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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!
Could these be made into bite size cookies? If so, temp at 400? and Check them after 5 minutes? Also, how long do they last on the counter…if no one eats them because I’ve hidden them…but then forgot I hid them? 🙂
Or,realisticly would like to give some as gifts?
Hi Janet! I would suggest lowering the oven temperature to 395-400 degrees and baking them for about 8-9 minutes. Oven temperatures can vary so watch them carefully. I always suggest to use light colored baking sheets if you have them and watch the edges. These cookies will stay fresh 2-3 days at room temp but I always suggest freezing them, to maintain freshness. I hope you love this recipe!
These are my go to chocolate chip cookies. We keep a batch made in our freezer at all times.
Hi Amelia! Thank you so much for your comment and for making my recipe, I appreciate it. 🙂
If I am looking to prep cookies about a week or so ahead of time should I chill the cookie dough and then freeze them? If I freeze what should the cookies thaw or can I cook them straight from the freezer?
Hi Colleen! Yes you can freeze the cookie dough and cook them from frozen! I would add 2-3 minutes to the bake time, but watch for the edges to turn golden brown. I hope you enjoy these cookies!
Luv this cookies,Need more fro You,
This is the best recipe for thick, bakery style cookies. I make a batch and store majority of it in the freezer, so whenever I get a craving I just pop some in the oven, I do make them smaller so the dough lasts longer.
That is a great idea, Liz! Thank you so much for making this recipe and following along. 🙂
I want to make these but in regular size! So would I lower the oven temp and to what if so? And for how long would I cook them? Thanks!
Hi Caroline! I would suggest lowering the oven temperature to 395-400 degrees and baking them for about 9 minutes. Oven temperatures can vary so watch them carefully. I always suggest to use light colored baking sheets if you have them. Hope you love them!
So, if I am not using cake flour…three cups of AP flour?
And Melissa…is there a way to make them just a wonderful only smaller …maybe 3oz each?
Hi Angela! Yes you got it, 3 cups of flour in total. You can make the cookies smaller I would just check on them 1-2 minutes before the end of bake time and watch for the edges to get slightly golden brown. I hope you love these cookies, let me know if you have any more questions!
The cookies are so delicious! I used both semi-sweet and milk chocolate chips. I put half of the cookies in the freezer to enjoy later. ;)Thanks Melissa!
I love the combo of chips, that sounds delicious! Thank you so much for making my recipe, Lorraine.
Hello! I have heard there is a thing called “chilling the dough” what does this mean and is this something that needs to be done for this recipe? Also, would this work if I get a hand held mixer? I don’t have kitchen space for a full size kitchen aid stand mixer so trying to see if I can buy a smaller tool I can store easily and it will still come out the same? Thank you!
Hi Sarah, chilling the dough is not necessary for this recipe. However, chilling the dough can help enhance the flavors of the cookies. You can chill the dough by wrapping the dough in plastic wrap and storing it in an airtight container. You can make this recipe with a hand held mixer, you might have to cream the butter and sugar for a longer amount of time to get the mixture creamy. I hope you enjoy this recipe, let me know if you have any other questions!
Hi! I love this recipe! If I wanted to make the dough a couple days before baking, do you recommend leaving in the fridge? Or freezing? If so how long could it be refrigerated? How long to thaw? I have time to prep the dough Sunday but won’t bring to my party until Friday. Thanks!
Hi Hannah! I would recommend refrigerating the dough and tightly wrapping it in plastic wrap and storing in an air tight container. It should be good to last in the fridge for that long. Please let me know if you have any more questions!
These were flavourful but I struggled with portion size! How big should these cookies really be?
Hi Shayna! These cookies should be 6 oz, which are large cookies! The whole batch should make about 8 cookies in total.