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These Levain Bakery Raspberry Pistachio cookies are a homemade copycat of Levain Bakery’s new summer flavor, which combines raspberry chips, crunchy pistachios, and creamy white chocolate chips in their signature thick, bakery-style cookie. Our version uses a homemade raspberry chip made from crushed freeze-dried raspberries and white chocolate for that same fruity flavor without needing specialty baking chips. These cookies are thick, gooey, and loaded with tart raspberry, rich white chocolate, and crunchy salted pistachios in every bite!
If you have been following me since 2015, you know that I take my cookie baking pretty seriously. I have been a fan of the famous New York City bakery, Levain Bakery, since I first tried it 15 years ago. Since I can’t fly to NYC every time I have a Levain Bakery cookie craving, I have created recipe dupes for their cookies so I can bake them at home.
You probably already know this story — the very first recipe I ever shared back in 2015 was my Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookie Recipe. I spent months testing and perfecting that recipe before it felt just right and it is still one of my most popular recipes!
So, when they drop a new cookie, I can’t wait to go try it, analyze it, and try to recreate it at home. They just dropped their new raspberry pistachio bakery-style cookie on Monday and I was so excited! I am such a huge fan of raspberry and white chocolate together and then you add in crunchy pistachios, and I am ALL IN! The combination sounded heavenly!
I am in California this month, so we jumped in our car and headed to Los Angeles to try their brand new cookie. It was worth the 3-hour drive home! If you know LA traffic, you know that 3 hours for a 54-mile trip is pretty normal. But, I knew that I needed to taste the raspberry chips and figure out the ratios. We all LOVED the cookie, and it is absolutely delicious! I was giddy to get into my kitchen and start creating.
There was one hiccup.
Levain Bakery uses Valhrona raspberry chocolate disks, and I looked them up to purchase them, and they are $54 for a 1 lb. bag of chocolate. In this economy, there is no way that I am linking to buy $54 chocolate!
So, I did what I like to do best: INVESTIGATE. I looked at the ingredients in their chocolate and realized that I could make these at home. Well, I was pretty confident, but I had to figure out the ratios and if they would set up, but when there’s a will, there’s a way!
I set out to make homemade raspberry chocolate chips. I headed to Trader Joe’s to pick up some freeze-dried raspberries since Valrhona uses a raspberry powder, I was going to grind up the freeze-dried raspberries in a food processor until I got a fine raspberry powder. It worked!
The next part was working with white chocolate or ruby chocolate. I had both in my pantry so I experimented with both. I melted the white chocolate with a touch of oil so it would be silky smooth and then mixed in the raspberry powder. IT WORKED!!! Now, I needed to make them into disks and see how fast they would set up.
They set up and became cute, little disks, and so I was super happy about that. And honestly, it was super easy — raspberry powder, melted white chocolate, and a touch of oil. That’s it! It cost me $7.98 instead of $54, so that’s a win in my book! But, how did they taste? I am happy to report that the raspberry flavor came through, and they were perfectly tart yet sweet and so creamy. SUCCESS!
So, now it was time to create the cookie. I have a house full of taste testers, which was perfect, since 8 of them were going to be brutally honest with me (that is the criteria for being a taste tester), and they absolutely loved them! I am so excited for you to make them!
Ingredients:
- Cold Butter – Unlike most cookie recipes that call for softened butter, Levain-style cookies use cold, cubed butter. This helps the dough stay thick and prevents the cookies from spreading too much, which is the secret to that signature tall Levain shape.
- Granulated Sugar + Brown Sugar – Using more brown sugar than white sugar is key to achieving that soft, slightly chewy texture Levain cookies are known for. Brown sugar also adds moisture and a subtle caramel flavor that balances the tart raspberry.
- Eggs – Use large eggs in baking recipes.
- Cake Flour – Cake flour has a lower protein content than all-purpose flour, which creates a lighter, more tender crumb inside these otherwise thick and substantial cookies. This is one of the secrets behind Levain’s famously soft interior.
- All Purpose Flour – Using a blend of plain flour and cake flour makes the perfect thick bakery style texture.
- Baking Soda
- Cornstarch — this helps to make the cookies thick yet soft and the perfect bakery-style cookie.
- Salt
RASPBERRY CHOCOLATE (you can make from scratch or buy Valhrona Raspberry chocolate). Here’s what you need to make an easy homemade raspberry chocolate:
- Homemade Raspberry Chips (Freeze-Dried Raspberries + White Chocolate Chips + Oil) – This is the star ingredient that makes this cookie so special. Crushed freeze-dried raspberries are blended with melted white chocolate and a small amount of neutral oil, then frozen and chopped into chip-sized pieces. This creates a chip with concentrated raspberry flavor and a beautiful pink color, without adding excess moisture to the dough the way fresh or frozen raspberries would. I bought mine at Trader Joe’s but you can find them at most grocery stores.
- White Chocolate Chips (or Ruby chocolate) — Adds extra pockets of creamy sweetness throughout the cookie that perfectly balances the tartness of the raspberry chips. I like to use Ghirardelli white chocolate chips. I am also showing ruby chocolate chips above, which can be used as well.
- Pistachios (Chopped, Shelled, Unsalted) — Adds a rich, buttery, nutty crunch and a gorgeous pop of green color throughout the dough. Roughly chopping the pistachios gives you both small flecks and larger crunchy pieces in every bite. I prefer to use salted pistachios.
How to make Copycat Levain Raspberry Pistachio Cookies:
- Buy or make raspberry chocolate chips. If you are making raspberry chocolate disks, I suggest making them first to give them time to set-up. Start by grinding up freeze-dried raspberries in a food processor or grinder until they are a powder consistency. Place the white chocolate and oil in a microwave-safe bowl and cook in the microwave at 50% power in 30-second increments until melted. Stir after each time. Don’t overcook as white chocolate can easily burn. Once it is smooth and melted, stir in raspberry powder and stir until smooth. You may see some raspberry seeds and that’s okay (you can always strain the powder before adding it to the white chocolate).
- Place a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet. Drop the raspberry chocolate onto the baking sheet to make small round circles (disks) the size of a nickel or quarter.
- Let it sit at room temperature or place it in the refrigerator to chill. Room temperature will take about 1-2 hours, and if you chill them in the refrigerator, it should take 15-25 minutes. Don’t leave it in the refrigerator too long or it can cause condensation.
- Preheat oven to 400 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 dry ingredients — flours, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Mix until just combined to avoid overmixing. Stir in raspberry chocolate disks, white chocolate, and pistachios. Mix just until combined and the raspberry disks break up slightly.
- Separate dough into large 6-ounce balls and place on light colored cookie sheet. I suggest you use light colored baking sheets and bake in the center of the oven. 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.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s):
Where can I purchase freeze-dried raspberries?
I bought mine at Trader Joe’s but you can find them at Fry’s, Ralph’s, Kroger, Target, Sprouts, or Walmart.
Why do Levain-style cookies use cold butter instead of softened butter?
Cold butter is key to preventing the cookies from spreading too thin while baking. As the cold butter melts slowly in the hot oven, it helps the cookies hold their tall, thick shape rather than flattening out like a traditional cookie.
Can I make the dough ahead of time?
Yes! You can refrigerate or freeze the dough balls. You can keep the frozen dough balls in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Bake straight from frozen, adding an extra minute or two to the bake time if needed.
Raspberry Desserts:
Levain Bakery Copycat Cookies:
Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies
Levain Bakery Two Chip Chocolate Chip Cookies
Levain Bakery Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies
Levain Bakery Caramel Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies
Levain Bakery Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies
Levain Bakery Rocky Road Cookies
Levain Bakery Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Levain Bakery Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
Levain Bakery Fall Spiced Cookies
Storage:
Room Temperature: Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. They are best enjoyed within the first day or two for that signature gooey center.
Refrigerator: Cookies can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Warm briefly in the microwave for 10-15 seconds before serving to bring back that fresh-baked gooey texture.
Freezer (Recommended): Baked cookies freeze well for up to 2 months. Wrap individually in plastic wrap and store in a freezer bag. Thaw at room temperature or warm in the microwave for 15-20 seconds before serving.
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Levain Bakery Raspberry Pistachio Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup Cold Butter (cut into small cubes)
- 1 cup Brown Sugar
- 1/2 cup Sugar
- 2 large Eggs
- 1 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 1/2 cups Cake Flour *
- 1 teaspoon Cornstarch
- 3/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 3/4 teaspoon Salt
- 3/4 cup White Chocolate Chips
- 3/4 cup Pistachios
- 1 1/2 to 2 cups Raspberry Chocolate Disks (Valrhona or homemade recipe below)
Raspberry Chocolate Disks:
- 1 1/2 cups White Chocolate (9 ounces)
- 1.2 ounces Freeze-Dried Raspberries (ground into powder)
- 3 teaspoons Oil
Instructions
- Buy or make raspberry chocolate chips. If you are making raspberry chocolate disks, I suggest making them first to give them time to set-up. Start by grinding up freeze-dried raspberries in a food processor or grinder until they are a powder consistency. Place the white chocolate and oil in a microwave-safe bowl and cook in the microwave at 50% power in 30-second increments until melted. Stir after each time. Don't overcook, as white chocolate can easily burn. Once it is smooth and melted, stir in the raspberry powder and stir until smooth. Place a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet. Drop the raspberry chocolate onto the baking sheet to make small round circles (disks) the size of a nickel or quarter. Let sit at room temperature or place in the refrigerator to chill. Room temperature will take about 1-2 hours and if you chill them in the refrigerator, it should take 15-25 minutes. Don't leave in the refrigerator too long or it can cause condensation.
- Preheat oven to 400 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 dry ingredients — flours, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Mix until just combined to avoid overmixing. Stir in raspberry chocolate disks, white chocolate, and pistachios. Mix just until combined and the raspberry disks break up slightly.
- Separate dough into large 6-ounce balls and place on light colored cookie sheet. I suggest you use light colored baking sheets and bake in the center of the oven. 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.
Notes
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Ok I tried the real Levain Bakery cookies and made your copycat version at home! I honestly liked your version better. It was AMAZING
I get excited with each of your Levain Bakery cookies. I have made and enjoyed every one of them. My only comment would be to strain the seeds from the powder before adding it to the chocolate. They may create a problem for some people.
I scoop all these recipes to about 50 grams (slightly less than 2 oz.) and get about 2 dozen instead of only 8. More to love!!
I made these cookies including the raspberry chocolate component, and these are my thoughts:
1. It was hard to source the raspberries. Target had them listed, but not on the shelf. I eventually bought them at Trader Joe’s. The raspberry chocolate was easy to make and added real raspberry flavor to the cookies.
2. I wonder if a strawberry alternative would taste good, using freeze dried fruit to make the chocolate, and adding almonds instead of pistachios.
3. I wasn’t feeling the 6 oz. cookies, so I made them 3 oz. and that seemed to be fine.
4. I think a switchup in the method would give a better texture to the cookies: I would not fully cream the butter and sugar, leaving that part of the dough in a rough pebbly form. Then I would make one key change and that is to add the eggs at the very end, as if making scones or pie crust. Use a light touch with the mixer at every step, and even at the end, just mix until barely cohesive. This will give a texture that is closer to Levain, more scone-like, less cookie-like.
5. You can use a double-pan method when baking to reduce burning.
6. Finally, there is such a thing as raspberry extract, and I wonder if adding some would amp up the flavor even more.
7. These cookies were delicious!
These are AMAZING! Thank you for the amazing hack for the raspberry chocolate
Melissa!
I adore reading these behind the scenes accounts almost as much as I love baking your cookie recipes. Thank you for your generosity!
I live in Asia so it’s going to be a huge challenge to procure these ingredients or subs thereof, we’ll see.
Hi Lori! You are so sweet and kind, thank you! That’s amazing you live in Asia. I love visiting Asia and I dream of going back. Thank you for all of your support!
Women’s Entire Sad Lives Are Playing Copycat.
Never a Thought or Action Of Their Own, Unless Everyone Else Is Doing or Saying It. LOL!
Hi Corey! Living my best life over here creating recipes on my website. I wake up in the morning excited to create new recipes. This one started with homemade raspberry chocolate, made completely from scratch in my own kitchen — so I’m going to go ahead and call it original! 😊 Being a recipe creator means creativity never really has an end point — I’m always experimenting, and I love the challenge of figuring something out so the people who want to make it at home can do exactly that. I’ve been doing this for a long time (1,000+ recipes and counting), and every one starts the exact same way…curiosity, creativity, inspiration, and a lot of trial and error, and eventually something worth sharing. And if you want to see if I have ever have a thought of my own, you should see the notes app on my phone. I beg to differ.
Do you use dark or light brown sugar?
Hi Jennifer! I use light brown sugar in this cookie recipe. I hope you love it!
Can you substitute gluten free flour in these cookies?
Hi Diana! I haven’t recipe tested it with gluten-free flour yet but I have tested my original Levain Bakery cookie recipe with gluten-free flour and it worked well. I am particular with my gluten-free flour blend and there are some brands that I like better than the others but it should work!
I wasn’t able to source the the raspberries at Kroger or Walmart, but I did find them at Target. Amazon has both the raspberries and Valrhona, but the latter is very expensive.
Hi Todd!I am glad you found them at Target. I agree…the Valrhona is super expensive. That’s why I had to figure out how to make it from scratch and save a ton of money! They turned out great.
Well, I spoke too soon. I found it listed at Target but not actually on the shelf. I finally bought the item at Trader Joe’s. I will post again with the final result once the cookies are baked.
Thank you so much for posting this recipe! Just in time for Father’s Day. My Dad LOVES anything pistachio!! I can’t wait to make these for him!!
You are sure welcome! Thank you so much for trying my recipes and for your support. 🙂