Authentic Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies

split open chocolate chip walnut cookies on parchment paper lined baking sheet

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!

split open choc chip walnut cookie stacked on wire rack 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!

closeup of split open and melty chocolate chip walnut cookie

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!

photo of chocolate chip walnut cookie dough on scale and on parchment

photo of a large choc chip walnut cookie on black wire rack

photo of choco chip walnut cookies on black wire rack with chocolate chips

Thick, chewy, exceptionally buttery and gooey Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies. Come to mama!

photo of cookie split open on parchment paper

*adapted from Kirbie Cravings

Authentic Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies

These Authentic Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies are exceptionally thick, chewy, and GOOEY with melty centers and an addictively light and tender crumb. They taste nearly identical to the famed NYC bakery without the trip to the Empire State!

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time12 mins

Total Time32 mins

Course: Cookies, Dessert

Cuisine: American, Dessert

Servings: 8 cookies

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

Since the chocolate chips are the star, I recommend splurging for higher quality chocolate chips. My favorite are by Guittard brand.

close-up photo of a bite of levain bakery chocolate chip walnut cookies 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!!