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
Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Crush Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup Cold Butter cut into small cubes
- 1 cup Brown Sugar
- ½ cup Sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 1 ½ cups Cake Flour*
- 1 ½ cups Flour
- 1 teaspoon Cornstarch
- ¾ teaspoon Baking Soda
- ¾ 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
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!
Joan
Can these cookies be made smaller successfully? What adjustments would I need to make.
Danielle Frost
Can we please have recipe conversions for us Brits? Pretty please ????
Barb Schlessinger
Go to Google and use a "cups to grams" etc. converter. This is what I do when I make a European recipe.
Danielle
Thanks, this is what I currently do but is time consuming...just trying to streamline the process
janet chantharasy
These cookies take waaay longer that 9 to 12 minutes. I had to bake them for 20 minutes, plus the recipe asks for cold butter, i wish I would've went with my instincts and used room temp butter. They didn't spread nor did they cook evenly. These cookies are a bit pricey to make so I was really disappointed that they didn't turn out according to the instructions. Never again
Little bakers mama
These cookies aren't supposed to spread. Levain Bakery cookies are ball shaped and kind of undercooked (or "raw") in the middle.
Sara
Hi, can I make the dough and chill it until ready to bake? If I do this should I let it sit out for a few minutes before baking?
Thanks!
Katie
Do these freeze well? How would you recommend thawing them, if so?
Lisa Ascalon
I freeze them individually and then just pop one in the oven for about 20 min
Emma Johnston
Hello, I am new to your Site/Blog. I was wondering if you could tell me why the Recipe does not call for Vanilla Flavoring? Usually cookie recipes call for Vanilla. Thank You so very much. Emma Steiger Johnston
Kelly
She explains why in the recipe notes.
Lindsey
Since they’re just an add-in you can definitely exclude them! Maybe add a few more chocolate chips to make sure there is still enough chunks!!
Emma
Hi! Super excited to try these cookies! Some of my family doesn't like walnuts, is it ok to leave these out of will it throw the cookies off?
Nora
Hello! In my experience, I’ve always substituted for more chocolate and they’ve always turned out great!
Jay
My family doesn't care for nuts either, so I've always left them out. I've made this recipe at least 20 times and it always comes out perfect. I just make sure to include a full cup of chips, and I add an extra 1/4 cup of flour.
Amy
Amazing. Do you have a suggestion for making these but free? Maybe sub crushed potato chips?
Little Baker's mama
My 10 year old made these and OH MY!! I can't stop eating them!! My kids couldn't finish 1/3 of the cookie, they are so rich and huge. I on the other hand can't get enough! These are amazing. We made them again and did 2.5 cups of chocolate chips and 1.5 cups of walnuts because I LOVE chocolate and thought it might taste a little more gooey subbing chocolate for the crunch of the walnuts. They were even more amazing and chocolaty in the center.
Definitely a cookie to give as a gift and impress.
Sarah
I was so excited to make these - I followed all directions, started with cold butter from the fridge and they completely spread out in the oven. I have cookies the size of dinner plates that are crispy on the edges and raw in the middle. What do you think went wrong?
Kelly
Did you maybe only add one type of flour and not the other? That’s the only thing I can think of, especially since you started with cold butter.
Richard LeBlanc
I used all purpose flour only and the cookies came out perfectly. I formed golf balls and it took at least 5 minutes before the cookies started to lose the ball shape and took more of a cookie shape.
Aracely
What butter do I use unsalted or salted ?
Deborah
I would use unsalted as that is what is most commonly used in baking. The recipe includes salt.
Maryam
I made these cookies, they came out excellent. But how do you keep them fresh for a week or so?!
Paige
Put in a airtight container with a piece of bread
Susan
About to try these! Does it matter if you use light or dark brown sugar?
Maddie
Oh. My. Word. These are the best cookies I have ever tasted. They are almost like a cross between a biscuit, a scone, and a cookie. The outside is crisp and buttery, and the inside is gooey and, well, simply perfect. They held their shape great in the oven, and looked just like Levain's cookies. I did make a few small changes to the recipe after I read the reviews and found that some people had problems with the insides being a bit too raw. I baked them on the bottom rack of my oven, and also baked them at 400 degrees F for about 12 minutes. I used a silpat like the recipe said, and I also weighed each cookie dough ball to be just shy of 6 oz. I would make this cookie again and again. Highly recommend!
Cheryl
when you weighed the cookies (6 ounces), about how many cookies did this recipe make?
Marina
Loooovely taste but mine whent almost completely flat and raw in the middle. Will try to make them again way smaller.
Jennie
Same! They taste amazing, but they're huge (and pretty raw in the middle). What did I do wrong? I thought I followed the recipe exactly.
Breanna
I also had this issue. It was near impossible to cream the cold butter into the sugar - went flying everywhere. Once I got that smooth, it was a momentous task to fold in the dry ingredients. I literally broke my silicone spatula. Then baking them as the recipe called for yielded crispy edged puddles of dough. Dont get me wrong, they were tasty but nothing like the picture shows. I baked the other half of the batter in smaller cookies at a lower heat after freezing the dough but it still spread like crazy. Disappointing.
Susan Moore
I grated my cold butter instead of chunking it! I also used my dough hook on my stand mixer to mix in the flour....worked like a charm. This may help next time!
Rachel
These cookies are absolutely delicious. Everyone loved them. The cooking time can be a bit tricky though.
Lid
Wooowww
Tristan Robin Blakeman
HELP!
I don't have a clue what went wrong.
I did everything as stated in the recipe (and I've gone over it several times!) - AND did not substitute anything for anything. I followed the recipe to the LETTER.
Now, I will admit, the cookies are absolutely decadently delicious - probably the most amazing chocolate chip cookie I've ever tasted.
But, they never leveled out in the oven! They are still the shape of a baseball! Needless to say, they have to be eaten with a fork, as NOBODY's mouth is large enough to take in this cookie! LOL
Should I have flattened them out before baking? I didn't as I'm used to chocolate chip cookies sort of 'melting' flatter as they bake.
HELP please! Where did I go wrong?
Jakiko
Usually when this happens, it is one of 4 things: you didn’t add enough butter (1 cup is 8 oz. or 1/2 lb.), the butter is too cold (make sure is warms close to room temperature when you’re done mixing—the warmer the butter, the more they spread) there is too much flour (scoop and level), or your oven is too hot (an oven thermometer can remedy this). Hope that helps and you can figure out what went wrong!
L.
Nope, that is how they are supposed to be. If you ever get a chance to get the Levain cookies in NYC, you'll see they are also ball-shaped.
Melanie Doherty
Make them smaller? I did because way to big for my little grandkids. this is the only chocolate cookies I will make. Big HIT.......
Kami L.
These are the ultimate!!! I will never use another chocolate chip cookie recipe! My son has a nut allergy, so I omitted the walnuts and substituted one extra cup of chocolate chips and it turned out great. And definitely use the Silpat silicone baking mats so the bottoms don't burn while waiting for these huge cookies to fully bake at the higher than normal temp.