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!
Jen A.
Tried it and your recipe is super delicious! Would just like to be super sure -- are we talking farenheit or Celsius? Thanks!
Caroline
If you follow the directions they turn out wonderful! My first batch from the oven was a little large. Make them into balls about baseball size and they are perfect!
Cheryl
These are Everything! Thanks for doing the research and sharing!! My three kiddos are so happy right now, and my husband is coming home early to claim his!
Mel
Sooooo good and really easy to make ! I totally recommend them
Karen
Super!! Just like Levain’s! Thanks so much
Sierra
MY ALL TIME FAVORITE COOKIE! You are a genius for figuring out this recipe!
Diane G
I am dying to make these cookies!
I was wondering, could I use pastry flour since I don't have AP flour with this recipe?
Dean
You are a rockstar MH! How in the world did you crack the secret code and show us how to get our Levain fix in the comforts of our own home!! These are my favorite Modern Honey creation of all time. The best cookie!!!!
Ray
Is there an updated version of this recipe? One without walnuts?
Modern Honey
This one is very similar except I changed a few things -- omitted the walnuts, reduced the oven temp to 400 degrees, reduced the flour by 1/4 cup (you are welcome to keep it at 3 cups for a thicker cookie). Here's the recipe -- https://www.modernhoney.com/the-best-chocolate-chip-cookies/
kenzie
how would you know when you are over mixing? help!!
Kathy
I have made these a few times at 2.7 ounces and my sister said they were PERFECT! She loves them and I do, too but sometimes I end up with the bottoms being brown (too brown?). What are yours like on the bottom? Photos/videos never seem to show the bottoms of cookies and I cannot tell if mine are overdone or not. Please help! Thanks so much!!
Abbey
The best cookie recipe!! So rich but so good
Camila Oms
Marcy thank you too for responding. Can't wait to make these cookies????????
Camila Oms
Hi! 🙂 Does anyone have the quantities of this recipe in grams? I am looking for the conversion to grams but on each website it says something different... Thank you very much.
Jay
Hey Camila -
I converted the recipe into grams when I first started making it, and have consistently excellent results. I also find it's easier to weigh ingredients than it is to scoop and level.
Brown Sugar - 200g
Granulated Sugar - 100g
Cake Flour - 192g
AP Flour - 217g (even though the recipe has equal amounts of cake flour and AP flour, my Ap flour is slightly higher. The reason is that my family doesn't like walnuts in their cookies, and I read somewhere that if you don't put in nuts, then increase flour by 1/4 cup)
Chocolate Chips - just throw in a bag
Also, I often make these for my daughter's workplace, so I make the cookies smaller (60g dough) and bake for exactly 10 minutes at 410.
Good luck!
Camila Oms
Jay thank you so much for your help!!! You are very kind, thank you for your time????????
Kathy
Jay, Can you please clarify the size and baking time for the smaller cookies? 60 or 65 grams? And 10 or 11 minutes. Do you find the bottoms are too brown? I am struggling with this. Thanks.
Kim
Thanks so much for this information!
Marcy
I make these all the time and here are the grams I use:
Butter - 227g
Brown Sugar - 192g
2 eggs
Sugar - 96g
180g cake flour
180 AP flour
340g chips
Hope that helps!
A. Wright
I am very grateful to Modern Honey for these awesome Levain dupe recipes! These cookies really come out just like Levain's. It's fairly mind blowing! Super easy and quick to make too, but a major wow factor!
Michelle
These are absolutely the BEST cookies I have ever had! They stay fresh and moist for days. I am so happy I found this recipe. I can’t wait to try the other two Levain cookies. I am sure they will be just as moist and delicious. THANK YOU!!
Kristen
Does anyone know if I can make two giant cookies? Would I adjust temperature or anything? I want to make a big ice cream cookie sandwich for my daughters 3rd birthday (since she doesn’t like cake)
Kristen Stevens
I made two big cookies and they turned out so good. I might suggest lowering the temperature a bit as the bottoms got dark before middles were done but they still were soft and tasty. They stayed really puffy so it made it a bit thick for an ice cream sandwich but worked great. Will for sure make again - yum!
Kristen Stevens
I forgot to add … I only have a hand mixer so I used a pastry blender first to work the butter and then mixed. Followed directions exactly beside having to cook a bit longer since cookies were so big.
Carrie H
This has been my go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe for a while now. It's beyond amazing. I use semi-sweet chocolate chips and because my oven bakes hot I take the temp down to 385-400. Thanks so much for posting this delicious recipe for the masses!
Jo Ann
Wowzers! I live in New York and know how the original Levain cookies taste. They are heavenly. As you mentioned, the wait lines are ridiculous and I’ve no patience. Your recipe was right on point. I made some modifications, however, after realizing that I had no walnuts. I used the Wonderful pistachios I found in my pantry and roughly chopped them in blender. I also beat the eggs together and slowly mixed them in to the creamed butter and sugar mix. These were a total hit. Thank you so much for the time spent in duplicating Levain’s cookies. My family’s tastebuds are grateful.
Fatima
These are my favorite cookies to bake! I can’t wait to go to NYC Levain Bakery to try the original recipe.
one question- does it make a big difference using a hand held mixer vs a mixer with paddle attachment? For some reason I feel mine spread a little extra.
Bethany
Do you know the ingredients in metric units (grams) so I can make these in the UK? Thank you!