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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!
These cookies are literally the best chocolate chip cookies EVER. I bake the as the recipes call for (except I mix, in bittersweet, semi sweet, and milk chocolate) then smash them lightly with a spatula when I take them out of the oven. They’re incredibly pretty and perfect as gifts or a treat for yourself. I’ve even baked one GIANT cookie using 1/2 the dough and it came out perfectly. Thank you!!
They are Delish!!! Can someone tell me why they would flatten during baking? I think I followed recipe exactly. (I did not pack down sugar-should I) Thanks!
Hello,
Do you need to toast the walnuts prior?
Question: in lieu of stand mixer can just a hand mixer be used to cream the butter and sugar and eggs? Stand mixers can be expensive.. Has anyone had success with this? Also has anyone had success with just 3 cups of AP Flour, instead of 1.5 cake flour and 1.5 AP Flour?
I always use a hand mixer. I have not tried 3c AP Flour.
I used 3 cups all purpose flour. They came out perfectly.
I do a lot of cooking and minimal baking. I’ve come across a lot of great recipes and as much as I love them I’m never compelled to write a review. Well today that has changed. These are hands down the best cookies I have not only ever made, but ever eaten. This recipe is pure perfection. I followed the recipe as written and baked the cookies for exactly 10 minutes. I reluctantly let them sit for 10-15 minutes & oh my lanta were they worth the wait! I can’t wait to bake some more!!
I love your recipes! They are perfection!! My daughter lives in NYC, and we hate waiting in line for Levain cookies! Now,I can make them myself! Due to allergies, is it possible to make them without walnuts? If so, how would you adjust the recipe?
While we are keeping safe and social distancing, I will not be able to visit my daughter, but sending her homemade Levain cookies from the heart will be the next best thing!!!
Thanks Bunches! ❤️
My family doesn’t like nuts. We just simply skipped the nuts and added a little bit more chocolate chips.
Very good! My grown son requests these all the time. I like to make a little hole in the center and put peanut butter in some of them before baking.
Can you tell me more about this? My husband loves these cookies but wants me to try to add peanut butter. I don’t want to mess them up by adding too much, but I also want to be able to taste the PB in them as some chocolate chip peanut butter cookie recipes you can’t. Thanks for the help!
Hi, I’m not really doing anything special. Just making a little indent after I plop the dough on to the pan and fill up with about a teaspoon of peanut butter then I take another small piece of dough and cover up the peanut butter. No matter what you do, I can’t imagine a little PB ruining the cookie. Give it a try.
WOW! These are the best cookies EVER!! I’ve made them multiple times already! I add a bit of sea salt to the top before baking and it adds some extra sweet/salty goodness. Thanks, Melissa! LOVE THEM!!
BEST cookies ever!!!!! I’ve now made them multiple times and LOVE them!!! Turn out perfectly. I add a little bit of sea salt to the top before baking. YUM! Thanks for the great recipe!!!!
I made these a tad smaller and with no walnuts and were good, i wouldn’t say great. I’d been wanting to make this recipe since it came out. I think adding nuts would def make them less bland bcuz there’s no vanilla extract to add a bit of flavor. Also I cooked in middle rack for 8.5 minutes, slightly brown on edges – any longer and they started to burn. Came out pretty close to perfect and cooked all the way through. Cooked on silpat but i’m sure you can cook on parchment also. Someone mentioned the butter – put the butter in cold and blend with sugars for 4 minutes – takes a while but that way they all get blended nicely together!