Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies

This super thick, gooey on the inside, copycat Levain Bakery Chocolate chip walnut cookies are everything you need in your life right now. A few key ingredients and techniques make these the BEST chocolate chip cookies.

 

Thick chocolate chip cookies. With a gooey middle. And crispy edges. I mean, is there anything better? 

Definitely not. After I made these Levain Double Chocolate Cookies and these Levain Bakery double chocolate peanut butter chip cookies, I knew I would eventually get around to make the classic. Chocolate chip cookies are just such a comfort food and right now I need some comfort in my life! 

These are my copycat version of the famous Levain bakery chocolate chip cookie. The cookie dough is made with cold butter so you get a thick, dense chewy cookie. It also uses a combination of cake flour and all purpose flour for an extra soft cookie. And we bake them at a high temperature so they don’t spread much while baking (aka BIG cookies in the end).

So if you love big, thick, chewy, soft cookies (and I’m guessing you do) – this cookie recipe is for you. So let’s make cookies. Copycat Levain Bakery chocolate chip cookies to be exact. 

Ingredients Needed

• Flours– These cookies call for all purpose flour and cake flour. Cake flour has a lower protein content, so by using some cake flour you will end up with a much softer, tender cookie in the end. If you don’t have cake flour you can try and make your own cake flour. Check out my 41 Cake Flour recipes on more wonderful ways to bake with cake flour!
• Cornstarch – Adding a little cornstarch will also help to tenderize the cookie dough. 
• Baking soda –A little baking soda is what gives your cookies some lift. Don’t mix it up with baking powder! You can read more here about the Baking Powder vs. Baking Soda
• Salt – I like to use fine sea salt but table salt or kosher salt works. Salt plays a major role in baking to balancing out the sweetness and bringing out the intensity of the chocolate. 
• COLD Unsalted butter – I use unsalted butter, but if you’re using salted butter omit the added salt. You are going to use cold butter, which will help to keep the cookies from spreading. I like to cube it first so it’s easier to cream together with the sugar.
• Brown Sugar – If you don’t have any, use my homemade brown sugar recipe.
• Granulated sugar
• Eggs – You will need 2 room temperature large eggs. I always place mine in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes to bring them to room temperature quickly.
• Vanilla extract – The real Levain cookie doesn’t use any but I can’t make chocolate chip cookies without vanilla!
• Chocolate chips – I have used semi-sweet chips, but milk chocolate as well. You can also use a combination of regular chips, mini chocolate chips or chopped chocolate.
• Walnuts – I like to toast the walnuts first so it really brings out the flavor.

How To Make These Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies

Toast The Walnuts

For maximum flavor I recommend toasting the walnuts first. Toasting the walnuts will bring out the oils in the nuts and therefore all the flavor!

I toast my walnut halves for 5-7 minutes in a 350oF oven until fragrant. Then I let them cool and chop them. Make sure they are completely cool before adding to your cookie dough.

Mix Your Dry Ingredients

In a medium bowl whisk together the flours, baking soda, cornstarch and salt.

For best results I recommend using a kitchen scale. But if you are using measuring cups than you want to pay attention to how you measure. Too much flour can result in a dense cookie. Don’t just scoop the flour directly into your measuring cup. This can result in a major over measurement!

After you have spooned the flour in, then use a knife to level off the flour. Don’t tap the sides of the measuring cup, or pack your flour down.

Cream Butter and Brown Sugar

You want to cream your butter and sugar together for about 4 minutes until light and cream. Proper creaming with is what helps to aerate the mixture.

You will use cold butter for these cookies which is different than usual cookie recipes using room temperature butter. I think that’s my favorite part of making these cookies. No waiting for your butter to soften. Just cut up some butter straight from the fridge and away we go! It’s why these cookies do not spread much. You can ready more here about Why Are My Cookies Flat? (8 Reasons Why!)

The sugar basically punches holes into the butter creating air pockets, which then will fill with the gasses created with the leavening agents which can help create some lift in the cookies. 

Add Your Eggs

Once the mixture has properly creamed together, then add in your room temperature eggs, and vanilla extract. Make sure they are thoroughly mixed in. You want to make sure your eggs are room temperature so they don’t seize up the butter mixture.

I always place mine in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes before using. And scrape down the bowl as well because sometimes there can be butter or egg hiding out.

Add Your Dry Ingredients

Now add your dry ingredients. You want to make sure to not overmix. I like to stop the mixer right before it’s all mixed in, and then finish mixing with a spatula. 

Overmixing will result in dense, tough cookies because it will create too much gluten (protein in flour that make it chewy and tough).

Add Chocolate Chips And Walnuts

You can then stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts at this point. Again just stir enough to mix them in and then stop mixing. 

Scoop The Cookies

Next you want to scoop the cookie dough. You will use a large cookie scoop and scoop the cookies into large cookie dough balls – about 1/2 cup of cookie dough (or 5 1/2 ounces) each

Levain bakery chocolate chip cookies are meant to be HUGE. The bakery makes them 6-ounces. I went a tad smaller. And they were still gigantic. I weighed mine on a scale to be accurate. But they basically were a heaping large cookie scoop worth. 

I like to chill the cookies for one hour to help them spread even less (you can bake them right away but they may spread a bit more).

Bake The Cookies

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400^oF (and position a rack in the center of your oven). These bake at a much higher temperature so they don’t spread much.

Place 4-6 cookies on a parchment lined baking sheet. They’re BIG so you only want to bake 6 maximum). Bake for 10-12 minutes until edges are set and tops are soft and golden brown.

You want to take them out of the oven and let them cool 10 minutes on the cookie sheet then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. They will be still soft and gooey in the middle. If you want them a little less gooey feel free to bake 1-2 minutes longer.

Storage Instructions

Store cookies covered at room temperature for up to 4 days. You can also freeze them.

To freeze unbaked: Scoop the cookies onto a cookie sheet, and freeze solid. Then place into a sealable plastic bag. You can bake frozen, without thawing, but add on a few extra minutes of baking time.

To freeze baked: Allow the cookies to cool completely. Then when ready to eat, allow to thaw. I like to pop them into the microwave for about 20 seconds to bring them back to ooey gooey life. 

Recipe FAQ’s

More cookie recipes

If you are craving more cookies try my super popular lemon cookies with lemon icing. Or these easy chocolate dipped coconut macaroons.

For a fun twist try these apple cider cookies or strawberry cheesecake cookies! And for more cookie baking help check out my How To Make Perfect Cookies Every Time (Ultimate Guide)