Home » Cookies » Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies
posted by Liz Berg
on January 26, 2021 (updated 11/1/22)
This copycat Levain Cookie Recipe has more than a quarter-pound of dough per cookie and makes for a rich, delicious indulgence. They’ll catch your attention by their size, then keep it after your first bite!
At our house, dessert is a given. We are chocolate chip cookie aficionadosand these Copycat Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies are always a hit!
Table of Contents hide
1 Why You Must Make
2 Reader Endorsem*nt:
3 Expert Tips
4 BIG Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
5 Frequently Asked Questions
6 You May Also Like:
7 Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
Why You Must Make
Who doesn’t love those big, soft bakery cookies? If my cookie jar was empty, theseBakery Style M&M’s and Chocolate Chunk Cookies are the sort of sweets the hubby would be trolling the bakery for. To be completely honest, I had never heard of the Levain Bakery or their apparently world-famous chocolate chip cookies until I started blogging.
- Levain Bakery is touted as the home of New York City’s most famous cookies. They’re especially known for their 6-ounce chocolate chip walnut cookies, like those I’m sharing today. If you’re curious about these legendary cookies, do like I did and whip up a batch.
- Huge cookies that are packed full of chocolate, are winners. Each cookie contains more than a quarter-pound of dough!!
- Packed in a cellophane bag with a simple ribbon, they’re great to give to friends or have as party favors.
- They are delicious with or without walnuts, so make them your way!
Reader Endorsem*nt:
From Fran via the comments: So good, the best chocolate chip cookie I ever made!
I am forever baking any and all versions of chocolate chip cookies I come across, even though I’ve been told by my family that the classic Tollhouse cookies and Jacques Torres’ Secret Chocolate Chip Cookies are the gold standard. How did these rate, you may wonder? Read on.
Expert Tips
This recipe for the coveted Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookiesdiffered from the cookies listed above in both the ingredients and technique.
- These cookies include a small amount of cornstarch in the ingredients and no vanilla extract (though I’d definitely add either some vanilla bean paste or extract). Adding cornstarch lowers the amount of gluten per cookie, making them more tender.
- The butter is mixed in cold (no easy task) then large dough balls were formed and frozen briefly.
- The recipe includes both chocolate chips and walnuts. Note that I omitted the nuts and replaced them with more chocolate chips. My picky family would not be pleased with any crunch in their cookies.
- PRO-Tip: If you don’t want to use walnuts, add 2 more cups of chocolate chips as a replacement.
- These cookies are huge. The dough is divided into just 12 cookies making them supersized and taking 20 to 25 minutes to bake, unlike ordinary-sized cookies taking approximately 10 minutes.
- PRO-Tip: I used a scale and divvied up 5 full ounces of dough per cookie. Keeping them a consistent size helps them bake evenly.
- Slightly underbaking makes for soft, gooey middles. Baking time will vary depending on your oven.
- There are fans of doughy middles which are one of the hallmarks of these cookies. Decrease the baking time even less than the suggested times in the recipe for a slightly undercooked, gooier center. Just be aware that uncooked dough can harbor salmonella and could result in food poisoning so the cookies should be only slightly underbaked, not raw. Be cautious and don’t feed uncooked dough to the very young, elderly, or anyone who is immune-compromised.
- PRO-Tip: Bake one test cookie to see what timing works best for the results you want.
- Note: these cookies are best eaten within a couple of days of baking them. But they freeze well and you can pull out one at a time for your cookie fix! As with all cookies, store them in an airtight container at room temperature or in the freezer.
- To refresh your cookies or just to get the chocolate gooey again, place one cookie on a paper napkin or microwave-safe plate and zap for approximately 10 seconds. Timing will vary depending on your microwave.
BIG Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
This Levain cookie recipe did not spread into pancakes as they baked, but, instead, were thick mounds of chocolate chip goodness. Bill pronounced them terrific, but there is nary a nut-free chocolate chip cookie that he would snub!
PRO-Tip: If you want your cookies to have the rustic look of the original cookies, don’t roll the dough balls after you scoop out a portion.
Nick was home for the week, and he asked if he could take some of this Levain Bakery Cookie Recipe back to campus. He rewarded himself with one after his workouts. I suspect he will finish off the remainder in no time! The hubby, a self-proclaimed chocolate chip cookie connoisseur, gave them two thumbs up. If you’re a fan of these famous cookies, perhaps this copycat recipe is just what you’ve been looking for!
Frequently Asked Questions
When Did the Levain Bakery Open?
This New York City Bakery was opened in 1994 by two women triathletes who needed calorie-dense treats after training. They invented this popular cookie which is now available at all 7 of their bakeries.
How Many Calories in this Levain Cookie Recipe?
The bakery cookies have 530 calories each. My version has 625 calories per cookie when you include both chocolate chips and walnuts.
How Should You Store these Cookies?
They’ll keep well in an airtight container for 2-3 days. After that, freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
You May Also Like:
- Copy Cat Andes Mints from Big Bear’s Wife
- Cracker Barrel Campfire S’more from CopyKat Recipes
- Copycat Girl Scout Tagalong Cookies from A Dash of Sanity
- Oatmeal Cream Pies
- Cosmic Brownies
- More of the Best Cookie Recipes
Stay in touch through social media@Instagram,Facebook, andPinterest. Don’t forget to tag me when you try one of my recipes! And if you love the results, please give it a 5-star rating in the recipe card.
The Recipe:
Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Yield12 large cookies
A copycat chocolate chip cookie recipe from the Levain Bakery.
Ingredients
- 1 cup cold butter, cut into cubes
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 3 cups flour
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 2 cups chopped toasted walnuts*
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º. Line two cookie sheets with parchment.
- In a large bowl, cream the cold butter and sugars with an electric mixer (if using a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment).
- Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix till combined.
- Add vanilla extract, then the dry ingredients. Stir in chocolate chips
- Divide the dough into 12 equal parts. Roll into balls and freeze for 10 minutes.
- Place 6 dough balls on each cookie sheet and bake for about 20-25 minutes, until the edges are golden.
- Cool for about 5 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack.
Notes
Total time does not include freezing time.
Slightly underbake if you want a soft, gooey center.
*May replace the walnuts with 2 more cups of chocolate chips.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Smithcraft Stainless Steel Measuring Cups Set
Measuring Spoons
Nicewell Food Scale, 22lb Digital Kitchen Scale Weight Grams and oz for Cooking Baking, 1g/0.1oz Precise Graduation, Stainless Steel and Tempered Glass
USA Pan Bakeware Half Sheet Pan
Reynolds Cookie Baking Sheets Non-Stick Parchment Paper, 25 Sheet, 4 Count
KitchenAid KSM150PSER Artisan Tilt-Head Stand Mixer with Pouring Shield, 5-Quart, Empire Red
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1 cookie
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 625Total Fat: 38gSaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 20gCholesterol: 72mgSodium: 335mgCarbohydrates: 69gFiber: 4gSugar: 40gProtein: 9g
HOW MUCH DID YOU LOVE THIS RECIPE?
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Chocolate Cookies Desserts
posted by Liz Berg on January 26, 2021
38 Comments // Leave a Comment »
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Kayla — Reply
These are some of the best chocolate chip cookies I have ever made! They rose beautifully and had a nice fluffy texture, but were also crisp on the outside with a gooey center when fresh out of the oven. Great recipe!
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Liz Berg — Reply
I’m so glad you let me know, Kayla, and happy you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you!
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Fran S. — Reply
So good, the best chocolate chip cookie I ever made!
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Liz Berg — Reply
So glad to hear this, Fran!!! Happy baking!
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Toni — Reply
These cookies are so good! They were a huge hit with my kids!
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wilhelmina — Reply
These HUGE cookies are phenomenal! I love how soft they are, the cornstarch trick is one I will keep in my back pocket!
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John / Kitchen Riffs — Reply
These are BIG cookies! That’s an amazing amount of dough in each cookies. Guess I need only one, huh? 🙂 Really nice — thanks.
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Ben | Havocinthekitchen — Reply
Honestly, I rarely buy cookies from bakeries as they tend to be too sweet to our liking.
Also, I’ve never heard of Levain Bakery, but I think you did an excellent job on recreation of their cookies. They do look incredible. And all this chocolate? Gosh, I don’t think I would be strong enough to wait until they’re cooled, and I would have gobbled up the entire batch still warm and gooey 🙂 -
handmade by amalia — Reply
Yum, Liz, I’m melting like a chocolate chip just looking at the cookies.
Amalia
xo -
Pam — Reply
I’d love to go to the bakery, but making these would be great too. They look sinfully delicious and would disappear rapidly here. Thick and chocolatey bliss for sure, what’s not to like. Thanks for the recipe!
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Sue — Reply
This is an excellent chocolate chip cookie recipe. That said I got 18 very large cookies out of one batch. She tells us in the directions to make it into 12 portions but that’s really too big of a cookie. I’ll keep making this one for sure.
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Sandra L Garth — Reply
I’ve not had the pleasure of Levain Cookies, but no doubt these are just as good or better.
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Little Cooking Tips — Reply
We are so making these within the next couple of days! Pinned! LOVED your photos and the simplicity of the recipe Liz.
Lots of hugs! -
Emma @ Bake Then Eat — Reply
I must admit I haven’t heard of this bakery before, but these cookies do look great Liz.
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Stephanie Manley — Reply
Thank you for the mention of the recipe! I can’t wait to share your recipe with my audience!
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Kayle (The Cooking Actress) — Reply
ahhhh yes yes yes!! These are my exact kind of CCC!
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Jennifer — Reply
Sounds so good! Bookmarked to try in a lower carb version.
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Anu - My Garlic Kitchen — Reply
These chocolate chip cookies look so delish, Liz. No wonder why these Copycake Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies are always a hit at your place. They are just perfect.
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anne — Reply
I cannot turn down a homemade chocolate chip ever! I will be making these soon!
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Catherine Pappas — Reply
Dear Lizzy, These cookies do look delicious!! xo Catherine
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Kelsie | the itsy-bitsy kitchen — Reply
I had one of those Levain Bakery cookies once in my life and would absolutely love to repeat that experience. These cookies look perfect!
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Blackswan — Reply
Wait Liz, leave me some!! xoxo
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Cali — Reply
These look like chocolate chip perfection. I’m with your family – keep the nuts separate from the baked goods. I can’t imagine making a chocolate chip cookie without vanilla, so I’m glad to see it among your ingredients.
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Laura | Tutti Dolci — Reply
You had me at chocolate chip! These cookies are perfection!
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Rosella — Reply
Wow – these look great. I like that it only makes 12 cookies, however, I’d love to try making your Jacques Torres Secret Chocolate Cookies ones as well. I have never used chocolate disks before and will have to be on the look out for them.
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Chris Scheuer — Reply
I dare say no one in my family would snub these cookies either, they look wonderful!
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Debra Eliotseats — Reply
I think I have made these before ….yes, I just searched my blog and I have!!!! I agree, these are the best!!!
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Hezzi-D — Reply
I love chocolate chip cookies and I’m always looking for a new and better recipe!
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Eva Taylor — Reply
There isn’t a chocolate chip cookie that would be frowned upon here either! I have not heard of this bakery either but the recipe sounds and looks scrumptious! I have Belgian milk chocolate chips sitting in my pantry…
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Sarah Reid, CNP (@jo_jo_ba) — Reply
These things are insanely good. Love!
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Marissa — Reply
Oh why did I click through on the foodgawker photo!? Because now I want one of these (or 5!) immediately…these really look spectacular, Liz!
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Laura Dembowski — Reply
Cookies are always a winner and these looks like perfection!
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Angie@Angie's Recipes — Reply
Thick, chocolatey and chewy…they look awesome!
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Claudia Lamascolo — Reply
love chocolate chip cookies these look fantastic!
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Denise Wright — Reply
I think chocolate chip cookies are by far my favorite dessert! These look fabulous!
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Cindy @CindysRecipesAndWritings — Reply
You outdone yourself, Liz! These are perfection! I love making all kinds of chocolate chip cookies I can’t wait to try these!
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Nikki — Reply
These look delicious! I really love chocolate chip cookies and I cannot wait to try this version!
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The Ninja Baker — Reply
The cookies look divine, Liz. And it looks like I’ll need to make a trip to Leavens’ sometime =)
So interesting that this dough uses cold butter and corn starch.
