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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!
Hi! I came across this cookie recipe and wanted to ask if anyone has tried browning the butter before adding it to the sugar? Love the nutty taste brown butter gives in cookies!
If so, what’s the best way to do it? Should I let the browned butter cool completely (To cut it into cubes) or are there any adjustments (like adding extra liquid, more butter) to keep the texture right? Thanks so much for any tips!
So I made a batch of these cookies today and while they are delicious, my first batch spread like mad and I ended up with super crusty edges (didn’t taste bad just not what I was looking for). Any suggestions on how to combat that? Also I’m fairly high elevation at nearly 3400 ft. Do you think that would have an effect?
Hi Shellie! I am just making sure that you used 3 cups of flour total? Some people miss the 1 1/2 cups of cake flour so if you do and only use 1 1/2 cups of flour, your cookies will spread like crazy! Since the ratio of these Levain Bakery cookies are 1 cup of cold butter to 1 1/2 cups of total sugars and 3 cups of flour, and you make them into 6-ounce balls, you should have a nice thick, bakery-style cookie. If you did use 3 cups of total flour in the recipe, I would suggest adding 3 Tablespoons of flour to compensate for the high altitude. I hope that helps!
Thank you so much for getting back to me Melissa! Yes, between the cake flour and the regular flour I did use three full cups. I will add the additional flower and see what happens!
Fantastic cookies made six and froze. The rest of the dough balls for a future delicious treat
Once baked, can these be stored at room temperature and for how long?
Hi! I would recommend 2-3 days at room temp, to maintain freshness. I also recommend freezing them!
Can I make without walnuts?
Hi Terry! Yes you can. I would recommend adding 1-2 tablespoons more flour so the cookies still maintain their structure. I hope you enjoy!
Question, so if I dont use cake flour and just using all purpose flour am I putting in 3 Cups of flour then? since it says 1 1/2 flour and 1 1/2 cake flour? TIA
Hi! Yep you got it. 3 cups of flour total!
Making these today!
Hi! Do you have the recipe in grams?
Can I use only all purpose flour instead of cake flour? Thank you!
Yes, you definitely can! I hope you enjoy these cookies!
These cookies are to die for!!!! Seriously the best cookies I’ve ever eaten
SO GOOD SO PERFECT SO AMAZING!!!! i put marshmallows and graham crackers in one of them just for funsies and OH MY GOSH.
I am planning on making these cookies. First batch will just be the 8 cookies as the testers. I’ll use a few to freeze test and use a few for refrig test and eat a few for taste test (of course!) My only addition to your instructions is that I’ll weight the cookie dough, make balls, and let rest in frig for 24 hours. You said have patience. LOL. Eventually, I’d like to triple or even times the recipe by 5 but I’m a little nervous because there are no weights for the ingredients. Do you think I could use the weights off of the ingredient packages to multiply this recipe?