If there’s one cookie that captures the magic of indulgent, gooey perfection, it’s the Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Crush Cookies Recipe. These cookies are famously thick, delightfully chunky, and packed with melty chocolate and crunchy walnuts, creating a texture and flavor explosion with every bite. This recipe brings the classic New York bakery experience right into your own kitchen, with a surprisingly simple mix of ingredients that come together fast and yield extraordinary results. Whether you’re after an epic treat for a special occasion or craving an afternoon pick-me-up, these cookies never fail to impress.
Ingredients You’ll Need
The beauty of the Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Crush Cookies Recipe lies in its straightforward, essential ingredients. Each element plays a crucial role in balancing moisture, flavor, and that signature crumbly yet chewy texture that makes these cookies unforgettable.
- Cold Butter: Cubed cold butter helps create the cookie’s thick, tender crumb and keeps the dough from spreading too much.
- Brown Sugar: Adds a rich molasses flavor and keeps the cookies moist and soft.
- Sugar: Provides sweetness and a slight crunch to the cookie edges.
- Eggs: Bind all the ingredients and add richness.
- Cake Flour: Contributes to the soft, delicate texture unlike regular flour alone.
- Flour: Gives structure and stability to the dough.
- Cornstarch: Ensures a tender bite by cutting down gluten development.
- Baking Soda: Helps with leavening and browning.
- Salt: Enhances the sweet and nutty flavors.
- Chocolate Chips: The star ingredient for melting pockets of chocolatey goodness.
- Walnuts: Add crunch and contrast, balancing the cookie’s richness perfectly.
How to Make Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Crush Cookies Recipe
Step 1: Preheat the Oven
Start by setting your oven to 410 degrees Fahrenheit. This higher baking temperature is key to creating a golden, slightly crispy exterior while keeping the inside delectably soft and gooey.
Step 2: Cream the Butter and Sugars
In a large bowl, use a mixer to cream together the cold cubed butter, brown sugar, and sugar for about 4 minutes. This step is essential because it aerates the dough, creating a smooth, creamy base that will contribute to the cookie’s rise and tenderness.
Step 3: Add the Eggs
Crack in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. This ensures that the eggs fully incorporate, helping the dough bind together nicely and adding moisture for the perfect chew.
Step 4: Mix in Dry Ingredients
Gently stir in the cake flour, all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Mix just until combined; overmixing can make the cookies tough. Then fold in the chocolate chips and walnuts, distributing them evenly throughout the dough.
Step 5: Portion the Dough
Divide the dough into large balls and arrange them on a lightly colored cookie sheet. Keep in mind these cookies are significantly larger than average—plan for about 4 cookies per large cookie sheet, making a total of 8 hefty cookies from the dough.
Step 6: Bake and Rest
Bake the cookies for 9 to 12 minutes, until the tops are a lovely golden brown. Resist the urge to overbake—they’re meant to be soft inside. After baking, allow them to rest for at least 10 minutes so the centers can set perfectly while still maintaining that signature dewiness.
How to Serve Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Crush Cookies Recipe
Garnishes
For an extra touch of indulgence, sprinkle flaky sea salt on top just as the cookies come out of the oven. The salty pop contrasts beautifully with the sweet chocolate and nuts. Consider a light dusting of powdered sugar for a festive look or a drizzle of melted chocolate for dramatic flair.
Side Dishes
These cookies pair wonderfully with simple sides like a cold glass of milk, a creamy latte, or even a scoop of vanilla ice cream to turn them into a decadent dessert. Fresh berries can also bring a refreshing balance to the richness of the cookies.
Creative Ways to Present
For special gatherings, serve these cookies stacked on a rustic wooden board or nestled in decorative baskets lined with parchment paper. You can also sandwich two cookies with a scoop of your favorite ice cream or peanut butter for a playful twist that everyone will love.
Make Ahead and Storage
Storing Leftovers
Once cooled completely, store your Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Crush Cookies Recipe in an airtight container at room temperature. They will stay fresh and soft for up to 4 days, making it easy to enjoy them without any rush.
Freezing
If you want to keep these cookies longer, freeze the dough balls or baked cookies. Wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and place in a freezer-safe container or bag. Dough balls can be frozen for up to 3 months, and baked cookies for about 1 month. Just thaw before eating.
Reheating
To refresh your stored cookies, warm them in the oven at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for about 5 minutes. This brings back that freshly baked softness and melts the chocolate chips lovely and gooey without drying out the cookie.
FAQs
Can I substitute the walnuts with other nuts?
Absolutely! Pecans or macadamia nuts make excellent substitutes, adding their own unique crunch and flavor to the Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Crush Cookies Recipe. Just be sure to chop them roughly for the best texture.
Why use cold butter instead of softened?
Using cold butter helps control the spread of these cookies during baking, which is why Levain’s cookies remain thick and chunky rather than flat and thin. It also contributes to that signature tender, pillowy interior.
Is cake flour necessary, or can I use only all-purpose flour?
While all-purpose flour alone will work, cake flour lightens the texture and gives the cookies that soft, delicate crumb that Levain’s cookies are famous for. For the closest match, use the mix of both flours as described.
Can I make these cookies vegan or dairy-free?
With some tweaks, yes! Swap butter for a plant-based alternative and use flax or chia eggs in place of regular eggs. Just note this will change the texture slightly, but the cookies will still be delicious.
What causes cookies to turn out cakey instead of chewy?
Overmixing the dough or using too much flour can make the cookies cakey. The Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Crush Cookies Recipe carefully balances ingredients and mixing techniques to ensure the perfect chewy-soft texture every time.
Final Thoughts
There’s something truly magical about biting into a thick, gooey chocolate chip cookie with a perfect balance of crunch and melt-in-your-mouth texture, and that’s exactly what you get with the Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Crush Cookies Recipe. It’s easy, approachable, and incredibly satisfying—trust me, once you try it, these cookies might just become your new favorite treat to bake and share. So, gather those simple ingredients and let the cookie magic begin!
Print
Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Crush Cookies Recipe
- Total Time: 22 minutes
- Yield: 8 large cookies
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Crush Cookies recipe yields extra-large, thick, and decadent chocolate chip cookies packed with walnuts. Known for their rich, buttery texture and crispy outside with a soft, gooey center, these cookies bring bakery-level indulgence right to your home oven in just about 20 minutes of active time.
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup Cold Butter (cut into small cubes)
- 1 cup Brown Sugar
- 1/2 cup Sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 1 1/2 cups Cake Flour
- 1 1/2 cups Flour (all-purpose)
- 1 teaspoon Cornstarch
- 3/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 3/4 teaspoon Salt
- 2 cups Chocolate Chips
- 2 cups Walnuts (roughly chopped)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 410 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure it reaches the ideal temperature for baking thick, gooey cookies.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a large mixing bowl, cream together the cold cubed butter, brown sugar, and sugar for about 4 minutes until the mixture is smooth and creamy. This process aerates the dough for a better texture.
- Add Eggs: Add eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition to incorporate fully and create an even dough.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: Stir in cake flour, all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Mix gently until just combined, taking care not to overmix, which may toughen the cookies.
- Incorporate Chocolate and Walnuts: Fold in chocolate chips and roughly chopped walnuts evenly through the dough.
- Shape Dough Balls: Separate dough into large balls, recognizing that they will spread during baking but remain hefty. Place them on a lightly colored cookie sheet, spacing well as the dough makes eight extra-large cookies—four per cookie sheet.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 9 to 12 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown but the insides remain soft.
- Rest: Let the cookies rest on the cookie sheet for at least 10 minutes after baking to set and finalize their thick, gooey texture.
Notes
- Use cold butter cut into small cubes instead of softened butter to achieve a unique texture with a crisp outside and soft inside.
- Do not overmix the dough once the flour is added to keep cookies tender.
- The cookies spread less than typical chocolate chip cookies, so size your dough balls generously.
- Allow cookies to cool properly before removing from the sheet; this prevents breaking.
- Lightly colored cookie sheets reflect heat better and avoid over-browning the bottoms.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
