Inspired by New York's famous bakery, these Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies are gooey in the center and packed with walnuts and chocolate!
Whether you're from New York or not, traveled to or not, you may be familiar with the world-renowned shop located on the Upper West Side neighborhood of Manhattan, known as Levain Bakery.
Today, we're recreating the beloved cookie that took the world by storm thanks to a NYT article that put the spotlight on these famous six ounce chocolate chip walnut cookies.
I often get asked what my favorite thing to bake is and when I answer, chocolate chip cookies, people often return with an unsatisfied look. As if I'm supposed to flex and boast about a seven-layer cake or something on that level of difficulty. The truth is, I crave the simple things. Simple things, when done right, can outshine any contender.
Chocolate chip cookies are as popular as they are for a reason- many reasons actually. First and foremost, they're damn delicious. Have you ever met someone who turned down a chocolate chip cookie? No, neither have I.
Secondly, they are perhaps one of the easiest desserts to make. They are pretty much a one-bowl wonder and take only 10 minutes to bake. What's more is, they are accessible that require mostly pantry staples. Finally, they are versatile. So, if you're feeling a little boujee, the possibilities are endless when it comes to mix-ins and toppings, not to mention the various ways you can serve chocolate chip cookies.
I don't really think you need any more of an explanation as to why chocolate chip cookies are the best in their field and why they are my favorite thing to bake.
I've shared a lot of chocolate chip cookies here on the blog, in fact some may argue, I've never met a chocolate chip cookie recipe I haven't made 😉 It's a badge I wear with pride, but it dawned on me that as a NY foodie, I had yet to attempt the coveted Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookie.
Renowned across the world not just for their flavor but their size, these cookies have become something of a NY icon and rightfully so. Weighing in at six ounces per cookie, they are loaded with chocolate chips and walnuts, then baked at an extremely high temperature for a short period of time, resulting in a cookie that has a golden, crisp exterior but a gooey dough-like center that will leave you swooning.
The most important thing when making this recipe is to chill your dough twice. If you don't you will end up with a baking sheet of melted cookies. Not the worst case scenario, but not the one we're aiming for with this recipe. Be sure to chill your dough once you mix it for at least half an hour. Then, once you measure the cookies out, I like to pop them into the freezer on the trays while the oven preheats.
I think many have their own interpretation on the Levain cookie, but this has been the closest I've gotten to original. It should be noted that Levain does not put vanilla in their cookies, but I personally love the added depth of flavor and sweetness vanilla brings to cookies, so I added a splash of it to mine.
As far as the nuts, I know many either don't prefer nuts in their cookies or may have an allergy, you most definitely can omit the nuts, but be sure to add some extra chips to the batter.
The final note is baking. Levain famously bakes their cookies at a high temperature which is how they achieve that gooey center, giving you the best of both worlds- a crisp cookie and a cookie dough filling. I baked mine at 425 degrees F. for 10-11 minutes but it depends on your oven. Anywhere from 400-425 is the desired temperature. The cookies should be slightly golden on the outside, and that's how you know when they are done. Let them cool slightly on a tray before serving.
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PrintLevain Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 1 dozen cookies 1x
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, cubed
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 cup cake flour*
- 1 1/2 cups AP flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- Pinch of sea salt
- 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 1/2 cups walnuts, roughly chopped
Instructions
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, whip butter and sugars together. Add eggs and vanilla, then beat again until incorporated.
- In a large bowl, whisk cake flour, AP flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low until a smooth batter comes together.
- Add chocolate chips and walnuts, and pulse 5-7 times until well incorporated.
- Cover and chill the dough in the refrigerator for about 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.*
- Divide the dough into equal portions, about 4-6 ounces per cookie depending on how large you want them. (I scooped out about 4 ounce cookies and got about a dozen from this recipe). *Do not flatten the cookies.
- Pop the cookies into the freezer until the oven has preheated.
- Bake for 10-11 minutes until the cookies are golden. Transfer to a cooling rack and let rest for 5 minutes before enjoying!
Notes
Homemade Cake Flour: To make your own cake flour, measure out 1 leveled cup of all-purpose flour and remove 2 tablespoons from it. Add 2 tablespoons of cornstarch to the flour and sift twice.
Baking Temperature: Not all ovens are the same. 425 degree F. may be too high for some, in which case bake at 400 degrees F. if you feel your oven tends to overheat. Things that factor into this are: oven sizes, pan sizes, and electric vs. gas range.
Prep Time Note: Prep Time does NOT include Inactive Prep Time.
And that's our recipe for Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies. If you enjoyed today's recipe, or have any questions or suggestions, be sure to let us know in the comments below. We always love hearing from you. Happy Baking!
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Vidhya says
I absolutely enjoy making such a simple and great recipe! I gave these cookies as gifts to my friends. And they loved it.
Amy says
These thick, bakery-style cookies are a total dream! You’ve really captured that signature "Levain" look with the massive height and gooey centers. I can almost taste the melty chocolate chips just looking at the photos!
Catalina says
I baked these and they turned out thick and gooey. Crispy outside with a soft center just like the bakery!
Paula says
These chocolate chip cookies were seriously the best I've ever tried! They tasted so good and had the perfect texture!
Katie Crenshaw says
I loved how these turned out. I am all about the gooey center. I keep eating cookie after cookie... It is hard to stop. No wonder they are so famous in NY!
Catalina says
Tried them last night and the texture was perfect. Big chocolate chunks in every bite!
Amy says
These look absolutely incredible! I can’t wait to give this copycat version a try in my own kitchen!
Ben says
Man, these are good cookies. You cannot beat a cookie with so many mix-ins that they literally explode out of the dough.