This copycat Levain cookie recipe brings the famous thick chocolate chip cookie to your kitchen. With a touch of brown sugar and chopped pecans, you can make the world-famous cookies in no time!
An indulgent cookie packed with buttery soft texture, with the gooey center filled with chocolate chips and chopped nuts, and crispy browned edges…are you craving it yet? If I’m being completely honest, I do! But I don’t have Levain Bakery here in Hawaii, so I make my own cookies.
Gina’s Recipe Rundown:
Texture: A perfect balance between a gooey cookie center and crispy edges with a little crunch from pecans and smooth semi-melted chocolate chips inside the cookie center. The best chocolate chip cookies.
Taste: Signature taste of Levain chocolate chip cookie with rich pecan and buttery flavors.
Ease: Levain copycat recipe is actually incredibly easy! The hardest part is to patiently wait for cookie dough balls to chill in the freezer.
Why I love it: Amazing cookies to whip up at home and I am simply in love with the gooey interior and chocolate and nuts combo. They are the ultimate cookie experience.
I personally swap walnuts with pecans, and I love how the cookies turn out. Walnuts can have too strong of a taste for some people and often mask the buttery flavor of the dough, which I also want to shine as the whole stick goes into just 5-6 cookies! I enjoy them either way, but I just use what I have on hand at the time.
If you love chocolate chip cookies, make sure to try my double chocolate chip pecan cookies, Mrs Fields Copycat chocolate chip cookie recipe, or these Nestle Toll House choco chips.
What Is Levain Bakery?
Levain Bakery is a famous American bakery that started in New York City in 1995. It’s best known for its giant cookies, especially the chocolate chip walnut cookie.
These cookies are special because they are super thick, and massive in size, with a crispy outside and a gooey, soft center.
People love them so much that the bakery has become a must-visit spot for all chocolate chip cookie lovers.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- They are thick, chunky, and packed with butter, pecans, and chocolate. Pure satisfaction! That iconic gooey center of these oversized cookies equals maximum enjoyment.
- Perfect recipe for two or a small family as it makes just 5 or 6 big cookies. So you will eat them all while they are still fresh (most likely in one sitting as they are SO good!)
- This recipe calls for pantry staples, all the ingredients are simple and affordable. Homemade cookies are cheaper than original Levain bakery chocolate chip cookies.
- Double the recipe and make delicious gifts for the holiday season. Package them in gift boxes with a personal gift message, just like Levain cookie gift sets.
Ingredients Notes
- Unsalted butter softened at room temp. Salted butter is also fine to use, just adjust the added salt in the flour mixture.
- Light brown sugar makes delicious chewy cookies with a subtle caramel flavor. It also spreads less than white sugar during baking.
- Granulated sugar. White sugar not only adds sweetness but adds crispiness and traps moisture.
- Eggs – for the amazing soft texture of these cookies.
- Vanilla extract. Pure vanilla extract is best for baking, as artificial flavoring can really spoil the overall taste.
- Flour mixture: all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt to make thick chewy cookies with a crispy exterior
- Chocolate chips, any you like. Semisweet chocolate chips are my go-to choice, but if you prefer a bitter taste, opt for dark chocolate chips. If you really like sweets use milk chocolate chips.
- Chopped pecans (optional) or walnuts if you want to stick to the original Levain bakery cookies recipe.
Kitchen Equipment
- Baking sheet lined with parchment paper/baking pan
- Stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment
- Mixing bowl
- Cookie scoop or tablespoon
- Rubber spatulas
- Kitchen scale – optional
How To Make Copycat Levain Bakery Cookies
1: Make Cookie Dough
- Prep work: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Combine wet ingredients. Beat softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer until light and fluffy. This is a crucial step to make soft and massive cookies.
- Mix in the egg and vanilla extract on medium speed until well combined.
- Stir in the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, and salt until just combined.
- Fold in the chocolate chips and, if using, the chopped nuts until evenly distributed.
2: Shape Cookie Dough Balls
Use a large spoon or cookie scoop to portion out the dough (about 1/4 cup for each cookie). Arrange the dough on the prepared baking sheet. Leave enough space between each cookie as they will spread slightly while baking.
3: Chill Cookie Dough
- Freeze the formed dough for at least 45 minutes. This will help the cookies maintain their shape while baking.
- At this step, you can also store the dough until ready to cook, in the freezer for longer, or in the fridge overnight. It will make soft and moist cookies.
4: Bake Cookies
- After chilling, bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown but the center is still underbaked. They should look slightly soft when you take them out of the oven.
- Cool baked cookies on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to let the cookies cool completely to fully set.
- Serve with a glass of milk.
Storage
Store leftover Levain chocolate chip cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days. Wrap each cookie in plastic wrap.
Reheat the cookies in a microwave for 20 sec or in the oven at 350F until the center is gooey again.
To freeze, wrap each cookie in plastic wrap and foil and store in a freezer-safe bag for up to 1 month.
Make ahead: Unbaked cookie dough can also be frozen for 1 month.
Substitutions & Variations
- Sweet & Salty. For an extra touch, you can sprinkle a little sea salt on top of each cookie before baking for a sweet and salty flavor contrast. Maldon sea salt is a great option.
- Use cake flour instead of all-purpose flour or a mix of both to get a thicker and cakey cookie texture almost like a scone.
- Use chocolate chunks or chopped chocolate instead of chocolate chips. Change up the original recipe with a dark chocolate chocolate chip, or semi-sweet chocolate chips.
- Swap chocolate chips with peanut butter chips!
- You can make smaller cookies, then adjust the bake time (they will be quick to bake)
Expert Tips To Make The Best Levain Bakery Cookies
- Do not skip chilling! These massive cookies need to hold shape really well and only chilling will do the trick.
- Baking time makes a huge difference: it is better to undertake and let the cookies be gooey inside than to overbake and get dry-out tough cookies.
- Another trick to let the cookies stay tall, thick, and chunky is to use cold butter to make the dough.
- If you don’t have cake flour but want thicker cookies, you can add a bit of cornstarch, tapioca starch, or xanthan gum to the flour mix. You can also add baking powder.
- Measure the sugar correctly. Too much sugar will make the cookies spread.
- Be generous with chocolate chips. The original Levain bakery cookies are loaded with chocolate!
Popular Questions
What Is The Secret Of Levain Cookies?
The secret to Levain cookies lies in their unique texture and size. These cookies are massive, with a crispy exterior and a gooey center.
The use of cold butter and a combination of cake flour and all-purpose flour helps achieve this perfect balance. Plus, the dough is chilled before baking, which keeps the cookies thick and prevents them from spreading too much.
Does Levain Bakery Use Sourdough?
No, Levain Bakery does not use sourdough in their cookie recipes. Their cookies are made with traditional cookie dough that includes ingredients like butter, sugar, eggs, and flour.
Is Levain Only In NYC?
Levain Bakery started in New York City in 1995, and while it is famous for its NYC locations, they have expanded beyond the city. They now have several locations, including Washington D.C., LA, Boston, Chicago, and Philadelphia, and one in Maryland.
Are Levain Bakery Chocolate Cookies Underbaked?
Yes, Levain cookies are intentionally underbaked to achieve their signature texture. The edges are baked to a golden brown, giving them crispiness, while the center remains soft and gooey.
If you love this copycat cookie recipe, you’re going to love these other copycat cookies too. Please click each link below to find the easy, printable recipe!
More Great Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes
Mrs. Fields Chocolate Chip Cookies – Copycat Recipe
Chocolate Chip Cookies without Brown Sugar
Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookies
Levain Bakery Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter softened (1 stick) unsalted
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- ½ cup pecans chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Beat the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer until light and fluffy.
- Mix in the egg and vanilla extract until well combined
- Stir in the flour, baking soda, and salt until just combined.
- Fold in the chocolate chips and, if using, the chopped nuts.
- Use a large spoon or cookie scoop to portion out the dough (about 1/4 cup for each cookie). Arrange the dough on the prepared baking sheet. Leave enough space between each cookie as they will spread slightly while baking.
- Freeze the formed dough for at least 45 minutes. This will help the cookies maintain their shape while baking.
- After chilling, bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown but the center is still underbaked. They should look slightly soft when you take them out of the oven.
- Cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate. Please double-check with your own dietary calculator for the best accuracy. We at Yummi Haus cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site.
Created by Gina Kleinworth
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