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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!
Thanks for this yummy recipe! Soft & chewy in the middle and slightly crisp at the edges. Easy to bake with just 1 bowl!
Love love love this recipe!
Recipe is amazing! I ALWAYS chill the dough though for at least 3 hours. Question: has anyone made a giant cake size version of this? My son and his friends are obsessed with my cookies and my son wants this for his birthday!
Hey an update on my idea to make a ginormous cookie cake from this recipe: I did it for my son’s party–a three tiered jumbo cookie thing and it was a hit!! I baked for a little longer and used one regular round cake pan and two small cake pans. It was sooooo good and I cut the “cake” into wedges. Word of advice though: if you serve this at a party, make sure to have lots of ice cold whole milk on hand! Yummmmmmmm!!!
So excited to have found your recipe!! Have you ever tried using Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 baking flour to bake them gluten free? Also, what kind of chocolate chips do you use? Semi-sweet, milk or dark chocolate? The Levain cookies have two different kinds of chips not sure which two to use.
Thank you 🙂
Happy Baking!
I just made these and added hazelnuts, flavor and texture was great, but mine didn’t spread. I used real butter, cold. Why could this be?
Would you recommend the same baking time and temp for frozen cookie dough? I love making cookies butt always find I have too much dough so I like to keep pre made dough in the freezer and pop them in the oven when I’m craving some cookies!
Dakota I always use the same baking time but I always always chill my dough for a few hours before baking.
Hey,can you please help me with the gram measurements?
I don’t change my baking time…:)
Asking the same question, did you use salted or unsalted butter?
I’ve done it with either one successfully – it’s a matter of preference. The salted definitely creates a salty cookie but I actually like it that way.
Do you use salted or non salted butter?
I’ve done it with either one successfully – it’s a matter of preference. The salted definitely creates a salty cookie but I actually like it that way.
Dark or light brown sugar?
Either works. I prefer dark because I like the depth of flavor it provides but I’ve used both in the recipe.
Comment receipe say makes 8 extra large cookies. Can you cut each in half again to make 16?
I always measure my flour in grams for accuracy. I use 120g all purpose flour for each cup. Cake and pastry is not one I’m familiar with in grams. Do you use gram measurements? Accurate flour measurements are pretty important in order to achieve the best results. Thanks.
120 grams per cup is correct for AP and cake flour.
Do you not need to chill the dough at all?
You don’t have to chill the dough at all. 🙂 You can immediately bake them after making the cookie dough. I hope you love them!
What kind of chocolate chips do you us?
Milk chocolate, semi sweet, dark?
I always use a mix. Semi sweet, mini, dark chocolate, sometimes milk, chocolate, often whatever I have, I will throw in there. But I do like a mix of bitter, sweet, semi sweet, dark and milk.
This is the BEST chocolate chip cookie I’ve ever had…thick, gooey, rich, and delicious. Dare I say, better than Levain? The recipe was so easy to follow, and everything turned out perfectly. Thank you for giving me a new go-to recipe—I’ll be making these for years to come!
Hello! This recipe is amazing. Mine came out pretty well, but I cooked them like 5 more minturs and the shape of the cookie went flat. I am going to stick to your cooking time. Also I wanted to ask you, I went to the Levain website and it lusts the ingredients and they use baking powder instead of baking soda, and also vanilla. What is the difference between baking powder and baking soda?
I’ve made these several times! I’ve made them big and I’ve made them normal cookie size, just adjusted the time for the smaller ones. They’ve turned out perfect every time. My family loves them!!!
Tried the cookies and they were delicious and really similar to levain. Would you have the recipe for the dark chocolate chocolate chip?