Copycat Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies

Why I Like This Recipe

• Walnuts and chocolate chips: 2 cups of each and the walnuts are not chopped into tiny pieces. The video shows walnut halves and pieces so that’s what I used too which gives them great flavor and texture.
• Crisp and gooey. I love how the edges have a crisp texture with bits of walnut and cookie dough giving them a chunky texture, but once you break the cookie in half, the inside is gooey and soft. It's almost like having two cookies in one — basically the best of both worlds.
• Big cookies. Each big cookie is a 6-ounce treat loaded with walnuts and chocolate chips. We won't talk about calories this early in the post, but I will include them at the end for inquiring minds. My sister makes a 3-ounce version that she said is a big hit. I'll include baking instructions for making a smaller version.
• They are portioned into rustic balls of dough: No cookie dough scoop needed! Just grab the dough by your hands and place it on the scale. Then transfer the balls of dough onto a baking sheet.
• No chilling required: As you can see in the video, Pam and Connie baked the cookies immediately without chilling the dough.
• Cost-effective. At $5.25/cookie, this batch of 10 would run you over $50 at the bakery. They aren't hard to make, and you can now enjoy them at home for a fraction of the price.

What Others Are Saying

I made some original size and some smaller. Both turned out so good and gooey!---Chanel on FB

I couldn't bring myself to leave the vanilla out, so I added some anyway. Great cookies.---Linda on FB

Tips and Tricks

• No vanilla extract: I know, right? I thought that was odd too, but watch that video and you'll see that they don't add vanilla extract.
• Baked at a higher temperature. This is KEY. The higher temperature allows the outer edge to bake quickly, keeping its shape and holding the moisture inside.
• They finish baking AFTER they come out of the oven: The time spent in the oven cooks the outer edge of the cookie and creates the signature golden color. The cookies will look raw on the inside, but trust the process! Let the cookies cool COMPLETELY on the baking sheet. As the cookies cool they will continue to set up.
• Cold butter: make sure that the butter is slightly soft and still cold. It does not need to come completely to room temperature. I let it sit on the counter for 15-20 minutes. You can cut it into small pieces or use solid sticks.
• Light baking sheets. I bake on light-colored baking sheets. I prefer light baking sheets to dark ones because they bake more evenly, and the bottoms of the cookies don't brown as quickly.
• Storage and reheating. Store cookies in an airtight container or wrap them individually in plastic. Cookies are delicious the next day and can be reheated in the microwave for 10 seconds.

Levain Bakery Video

The video above features the founders, Pam Weekes and Connie McDonald, as they make their signature cookies. I love that it was no-nonsense and pretty straightforward without any fancy ingredients or extra steps. I took notes and altered my classic chocolate chip cookie recipe to make this home version.

Ingredients

• Butter: cold salted butter. You can use unsalted butter if you prefer, but I always bake with salted butter.
• Sugar: a combination of white and brown sugar, with a higher portion of brown sugar, creates a softer cookie that doesn't spread as much.
• Eggs: for richness and texture.
• Baking soda, baking powder, and salt: for leavening and texture.
• Flour: most copycat recipes call for cake flour, so I'm assuming Levain uses a blend of cake and all-purpose flour. I use a combination when I make Jacques Torres chocolate chip cookies, but for these, I used all-purpose flour and was completely happy with the results. Soft, gooey cookies that baked up beautifully. That being said IF you would like to try a combination of all-purpose flour and cake flour, remove 3 Tablespoons of the all-purpose flour in this recipe and replace it with cornstarch.
• Walnuts: no need to finely chop, simply pour a bag of walnut halves and pieces into the dough.
• Chocolate Chips: semisweet chocolate chips work perfectly to cut the sweetness of the cookie, but you can use milk chocolate chips.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

How To Make Copycat Levain Cookies

Step 1: Cream butter and sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer at medium speed with a paddle attachment.

Step 2: Mix in eggs and beat until creamy and smooth.

Step 3: Add baking powder, baking soda, salt, and flour, and mix until dough forms. Add walnuts and chocolate chips.

Step 4: The dough will be CHUNKY. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and continue to mix the nuts and chocolate chips into the dough by hand until fully incorporated.

Step 5: Portion the dough into 6-ounce balls.

Step 6: Place the cookie dough balls on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.

Step 7: Bake the cookies at 400 degrees for 11-13 minutes*. The tops should be golden, but the centers should look gooey. Allow cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet.

*If you'd like to make smaller (but still large) 3-ounce cookies, bake for 6-8 minutes.

The cookies will continue to set up as they cool. Let them sit for 30-45 minutes before eating.  Your patience will pay off!

Copycat Leavain Cookies FAQs

More Copycat Chocolate Chip Cookies To Make

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