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
The BEST Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Copycat Cookie Recipe.
- 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
- 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.
*can substitute all-purpose flour for cake flour
*Levain Bakery has stated they don't use vanilla extract in their cookies. If you would like to add vanilla extract, I would suggest adding 1 teaspoon when adding the eggs to the batter.
Pin on Pinterest:
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.
Come follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram.
Happy Baking!
Gail Park says
Amazing cookie consistency! Yummy moistness and not too gooey! I made mine a lot smaller. I used a rounded ice cream scoop size and baked them about 15 minutes at 400 degrees. My oven only allows 25 degree increments. They were not ball shaped but did not totally flatten out like others said. More like a really thick cookie.
I followed the ingredients exactly. My suggestion is ADD SOME VANILLA! Although the consistency was great, the actual cookie was kind of bland. Mad that I didn’t follow my instinct to do it. I’m not sure I’ll make them again. I’ll see what others in the household think. Maybe I ate too much dough and my tastebuds are too saturated.
Rie says
You are exactly right! Having tried the actual Levain cookies, vanilla is the ingredient that is missing in theirs as well. Definitely try the recipe again with vanilla! You wont be disappointed🙂
Karina Barron says
How Much vanilla would you recommend added to a recipe this size?
Mandy says
Levain Bakery has stated they don't use vanilla extract in their cookies. If you would like to add vanilla extract, I would suggest adding 1 teaspoon when adding the eggs to the batter.
Gina Marie says
My oven is the same, the dial is in increments of 25. Like you I did 15 min at 400. Mine came out a little too overdone, so I will try 12 or 13 minutes next time. Like you, I used a standard round ice cream scoop. Also I added 1 teaspoon of Vanilla, and I would even do 1.5 next time. Overall I love the recipe. Thanks for your tips.
angie says
I left out cornstarch...what should I expect...oh no...
Suzie says
How are these different from your Crumbl copycat? Besides the addition of vanilla extract and 2 more tablespoons more of sugar in your Crumbl one
Cynde says
It looks like the basic same cookie base (delicious!) but the Crumbl version doesn't have nuts and uses milk chocolate chips.
Kathleen says
these are the best cookies! be careful not to over mix them (i use the stand mixer to mix the butter and sugar only then the rest is by hand) or they come out flat. i either add a little vanilla extract or some maple syrup to the butter/sugar mix while adding the eggs. so easy and quick. i mix up the chocolate chip options (milk, dark, chunks). i use parchment paper or silpat sheets, both work great.
Jay says
Kathleen, your comments are interesting and helpful. I discovered Modern Honey's Levain cookie recipe a couple of years ago and have never turned back. I've made it over 20 times, and am continuously experimenting with different add-ins. One of my most successful what white chocolate chips and Craisins. But I've noticed recently that while my cookies used to stay high and thick, they now tend to flatten more and I can't figure it out since I never change up the base recipe ingredients. However, after I cream the butter and sugars, I add one egg at a time and beat 4 minutes after each egg. So, based on what you commented, I'm thinking that might be the culprit and that I need to drastically cut down on the beat time for the eggs. Your thoughts?
Brandy G says
I think you're definitely over mixing with your eggs. Try mixing until just incorporated with each egg, because I don't know any cookie recipe that calls for blending that long. The only 4 minute increment you should have is blending butter and sugars together.
Rubem says
Hi! What are the adjustments if omitting walnuts (I'm allergic)? Thanks in advance!
Rachel Chlebanowski says
I just left them out and followed the rest of the recipe exactly as instructed!
JT says
Did they still come out thick without the nuts?
Valerie M says
I just made this recipe for the first time. Best cookie I have ever made! And yes, they are still thick without the nuts.
Natalie Gill says
I always have problem when it comes to making my cookies the same size. Do you know how much each cookie should weigh?
Alan says
The weight was in here before, I'm not sure where it went. However, she mentioned they should be between 6-8oz each. 🙂
Jay says
I make mine smaller as I bake them up for my daughter's workplace. I weigh each at 65 grams, so the standard recipe yields 20 cookies. They are much smaller than the standard recipe, but nobody complains since it's such a rich cookie. I bake at 410 for 10 minutes.
Rena Levine Levy says
I make these very often...but make them smaller...use a standard ice cream scoop to insure they are all similar in size....I've yet to have anyone complain they are not big enough....
Ella says
Made these cookies and we love them. I made two changes to reduce the sugar content. I did not add the white sugar and I used dark chocolate. Removing this much sugar will prevent your cookie from spreading nicely. So after taking a scoop using the ice cream scoop I press lightly with my hand to flatten it.
Also I like a cookie that shows chocolate chip at the top. So I don’t add all the chocolate chips when mixing. After I press the cookies I add a few pieces at the top. Looks amazing!
I also make twice the batch and after making the balls I freeze them. That way I take some out every time I want some.
Dee says
Hi Ella, Can you please share your instructions for baking them after freezing? I'm a newbie and have burnt four frozen cookie balls 🙁 Be as specific as possible? Thank you in advance!
LUCIA says
Yo can put them in the ovem from the freezer, the only thing is turn on the oven and put them inside, don't preheat the oven. It will take a few mome minutes to cook, but they are not gonna get burned.
Rita says
Hi Dee, try baking them for longer at a lower temperature straight from the freezer. I found a recipe on Youtube (the Crumbs and Doilies Channel) where they bake them straight from the freezer at 325 degrees for around 20 mins. I tried it and they come out perfect.
Dee says
Thank you for your tip! I will try it out 🙂
Mandy Marchand says
Game Changer!!!! i LOVE these cookies and so does EVERYONE i make them for! they are always being requested now. i thank you so much for sharing!
JCM says
These are amazing! I have never had a Levain cookie- but loved the look and description- had to try these. I added 1/3 cup ground almond flour in lieu of walnuts as my boys don’t like nuts in cookies (the almond flour simply adds depth). Also had to sub arrowroot flour for cornstarch as didn’t have any. Made 16 3oz cookies. These are really fabulous - thank you for all of the diligence to create perception! Definitely new favorite CC cookie recipe.
Xanah says
Oh. My. Word. My house if full of nut fanatics, so I had to try these. I chopped up Walnuts and toasted them in the oven before adding, and WOW. Absolute favorite new cookie recipe. These will be a staple in my home. The hardest part was creaming the butter with a hand mixer, but I used a deep bowl so the butter wouldn't go flying everywhere. I also measured total dough weight, which minus a few greedy nibbles from me, came to about 55 oz. I made each cookie 6.9oz. They turned out perfect! The toasted walnut flavor with the gooey centers are to die for.
Tresly Jose says
These are amazing! I have never had a Levain cookie- but loved the look and description- had to try these. I use almonds for the substitute of the walnuts since im out of stock of walnut. And definitely be my favorite cookie recipe!.
Sarah says
My boyfriends all-time favorite dessert I've made. I think they taste better than the real-deal.
Paula says
I made these the other day. They are sooo good! I made them smaller, added vanilla and used an alternative sweetener. I had to hide them so I will have enough to take on my vacation. Thank you for sharing!!
Molly’s Mom says
Lord have mercy — are these cookies good! I used salted butter, so I added a small amount Then sprinkled a bit of kosher salt to each cookie top before baking.
Lyndsay says
Ok I don’t know where to start. I live at 5000 feet and have been trying to find the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe that doesn’t spread and stays gooey and thick!!!! This is it. Holy cow. I used chopped up almond butter filled pretzels instead of the nuts and also used the chocolate chips and OMG. OOOOOOOMMMMMMGGGGG.
I wish I could post a pic to show you. Thanks!
Rosie says
Hi what are the macros for this?
Sue Cirillo says
SO GOOD! My family loved these cookies! I followed instructions exactly. My 17 yr old son said they "slapped" which I'm pretty sure is the biggest compliment possible. 🙂
Meg says
Salted or unsalted butter?
Mary Jo says
Can I ask, do you refrigerate the dough prior to baking? I'm looking forward to surprising my husband with these this weekend!
Thank you!
Ellen says
Hi there! Just wondering if you have this recipe in metric measurement units? Love your work! 👏🏻😍
JD says
How can such large cookies only take 9-12 minutes. How long would they take if you made them smaller? Someone said they took 15 minutes when made smaller.
Brandy G says
Mine take 20 minutes. 9-12 baked the tops, buy leaves the inside raw. Hope that helps!
Lily says
I followed your recipe exactly and they came out delicious! They were by far the best chocolate chip cookies I've ever made!
Anna says
I have always wanted to try this recipe! I don't really expect a response but for those of you who have made this: would chilling the dough overnight until I am ready to bake ruin the final results? And would you suggest allowing the dough to come to room temperature before baking if I do so. A lot of recipes suggest chilling the dough but this isn't the average recipe.
Julie says
I made these today with a couple of changes...I don't have a stand mixer and didn't feel like creaming the butter and sugar by hand so I used a food processor and kept an eye on it...I added vanilla like some commenters have recommended and also sprinkled flaky sea salt on top because flaky sea salt makes everything better. The biggest change was the size. I increased the recipe by 1/3 and used a standard TBSP to measure out the dough and got over 50 cookies. Since I'm taking them to work, this was the goal. I reduced the sugar content by 1/3 and they were perfect since I think most American cookies are too sweet. They turned out delicious and it's a pretty forgiving recipe as you can tell with all the changes I made!
Liz says
OMG so glad I found this recipe after my trip to NYC! It taste just like the Levain bakery cookies! So delicious, thank you for this AMAZING recipe!
Liz L says
I don't think I've ever written a recipe review before but this recipe has moved me to do so...I have made these probably 4 times in the last month since I found the recipe, and I usually don't like making chocolate chip cookies because there are so many bowls, sometimes they tell you to chill the dough, and who has time for that?! But these I've enjoyed making with minimal cleanup. They're super quick and easy, and I've shared them far and wide to STELLAR reviews all around. These really are like the Levain cookies (but better). I usually end up baking them longer than 12 minutes because they're still a bit too gooey for my preference at 12 min. I usually do around 20 min, or I've even just left the cookies in the oven for a few minutes after I turn it off after around 15 mins and they turn out just fine. Do not skimp on the walnuts or chocolate chips! And maybe have some fun and try it with different kinds of chocolate chips. I feel very strongly about this recipe as you can tell.
Eon says
Hi, where did you get that pan, because I have been searching for ages without being able to find a pan that my silpat baking sheet will fit in.
Mia says
These are so good!! Have made them many time, this and the double chocolate version. SO gooey, crispy on the outside and soft in the inside! Haven't been able to try the actual Levain so these should suffice now 😛
Brandy G says
You really need to leave these in the oven for about 20 minutes if you make only 8. Otherwise, they're not baked in the center.. at all. I think it's the high temp that flash baked them on top, but the heat never had a chance to penetrate the interior, so back in the oven they went for another 10 minutes. If you DO THAT, they're perfect.
Elise says
Have you made this as one large cookie in a skillet? Made these as cookies and they are a big hit! Wondering how the recipe fairs as a “cookie cake”?
Lorena says
I made these today, and they came out perfectly. I have been loving trying different chocolate chip cookies lately and seeing how different techniques make them come out so differently.
Tiara says
This recipe is perfect! Just like Levain cookies! I’ve made these twice. Followed the recipe exactly each time. Second time, I halved the recipe which made 4 big cookies. They came out perfect each time. Wonderfully ooey and gooey on the inside and crispy on the outside. Only thing I did different was bake them for 20 minutes as suggested by others because the cookies seemed quite pale after only 12 minutes of baking. This is a must try and a new staple for me.
Maaike says
these are absolutely amazing! Will try making these with brown butter next time to make them next level. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!
Florentina says
I made these today and I have to say that for homemade cookies, these are perfect. I used all-purpose flour and forgot to chop the walnuts, which also were older, but it still turned out good. Furthermore, I recommend using good quality walnuts and chop them for best results. I will definitely save this recipe and make it again.
Jasmin Morgan says
Can I just use all brown sugar if I do not have white sugar? TIA!
ANa ACHAVAL says
Hello I love your recipe, the only problem is that where I live I only get plain flour, what changes can I make to get the recipe perfectly
Jean Shirley says
Make your own cake flour- take 1 cup of flour and remove 2 level tablespoons of the flour and replace with 2 level tablespoons of cornstarch. Sift repeatedly-maybe 3-4 times to make sure that mixture is nicely incorporated prior to adding into recipe! 😇 J
Cat Corigliano says
How do you adapt to higher altitude?
Mandy says
I use milk chocolate morsels, so much better! I also melt the butter to a very soft consistency as it's easier to mix & let the dough sit in fridge for 1-2 days before baking.
I been using the recie for almost a yr & EVERYONE I mean EVERYONE Loves them & always requests these cookies. so so good!
Hannah P. says
DELICIOUS! One of the BEST cookies I’ve ever had!
Jen says
These are the best cookies I’ve ever had, and I’ve had a lot!
I used vanilla and pecans instead of walnuts.
My family can’t get enough.
Yasmin says
I’ve tried ur recipe was best ever cookies from all recipe i re bake that I couldn’t mentioning. God blessed and keep sharing best recipe🥰😍
Derek says
Is there a way to put the ingredients list by weight in grams?
Anna says
These turned out great. Everyone was a fan of them warm with milk. Used a scale to make sure they were all the same size. 6.5 oz. Followed the recipe very closely. I did refrigerate the formed cookie dough balls overnight because of a busy schedule and used a mix of two different types and sizes of chocolate chips (both semisweet). I was wondering if everyone else packed or loosely filled their cup with brown sugar? I wasn't exactly sure since it isn't stated so I kind of compromised.
Jay Abramson says
Brown sugar is always a challenge with recipes, so I just converted the 1 cup to 200 grams and measured it using my trusty scale. I actually do that for the flours and regular sugar as well and find it easier.
Lauren E says
Dear Melissa,
You are so talented! Congratulations on this recipe, as well as ALL of your recipes. While I've never tried a Levain cookie, this cookie of yours is very good. I have made it as directed, always cutting the recipe in half, as it's easily divisible by two, but as directed nonetheless. This time, I decided to try to make it Vegan. While I am not Vegan, I work in an office where everyone seems to follow some particular diet. I substituted Earth Balance butter sticks for the butter in your recipe, and for the eggs, I substituted Almond Milk (1/4 cup per egg). While I found I needed to add a couple of tablespoons (2-4) of flour (AP), as the dough seemed too wet, the cookies came out exactly like the non-Vegan version. I was shocked, but it was a fun and rewarding experience. I wanted to share this in case anyone else was wondering about how to make this a Vegan recipe! (Every other ingredient I used was as directed, including both kinds of flour AND the suggested Vanilla.) I also chilled the dough overnight, and then formed the cookie dough balls the following day.
Thank you for your hard work,
Lauren
Sherice says
This is awesome! Thank you for sharing Lauren!
Sherice says
Left home (NYC) and haven’t had one of these cookies in about 7 or 8 years, and they’re unforgettable. Tried this recipe and it is literally the best cookie recipe I’ve ever tried, and is now my fav; added a whole Dove dark chocolate bar with milk chocolate morsels and I can’t stop eating. Amazing. Thank you!
Marissa says
Do I add just the 1.5 cups flour? Or add an additional 1.5 cups if not using cake flour?
Brenda says
I do would like the answer to Marissa from November 16. I kept looking at the recipe and wondering do I add all that flour - 1 1/2 all purpose AND 1 1/2 cups cake flour.
Modern Honey says
Hi there! So it is 3 cups of flour total. 🙂 You can use 3 cups of all-purpose flour or 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose plus 1 1/2 cups of cake flour. 🙂
Lailah says
I made these for a friend and they turned out amazing and they were beautiful on the outside and inside. I got lots of compliments for this recipe 🙂
Kelly says
This may be the most perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe. Crispy on the outside. Chewy and buttery on the inside with the right amount of chocolate chips. Thank you!