Craving Levain Bakery’s famous cookies? Bake your own with this foolproof copycat Levain cookie recipe, featuring crispy edges and a soft, chocolatey center.
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Copycat Levain Bakery Cookies
Cookie lovers – this one’s for you! Get ready to try this amazing copycat Levain Cookie recipe from New York City’s famous Levain Bakery.
If you’ve ever strolled through the Big Apple and experienced the magic of these gooey, chocolate-packed wonders, you know just how life-changing a chocolate chip cookie can be! If you can’t make the trip; I’m here to bring the Levain experience into your kitchen!
Why This Recipe Works
- Perfect Texture: Achieves the iconic Levain balance – crispy on the outside, soft and gooey on the inside.
- Rich Flavor: Delivers a buttery, chocolate-packed taste that replicates the famous Levain chocolate chip cookies.
- No cake flour. Most copycat recipes call for cake flour but with this recipe you don’t need to go out and buy more flour. Use the all-purpose flour you have at home.
Levain Cookie Recipe Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make your own Levain chocolate chip cookies at home.
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Butter: Use high-quality, unsalted butter for that rich, creamy base. The butter should be barely softened. Too soft and your cookies will spread too much.
- Sugars: A mix of brown and white sugar gives the perfect sweetness and contributes to the cookies’ texture. Brown sugar adds moisture and a hint of caramel, while white sugar helps in achieving a crispy exterior.
- Baking staples: All-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Eggs: They bind the ingredients together and the egg yolks add to the richness. Make sure they’re cold to help prevent the cookies from spreading too much.
- Vanilla Extract: A dash of good quality vanilla extract enhances the flavor complexity of your cookies.
- Chocolate chips and walnuts: I mixed Guittard’s semi-sweet and extra dark chocolate chips. Milk chocolate chips can be used if you like things a bit sweeter. The walnuts give the cookies a great crunch.
Levain Chocolate Chip Cookie Variations
Before we get into the baking process, let’s talk about customizing your chocolate chip walnut cookies. While the classic chocolate chip and walnut combo is what made Levain famous, feel free to get creative!
- Nuts: You can swap out walnuts for pecans like I do in cowboy cookies or another nut of choice.
- Chocolate: Add in some white chocolate chips or chocolate chunks.
- Warm flavor: Throw in a dash of warm cinnamon, I always like to do that in these oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.
- Shortcut: If you’re short on time but have a real craving for a chocolate chip cookie, try my recipe for cake mix chocolate chip cookies.
How to Make Levain Cookies
Now, onto the main event: baking these heavenly treats. Let’s get started!
- Prep Dough. Cream together the butter and sugars until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract.
- Combine dry ingredients and add mix-ins. Whisk dry ingredients in a separate bowl, then gradually add to the wet ingredients. Avoid over mixing – we want tender cookies! Gently fold in the chocolate chips and walnuts.
- Shape: Measure out 5-ounce portions of dough for each cookie or eyeball into 8 equal parts. Remember, Levain cookies are known for their rustic, chunky look, so no need to smooth them out too much.
- Bake: Place the dough balls on your prepared sheets and bake for 12-15 minutes or until the edges are golden but the center is still soft. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Expert Tips
- Butter temperature: Make sure your butter is barely softened, not cold, but not melted either like in brown butter chocolate chip cookies. Cold butter ensures right texture.
- Cold ingredients: Use cold eggs to keep the dough from spreading too much in the oven.
- Don’t overmix: Once you add the flour, mix just until combined to keep the cookies tender.
- Size matters: Bigger is better for that authentic Levain experience. Stick to the 5-ounce dough balls for the perfect Levain cookie.
- Serving suggestion: Enjoy these Levain bakery chocolate chip cookies with a cold glass of milk or an ice cream scoop of your choice!
Recipe FAQs
Absolutely! I also love to bake these a little smaller. I usually make them 3 ounces and get 12 cookies. Remember to reduce the baking time accordingly.
No, feel free to omit them and add an extra 1/3 cup (50 grams) of flour, or substitute with your favorite nuts.
To keep these cookies tasting as fresh as possible, store them in an airtight container at room temperature. They’ll stay delicious for up to 3 days – if they last that long!
Yes, you can! Scoop into balls, then flash freeze on a baking sheet until hard (about 30 minutes). Then add to a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Check out my guide on how to freeze cookie dough for more tips.
When you’re ready to bake, let the dough balls sit on the baking tray as you preheat the oven, and then add a couple of minutes to the baking time.
Need more copycat cookie recipes? Try this Swig cookie recipe, Lofthouse cookies or oatmeal cream pie cookies.
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Levain Cookie Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter , barely softened
- ¾ cup (175 g) light brown sugar , packed
- ⅓ cup (65 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs , cold
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups (300 g) all-purpose flour , spooned and leveled
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt , or 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups chocolate chips , I mixed Guittard's semi-sweet and extra dark
- 1 ¾ cups walnuts , roughly chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, using a mixer, cream together the butter and sugars for 3 minute. Add 1 egg and mix until combined. Scrape down the sides and add the other egg and vanilla. Beat just until combined.
- Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and mix on low. I like to slowly mix in the chocolate chips and walnuts once there is small streak of flour. Be careful not to over mix. If the dough is too sticky add an extra Tablespoon or two of flour.
- Scoop the cookie dough onto a scale and measure out 5 ounce dough balls. If you don't have a scale just divide the dough evenly into 8. The dough balls should not be smooth, I like to dimple them by pressing into it.
- Place 4 balls on the baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown.
- Remove from oven and allow cookies to set on pan for 5 minutes. Remove cookies to a cooling rack. Serve while warm if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Categorized as: 4th of July, American, Birthdays, Chocolate Chip Cookies, Christmas, Cookies, Freezer-Friendly, Kid-Friendly
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is also the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook. Here you will find easy family-friendly recipes for every occasion.
My family declared these the BEST cookies ever! And they were really quite easy to make. Thanks!
All I can say is WOW!! I am so happy I made these. I am going to make more to bring to my dad- he loves these!
UMMM SORRY WHAT!! THESE ARE AMAZING! Seriously the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever had!