These copycat Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies are a giant, thick cookie that are slightly crispy on the outside and delectably soft and gooey on the inside. They’re pretty much to die for.
I’ve been to New York only once in my life about 12 years ago. I wish more than anything that I would have known then about Levain Bakery and their famous Chocolate Chip Cookie. I definitely would have waited in line no matter how long the wait was.
It’s no secret I have a cookie addiction, so after hearing so many rave reviews from people about Levain Bakery’s cookies, you have to know I would go on the hunt for a copycat Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe.
Since I’ve never tried the real deal, I had nothing to compare it to. But this copycat recipe is amazing and if these taste anything like Levain Bakery’s cookie, then I am a fan for life. I know there are mixed reviews in the world about these cookies. Some of you absolutely love them, while others think they are over-hyped. I’m obviously on the love them side of the spectrum.
I literally felt like I died and went to cookie heaven the first time I made these. First off, the dough is just ridiculously good and the cookies. . . oh my! I absolutely could have eaten all eight ginormous cookies. They’re amazing!
I’ve made these several times now and really need to stop, but I can’t.
TIPS FOR MAKING THESE COOKIES:
- Use cold butter and cut it into small cubes. Since it’s cold, cutting it helps it blend quicker and easier with the sugar.
- Make sure you don’t overbake these cookies. They will continue to cook even after you take them out of the oven. You want the insides to be gooey still and the outside to be golden.
- These cookies need to sit on the cookie sheet for about 10 minutes before eating. Leave the cookies on the cookie sheet so they finish baking and set up.
- I like to use my large cookie scoop and scoop out “rough balls”. I use my kitchen scale to measure each dough ball so they are all the same size.
- Apparently, the Levain Bakery cookies have no vanilla in them. I’ve made these cookies with and without vanilla and love them either way. I usually end up adding vanilla just out of habit, but you be the judge here.
- These cookies freeze really well and are absolutely delicious frozen.
- Yes, 410° is the right temperature. By baking at a high temperature, the outside of these cookies is crispy and the middle barely gets baked which gives you a gooey center.
- Yes, you can omit the nuts (I DO!) but make sure you read my notes at the bottom of the recipe card. You need to replace the volume of the nuts with another substance.
- You can bake these cookies right away, or scoop out the dough balls onto your cookie sheets, cover and refrigerate for 45-60 minutes. Refrigeration isn’t necessary, but it does give the cookies a deeper flavor.
- Cake flour makes these cookies more tender, so I highly recommend it, but if you’re in a pinch and don’t have any, you substitute all-purpose flour or make your own (*SEE RECIPE NOTES).
Like I talk about in the recipe notes, I don’t love nuts in cookies, so I omit them. If you don’t add enough flour and chocolate chips to make up for the volume of the nuts, your cookies will be a little flatter. You can see a difference in thickness in the above picture compared to the picture at the top. They’re both equally delicious, one is just a little flatter.
You’re going to love these cookies. Just please don’t hate me when you can’t stop eating them and have to do 1,593 jumping jacks to burn all of the calories you consumed.
You guys HAVE to make these, they’re absolutely phenomenal!
Copycat Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 8 cookies 1x
Ingredients
- 1 cup ( 2 sticks) cold butter, cut into small chunks
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla (optional)
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups cake flour
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups chocolate chips (*see note)
- 2 cups walnuts, roughly chopped (*see note)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 410 degrees. Line cookies sheets with parchment paper or silpat liners.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the cold cubed butter, brown sugar, and sugar 3 to 4 minutes or until creamy. Add vanilla and eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each one.
- Stir in both flours, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Mix until just combined (don’t over mix). Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts (if using).
- Separate dough into 8 6-oz balls and place on cookie sheets, 4 cookies per cookie sheet. (*I have made these smaller, measuring out 3 or 4 ounces, which obviously will yield more cookies.)
- Bake for 9-11 minutes or until golden brown on the top. Let them rest for 15 minutes to set up.
Notes
- I am not a fan of nuts in cookies, so I leave them. But you have to replace the volume of the nuts so the cookies will hold their shape. I add an extra 1/3 to 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour and an extra 1 1/2 cups of chocolate chips. I know that seems like a lot of chocolate chips, but I promise it makes these cookies even more amazing.
- I use half milk chocolate chip and half semi-sweet chocolate chips.
- These cookies are probably the one exception where I don’t use the Guittard Milk Chocolate chips for the recipe. Guittard are my favorite milk chocolate chips because they are so big. But because these cookies call for larger amounts of chocolate chips, I prefer using the regular size chocolate chips (I use Nestle’s milk chocolate chips).
- Cake Flour can be found in the baking aisle of most grocery stores. I usually buy it in bulk at Winco because it’s super inexpensive there. If you can’t find it or don’t want to buy any, you can make your own. Measure out 1 cup of all-purpose flour. Remove 2 tablespoons of the all-purpose flour and place it back in your flour container. Replace the 2 tablespoons of flour with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch then sift the flour 4 to 5 times.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Cookies
- Cuisine: Dessert/Pie
Recipe Source: Modern Honey
Hi Jodi,
It seems like all the chocolate chip cookies I make go flat, like a pancake, and so when I add more flour it just seems to make the cookies dry and tough. I’ve been told it’s the high altitude of where I live. Will this recipe work at high altitudes? Or can you recommend a great chocolate chip cookie recipe for high altitudes? I’m tired of pancake cookies.
Thanks,
Jane
Hi Jane! I almost always add a little more flour to most chocolate chip cookie recipes, even if it’s only 2 to 4 tablespoons and they never are dry and tough. The secret is to not overbake them. I know Ron likes his cookies crunchy, so that’s a problem (lol!). This cookie recipe turns out perfectly thick and puffy every time, even the few times I haven’t added as much flour, they’re still thick. I’m sure it’s partly because of how big the dough balls are, but even when I’ve made them smaller, they still stay thick and puffy. I think you’re only about 300 feet higher in elevation than we are, so these cookies should work great. If you ever make the Nestle Tollhouse recipe, you absolutely have add more flour. The recipe calls for 2 1/4 cups and I add 2 3/4 cup, if I don’t add the extra flour, they go flat as a pancake. Also, don’t overmix your dough. I always keep my mixer on low and once I add the flour, I mix the dough just until it’s combined. Chilling your dough, even for 30 minutes, also helps keep your cookies from going flat. I hope this helps.
Awesome! Thanks! I will definitely give this recipe a go!
How many eggs? I don’t see them listed in the recipe just mentioned in the notes.
Oops, sorry about that, I just fixed it. It’s 2 eggs.
Jodi I am dying to make these. My younger son goes to Fordham University in the Bronx and every time we visit we say we need to go to Manhattan to get one of these cookies. So many things to see and do there but we have to definitely make time to try a cookie and weigh in on them. In the meantime yours look fabulous. I am in the midst of a kitchen renovation now but when It’s done I am definitely making these.
Oh you’re going to love these cookiesTeresa. How exciting you’re doing a kitchen remodel. I would love to see pictures of it. Oh but what a mess you’re probably in. Good luck with everything.
Levain Bakery’s chocolate chip cookies are my absolute favorite! I have to try these cookies! 😀
Hi Holly! I’m so jealous you’ve had a real Levain Bakery cookie (lol). You’ll have to let me know what you think of these.
Do you weigh your sugar and flour? I love pulling out my kitchen scale for cookies so that I know it’s right on.
I usually do not weigh my sugar and flour, unless a recipe specifically says to weigh it because the exact/correct amount of flour is crucial for the recipe to turn out right. I just scoop and gently shake off any excess. I know the correct way is to spoon it in and level it off (with flour), but I have done it that way my whole life and it works for me (haha).
If you use pecans instead of walnuts, will that do the trip as far as making up the volume for the walnuts?
Yes, that will work just fine Penny. Let me know how they turn out.
Do the temperature of the over or baking time need to be adjusted if I refrigerate the balls of dough before baking?
Hi Tracey! I’ve never refrigerated the dough, but my guess is you will just have to cook them a couple minutes longer. I would not increase the oven temperature.
Do you use salted or unsalted butter?
Hi Kelly! I alway use salted butter when I bake.
I’ve made these a couple times and they are so perfect. Thanks for the recipe!
So happy you loved these Karin! thanks for letting me know!
I love to bake but I’m not good at making cookies. My sister can make the best and I can make dough. BUT THESE COOKIES!!!! I can do!!! This is the best recipe and makes amazing cookies! And I have not messed up one batch. I have made like probably 10 batches since December! And I never have cake flour so I always have to swift mine and still they turn out amazing!
★★★★★
This makes me so happy Ashley❤️!
May I ask if you have this recipe in grams or ounces? When I measure in cups it’s always off and I prefer to use a scale when I can. These cookies look amazing. Thanks!
Sorry, I don’t have this in grams or ounces. I just loosen up my flour and scoop my measuring cup in and gently shake the excess off (I know, that is not THE correct way to measure flour). These cookies turn out perfectly every, single time. Good luck.
I decided to have a “project” each day while on quarantine and with eight bags of chocolate chips in the freezer it was an easy pick for finding my “go to” chocolate chip cookie recipe. I tried a brown butter chocolate chip cookie but it left me with the feeling that I could do better! And this IS it! I followed the recipe except for cookie size. I used a cookie scoop and made 26 cookies instead of eight. I loved them and so did my family. I really appreciate your amazing recipe!
Hi Regina! I am happy to hear you made and loved these cookies. They really are amazing! I’ve always made them big, maybe I’ll have to try making them smaller. . . I just love them big though! Hope you’re hanging in there with this quarantine. I am just praying that it ends soon and everyone can get back to living. Definitely never thought I’d live through something like this. Stay safe and take care.
Making these cookies for the 1st time to send with my husband on his yearly turkey hunting trip. Thanks so much for the recipe! They will love them! I ended up making little cookies in hopes they’d last longer for him and 2 of our boys. And I too and looking online for recipes for my family during this quarantine time! I’ve enjoyed getting to be home and actually cooking on a regular basis for my family! I’m loving the time we are being made to slow down and enjoy our families! Take care and stay safe!
Hi Melanie! I am so happy you made these cookies, I LOVE them! I hope your husband and boys love them too. I agree about loving the time to slow down. I think this world has become so busy, chaotic and loud that people forget to breathe and look around them and see what matters most. Keep baking and thanks for letting me know you made these, I love hearing from readers. Take care, be safe and if you come across any recipe that is amazing, you should let me know.♡♡♡
I made these gluten-free with cup-4-cup flour and they turned out great. I froze the extra dough to bake fresh when the time is right since there are only two of us in the house. How much longer would you advise baking from frozen?
Hi Ashley! I’ve never baked these cookies from frozen dough balls, so I’m giving this my best guess. I would let the dough balls sit at room temperature while the oven preheats. Then bake them probably only about 1 to 3 minutes longer, but keep an eye on them. I’d love to hear how they turn out. Good luck!
This may be a silly question. But since I’d like to make more cookie batter at one time(since only 4-5 fit on one sheet) Instead of making batch after batch, is doubling or even tripling the recipe only? Including doubling the baking soda. Thank you!
Hi Hannah! Yes of course you can double or triple the recipe. Just make sure you double (or triple) every single ingredient. Take care.
Hi Jodi! Can you make these cookies a few days in advanced before baking? If so, how many days in advance can you make them? Thanks!
Hi Kelly. I haven’t made the dough for these particular cookies in advance, but I have for other cookies. I’m sure they will be just fine. I would pre-scoop the dough balls out and place them on a baking sheet and cover tightly with plastic wrap. I would take the dough out of the fridge at last 30 minutes before baking them. They may still need a few minutes longer to bake.
Hi Jodi and Kelly,
I had success freezing the dough and, as Jodi suggested in her reply to my comment above, I let them sit out while the oven preheated to 410 and then baked for 12 minutes. They were perfect!
I made these the other day, and they are the best I ha e e we made. No spreading out, and going flat.
Hi Kim! I’m so happy to hear you love these cookies. I have to agree, they are the best! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers.
I aways thought that I hated chocolate chip cookies because they were always crispy and flat. These have changed my mind entirely! I have made them multiple times since finding this recipe, and they really are foolproof. I have never had one of the originals, but if we ever go to New York again, I am definitely finding this place. Thank you so much for the recipe!
Thanks Callie for the sweet comment. I am so happy you found this recipe and love these cookies. They really are amazing and dangerous at the same time! I can’t stop eating the dough when I make these, but that’s pretty much how it is for me with every chocolate chip cookie recipe I make (lol)! Thanks again for taking the time to leave a comment.
Hi Jodi! Do you measure the butter with a cup or you weigh it? I filled 1 cup of butter (113g) but when I googled what’s 1 cup of butter it’s 250g, which should I follow?
Hi Esther! 1 cup of butter is 2 sticks (or 16 tablespoons). Hope you love these cookies!
Thank you! I’m sure I will (:
I discovered your blog in a search for a chocolate chip cookie recipe. This recipe is the BEST chocolate chip recipe EVER! I am a chocoholic, so I love the extra chips. The hot oven for a short amount of time is great for getting the crispy outside and soft of the inside… and ooey gooey chocolate chips!! Thank you… your blog is now my first stop for recipes after trying 3, which have all been awesome!
Hi Karen! Thank you so much for the sweet comment and I’m so happy you found my blog. I have to agree that these are the best cookies! I hope you keep trying recipes and make sure you let me know! Thanks!
Hi Jodi,
I want to make this cookies because I love it! I’m from Peru and is not sticks of butter here (or they afe different), please could you help me with the weight of the sticks? Thank you very much!!!
Hi Yamile! One stick of butter is 4 ounces, hope that helps. You will love these cookies! My son served an LDS mission in Cusco Peru. He absolutely loved it there! Where in Peru do you live?
These cookies were amazing…I’ve always been look for a nice big thick cookie recipe and this was it! I used semi sweet and milk chips and since I don’t like nuts either I added extra flour as recommended and chopped up 2 Hershey bars for the extra chocolate! Amazing.
Hi Shannon! So happy to hear you made and loved these cookies. I love the idea of putting Hershey bars for the extra chocolate! Thanks for the tip! Thanks for leaving a comment!
This is the best chocolate chip cookie I have ever had! For years I have been making the double tree recipe and this recipe beats it for sure! They are soft and cakey and love how plump they got.
Thanks Cheryl! I’m so glad you love these. I agree, they are the best cookies! Thanks for letting me know!
How would I need to adjust the baking time if I made smaller cookies?
Hi Lisa! I’ve made these using only about 3 to 3/12 oz of dough and cooked them for 5 to 6 minutes.
I ordered a box of Levain Assorted Cookies about a month ago. They are pricey but delicious. We did not care for the Oatmeal Raisin. I make a cookie that uses Cream Cheese instead of eggs and they remind me so much of Levain Chocolate Chip Cookies. I am going to give these a try. They look delicious.
Let me know what you think Michelle!
Hi. I am just curious (newbie here).. why use cold butter instead of room temperature one?
So excited to try your recipe.
Thanks!
I finally made a perfect cookie! Thank you!!!! Hard on the outside and the inside was gooey and amazing! The only thing is I did need to let mine bake and extra 5 minutes. But other than that great! Also I had to read the notes for the “cake flour” and still everything worked out.
★★★★★
Thanks Ashley! So glad these turned out for you!
I made these for the nurses at work and they were the bomb! I want to make more for them soon. I’m wondering what I can do to change it up, like the chocolate chips for example. Can I swap the chocolate chips for: peanut butter, oreos, animal crackers, , or raspberries/blueberries . Would it work? Or would I need to adjust the other ingredients also?
Hi Skyla! I am so happy you loved these cookies! Yes you could swap out the chocolate chips for any combination of chips or chopped cookies. As long as you keep the volume of ingredients as close to the recipe as you can, the cookies should bake up just fine. Not sure how adding something like raspberries or blueberries would work, I’ve never tried it.
These were awesome! Thank you for sharing.
★★★★★
Thanks Linda!
It’s all I can think about- these cookies! We’ve made enough now to feed a small army … including tonight for my teenage daughters first girl boy party. These are really helping it not be so awkward grand slam, forever in my life, amazing cookies. Thank you so much for sharing!
★★★★★