Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies (Copycat Recipe)
If you’ve ever dreamed of recreating the iconic, ultra-thick Levain Bakery cookies at home, this is the recipe that actually delivers. These giant chocolate chip walnut cookies are crisp on the outside, gooey and underbaked in the center, and loaded with melty chocolate chunks in every bite.Unlike standard cookies, Levain-style cookies are all about height, texture, and richness. This copycat recipe gives you that signature bakery look and taste—without a trip to New York.
Servings 8 large cookies
Calories 520kcal
Cost $10 for entire recipe
Equipment
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- Large mixing bowl
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Cookie scoop or kitchen scale (for large portions)
Ingredients
- 1 cup 226g cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 2/3 cup 135g brown sugar
- 1/2 cup 100g granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs cold
- 3 cups 375g all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups 340g semi-sweet chocolate chunks
- 1 cup 120g walnuts, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a stand mixer or large bowl, beat cold cubed butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium-low speed for 1–2 minutes until just combined. The mixture should look thick and slightly chunky, not light and fluffy.
- Add eggs one at a time, mixing just until incorporated.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt.
- Add dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix just until combined. Do not overmix.
- Fold in chocolate chunks and chopped walnuts until evenly distributed.
- Divide dough into 8 large portions (about 5–6 ounces each). Shape into tall, rough mounds. Do not roll into smooth balls and do not flatten.
- Place cookies on prepared baking sheet, spacing them well apart.
- Bake for 10–12 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and the tops are lightly browned. The centers should look slightly underbaked.
- Allow cookies to rest on the baking sheet for 10–15 minutes before serving. This helps the centers set while staying soft and gooey.
Notes
- For authentic Levain bakery chocolate chip walnut cookies, keep the dough thick and slightly rough—do not roll into smooth balls. This helps create the signature craggy, bakery-style texture.
- Using cold butter is essential for achieving thick cookies that don’t spread too much in the oven. This is one of the key secrets behind perfect Levain cookies.
- Slightly underbaking is critical. The centers should look soft when removed from the oven—this creates the classic gooey chocolate chip cookie center as they cool.
- For best results, use high-quality chocolate chunks instead of chips. This gives you larger melted pools of chocolate, just like real Levain bakery cookies.
- Do not overmix the dough. Overmixing can lead to dense or flat cookies instead of thick, tender bakery-style cookies.
- Keep cookies tall before baking. Taller dough mounds help achieve the iconic giant Levain cookie look with a crisp exterior and soft interior.
- If your cookies spread too much, your butter may have been too warm or the dough overworked. Chill the dough for 20–30 minutes before baking if needed.
- These cookies are best enjoyed warm, when the chocolate is melted and the centers are soft and gooey.