Why are my cookies spreading too much?

Make sure your dough is properly chilled and your butter wasn't too warm when mixing. Cold ingredients are crucial for maintaining the thick shape. Also ensure your oven is fully preheated to 410°F.

How do I know when the cookies are done?

The edges should be golden brown and set, but the centers should still look slightly underbaked and soft. They'll appear puffed and thick, not flat like regular cookies.

Can I make these without a stand mixer?

Yes, you can use a hand mixer or even mix by hand with a wooden spoon. Just make sure to cream the butter and sugars thoroughly for 4-5 minutes to get the right texture.

What's the secret to the gooey center?

The combination of high heat (410°F), short baking time, and cold ingredients creates the signature gooey center. The cookies continue cooking from residual heat after removal from the oven.

Can I use different mix-ins besides chocolate chips and walnuts?

Absolutely! Try dark chocolate and pecans, white chocolate and macadamia nuts, or even add dried cranberries. Just keep the total mix-in amount around 1 1/2 cups.

Levain Bakery Copycat

·dessert

Levain Bakery Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookie

Name: Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookie
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 32 min
Yield: 6 bakery-style cookies
Ingredients: 1 cup all-purpose flour; 1/2 cup cake flour; 1 teaspoon cornstarch; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 1 teaspoon salt; 1/2 cup unsalted butter; 1/2 cup brown sugar; 1/4 cup granulated sugar; 1 large egg; 2 tablespoons heavy cream; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 3/4 cup dark chocolate chunks; 3/4 cup walnuts

This levain bakery chocolate chip cookie recipe delivers the signature thick, gooey-centered cookies that made the New York bakery famous. Levain's cookies are legendary for their unique combination of crispy edges and molten, almost raw center that's loaded with high-quality chocolate chunks. What sets these apart from typical chocolate chip cookies is their incredible thickness—nearly two inches tall—and the way they're baked at high heat for a short time to create that perfect contrast of textures. The original cookies weigh about 6 ounces each and are best enjoyed warm when the center is still soft and the chocolate is melted. Making these at home lets you experience that same bakery magic without the New York trip, and you can control the bake time to get your preferred level of gooeyness in the center.

Prep

20 min

Cook

12 min

Total

32 min

Servings

Yield

6 bakery-style cookies

Difficulty

Medium

Equipment: Stand mixer or hand mixer · Large mixing bowl · Cookie scoop or ice cream scoop · Baking sheet · Parchment paper · Kitchen scale (optional)

Ingredients

all-purpose flour1 cup

cake flour1/2 cup

cornstarch1 teaspoon

baking soda1 teaspoon

salt1 teaspoon

unsalted butter — cold and cubed1/2 cup

brown sugar — packed1/2 cup

granulated sugar1/4 cup

large egg — cold1

heavy cream — cold2 tablespoons

vanilla extract1 teaspoon

dark chocolate chunks — high-quality3/4 cup

walnuts — roughly chopped3/4 cup

Instructions

Mix dry ingredients

Whisk together both flours, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. The combination of all-purpose and cake flour creates the perfect tender-yet-structured texture that mimics Levain's signature crumb. The cornstarch adds extra tenderness and helps create that slightly underbaked center texture.

Cream butter and sugars

In a large bowl or stand mixer, cream the cold cubed butter with both sugars for 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy. Using cold butter is crucial—it prevents the dough from becoming too warm and spreading during baking. The mixture should look pale and have increased in volume significantly when properly creamed.

Add wet ingredients

Beat in the cold egg, heavy cream, and vanilla extract until just combined. Don't overmix at this stage. The cold ingredients help keep the dough temperature low, which is essential for maintaining the thick shape during baking and achieving that gooey center.

Combine dough

Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until just barely combined—you should still see streaks of flour. Fold in the chocolate chunks and walnuts by hand using a wooden spoon or spatula. The dough will be quite thick and sticky, similar to a thick cookie dough ice cream.

Chill and shape

Chill the dough for 30 minutes to firm up. Preheat oven to 410°F. Using a large ice cream scoop or your hands, form 6 large balls of dough (about 4 ounces each). Place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet with at least 3 inches between each cookie—they'll spread significantly.

Bake to perfection

Bake for 9-12 minutes until the edges are golden brown and set, but the centers still look slightly underbaked and soft. The cookies should be puffed and thick, not flat. They'll continue cooking from residual heat after removal. Let cool on the pan for 10 minutes before transferring—this cooling time helps set the structure while keeping centers gooey.

Pro tips for authenticity

▸The key to authenticity is underbaking—the centers should look almost raw when you remove them from the oven.

▸Can't find cake flour? Substitute with 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour minus 2 tablespoons, but the texture won't be quite as tender.

▸Dough can be shaped into balls and frozen for up to 3 months—bake directly from frozen, adding 1-2 extra minutes.

▸Don't flatten the dough balls before baking—the height is what creates that signature thick, bakery-style cookie.

▸Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or a glass of cold milk for the full Levain experience.

▸Use a kitchen scale for best results—each cookie should weigh about 4 ounces before baking.

Refrigerator

Store in airtight container for up to 5 days

Freezer

Freeze baked cookies up to 3 months or freeze shaped dough balls up to 3 months

Reheat

Warm in 300°F oven for 3-4 minutes or microwave for 15-20 seconds

Nutrition per serving

485

Calories

Protein

52g

Carbs

28g

Fat

Fiber

445mg

Sodium

How does it compare to the real thing?

These homemade cookies come remarkably close to the Levain Bakery originals. The texture is spot-on—crispy edges with that signature gooey, almost molten center that made the bakery famous. The combination of flours and cold ingredients replicates that perfect tender crumb. While the originals might have a slightly more complex flavor from their specific chocolate blend and commercial ovens, these deliver the same satisfying contrast of textures and that signature thickness. The main difference is size—Levain's cookies are enormous (6+ ounces), but scaling these up is easy. The warm, gooey center experience is virtually identical when served fresh from the oven.