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 Double Chocolate Cookies (adapted from Modern Honey) I knew I would eventually get around to make the classic. And what better time then when we are all having to stay home right now. Chocolate chip cookies are just such a comfort food and right now I need some comfort in my life! 

I’m guessing you do too. So let’s make cookies. Copycat Levain Bakery chocolate chip cookies to be exact. 

What Is Levain Bakery Famous For?

Alright, confession time. I’ve never been to the Levain bakery in NYC. Making that a bucket list travel item for sure. The bakery, founded and co-owned by Constance McDonald and Pamela Weekes, opened its doors in 1995. 

The bakery is now known for their 6-ounce chocolate walnut cookies that they created when they were training for an Ironman triathlon. Because you know you need all those extra calories when you’re training! 

So that’s what we’re making today – their signature chocolate walnut cookies. 

Why You Will Love This Cookie Recipe

• Quick to throw together. I usually love to chill my cookie dough recipe, like with these New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookies but that’s not needed with these cookies. That means in about 10 minutes, these are ready to go in the oven. 
• Less spreading. This cookie uses cold butter and a higher oven temperature so these cookies don’t get a chance to spread much in the oven. So you end up with THICK cookies. 
• Perfect For Freezing. I love that I can bake a fewand still have some to freeze for later. And since these cookies are GIGANTIC trust me, you don’t want to bake them all at once! You can check out the freezing cookie dough tutorial here. 

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 – Salt is super important in your cookie recipe. Salt plays a major role in baking to balancing out the sweetness and bringing out the intensity of the chocolate. 
• COLD Unsalted butter – it’s important to use unsalted butter because you can control the amount of salt in your recipe this way. And you are going to use cold butter, which may go against what you normally hear to do. By keeping it cold, it will help to keep the cookies from spreading. If the butter gets warm, then it will melt. And that means liquid. That means spreading. 
• Sugar – It uses a combination of granulated sugar and brown sugar, but more brown sugar than white and that’s what I think gives these perfectly crinkly edges, flavor, and chewy texture. As explained by Serious Eats, sugar, either white or brown, is hygroscopic meaning it will soak up the moisture in the flour. But brown sugar more so than white. So that means these cookies will spread less than if you used part white 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 – Ok apparently, the true Levain bakery chocolate chip cookies do NOT include vanilla extract. Apparently they think it doesn’t add much to the cookie. I’m going to have to disagree. I’ve made chocolate chip cookies without vanilla (by mistake!) and just felt they tasted flat. Like NOT a true chocolate chip cookie. So I added 2 teaspoons. Want to be a purist, you can leave it out. But I say add it! I always recommend using pure vanilla extract. Or you can try and make your own diy vanilla extract.
• 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, discs, chunks, and bars chopped up, which is what I love to do. I like using a combination so that I get chocolate of every shape and size in every single bite. Basically pure heaven. 
• Walnuts – No need to toast. Just a rough chop is all you need. Nut allergy? Then by all means leave them out! 

How To Make These Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies

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. 

Step 2: Add Your Eggs

Once the mixture has properly creamed together, then add in your room temperature eggs, and vanilla extract (if using!). 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. 

Step 3: 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).

Step 4: 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. 

Step 5: Scoop The Cookies

Next you want to scoop the cookie dough. You will use a large cookie scoop (#20) that holds 1/3 cup of cookie dough.  

Levain bakery chocolate chip cookies are meant to be HUGE. The bakery makes them 6-ounces. I went with 4-ounces. And they were still gigantic. I weighed mine on a scale to be accurate. But they basically were a heaping large cookie scoop worth. 

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 strawberry cheesecake cookies!