Levain Bakery Chocolate Cookies

These Levain Bakery chocolate cookies are super thick and extra chocolatey. These cookies have a few secret tricks up their sleeves to make them thick, fudgy, and chewy.

 

Two things I need in my life. Coffee. First thing every morning. I know I should go for at least a glass of water before I dive into the caffeine pool. But I can’t help myself. And chocolate at the end of the night. Every night. Without fail.

And I think I found chocolate nirvana with these cookies. No other chocolate cookie is going to even come close to this copycat Levain bakery cookie recipe. I mean just look at those bad boys. It’s like a brownie and a cookie got together and this was born.

When I created this copycat version of Levain Bakery’s chocolate chip walnut cookies I knew I had to give a chocolate version a try. And now I’m wishing I made them sooner. Soon after I had to create this Levain bakery double chocolate peanut butter chip cookie version (make these next!)

First off let’s just state the obvious. These are GIGANTIC size of your head cookies. Mine weighed in at 5 1/2 ounces each. I used a kitchen scale to make sure each cookie was the same. Because of the size of these, you will only fit about 6 on your cookie sheet at a time. But then again, this batch of cookies make about 10 total. Doesn’t sound like a lot but trust me, but having any more laying around your house is just dangerous.

The Secret To These Big, Thick Cookies

So what’s the secret to this ooey gooey brownie like center? Glad you asked. First of, this cookie uses a combination of all purpose flour and cake flour. Using a softer flour like cake flour keep this cookie nice and tender on the inside.

Second, a little bit of cornstarch. Cornstarch is also the secret behind these frosted sugar cookie bars. Just a little bit of cornstarch helps to keep these nice and soft. And I mean like for days. If they last that long in your house. It took all my willpower.

And they also use COLD butter. Yes cold! No waiting around for your butter to soften. This means less air is incorporated into the dough so you get dense, thick, chewy cookies.

And they are baked at a higher heat. Now I’m used to baking my cookies at either 350°F or 375°F. Not these guys. These cookies are baked at 400°F. Baking them at a higher heat helps in these cookies in spreading less. So thick. Fudgy. Crazy goodness.

Serious stretchy pants time for these cookies. Totally worth it.

Ingredients Needed

• Cake flour – This flour has a lower protein content than AP flour so it helps create a soft cookie. If you don’t have any here is how to make cake flour.
• All purpose flour
• Cornstarch – Helps to keep the cookies tender.
• Baking soda
• Baking powder
• Salt
• Cocoa powder – I like to use Dutch process but natural unsweetened also works. Here is my post on natural cocoa vs. Dutch process.
• Unsalted butter – If using salted butter, omit the added salt. And you want to use COLD cubed butter. This helps to create a dense, thick dough.
• Granulated sugar
• Brown sugar – I used light brown sugar. Here is how to make brown sugar.
• Eggs – Use room temperature eggs. Place in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes.
• Vanilla
• Semi-sweet chocolate chips

How To Make Levain Bakery Double Chocolate Cookies

Remember to cube your butter so it’s easier to cream together. Since it’s cold it can be more difficult at first to mix. But the cold butter is what will give us a thicker, denser cookie dough because not as much air can be worked into the dough.

Do not overmix. You want to stop mixing once the last of the flour has been incorporated.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Baking Tips

• Be sure to use COLD butter when making these cookies. Straight from the fridge. This helps to ensure your cookies don’t spread much. The temperature of your butter can really affect how much your cookies spread. For more reasons why your cookies spread, check out this post!
• Measure your flour correctly. Over-measuring your flour can result in a cakey cookie. And these cookies are meant to be like a fudgy brownie on the inside. So correctly measuring your flour is key.
• Use cake flour. This recipe uses a combination of cake flour and all purpose flour so they come out soft yet chewy. Check out my 41 Cake flour recipes!

Storage Instructions

Once baked, let your cookies cool completely before storing. This helps prevent condensation, which can make them soggy.

Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3–4 days. If you want to keep them soft, you can add a slice of bread to the container—the cookies will absorb the moisture from the bread and stay softer longer.

For longer storage, cookies freeze really well. Place baked cookies in a freezer-safe container or bag and freeze for up to 2–3 months. I like to separate layers with parchment paper so they don’t stick together. When ready to enjoy, thaw at room temperature for about 30–60 minutes.

You can also freeze cookie dough, which is a great way to have fresh cookies whenever you want. Scoop the dough into portions, place on a baking sheet, and freeze until solid. Then transfer to a freezer bag and label with the date and baking temperature.

When baking from frozen, there’s no need to thaw—just add an extra 1–2 minutes to the bake time. This is one of my favorite ways to always have fresh, warm cookies on hand without making a full batch.

More Cookie Recipes To Try

If you’re looking to bake another batch, try my lemon cookies for something bright and fresh, or my strawberry cheesecake cookies for a rich, bakery-style treat.

For a classic, my oatmeal raisin cookies are perfectly chewy, and my coconut macaroons are simple, crisp on the outside, and chewy on the inside. For more help on baking cookies, check out How To Make Perfect Cookies Every Time (Ultimate Guide)