food

Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies

April 4, 2020 by sallyb.zhao No Comments
Levain Bakery Cookies

If you’re here, I’m assuming you know THE Levain Bakery cookies. If not, stalk their Instagram, read this review, or watch this video. Hungry now for some thick chocolate chip cookies?? People flock to New York just to try them and retain a cult-like following, aka me who tried it once years ago and have never forgotten the magical experience. They’re ginormous, crispy on the edges, soft and fudgy (even warm!) on the inside. These cookies are so satisfying and will leave you wanting more, even when you’re stuffed to the brim.

cookie dough
you can see how far they spread out below
Levain Bakery Cookies

With limited travel and shelter-in-place orders (and the fact that I live across the country in SF), I decided to recreate this cookie in my kitchen. I made my cookie with Reese’s peanut butter cups and pecans, but if you’re a traditionalist, stick to the chocolate chips and walnuts.

Levain Cookies Stack

Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 8 large cookies

A replica of Levain Bakery’s famous chocolate chip walnut cookies. Rich, dense, fudgy and enormous!

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
  • 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 3/8 cup flour
  • 1/2 tsp cornstarch
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup walnuts *
  • 1/2 cup chocolate chips **

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 410ºF.
  2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar.
  3. Mix in the egg and vanilla.
  4. In a separate medium bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt.
  5. Fold the flour mixture into the butter mixture. Be careful not to overmix and stop just before the flour is fully incorporated.
  6. Add in the walnuts and chocolate chips and mix until just combined.
  7. Use your hands and lightly shape the dough into a loose ball. The cookies should be airy and not compact.
  8. Place 4 cookies on a baking sheet and space them 2 inches apart.
  9. Bake for 9-12 minutes, until the tops and edges of the cookies are light brown. The cookies will be very soft and may not be set, so let the cookies cool for at least 10 minutes. This will allow the centers to firm up and the cookie won’t fall apart when you pick it up.

Notes

* I used pecans, but you can probably swap it out or omit entirely.
** I used Reese’s peanut butter cups.