This post may contain affiliate links. Read disclosure policy
Have y’all ever heard of Levain Bakery in New York? They make the biggest, fattest, puffiest cookies around. They’re a bit expensive and hard to get if you don’t live near their bakery. Sure, you could order online, but I’m not one to shell out $22.00 for four cookies. I’ll just make my own, thankyouverymuch.
One of the most impressive things about Levain’s cookies are their size. They’re 6 ounces each and rather than spreading into a big flat circle they bake up into a fat puff of a cookie. I’m pretty sure their recipe contains magic fairy dust, but they don’t share their secret recipe, so that’s just a guess.
I’ve never had a Levain cookie, so I don’t know how these compare. I don’t really care at this point. I’m happy with this recipe. It makes me smile. It makes me laugh. It makes me feel proud. It completes me.
Do you want puffy or do you want flat? Both are tasty, but one certainly looks prettier than the other. However, the flat cookie will always be my favorite. The puffy cookies are good, excellent even, but the flat cookie has my heart. I’ll share my recipe with you later this week. In the meantime, go surprise someone with these humongous cookies. You’ll make their day.
Puffy Chocolate Chip Cookies – Levain Copycat Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 tbsp cold butter cut into small cubes
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 large egg cold
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup toasted walnuts optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, beat together the cold butter and sugar until barely combined, about 1 minute on lowest speed. Do not beat until creamed or fluffy! Add the egg and vanilla and continue to beat until combined.
- Mix together the dry ingredients and add them to the butter and sugar mixture. You should have a very stiff, lightly sticky dough. If needed, add another tablespoon of flour. Add the chocolate chips and nuts and mix until combined.
- Measure out the dough in equal portions depending on the size you want them. Levain Bakery makes 6oz cookies, I made 3oz cookies. Place the cookies on your baking sheet and place the baking sheet in the refrigerator for 5 minutes to chill the dough again. This will help prevent the cookies from spreading.
- Bake for 11-13 minutes or until the outsides are lightly browned and the insides are mostly done. Cool on a wire rack.
Nutrition Information:
lightly adapted from Judy’s Kitchen
Kristine says
I’ve made these in the past. By far my favorite cookie!
Christina Herschelman says
Yum- O! I have been using this “copycat” recipe for a few years…but my original recipe called for me to change the temperature of the oven half way through. This one is much easier and they come out just as delicious! I searched for several years for the perfect cookie recipe, and if you use “Gharadelli” extra dark chocolate chips with this recipe, this is the one!! The dark chocolate and the sea salt (also a must) together is like magic in your mouth!
Beth says
I found this recipe I don’t know how long ago and it has been my go to recipe since then. I double it and it makes about 60 cookies with the cookie scoop that I use. The cookies usually don’t last til the next day with my kids. Funny side note, I didn’t realize there was also baking powder in these until just today. When I copied the recipe I must have left that out. Oops! Even without the baking powder I will still make these every time.
My family loves them so much! I have shared this recipe I don’t know how many times.
Erin says
I don’t have the best stand mixer so the dough didn’t come together very well; I wound up having to work it with my hands, and I added a teeny splash of milk to bring it together. But they baked without a problem and tasted wonderful! Thanks for the yummy recipe!
April @ Angel Foods Kitchen says
Wanted to let you know that I blogged about, and entered your cookies in Mom’s Crazy Cooking challenge. You can check the post out on my blog.
http://angelfoodskitchen.blogspot.com/2011/10/awesomely-puffy-chocolate-chip.html
Thanks for sharing such an awesome recipe, my family loves them.
April says
Just pulled a batch of these out of the oven and they are delicious! Slightly crunchy on the outside, soft and puffy on the inside. my whole family loves em.
Stacie says
Love this recipe! My family and friends were SO impressed!
katie says
hi! 🙂
i meant to tell you that i wrote about you in my blog post:
http://www.whatkatiesbaking.com/2011/02/snow-cream-chocolate-chip-cookie.html
Ashley says
I’ve been meaning to try out the Levain copycat chocolate chip cookies but haven’t yet! They look soooooo yummy!
Michele D says
My kids are making them right now. We accidentally grabbed a bag of the mini semi sweet chips. So we shall see. They want them to be great so they can share them with Santa. I think we will have to do a second batch by then.
Christina Martin says
I made a batch of these for a cookie exchange at work. This cookie was the favorite by a long shot. I followed the recipe, but added dried cherries along with the chocolate chips. It was a festive twist for Christmas.
Karly says
Carol,
Not a silly question at all. I usually use dark brown, regardless of what a recipe calls for, just because I like it best. You can use whatever you have on hand, though! 🙂
Karly
carol says
Quick silly question…do u use light or dark brown sugar?
Thanks
Jennifer says
I made these last nite and they are lovely! Like the above poster, thinking they will be my “go to” chocolate chip cookie. They are probably going to make a reappearance in my holiday baking that I’ll get going very soon…thanks for posting such wonderful-ness!!! : )
Beth says
I just got done making these and I have to say…YUMMY!!!! I’m thinking about making these my go to recipe for chocolate ship cookies from now on. I did double the recipe, because I have 3 kids, and I was wondering about the lack of white sugar. But these are wonderful cookies. Love them!!