Levain Bakery-Style Cookies
I’ve been obsessed with the viral Levain chocolate chip cookies for a while now, and as I live a very long way from New York, I decided it was time to try to recreate my own at home! This copycat recipe is as close as you’ll get to the real thing without catching a flight and standing in the queue, and they’ve got everything that everyone loves about the classic original.
Think golden on the outside, thick, chewy, and just slightly underbaked in the middle for that irresistible soft, fudgy texture. They’re loaded with melty chocolate pockets, made with cold butter to keep them tall and chunky, and baked hot and fast for the perfect crispy edge.
How (and Why) These Cookies Work:
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Cold ingredients: Using chilled butter and eggs helps the dough stay firm, so the cookies keep their thick, bakery-style shape instead of spreading flat.
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Mix of flours: Combining all-purpose and cake flour gives you the best of both worlds — structure from the all-purpose, and a soft, tender middle from the cake flour.
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Tall, rough mounds: Skip the perfectly rolled cookie balls. Shaping the dough into tall, chunky mounds is what gives these cookies that signature Levain height and gooey center.
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High heat, short bake: Baking at a higher temperature locks in that golden crust while keeping the centers soft, melty, and just slightly underdone (aka cookie heaven).
Let’s make them together!
Ingredients
If you prefer a printable recipe card, you’ll find one towards the bottom of this post!
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Cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes – yep, cold! That’s the Levain-style secret. It keeps the cookies thick and prevents spreading.
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Light brown sugar – adds that deep, caramel flavor and chewy texture.
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Granulated sugar – for sweetness and crispy edges.
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Large eggs – bind everything together and give the cookies richness.
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Vanilla extract – the classic cookie flavor booster. Don’t skip it.
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All-purpose flour – gives structure and chew.
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Cake flour – softens things up and helps create that tender, almost brownie-like middle.
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Cornstarch – keeps the centers soft and thick — just a touch makes a big difference.
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Baking powder & baking soda – the perfect rise-and-spread combo.
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Salt – balances the sweetness and makes the chocolate shine.
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Semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks – use a mix of both for those big, melty pockets that make these cookies truly over the top.
How To Make Levain-Inspired Chocolate Chip Cookies
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the cold, cubed butter with both sugars until everything’s well combined and just a little fluffy — not whipped, just blended.
- Add in the eggs and vanilla, mixing until smooth.
- Toss in the flours, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix until everything just comes together. Overmixing is the enemy of gooey centers!
- Fold in your chocolate chips or chunks.
- Divide the dough into 8 big mounds, about 4 ounces each. Keep them tall and chunky — this is key for that signature Levain look. Press a few extra chocolate pieces on top for good measure.
- Bake at 410°F for 10–12 minutes, just until the edges are golden but the centers still look a little underdone. Trust the process!
- Let the cookies rest right on the baking sheet to finish setting — that’s where the magic happens and the middles stay perfectly gooey.
Storage
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Keep cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days (if they last that long!)
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Freeze baked cookies for up to 2 months. Just let them cool completely first, then pop them into a freezer bag or container.
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Want fresh-baked cookies anytime? Freeze the dough balls and bake straight from frozen. Just add an extra minute or two to the bake time.
Recipe Notes & Tips
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Cold butter + tall dough balls = that signature Levain-style thickness. Don’t soften your butter and don’t flatten the dough — this is what gives you those gooey centers.
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Pull them early! Take the cookies out when the centers still look slightly underbaked. They’ll finish cooking on the hot baking sheet and stay perfectly soft inside.
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For bakery-worthy looks, press a few extra chocolate chunks on top before baking. It’s the easiest way to make them look as good as they taste.
Substitutes
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Feel free to add nuts. Walnuts, pecans, or macadamias all work beautifully for a little crunch.
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Mix up the chocolate! Try dark chocolate chunks, white chocolate chips, or a combo for that bakery-style variety.
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No cake flour? No problem. Just swap it with more all-purpose flour and add an extra teaspoon of cornstarch to keep that soft, tender texture.
Variations
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Chocolate Peanut Butter: Swap some of the chocolate for peanut butter chips and fold in chopped peanut butter cups. Absolute heaven for PB lovers.
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Cookies & Cream: Go for white chocolate chips and crushed Oreos for that nostalgic, milk-and-cookie vibe.
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Birthday Cake: Mix in white chocolate chips and a handful of rainbow sprinkles.
Serving Ideas
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Enjoy these cookies warm from the oven when the centers are still gooey and the chocolate is molten, for that peak Levain-style bliss.
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Pair one with a glass of cold milk (classic) or go all in with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a seriously indulgent dessert.
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Crumble one over a bowl of ice cream or a sundae. The warm cookie + cold ice cream combo never misses.
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For gifting, wrap them up in parchment and twine. They look as impressive as they taste.
Levain Bakery-Style Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup cold unsalted butter cut into cubes
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup cake flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips or chocolate chunks
Instructions
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the cold, cubed butter with both sugars until everything’s well combined and just a little fluffy — not whipped, just blended.
- Add in the eggs and vanilla, mixing until smooth.
- Toss in the flours, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix until everything just comes together. Overmixing is the enemy of gooey centers!
- Fold in your chocolate chips or chunks.
- Divide the dough into 8 big mounds, about 4 ounces each. Keep them tall and chunky — this is key for that signature Levain look. Press a few extra chocolate pieces on top for good measure.
- Bake at 410°F for 10–12 minutes, just until the edges are golden but the centers still look a little underdone. Trust the process!
- Let the cookies rest right on the baking sheet to finish setting — that’s where the magic happens and the middles stay perfectly gooey.
Once you’ve baked these copycat Levain bakery cookies, there’s no going back to regular-sized cookies — consider yourself warned! They’re gooey, over-the-top, and totally worth every melty bite. Whether you share them or keep the batch to yourself (no judgment here), you’ll have bakery-level cookies without ever leaving your kitchen. If you try them, I’d love to know what you think! Leave a comment below, and be sure to tag me in your pics on Instagram @slimmingviolet.
