These Authentic Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies are outrageously decadent, super simple to make and taste nearly identical to the famed NYC bakery’s! A must make for sure.
So I just shared the recipe for Authentic Levain Bakery Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies and I HAD to share the chocolate chip walnut version ASAP.
I have posted a very, very similar recipe like this before that has rave reviews, but I wanted an “authentic” version, too! Levain Bakery definitely makes their cookies with cake flour, so this recipe will have some cake flour in it.
These cookies taste JUST like the ones at Levain Bakery without the expensive trip to NYC and the super long line you’d have to wait in outside of Levain! Believe me, I’ve done that line and it isn’t fun… but at least waiting is rewarded with hot, fresh cookies so I cannot complain too much!
However, there’s no need for a trip or a line when you can make these bad boys at home! Super simple, using easy-to-find ingredients and they make perfect bakery-style cookies every time.
First off, these cookies are MASSIVE. They’re a whopping 6 ounces EACH and fit in the palm of your hand. The recipe yields 8 six-ounce cookies and enough dough leftover for a smaller 2-3 oz cookie. You can make these smaller, of course, but please adjust the baking time for less time!
Second, the dough comes together FAST with only a 15 minute chill time! Because we’re using ice cold butter in the cookie dough, there’s no need to chill for longer. The cookies are also exceptionally thick which helps prevent a ton of spreading. Here’s the low-down on their thickness:
- Cornstarch is used to help create a thick and soft texture. Cornstarch is one of my fave cookie ingredients because it always yields softer cookies.
- There is a TON of chocolate chips and walnuts in this recipe – 4 cups total between the two which definitely makes it harder for the actual cookie dough portion to spread since there are so many mix-ins.
- And of course, the brief chill period of 15 minutes definitely helps prevent spreading = resulting in thicker cookies!
Here are some more tips for successful Levain Bakery-style cookies:
- For best results, I recommend forming the cookie dough into loosely-shaped balls. Whereas a normal cookie has a smooth, compacted ball shape, these are more loose – a literal fistful of dough. You definitely want a “rougher” texture than a smoother one. For the perfect weight, I recommend weighing out exactly 6 ounces of dough using a kitchen scale.
- These cookies are huge so I recommend baking them 4 at a time on one baking sheet at a time. For best results, stagger the cookie dough balls about 3″ apart on the baking sheets. The cookies will spread a little, but this staggered pattern will help keep them separate.
- Do not over-bake! Levain’s cookies have soft, under-done, gooey centers and so do these! There is a larger range in baking time because everyone’s oven temperature is different. My best recommendation is to test bake 1-2 cookies at a time to gauge the best timing for your cookies, but it should be around 10-12 minutes. Cookies should appear mostly set and kind of dull in appearance with slightly underdone centers. Remember, cookies will continue to finish up their cooking on the baking sheet even after you’ve removed from the oven, so just be mindful of that.
- For optimal results, bake one sheet at a time in the center rack of the oven!
Thick, chewy, exceptionally buttery and gooey Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies. Come to mama!
*adapted from Kirbie Cravings
Authentic Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies
Equipment
- Digital kitchen scale, for accuracy
Ingredients
- 1 cup COLD unsalted butter cut into small cubes
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated white sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract optional but recommended (Levain doesn't use vanilla surprisingly!)
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup cake flour
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips such as Guittard or Ghirardelli
- 2 cups chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 410° degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners; set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and both sugars with the paddle attachment on low speed for 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium and beat for another 30 seconds, then increase to high speed for a last 30 seconds. Mixture should be light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed, followed by the vanilla.
- Add in the cornstarch, baking soda, salt, cake flour and all-purpose flour and mix on low speed until just incorporated. Add in the chocolate chips and chopped walnuts and mix until just combined. Refrigerate the dough for 15 minutes.
- Using a digital kitchen scale for accuracy, measure out a rough 6 ounce ball of dough, shaping it roughly and place on the baking sheet. You do not want the dough ball to be smooth and compacted, just barely formed into a rough ball shape. Stagger 3 more dough balls on one baking sheet, spacing about 3" apart. (There should be 4 dough balls on one baking sheet).
- Bake for 10-13 minutes, one sheet at a time in the middle rack of the oven. Cookies should look cooked and be dry and have a duller finish on the outside while still looking soft and underdone on the inside. Start checking at the 10-minute mark as it is important not to over-bake these. Remember, cookies will continue to finish cooking on the baking sheet after being removed from the oven.
- Allow cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet, about 30 minutes, before moving to a wire rack or storing. Cookies are very delicate just after baking so it is imperative they are not disturbed.
Notes
Impressively thick, chewy, buttery and SO gooey with those irresistible puddles of melty chocolate and yummy walnuts. You are going to fall in LOVE with these!!
Craving more cookies? Check out these recipes!
Authentic Levain Bakery Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
Homemade Frosted Circus Animal Cookies
And more cookie recipes from around the blogs!
Peanut Butter Cup S’mores Cookies from Pink Owl Kitchen
Tahini and Honey Chocolate Chip Cookies by Britney Breaks Bread
Have a super sweet day!
xo, Hayley
Koko says
Hello. Can there’s be refrigerated and. Baked off the next day without sacrificing any quality control? Will there come out exactly the same if refrigerated longer? Thanks
thedomesticrebel says
Hi Koko, I would let them mostly come to room temperature after refrigerating that long.
Pola says
Interestingly, according to top partes chefs is NYC. Refrigerating the dough gives the cookies a deeper, more carmelized taste. It’s something to do with the ingredients having longer to interact with each other.
Lily says
The best cookie recipe I have ever tried.
thedomesticrebel says
Wow Lily, thank you so much for the high praise!
Camille says
Flour measurement in grams pls?
Laura says
You can easily Google conversion measurements for baking.
Chlo says
Hi, is there a reason why this recipe uses both white sugar and brown sugar whereas the one for dark chocolate cookie uses only white sugar? Thanks!
thedomesticrebel says
Hi Chlo, the brown sugar adds that signature chocolate chip cookie flavor. The dark chocolate cookies have dark chocolate for flavor, so they only really need white sugar.
Jennifer M Pate says
We made these for the family using pecans instead of walnuts. Let’s just say 1 cookie and you’re in heaven.
Thank you for this.
Deborah says
Definitely turned out to be some of the best cookies I’ve ever made. 10/10 would use this recipe again
thedomesticrebel says
Thank you so much, Deborah!
Giojoplin says
What’s the difference about cake flour and all purpose flour? In my country don’t have cake flour. Pardon my English.
thedomesticrebel says
Hi Giojoplin, cake flour has a lower protein and a finer consistency than all-purpose flour, which has a higher gluten count. You can add cornstarch to AP flour to make a cake flour substitute. Just search what the ratio is online and it should work!
Chris says
I take it that the eggs don’t have to be room temp?
thedomesticrebel says
Hi Chris, they do not!
Αmanda says
So delicious! Highly recommend making! Cooked for 10 minutes and cookies were perfectly crisp on the outside and gooey on the inside.
thedomesticrebel says
Thanks for your review, Amanda! Glad you enjoyed!
Ingrid says
All-purpose bleached or unbleached flour?
thedomesticrebel says
Hi Ingrid, I usually buy bleached but either will work!
Manuel says
I’ve made these cookies about 8 -10 different times and they are always a favorite at gatherings to the point where people try to take some home, make sure you use the proper chips and if you find the big size, even better! I literally have to plan on getting rid of them when I make this dough or I will eat one or two every fucking day, dead ass! I will always make this recipe
Manuel says
🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤
thedomesticrebel says
Woo, I am so glad you and your family and friends love the cookies, Manuel!
Sarah Rubin says
I love this recipe! I’ve made these cookies twice and they came out just fine even though I didn’t measure correctly for my first batch. They are huge and thick if you make then 6 oz. I baked them at 13, 15, and 16 minutes to try to find a less gooey middle. They came out the same for all those times. I don’t like them that way but I found that they settle better the next day. I will definitely be coming back to this recipe often!
Diane says
I just made them and they’re massive but they do taste very much like Levain cookies and I’m so happy now!
I think I’d make them 5oz. next time. And there will be a next time
Arianne says
This was my first try, it tastes delicious but I think I overcooked it by 2-3 mins.
I will be making more to give to my coworkers, but will be baking them the night before. Will they still be gooey in the inside the next day?
thedomesticrebel says
Arianne, the gooeiness inside definitely firms up a little as it sets at room temperature but a quick zap in the microwave will make it soft again.
katie says
Do not sleep on these. WOW. We got 7 cookies and at levain, being $4.50 each, we really saved some money with this recipe. Unreal how good they were. Christmas Eve dessert.
Cut back a bit on the nuts and chocolate chips – did about 1 and 3/4 cups of each
Elizabeth says
Hi there, excited to try these! Can you advise how to alter cooking time for these if I am omitting nuts? Thanks in advance 🙂
thedomesticrebel says
Hi Elizabeth, I would keep the baking time but maybe increase the amount of chocolate chips. These cookies get their stature from being fully loaded with nuts and chocolate chips, so if you completely omitted the nuts but didn’t add anything else, the cookies may not hold their shape as well. However, you could also try a different chip, such as white chocolate or peanut butter in its place!
Elissa says
Hi! I was wondering what brand of cake flour did you use for making these cookies? Is it much difference if I use a substitute like you said on the commentaries?
Also, I am going to use ghirardelli chocolate chips, do you think there is a big difference between that brand and a guittard or valhrona chocolate? I have heard those are really good quality but I haven’t tried them yet.
Thank you!
thedomesticrebel says
Hi Elissa, Ghirardelli, Guittard and Valrhona are all excellent. I like Guittard the best, but any will be amazing. And I personally use King Arthur cake flour or Softasilk.
Wilby66 says
This is a quick and easy to understand recipe. The dough will task your kitchen aid mixer as its thick.
I just baked up a batch and cannot wait to indulge latter. I love that these cookies aren’t overly sweet.
Looking forward to trying chocolate Peanut Butter version.
Roi says
How grams is one cup of butter?
Please!
Christy Kim says
Hello. I’m excited to try your recipe as I have tried others claiming to be the best levain copycat, but I haven’t quite found the one. Just wondering– It says to use a stand mixer, but would you advise against using a kitchen aid hand mixer instead? If so, what stand mixer do you recommend? (Mine broke, so I’m researching the best one to invest into without hurting my wallet unless necessary.) Thank you!
thedomesticrebel says
Hi Christy! You can absolutely use a hand mixer but it will probably get a workout! I love my KA stand mixer, but there are definitely other nice ones on the market. I suggest maybe checking reviews on Amazon or another kitchen supply store.
Lisa says
I made these any loved them!! Do you know if there’s a way to incorporate oats or peanut butter into these while still keeping that Levain style???
Regina says
I don’t know about the oats but as for the other question, maybe try 1C chocolate chips and 1 C peanut butter chips:)
Linda Brummett says
Just made these…they are really good despite the fact that I forgot to put the sugars in! After putting the flour in i noticed the sugars sitting on the counter!!! I dumping them in and mixed it up then added the chocolate and nuts. They were rather dry but I did get them to hold together on the baking sheet. After baking they were really good but I will definitely remember to follow the recipe as it goes next time.
Emma says
Hey,
I’m based in the UK and we don’t use cups.
I have looked online at conversion charts, however they all say slightly different amounts in grams.
Are you able to provide the recipe in grams, or recommend a conversion site you trust?
I really want to try these, they look delicious!!!
Thanks
Emma 🙂
thedomesticrebel says
Hi Emma, unfortunately I do not have experience in baking in grams so therefore I would just be using the same online conversion tools as you would. I apologize I don’t have something more scientific!
Laura says
Another absolute hit! This is my fourth domestic rebel recipe and after each one I say it’s my best baking accomplishment. This one continues to top the list. Thank you!!
Maria Gonzales says
Hi – what is the recommended baking time if I want to make this cookies smaller? 3 or 4 ozs? Thanks!
thedomesticrebel says
Hi Maria, I have not experimented making these smaller so I can’t say for sure, but perhaps try 5-7 minutes?
Laura says
This is the first Domestic Rebel recipe I’ve tried and it did not disappoint!
It’s 5:20am. I’m pregnant and guess who woke up thinking about eating one. 😂
I will be sure to make these again to share with others. Until then, will be looking for another recipe to try.
Thank you!
elizabeth says
Hello! You said use a digital scale for accuracy but I don’t see metric in this. Am I missing a button? I don’t trust myself to measure with cups, I use my scale for everything!
thedomesticrebel says
Hi Elizabeth, I don’t have metric measurements for this unfortunately. I suppose you could use an online conversion!