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Be warned! Our Ultimate Chocolate Chip Levain Cookies recipe may result in intense cravings and mouth-watering sensations! If you have a love for warm, gooey, and irresistibly delicious, thick chocolate chip cookies, you’re in for a treat. Get ready to elevate your baking game with the ultimate chocolate chip levain cookies, a decadent and indulgent twist on the classic favorite.

More of our favorite thick chocolate chip cookie recipes? You’ll also love these Ultimate Chocolate Peanut Butter Levain Cookies, these Red Velvet Levain Cookies and our favorite CopyCat Crumbl Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe!

Why You’ll Love These Ultimate Chocolate Chip Levain Cookies

Imagine sinking your teeth into a thick, chewy and perfectly delicious cookies filled with chunks of rich, melty chocolate. From the perfect balance of crispy edges and gooey center, to the rich and buttery flavor, these cookies will capture your heart! No cake flour needed!
With this recipe, you can create the ultimate famous NY copycat Levain bakery chocolate chip cookies that will delight and impress even the most discerning cookie connoisseurs.
Easy recipe to make these cookies btw! The hardest part is waiting for the chocolate chip cookie dough mounds to chill before baking (15 minutes) and waiting for them to set up after baking (30 minutes). After that, it’s a real cookie changer for all!
Perfect cookie size for sharing with a friend as a gift or if you’re like me, you’ll want to hoard them for yourself! So, are you like me?? Thought soooo!

What are Levain Cookies?

This famous bakery in New York City is known for its giant, melt-in-your-mouth cookies that are crispy on the edges and gooey in the middle. And you know what their secret is? The Levain-style baking method! Baking the cookies one sheet at a time and not leaving them in the oven for too long.

This baking technique, popularized by the iconic Levain Bakery in New York City, has taken the cookie world by storm. It involves using cold dough to create an indulgent treat that is unlike any other.

This cookie has a perfect crispy outside and a really gooey center. It’s baked at a high heat and piled up high, so the outside gets crispy while the inside stays gooey and creates pools of chocolate in the dough. It’s the ultimate indulgent experience, and it’s all thanks to the Levain-style baking method. But don’t worry, you don’t have to travel to New York City to taste this heavenly creation. With just a few extra steps, you can make your own Ultimate Chocolate Chip Levain Cookies right in your own kitchen.

So what are you waiting for? Put on your apron and get ready to embark on a baking adventure. With our easy-to-follow Levain recipe, you can recreate the iconic Levain-style cookies and impress your friends and family. And trust us, they won’t be able to stop at just one. But be warned – these Levain cookies are super addictive. Once you try this levain chocolate chip recipe, you won’t be able to resist going back for more.

Ingredients You Need for Levain Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Ultimate Chocolate Chip Levain Cookies Recipe

2¾ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted cold butter, cut into small cubes (straight from the fridge)
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips or chocolate chunks, add more to tops if desired
Optional: ½ cup walnuts or pecans

Instructions You Need To Make Ultimate Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

Preheat oven to 400° degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners; set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients of cornstarch, baking soda, salt, and all-purpose flour; set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, using a mixer, cream together the butter and both sugars until mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla and beat together until combined.
Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture and mix on low speed until just incorporated. Add in the chocolate chips and any other add-ins you want to add in and mix until just combined.
Using a ¼ cup cookie scoop, scoop cookie dough onto your parchment lined cookie sheet, then place another 1/4 cup of the cookie dough on top, so you have a double scoop (1/2 cup). Place cookie sheet in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes. You should get 9-10 cookies.
Once the dough is chilled, place cookies 3″ apart on a lined baking sheet. Do 4 – 6 per sheet.
When baking cookies, put one sheet in the middle of the oven and bake for 8-12 minutes, checking at 8 minutes. The cookies should look dry on top and almost done with a little bit of gooeyness in the middle. If they need more time, bake them longer.
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for at least 30 minutes before eating. They will finish cooking and firm up while they cool, and they can break easily when they are hot.

Storing Chocolate Chip Levain Cookies

Levain Bakery cookies will stay fresh for up to a week. Just place them in a airtight container at room temperature or the fridge. I prefer to keep them in the refrigerator, so I can warm up my cookies in the microwave for a few seconds before devouring. This will give them that fresh-from-the-oven taste, making them even more irresistible. And don’t forget to pair these cookies with a cold glass of milk for the ultimate cookie experience.

Baking Tips for Levain Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

When used together, all-purpose flour and cornstarch create a dynamic duo, producing cookies with a perfectly balanced texture. The all-purpose flour provides the necessary structure, while the cornstarch adds tenderness and a lightness that can’t be achieved with flour alone. The result? Thick and huge cookies that are surprisingly light and delicate, with a tender crumb texture that will have you reaching for a second (or third) one without hesitation.
When you refrigerate the dough before baking, it allows the gluten in the flour to relax, resulting in a denser and chewier cookie. Not to mention, it also helps to prevent the cookies from spreading too much while baking. And let’s be real, no one wants a thin and crispy cookie when they’re expecting a rich and chewy treat.
Resist the urge to overcrowd your cookies on your baking sheet. The cookies need space to spread out and bake evenly. If you overcrowd the sheet, they will end up merging together. So, place 5-6 cookies on each sheet.
Don’t leave these cookies in the oven for too long! They will appear done on the outside, but they will be gooey and underbaked in the middle, just like the cookies from Levain Bakery. Just the way we like them!

More Variations

Ready to take these cookies to a different level? Try mixing things up with these fun variations!

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Explosion: Swap half of the peanut butter chips for semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips for an even more indulgent twist.
Nutty Buddy: Add ½ cup of chopped roasted peanuts for an extra crunch. Trust us, the added texture is a game-changer!
Sea Salt Sprinkle: Right after baking, sprinkle some flaky sea salt on top of the cookies. The salty-sweet combo will make these even more irresistible.
Reese’s Lover’s Dream: Chop up mini Reese’s cups and fold them into the dough along with the peanut butter chips for a cookie that will blow your mind.
M&M Delight: Add your favorite m&m candies with your favorite colors or all the colors of the rainbow in this Levain chocolate chip cookie recipe. Perfect for the holidays!
Gluten-Free Option: Swap the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free 1:1 baking flour blend. Your gluten-free friends will thank you!

In conclusion, this levain chocolate chip cookie recipe is more than just a delicious treat – they are a masterpiece of flavor, texture, and indulgence. We have explored the history and art behind these iconic cookies, along with some tips and tricks for creating your own perfect batch. Whether you prefer a gooey center or a crispy edge, there is no wrong way to enjoy a Levain cookie.

So go ahead and bake with confidence with this easy recipe! Because in the end, there’s nothing quite like the warm and comforting taste of a freshly baked chocolate chip Levain cookie. Remember, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. But when life gives you chocolate, make Levain cookies.

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