” So, I trusted the recipe regardless, and took them out after 10 minutes – they looked like set, anyway. I let them rest for 15 minutes, then cut one open and it was raw and gooey and molten and not finished at all. I tossed that one and am putting the rest *back* in the oven for ten to fifteen more minutes… There is no way yours baked properly in ten minutes!
Best cookie ever! I was so shocked trying them ( I’ve never had the Levain cookie). But these are so good, nothing I’ve ever tried before! Im so happy I tried making them. I don’t want to know how many calories are in each:) they are too good! Thank you for the recipe!
OMG!!! These are the best cookies ever! I bake on weekends and whenever I ask my family what to bake they say these cookies! I have made these 3 times before, each time with different types of chips. These are the world’s best cookies!
they are really so good! like too good! I don’t want to know the calories in them!:)
I’m not sure what I did wrong or if it was my oven’s fault 🙁 I heated my oven to 410 degrees and left them in for 9 minutes. At 9 minutes, I checked on them and the bottom was burnt but the top was uncooked. I tried to broil for 3 minutes, but that batch just became super burnt. I did try to bake the second batch at about 375 for 9 minutes, and that worked a bit better, but I still had to cook the top/broil for about a minute. Does this happen to anyone else?
it happened to me too after 9 mins! I used a silicone mat on a baking sheet and after 10 mins took them out and thought they were too undercooked! Then I left them in for 12 and then took them out..: I found that after cooling at least 10 minutes it firmed up and was perfect! I think it looks undercooked more than it is.. one tip would be to flatten the top just a little before putting in oven.
New favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe! I didn’t have cake flour so I used all purpose and added 1/2 tsp extra cornstarch. Used half milk choc chips and half dark choc chips. So delicious and easy. Thank you for the recipe!
I would like to ask, many cookie recipes suggest to refrigerate the batter for sometime before baking. Would you suggest the same for your recipe above? Would there be a difference in the results?
I’ve done this for other cookie recipes with great success. I found it wasn’t necessary here. Maybe the chopped cold butter was enough (?). The cookies looked just like the pictures. I did make them right after making the dough. I also left the remaining dough in a large lump in the kitchen aid as the first batch cooked.
Hello! I tried making these cookies but instead of turning out thick and fluffy, mine flattened out into giant pancakes. I just double checked and noticed my baking soda was expired. Could this be what caused the issue?
These have been on my wish list to make ever since I made your amazing double chocolate cookies for Christmas.
I needed to ramp up the baked treats for the family as we start to deal with the Coronavirus and bring up the spirits with some homemade goodness.
These cookies are my all time favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe! And I’ve made my share….
I used a 1 oz scooper instead of a jumbo cookie, baked about 12 min at 375 and they turned out perfectly for a family sized puck of heaven. They have some nice volume to them (not flat) without being too cakey. Moist throughout without any uncooked middle, and crispy edges. Perfect for me and the family.
I did use cold butter and chilled the dough for 15 minutes before baking on parchment paper and room temp baking sheet.
Thank you!