Inspired by the famous chocolate chip walnut cookies of Levain Bakery, this recipe has everything you want in a dessert—these cookies are rich and buttery, ultra thick and gooey, with the perfect ratio of chocolate chips and crunch from toasted walnuts!

This recipe has been several years in the making—after seeing Levain cookies everywhere on social media, I scoured the internet for behind-the-scenes videos, ingredient lists, and countless copycat recipes (which I tested without satisfaction).

Last year, however, I took a trip to New York for spring break and finally got my hands on the real thing. And honestly? The hype was 100% deserved—the cookie was insanely gooey, crisp, and balanced, and I knew I had to make my own version when I got home. And now, after several rounds of testing, I can confidently say that this recipe is the perfect Levain cookie copycat!

What are Levain Cookies?

Levain Bakery, founded by best friends Pam Weekes and Connie McDonald, is a must-visit dessert shop in the Upper West Side of Manhattan that’s renowned for its chocolate chip walnut cookies (pictured below)! After opening the bakery in 1995, Pam and Connie created this cookie as a way to keep up their energy levels for triathlon training, but the dessert became quickly beloved and took on a life of its own. Now, Levain has several bakery locations across the country with a variety of cookie flavors that people travel from all over the world to taste!

After trying it for myself, I set out to recreate the perfect Levain cookie at home. The only problem was that I could never find the perfect recipe—they either deviated too far in flavor profile or texture (which leads me to my next topic)!

What’s the Secret to Levain Cookies?

So, what makes a Levain cookie so special? It turns out, there’s a lot of things! The texture of a Levain cookie is unlike any other—traditionally, the cookies are super thick and a full 6 ounces in weight, resulting in a well-browned and crisp, almost scone-like texture on the outside with a soft interior.

When it came to recipe testing, I had specific criteria. I wanted these cookies to be thick, while also being crisp on the outside and gooey (almost underbaked) in the middle, with an even ratio of walnuts and chocolate chips. The hardest part of perfecting this recipe was the bake time and temp: it took several rounds of testing to produce a cookie that was the original size of Levain without spreading too much in the oven or getting too brown before the middle was cooked. Ultimately, it came down to the amount of flour and baking powder in the recipe, but here are some of the secrets I’ve found that produce perfect results:

Simple, high-quality ingredients. Most Levain copycat recipes rely on fancy additions and ingredients—different types of flours, cornstarch, etc—but the original Levain owners affirm that they use simple, everyday ingredients. I chose to honor this guideline with my recipe (you only need 8 ingredients!), so starting with high-quality ingredients ensures a high-quality result!
Using cold butter. This is the key to getting a really thick cookie. When creamed with sugar, cold butter doesn’t fully break down. Instead, it forms pockets in the dough for that trademark crisp, scone-like Levain exterior.
Making big cookies. It might feel unnecessary, but forming the dough into full 5.5 ounce balls helps the cookies bake to the right texture. Especially since they cook at a higher temp, this larger amount of dough ensures that the outside remains crispy while the middle is gooey.
Chilling the dough. I know, I know, it’s an annoying step, but it truly does so much! Chilling the cookie dough lets the flour fully hydrate, allowing us to add the minimal amount of flour for the right texture while ensuring that the cookie isn’t dry!
High-temp baking. Sadly, no copycat recipe will be the exactly the same as the real thing, since Levain Bakery uses industrial convection ovens. However, by using a higher oven temp at home, your cookies will spread less and color more (just like Levain)!

Ingredients You’ll Need

No need for fancy flours or equipment—you only need 8 ingredients to make these cookies (most of which are pantry staples!)

Cold unsalted butter. I recommend using as high a quality of butter that you can, since you’ll really taste it in these cookies. My favorite brand to use is Kerrigold!
Granulated sugar and brown sugar. To sweeten the cookies, add chewiness, and color.
Eggs. To bind and emulsify the dough.
All-purpose flour. To thicken the cookie dough and provide structure.
Baking powder. Baking powder is better suited for this recipe, as it creates the right amount of lift as opposed to baking soda, which promotes spreading and browning.
Salt. The perfect balance of salty and sweet is always needed in a dessert recipe.
Walnuts. If you don’t like walnuts, you can substitute or omit them, but they truly add another layer of depth and toastiness to these cookies!

Tips and Tricks for the Best Levain Cookies

Cookies might not be the most difficult thing to make, but there are a few key points to keep in mind for this recipe to get the perfect Levain copycat:

Don’t pack in the flour. If you do, the cookies will come out entirely too dry and tough. To properly measure, spoon the flour into the measuring cup and use a knife to level it out.
Don’t overmix the sugar and butter. In normal cookie recipes, you cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Here, however, we want a dense, heavy dough, so only mix for 1-2 minutes until the butter is incorporated!
Chill the dough. This will ensure that the cookies bake to the right shape.
Baking. Since the cookies are so large, properly baking everything is the hardest part of the recipe! First, make sure that your oven is the right temperature—home ovens vary, so this will be left to your intuition. If the oven runs too hot, the cookies will brown too much on the bottoms and will burn on the outside while still being raw in the middle. To help this, reduce the oven temperature or double up the baking sheets (stacking two sheets on top of one another will act as a buffer of heat to prevent the bottoms of cookies from burning).
Use a kitchen thermometer. This is the easiest way to tell when the cookies are done—pull them out of the oven once 190℉ on the inside. If you don’t have a thermometer, you’ll have to rely on visual cues. The cookies are done when the edges are firm, the outside is a dark golden brown, and the center is no longer shiny and doughy. The cookies will be underbaked at first when you take them out of the oven, but they will continue to cook and set as they cool.
Allow to fully cool. Since the cookies are so huge, they need an ample amount of time to set. If you dig in once they’re right out of the oven, they’ll not only be piping hot and molten on the inside, but they’ll fall apart! Give them at least 20 minutes to cool before eating—I know it’s hard, but it’s so worth it!

Storage Instructions

These cookies are best served fresh out of the oven, but there are a few ways you can store them to enjoy later!

At room temperature. Store the cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for up to a few days. To serve, you can reheat the cookies in a 300℉ oven for 5ish minutes or in the microwave until warmed through.
Freezing instructions. I understand that these cookies are ginormous, so of you don’t feel like baking off a full batch, you can store leftover dough in the freezer. Here’s how to do it:
- Form the dough as normal. Once the dough is made, portion it out as normal and line it on a sheet pan.
- Freeze for one hour. Place the cookie sheet in the freezer for at least one hour—this helps the dough to set.
- Store in plastic bags. Place the cookie dough balls in an airtight Ziploc bag and store them in the freezer for up to 6 months.
- Bake as needed. When ready to bake, preheat the oven, take however many cookies you want out of the Ziploc bag, and bake from frozen per recipe instructions (no need to thaw)! You might need a minute or two of extra cook time, but be careful not to overbake. If baking from frozen, you might run a higher risk of burning the bottoms of your cookies—I recommend baking the dough on two sheets stacked on top of one another to prevent this from happening.

If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments—be sure to tag me on Instagram if you make this recipe!