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These Levain Bakery Chocolate Cherry Almond Cookies are giant, thick, and gooey in the center, with golden, crisp edges. The bakery-style dough is loaded with semi-sweet chocolate chips, tart dried cherries, and toasted sliced almonds. Levain’s newest cookie is only around for a limited time, so I figured out how to make it at home. It’s the perfect copycat recipe for chocolate and cherry lovers.

Stack of giant Levain Bakery chocolate cherry almond cookies with melted chocolate chips, dried cherries, and toasted sliced almonds.

Every time Levain Bakery releases a new cookie, I’m in my kitchen figuring out how to make it at home. I’ve been recreating their cookies since 2015, and their newest limited-time flavor, the Chocolate Cherry Almond Cookie, is one of my favorites for Fall yet. These giant, thick cookies are gooey in the center, golden on the edges, and loaded with chocolate chips, chewy dried cherries, and toasted almonds.

Levain Bakery is the famous New York City bakery known for its giant, six-ounce cookies that are crisp on the outside and gooey in the center. Their newest flavor, Chocolate Cherry Almond, is chock full of chocolate, cherries, and almonds. It has rich chocolate, tart dried cherries, and crunchy toasted almonds.

Since I love Levain Bakery so much and have always been such a huge fan, I have a long list of cookie recipes below if you want to try more of their famous bakery cookies.

Ingredients for Levain Chocolate Cherry Almond Cookies

Scroll down to the recipe card for amounts and instructions

Cold butter: Using cold, cubed butter (not softened) is one of the secrets to thick Levain cookies that don’t spread.
Brown sugar and granulated sugar: Brown sugar keeps the cookies soft and chewy, and granulated sugar gives crisp golden edges.
Eggs and vanilla: Add richness and flavor.
All-purpose flour and cake flour: The combination gives structure plus that tender, cakey center.
Cornstarch: Keeps the centers soft and thick.
Baking soda and salt: For rise and flavor.
Semi-sweet chocolate chips: Classic and balanced. Dark chocolate chips also pair beautifully with cherries.
Dried cherries: Use tart dried cherries for the best flavor contrast with the chocolate. Roughly chop any large ones.
Sliced almonds: Toasting them first brings out a deeper, nuttier flavor.

Close-up of a thick chocolate cherry almond cookie with golden crisp edges and sliced almonds on top.

How to Make Levain Chocolate Cherry Almond Cookies

Preheat the oven. Preheat to 400°F. The high heat sets the outside quickly so the cookies stay thick and gooey inside. I suggest using a LIGHT colored baking sheet. Another tip is to double up baking sheets to protect the bottoms of the cookies.
Cream the butter and sugars. In a large mixing bowl, cream the cold butter, brown sugar, and sugar for 4 minutes, until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Add the eggs and vanilla. Mix for 1 minute longer.
Add the dry ingredients. Stir in the all-purpose flour, cake flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt just until combined.
Fold in the mix-ins. Fold in the chocolate chips, dried cherries, and toasted sliced almonds.
Shape the cookies. Roll the dough into 6-ounce balls. Place them on a parchment-lined, light-colored baking sheet, with only 4 or 5 cookies per sheet.
Bake. Bake for 8 1/2 to 10 minutes, until light golden.
Let them set. Let the cookies rest on the pan for 15 minutes before moving them. They finish cooking as they cool.

Levain copycat chocolate cherry cookie broken in half, showing a thick, gooey center with melted chocolate and chewy cherries.

Tips for Thick, Bakery-Style Levain Cookies

Use cold butter. Softened butter makes the cookies spread.
Weigh the dough balls. A kitchen scale makes every cookie 6 ounces and helps them bake evenly.
Shape tall, not round. Form the dough into a ball that’s taller than it is wide for that classic Levain shape.
Use a light-colored baking sheet. Dark pans brown the bottoms too quickly.
Don’t overbake. The centers should look slightly underdone when you pull them out.

Troubleshooting

Cookies spread too much: The butter was too warm or the dough was too soft. Chill the dough balls before baking.
Raw in the middle: Let them rest the full 15 minutes on the pan. If still too gooey, add 1 minute to the bake time.
Bottoms too dark: Use a light-colored pan and bake on the middle rack.
Cherries are hard: Soak them in hot water for 5 minutes, then pat completely dry before adding.

Variations

Dark chocolate: Swap the semi-sweet chips for dark chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate.
Almond extract: Add ½ teaspoon almond extract with the vanilla for even more almond flavor.
Nut-free: Leave out the almonds and add an extra ½ cup chocolate chips.
Dried cranberries: Use dried cranberries in place of the cherries for a holiday twist.
Smaller cookies: Roll into 3-ounce balls and bake 8 to 9 minutes.

Storage and Freezing

Room temperature: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Freeze baked cookies: Freeze in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or warm in a 300°F oven for 5 minutes.
Freeze the dough: Freeze the 6-ounce dough balls on a baking sheet, then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen, adding 2 to 3 minutes.

These Levain Bakery Chocolate Cherry Almond Cookies made with chocolate, tart dried cherries, and toasted almonds.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why use cold butter? Cold butter creams with the sugar without making the dough too soft, so the cookies hold their tall shape in the oven.

Do I need to toast the almonds? No, but toasting brings out a deeper, nuttier flavor and makes them crunchier.

What kind of dried cherries are best? Tart dried cherries balance the sweet chocolate best. Sweet dried cherries work too.

Can I make these cookies smaller? Yes. Roll the dough into 3-ounce balls and bake for 8 to 9 minutes.

Why bake at 400°F? The high oven temperature sets the outside of the cookie quickly, so the inside stays thick and gooey, just like Levain’s.

Birds eye view of Levain Bakery Chocolate Cherry Almond Cookies.

Levain Bakery Copycat Cookies:

Here is a list of all of my Levain Bakery cookie recipes…

More Cookie Recipes:

Here are some of my most popular cookie recipes on Modern Honey…

Levain Bakery Chocolate Cherry Almond Cookies

Ingredients for Levain Chocolate Cherry Almond Cookies

How to Make Levain Chocolate Cherry Almond Cookies