Levain Chocolate Chip Cookies
This copycat recipe for Levain Chocolate Chip Cookies turns out enormous thick and chewy cookies, loaded with chocolate chips and walnuts, just like the cookies you’ll find at the famous Levain Bakery.
The first time I heard about the Levain Bakery cookies was on an episode of Throwdown with Bobby Flay eons ago… I bet it was at least eight years ago. I never quite got the picture of those massive cookies out of my mind. I still have never been to Levain Bakery, which also means I haven’t had one of their cookies. Still, they tempted me. I kept seeing copycat recipes for the Levain chocolate chip cookies show up on blogs and Pinterest, and I couldn’t escape them.
I finally decided to go all-in and tackle the massive cookies that I couldn’t stop thinking about. I sifted through the mountain of copycat recipes floating around online and settled on this final recipe. If you like huge, chewy cookies packed with chocolate, then these are your heaven.
In case you can’t tell from the photos, these cookies are absolutely, positively enormous. As is, humongous.
Even my husband, who loves super-sized desserts as much as I do, couldn’t believe how big these cookies were. The last time I made them, I gave one to him, and he said, “whoa, this is like a massive scone!” Yes, they are big cookies. Yes, they are meant to be massive cookies.
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I wasn’t sure what to expect from the cookies, but I totally loved them. Aside from being huge, these cookies really deliver in the thick and chewy department. They have slightly crisp edges that give way to a sky-high chewy cookie loaded with dark chocolate and walnuts.
These cookies remind me of a slightly less amped-up version of The New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Big, thick, chewy cookies with tons of chocolate and add-ins are just my speed. Since I’ve never had the real Levain chocolate chip cookies, I can’t tell you how they compare, but I can tell you that these are utterly fantastic cookies that will make you swoon.
Make them and don’t think twice!
One year ago: Rustic Italian Bread
Five years ago: Blueberry Jam
Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 3 cups (375 g) bread flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon (0.75 teaspoon) kosher salt
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
- ¾ cup (165 g) + 4 teaspoons light or dark brown sugar
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 2 eggs, cold, lightly beaten in a separate bowl
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cups (270 g) dark chocolate chips
- 1 cup (117 g) toasted and coarsely chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.
- Using an electric mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until it comes together in one cohesive mass, about 1 minute. Add both sugars and continue to beat for another 1 to 2 minutes, until all of the sugar has been incorporated into the butter. Gradually add the eggs and vanilla and continue beating on medium speed until combined, scraping the sides of bowl once (the batter will appear lumpy). Reduce the speed to medium-low and gradually add the flour mixture until just a little bit of flour still remains. Stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts with a rubber spatula.
- Divide the dough into 12 even pieces, roughly shaping them into balls (it should not be smooth). Place them,evenly spaced, on the prepared baking sheet. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Bake for 18 to 24 minutes, or until light golden brown on top. Let cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet, then remove to a wire rack to finish cooling. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Notes
- While dark chocolate chips mimic the original recipe, you could also use semisweet chocolate chips.
- You can omit the walnuts for allergy purposes or personal preference.
- To get cookies all the same size, I recommend using a scale for weighing out the dough.
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
This recipe was originally published on July 17, 2013.
Hi Michelle,
I have tried your earlier recipe on Levain chocolate chip cookies and we all love it. Is this recipe better than that?
Thanks
Juby
Hi Juby, This is the same recipe! So glad you love it! :)
I love the precision of weighing the balls of dough to ensure consistent sizing but I often forget to weigh my bowl first. How much did each of your dough balls weigh?
Ugh, I can’t remember and I didn’t write it down! I weighed them in grams and I have no idea now! I’m sorry that’s not helpful :(
I made these yesterday pretty much immediately after reading this post :D They are INSANE. I haven’t had a Levain cookie in years but this recipe is about as good as it gets! I’ll be making them regularly.
Happy to send you a couple of these from Levain! I’m in the neighborhood. :)
Could really use one (or a dozen) of these babies right now! They look absolutely perfect- so soft and light! Cannot wait to try this recipe!
This chocolate chip cookies looks dangerously addictive…can’t wait to try it!
I tried this cookie recipe yesterday and it was mind blowing.. Somehow I was looking forward to my chocolate chip to be melted and gooey as in your picture..but it wasn’t so.. Any particular reason.
I used the toll house Nestlé semi sweet chocolate chip
Simple and easy! That’s my two favorite words when it comes to cookies! :D
Dear baker,
I love your site and recipes and mean you no offense when I tell you these taste nothing like Levain bakery cookies. I followed your recipe exactly and unless I did something very wrong, these cookies are very different. I used to work 5 blocks from Levain then moved so I was hoping to find a replica recipe. Levain ships! Or hopefully you make a trip to NYC soon to enjoy such a beast of a cookie
Respectfully yours,
Justina
I have had this page bookmarked for years and visit every time I make cookies. Please don’t ever take it down! I used to visit Levain regularly when I lived in the City and these take me right back there. There is nothing like these huge delicious cookies!! Thank you!!
Hi,
First off, love your recipes! Thick and chewy chocolate chip cookies is a favorite of mine, so I thought I would try something new and different with these. Unfortunately mine came out pretty Cakey. I didn’t overtake and I followed directions and proportions precisely. I consider myself a fairly regular baker, so didn’t think I should have any problems. Any suggestions as to what might have caused the cakiness ?
Hi Clemmie, These are huge, thick cookies and cake-like isn’t totally wrong.
Have made this recipe multiple times and every time I make them, everyone goes bananas for the cookies. They are THE BEST chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever made and I’ve tried many recipes. You will get tons of compliments from people if you make these. One note – I normally just us AP Flour when making them – I don’t see much of a difference over Bread Flour.
Ok, wow, these are amazing. Mine had this super fluffy, light texture that I’ve never tasted before in a CCC. I’m wondering what would happen if I cut the butter & sugar together with a food processor, like I do with pie crust. Have you tried that? What do you think it would do to the texture of the cookie? Also, I think next time I will try incorporating some chopped oats into the dough!
Hi Annie, I’ve never tried to do the cutting of butter and sugar for a cookie – if you try it let me know how it turns out!
The cookies did not reach a “light golden brown” outside, so I left them in for an extra minute or two until they reached this description. They were as hard as hockey pucks, and about as dry as one too.
I made these and they turned out perfect! I love them after a long 2hr session of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu
Awesome looking cookies !!
Noob questions:-
1. how long can i keep the dough in the fridge before baking it?
2. after baking – how long can I keep the cookies before i eat it?
Hi Jason, You can keep the dough in the refrigerator up to 3 days before baking. After baking, let them cool completely and then store in an airtight container to keep them fresh for up to about 4 days.
I love to bake! My mother taught me how to bake cookies, brownies, etc. when I was young, and now that I am retired, I am constantly baking for family and friends.
These were so good, and came out perfect the first time.
I quickly learned that mixing the butter with an electric mixer was not a good choice-it clogged the beaters, so I switched to my KitcheAid.
The bread flour is what really sets it apart from the other recioes I’ve seen.
Thanks!
Good recipe.. The most important thing is the following .. And I hope it helps.. If this was noted before sorry..
This is the flour they use. I was just there yesterday line was half a block long waited an 1hr.. We’ll worth it.
They use he following flour if it helps
http://www.generalmillscf.com/products/flour/all-trumps/all-trumps/enriched-malted-50-lb
They let their cookies set out on racks wrapped in plastic wrap prior to cooking..
Have made these a couple of times now but tonight I used white chocolate and macadamia nuts. Absolutely amazing. My children love you now!
Do you pack the brown sugar? Do you scoop and level the flour or loosely add it with a spoon to the measuring cup and then level it? Quite a bit of difference in technique and just didn’t know what baking method was correct? I’m not a baker.
Yes, you should always pack the brown sugar unless stated otherwise. And yes, if you don’t weigh your flour, you should spoon it into a measuring cup and then level it off.
It okay if i omit the walnuts?
Yep!
I have tried your NY Times & your “Favorite chocolate chip cookies”, but this recipe is hands down the best chocolate chip cookie recipe on your site! TY!!
My son works in NYC and has tried the Levain Bakery cookie. He also became a fan of this cookie after having it several times. As adventurous as he is, he came home and found a copycat recipe. While entering his kitchen one day for a holiday get together the aroma permeating from his kitchen was amazing. My eyes popped out of my head when I saw the size of the cookies. And the taste was so good. Chewy, chocolate chunks in every bite, and amazingly tasty. I shared mine because it was too much.
I later made them myself and gained a pound or two..LOL!!
I am ready to try your recipe. Thank you!
Thank you for sharing! These are fantastic and my new, favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe.
Looked into shipping my fav cookies from Levain in New York, but $150 for four cookies is a bit steep, so imagine finding the recipe.
A question for all you baking gurus—I have found when baking on the West Coast that everything I could shine with in NYC, now tastes dry and flat. In particular, when making old fashioned Nestle’s Toll House CCC, where they would be flat, lacy and crisp on the East Coast, here they are puffy, dry and never crisp. No one has been able to tell me why or what to do.
These look fantastic and I’d like to make them but before I do, I wanted to ask what you meant when you say to have some flour left during the part where you’re mixing the flour mixture into the egg/butter mixture? Are you saying not to use up all the flour, or do you mean to mix in chips and nuts and then the rest of the flour, or to leave some flour still visible in the batter before mixing in the chips and nuts? Thanking you ahead of time for the clarification. : )
Hi Alex, You want to leave some flour still visible in the batter before mixing in the chips and nuts. It’s just to ensure you don’t over mix the batter :) Enjoy!
How about a copycat recipe for Levain’s To-die-for Chocolate Chip Banana Bread? Other internet posts that I’ve seen have not got it right.
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Hello I would like to bake them and after reading the comments is it 1 1/2 cups of Bread Flour=13.4 ounces? Or is it 3 1/2 cups of bread flour =24.5 ounces? thanks
Hi Jackie, It’s 3 cups of bread flour; the weight is determined by the brand you use. According to King Arthur Flour, their bread flour weighs 4.25 ounces per cup.
Thank you so much I really appreciate it. I’m going to jump in the kitchen now and bake them. :-)
These are amazing. Simply the best cookie I’ve ever made. No crazy ingredients or crazy steps to make these – just a darn good and easy chocolate chip cookie – as it should be!