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Levain Bakery – Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies

Guys, this is the recipe I’ve been waiting to share with you for a few months. If you’ve never been, Levain Bakery on the Upper West Side turns out some of NYC’s best (and biggest) cookies to the tune of $4 each. I know, $4 for one cookie? So you know they’re something special when locals and tourists alike line up rain or shine outside the tiny shop to buy some of their fabulous cookies. I know this all too well since I walk past it multiple times a day (and stop in more than occasionally)!

I’ve long wanted to replicate my favorite Levain cookie at home, the chocolate chip walnut. Levain’s cookies are incredibly large and seem to weigh about a pound each. Served still warm from the oven, the chocolate chips are just barely melted and inevitably end up all over your fingers, as Levain cookies crumble in the best way when you take a bite. But how to make such a dense, big cookie taste as light as Levain’s, with a crunchy outside and gooey inside? Lots of butter, lots of flour, and a touch of cornstarch seem to be the key. I can’t claim to know any deep dark Levain secrets, but these cookies turned out as close as I could have hoped to the real thing. Let me know if you agree!

Yields 10

Levain Bakery - Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies

45 minPrep Time

15 minCook Time

1 hrTotal Time

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Ingredients

  • 3 1/4 cups all purpose flour plus 1 teaspoon for mixing with chocolate chips and walnuts
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature and cut into cubes
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 cup walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, combine 3 1/4 cups flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add butter, white and brown sugars. Mix until well combined and creamy.
  3. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until incorporated.
  4. With the mixer on low, gradually add dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated. Dough will be stiff.
  5. In a small bowl, combine chocolate chips and walnuts with 1 teaspoon flour, tossing to coat.
  6. Remove bowl from mixer and mix in chocolate chips and walnuts using a spatula. This will take a little time and muscle.
  7. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat.
  8. Divide cookie dough into 10 portions about 4 ounces each. Keep cookies in rough mounds (as opposed to flattening them out or trying to smooth them) and refrigerate for 30 minutes before baking.*
  9. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit.
  10. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until cookies are light golden brown and just barely cooked in the middle.*

Notes

*Popping the cookie dough in the fridge before baking helps them keep their tall shape.
*Err on the side of under baking - these are best when they’re gooey in the center!

7.8.1.2
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http://citycookin.com/levain-bakery-chocolate-chip-walnut-cookies/

Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies

Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies

 

 

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Comments

          • The best way I figure conversions out is by Googling :) Here's what Nigella Lawson's site says about butter: "US butter is sold in 1/2 or 1 pound packages and divided into "sticks". Each stick weighs 1/4 pound/4 ounces/110g. One stick also contains 8 tablespoons and for convenience the packaging is marked with the tablespoon measures. Each tablespoon weighs 1/2 ounce which we usually equate to a metric weight of 15g." A cup is not precise in terms of weight - just think of how much of something you could fit in a tea cup, for example. So a cup of butter would have a very different weight than, say, a cup of flour. Hope that helps, let me know how the cookies turn out!

  3. Yipee! I'm so excited to try these. I was lucky to go to the Levain Bakery this summer and thought the same, "$4 for a cookie?" But they were so, so good. I can't try these! Thanks :-)
    Reply

  4. good recipe, yes I did bake them and followed the first time to the letter. Make sure you do not overbake or the center will be dry, I don't like that. You'll need to experiment a little bit with the proper size and time to get it just the way you like it.
    Reply

    • Cool Gregg, glad you liked them! Definitely agree on under-baking just a little bit - since they're so thick they will cook a little bit more once you take them out of the oven, too.
      Reply

  5. Thank you for posting your recipe. I live in NY and was not aware of Levain bakery until I saw a recent news report on one of my local stations and how the anchor said he was addicted to these cookies. One of the bakery locations is close by but I really did not want to pay $4 for a cookie. I could not get this cookie out if my head and I googled until I found your recipe. Cookies are absolutely delish and as a viewer wrote to not over bake I kept watching the oven after about 12 minutes or so. So thank you, thank you Stephanie very much.
    Reply

    • I live in CA and visit NYC often. Levain Bakery is a MUST stop! Go give "The Real Deal" a try. Don't buy a latte that day! Save the $4.00 for Levain's-you won't be disappointed! PS-I can't wait to try this recipe!!! Thanks all!!
      Reply

  6. Thank you for posting your recipe. I live in NY and was not aware of Levain bakery until I saw a recent news report on one of my local stations and how the anchor said he was addicted to these cookies. One of the bakery locations is close by but I really did not want to pay $4 for a cookie. I could not get this cookie out of my head and I googled until I found your recipe. Cookies are absolutely delish and as a viewer wrote to not over bake I kept watching the oven after about 12 minutes or so. So thank you, thank you Stephanie very much.
    Reply

  7. Hi Stephanie, Thank you so much for making this cookie and sharing. I absolutely loved it!!!! Spot on!! Although my favorite cookie from Levain is oatmeal. Any chance you might replicate the oatmeal cookie? I would be thrilled if you did, as I don't have the luxury of going to Levain, since I don't live in NY. Will keep my fingers crossed.
    Reply

    • Hi Rudy! Oooh I love the oatmeal cookie as well. I'll have to give it a shot! Thanks for commenting :)
      Reply

  8. These were completely spot-on! Just last week, I finally tried the Levain cookies for the first time, after years of awaiting an opportunity. Side by side, you genuinely can't tell the difference between my last fragment and these copies. A few notes: 1. Next time I would cut the salt down to 1/2 tsp. I normally adore salt and use it generously, but for some reason, a light touch seems to suit this recipe best. (Just realized, though, that I used Kerrygold butter, which is a higher-fat butter--and salted.) 2. Not a fan of nuts in gooey chocolate chip cookies, so I subbed rolled oats. Okay, but not great. Next time I think I'll try chunks of good toffee. 3. I would use an additional cup of chocolate chips (total of 3 cups). Normally I do this anyway :) but I wanted to try the recipe mostly as written before adding more. The copycat, though, seemed to have fewer chips than my fragment of genuine Levain cookie. 4. To get browning comparable to the Levain original, I had to crank up the heat at the end of baking time. I'm tempted to start the oven at 400-425 degrees next time, then turn it down when I put in the cookies. BEST Levain copycat on the web that I can find! Thanks so much! Now I'm hoping to adapt it for the chocolate version . . .
    Reply

    • Hi Rachel! Amazing! So glad to hear they turned out for you. Agree on the chocolate chips - definitely could punch those up a little. Thanks for sharing!
      Reply

    • Hi Danielle, I make this with semi sweet chocolate chips - will add that detail in the recipe, too. Thanks!
      Reply

  10. I've never had a Levain cookie before, so I have no idea how these compare. But I do know that these cookies are terrific! I was nervous about the relatively small amount of sugar, but they are plenty sweet, and the texture is fantastic. Crunchy on the outside and soft--not fudgy but doughy--on the inside. They held their shape beautifully in the oven....in fact, next time I'll have to flatten my scoops a little before baking because this batch came out still shaped like dough balls. What a fabulous recipe!
    Reply

  11. I have tried this recipe twice already and both times the end result was disappointing. The cookies, although still delicious, are very firm and close to a shortbread cookie than to soft, melt in your mouth, chocolate chip cookies. I did underbake them, but they were still firm and did not even spread out while in the oven. I have never tried Levain Cookies, but I am sure they are very soft and chewy. I am a very experienced baker, so I am sure I did not mess up the recipe. I only reduced the amount of white sugar to 1/3 cup. Otherwise I followed the recipe exactly. May be this recipe is asking for too much flour? I watched the youtube video of Levain bakery where they showed how to bake these and their dough was definitely more sticky that what I got from this recipe. Any comments will be appreciated. Thank you!
    Reply

    • Hi Anna, sorry to hear you're having trouble. If you're underbaking these so they are still a little gooey when you break one apart, the only other reason I can think of is your baking powder may be old/inactive. Try this test and hopefully that will solve the problem, or try with freshly bought baking powder. If the dough seems dry to you, your kitchen may be dry/less humid than mine, so cutting back on the flour may help as well. The dough should definitely be sticky, so you could try adding flour gradually just until it's quite stiff and sticky and leaving any remaining out. Good luck and let me know how these changes work!
      Reply

  13. We live on the same block as Levain so walk past it ALL the time. My two sons were recently diagnosed with celiac disease - which means no gluten for the rest of their lives :( Sadly, while there are tons of new gluten free sweets on the market these days, they still long for Levain cookies (as well as bagels that don't taste like sawdust). If any of you bakers successfully experiment with a gluten free version of this recipe, PLEASE post!
    Reply

  14. Made these last night and turned out great! I didn't have cornstarch or a mixer, so had to do everything by hand. Just ended up mixing the butter and sugar until it became fairly smooth, then dumped it in the flour bowl and kneaded until the dough turned out fully mixed and sticky. Baked for about 18 minutes then turned up the heat for 2 min to finish off. I used all purpose flour from Trader Joes as well as their semi-sweet chocolate chips. This is my number 1 recipe now for chocolate chip cookies! Thank you!
    Reply

    • That's great! Love the elbow grease, you can really make these anywhere. Thanks for sharing :)) Stay tuned, I've been working on Levain's oatmeal raisin cookies and will post those soon!
      Reply

  17. To the person with the gluten free problem I would suggest trying Domata gluten free flour found at Krogers and surely other places. I have substituted it in many gluten recipes with great success. Still trying for a great gluten free challah bread and am close. Texture a problem for bread. Good luck, hope it works.
    Reply

    • Try GF Jules gluten free flour, its on line and works cup for cup in any recipe. I make incredible breads, cookies, donuts, pound cake. It's all good.
      Reply

  18. I've made these cookies following the recipe exactly and it's been a huge hit every single time! As a New Yorker and Levain fan, I have to say these cookies are pretty spot on and all those who tried it think so too. I was wondering if you could make these ahead of time, freeze the dough, and bake them at a later time? How long would you have to thaw them out and still have them cold enough to achieve that tall shape? Thanks for any help!
    Reply

    • Hi Maria :) Yes! The best way is to form the dough into cookies on a sheet pan and put them in the freezer until they're frozen solid. Then you can transfer them to a plastic bag and bake them when you want. It's probably best to let them thaw in the refrigerator (if you let them thaw at room temperature they'd end up being a little soft and spread out as they bake - still delicious, but they wouldn't have that classic Levain shape), but I take them out of the freezer when I turn on the oven and pop them in when it comes up to temp and they turn out fine. Enjoy and thanks for commenting!!
      Reply

  19. Good recipe.. The most important thing is the following .. And I hope it helps.. If this was noted before sorry.. This is the flour they use. I was just there yesterday line was half a block long waited an 1hr.. We’ll worth it. They use he following flour if it helps.. (Really important) http://www.generalmillscf.com/products/flour/all-trumps/all-trumps/enriched-malted-50-lb
    Reply

    • Sorry forgot.. Levain lets the cookies set out on racks wrapped with plastic wrap before they bake them.. About a tennis ball size of dough.
      Reply

  21. These were so close to the real ones! I did forget to add the cornstarch (doh!) but it still turned out great. What's the cornstarch suppose to do for the cookie?
    Reply

    • Hi Des, the cornstarch helps the cookie keep its tall shape - it shouldn't make much difference in taste. Thanks for sharing, glad you enjoyed :)
      Reply

  22. I agree with the commenter that says they have a shortbread taste-- very flat, not much flavor, and they're nowhere near as sweet, chewy, and rich as Levain.
    Reply

    • Hi Melanie, sorry to hear that. It sounds like you may have over-baked them - they should be gooey on the inside (as they are at Levain!), and packed with rich, sweet flavor. Thanks for sharing - if anyone else has had this issue and solved it, please weigh in!
      Reply

  23. Thanks so much for the recipe! I've never been to Levain's but I have been wanting to taste their cookies since I saw them on the food Network channel. You definitely nailed this recipe -- enjoying perfect cookies with my husband right now!
    Reply

  24. I made these today and I'm so impressed with myself that they turned out looking just like yours! And they are DELICIOUS!! I've never had the real mccoy, but I think I'm good with this recipe. Thank you for sharing a great recipe.
    Reply

  25. I'm anxious to try this recipe! I live in Denver and was wondering what adjustment(s) I should make for the high altitude? Thank you!!!
    Reply

    • Hi Jennifer, I researched this a little at King Arthur's site (a great resource here), and I'd start with the following adjustments. Increase the baking temperature to 400 degrees F and decrease the total baking time by 2 or 3 minutes. You may also need a little extra liquid, so try using jumbo eggs instead of the large eggs in the recipe (believe it or not, egg size makes a difference!). Hope this helps and please let me know how the cookies turn out!
      Reply

  26. Hey- I am so excited to try this recipe, I am a big fan- but if I do not use an electric mixer will they come out the same???
    Reply

    • Hi Micki, you can absolutely make these without a mixer. It will take a little elbow grease to cream the butter and sugar, but the result will be exactly the same as with a mixer. Go for it!
      Reply

  27. I made this recipe twice and not sure how they are suppose to taste but they were more like a biscuit cookie. Also when tried to under bake them it didn't turn out. Could it be the size of the cookie?
    Reply

    • Hi Susan, yes these are big cookies! Have you tasted the version at Levain? They're definitely a unique style - really thick with a gooey barely done cookie-dough center. If you find them too much like biscuits you could try cutting down the size to closer to a regular cookie, maybe 2 ounces. Thanks for commenting!
      Reply

  28. Have you mastered the oatmeal cookie yet? I just had my first chocolate chip walnut cookie from Levain's and immediately searched for a recipe which is how I found this one! I can't wait to try it! Thanks!
    Reply

  32. Hello, I'm really fond of Levain Bakery Cookies. I have my own recipe of cookies but nothing to do with Levain's. That's why I 'd like to try yours but here in France, we use grams instead of cups. I found the conversions for each ingredient but I'm still not sure about flour.. 3 1/4 cups is a mystery to me. 1/4 cup seems to be roughly 35g so I suppose the recipe requires 3 times 35g so 105g. But it seems to be a very small quantity. Maybe I'm wrong. Could you please give me some advice about this point. Thank you!
    Reply

    • Hi Nadine, I like to use King Arthur Flour's guidelines which shows 1 cup of unbleached all purpose flour equals 120 grams, which would mean 1/4 cup is equal to 24 grams. So the total 3 1/4 cups would be about 384 grams. I hope this helps!
      Reply

  34. I don't know what is wrong with these cookiea. Perhaps there is a misprint but they were dry , and tasteless. Couldn't even eat them.
    Reply

    • Hi Lyn, sorry you had trouble with the cookies. If they were dry it may be because they were baked too long - they are best when taken out of the oven before they're fully cooked in the center and super gooey. Also, you may want to cut back on the flour by 1/4-1/2 cup. Are you cooking at high altitude? Please let us know if you try again, good luck! - Steph
      Reply

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