Levain Bakery-Style Cookies
These copycat Levain bakery cookies are thick, gooey-in-the-middle cookies with crispy edges and big, melty chocolate pockets — just like the famous New York originals. They’re huge, rich, and slightly underbaked in the center for that soft, brownie-like texture everyone goes crazy for. No trip to NYC required — just cold butter, tall dough balls, and a short bake for bakery-level magic right in your kitchen.
Servings: 8
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.