I DID IT!!! Seriously I’m so happy I have that ‘Dora the Explorer’ song stuck in my head. Oh don’t act like you don’t know which one I’m talking about–“We did it, we did it, we did it, YAY!” You guy have no idea how many bags of flour, cups of sugar, & sticks of butter I went through to get this recipe just right. 3 trips to the grocery store [to restock on ingredients] later I finally got it just right & I couldn’t be happier! You should be pretty happy too as all the hard work is now done & you can celebrate with a fairly simple, absolutely incredible cookie recipe. Woo hoo!
Levain Bakery, located in NYC, is known for their super gooey inside & tough on the outside cookies. They make the cookies 6 oz. each. Feel free to do so with the recipe below! We updated our own recipe a bit because if you’re anything like us you want those cookies super undercooked. If you prefer them a little browner on the outside a la Levain, go ahead & switch that temperate from 350 F to 375 F & add on roughly 6-8 more minutes than you normally would. Make sure to watch them towards the end though.
A few important notes when making these bad boys. 1. Guittard has been rumored to be the actual Levain Bakery chocolate chip brand of choice. They can be found in most supermarkets & melt perfectly. Just look at the pictures & you’ll never use a different brand again. 2. Screw something up along the way & not sure what to do? Just try baking your cookies–they may not taste or look like Levain but a ton of my trial cookies were actually really tasty! 3. Pro Tip: don’t invite friends over after making these cookies. You’re going to want them all to yourself. Every single one of ’em. At least I did… ?
- 1.5 tbsp corn starch
- ½ cup chopped walnuts, toasted (to do this just line baking sheet with parchment paper, preheat oven to 350F, & toast chopped walnuts for 10 minutes)
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¾ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp eggs (if dough isn't stick enough you can add one more tbsp but no more! you want your dough to be stuck together not stuck to your hands)
- ½ tbsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 sticks of butter, sliced into cold 1 inch pieces
- 2¾ cups & 6 tbsp all purpose flour
- 1.5 cup Guittard semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In mixing bowl, combine corn starch, brown sugar, salt, granulated sugar, baking soda, baking powder, & walnuts. Mix together with your hands to combine.
- Add eggs, vanilla, & butter to the mixture. Knead with your hands to incorporate.
- Add flour & chocolate chips to the mixture. Continuing mixing together with your hands until it forms a thick dough. (tip: it will not easily come together at first--keep working the dough together until it forms a ball)
- Separate dough into 6-8 even balls (you can make more or less depending on the size of cookie you desire). Gently press dough into ball shape & flatten the bottom with your hands.
- Place cookie balls on baking sheet & place in fridge for 1 hour. (tip: you want to make sure the baking sheet you place in the fridge is the one you'll be using to cook the cookies. also, don't skip this step--it's essential to getting the dough to remain fluffy.)
- Preheat oven to 350F. Bake cookies for 10-14 minutes. Let cool on cooling rack, serve, & enjoy!
measuring cup
parchment paper
baking sheet
cooling rack
Ela says
I am drooling over… These cookies look so damn good and of course I wouldn’t call over my friends and have it all to myself 🙂
http://www.elabellaworld.com
Caitlin says
They were amazing!! Enjoy! xo
Chaicy says
Thanks for sharing this recipe, I’m soo gonna try it
xoxo – Style.. A Pastiche
Caitlin says
So happy to hear that!! Tag your cookie pictures with #PLSRfood so we can feature them! xo
Kay says
This is such a fab recipe, thanks for sharing! <3 These cookies look absolutely delicious, I could easily devour them all by myself. 😛
Kay
http://shoesandglitter.blogspot.com
Caitlin says
Thanks so much, Kay!! Glad you enjoyed! xo
Samantha says
Oh my. Saving this post. These look delicious!!!
Caitlin says
Yay!! Enjoy! xo
Samantha says
Oh my. Saving this post. These look delicious!!!
Samantha Series | bloglovin
Caitlin says
Thanks so much, Samantha!! Enjoy! xo
Alecz says
These look incredible! Just the perfect amount of baked, and the right amount of chocolate chips!
https://forsevenseasons.wordpress.com
Caitlin says
Thanks a bunch, Alecz!! Have a great day! xo
Elle says
These are my son’s all time favorite cookies. ! So cool that they could be made at home with this recipe!
xx, Elle
http://www.mydailycostume.com
Caitlin says
Yay, Elle!! Enjoy! xo
Sneha says
They look so yummy! My mouth is literally watering !
Hope you could check out my blog if you have time…
Miss Joy
Caitlin says
Thanks!! Enjoy! xo
Kathrine Eldridge says
These looks so amazing and delicious! Thanks for sharing this recipe. 🙂
http://www.kathrineeldridge.com
Caitlin says
Thanks so much, Katherine!! Enjoy! xo
Heidi says
Drooling! These look incredible!
Wishes & Reality
Caitlin says
Thanks so much!! Have a great day! xo
Danielle says
I’m glad you did it! These cookies look delicious! Thank you for sharing this recipe with us! Have a great week!
Danielle
http://www.spring2spring.com
Caitlin says
Thanks so much, Danielle!! Enjoy making them! xo
veebz says
These cookies look so delicious, and your photography is gorgeous! I want to make she’s so much now, and definitely will throughout the Christmas period.:D
– http://www.veebzboo.com
– http://www.youtube.com/veebzboo – My Autumn Matte Make-up Look
Caitlin says
Thanks so much!! Enjoy! xo
Valerie Price says
Oh my gosh, these cookies look so good! I definitely want to make them! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
http://roadesque.com
http://ourruins.com
Caitlin says
Yay!! Enjoy! xo
Doreen's Style Diary says
Chocolate chip cookies and milk…yumm!
http://doreensstylediary.com
Caitlin says
The best!! Enjoy! xo
Ramy says
Looks delicious! 🙂
http://www.tickleyourvanity.com/
Caitlin says
Thanks so much Ramy!! Enjoy! xo
Adaleta Avdic says
These look so incredible delicious I think I need to either make cookies or find dessert somewhere in my house. There’s got to be SOME chocolate….ok I’m on the hunt! xx, adaatude.com
Caitlin says
Haha love it!! Hope you found some! xo
Jess says
Tried these and they’re the BEST COOKIES EVER… Better than Levain!
Caitlin says
Yay!! So happy to hear that! xo
HeardOfMe says
Did you post this to bustle and reddit? If not someone is claiming your work.
http://www.bustle.com/articles/124959-a-copycat-levain-bakery-chocolate-chip-cookie-recipe-that-is-nothing-short-of-heavenly
https://www.reddit.com/r/recipes/comments/3v1k3q/a_copycat_levain_bakery_chocolate_chip_cookie/
Caitlin says
Hi there!! I’m a contributor to Bustle so no worries! xo
Erin says
I’ve never seen eggs measured in tablespoons. How many eggs are two tablespoons? …& do you beat the egg prior to measuring it out?
Caitlin says
Hi Erin! You can either use the eggs from a box or beat one medium egg before & take the tbsp from there. Thanks so much & enjoy!! xo