Giant Levain Style Chocolate Chip Cookies
Giant Levain Style Chocolate Chip Cookies turn simple pantry ingredients into thick bakery style cookies with crisp golden edges, melted chocolate pockets, and soft gooey centers.
These cookies are rich, oversized, and made for sharing. They are not a light snack. They are a real ingredient treat that feels special without the bakery price.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Thick and gooey: The tall dough mounds bake into cookies with crisp edges and soft, molten centers.
- Big bakery flavor: Brown sugar, vanilla, walnuts, and chocolate chunks make every bite deep and rich.
- No fancy tools needed: A hand mixer or sturdy spoon works well for the dough.
- Budget friendly treat: You get four giant cookies for much less than buying them from a bakery.
Fabian’s Budget Tip: Buy a plain semisweet chocolate bar and chop it yourself instead of using pricey baking chunks. You get big melty pieces, tiny chocolate flakes through the dough, and a lower cost per cookie.
Ingredients (Serves 4)
- 1 cup all purpose flour (120 g)
- 2 thirds cup cake flour (80 g)
- 1 and 1 half teaspoons cornstarch (4 g)
- 1 half teaspoon baking soda (3 g)
- 1 half teaspoon fine salt (3 g)
- 1 half cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes (113 g)
- 1 half cup packed brown sugar (100 g)
- 1 fourth cup granulated sugar (50 g)
- 1 large egg, cold (50 g)
- 1 large egg yolk, cold (18 g)
- 1 and 1 half teaspoons vanilla extract (7 ml)
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chunks (170 g)
- 3 fourths cup chopped walnuts (85 g)
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Mix the Dry Ingredients
Add the all purpose flour, cake flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt to a medium bowl. Whisk until the mixture looks even and soft. This step keeps the baking soda from forming bitter pockets in the dough.
2. Cream the Cold Butter and Sugars
Add the cold butter cubes, brown sugar, and granulated sugar to a large bowl. Beat just until the butter breaks down and the mixture looks chunky and sandy with small buttery pieces. Do not beat until fluffy. The cold butter helps the cookies stay tall.
3. Add the Eggs and Vanilla
Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla. Mix until the dough turns glossy and thick. Scrape the bowl once so no dry sugar hides at the bottom. The mixture may look slightly uneven, and that is fine.
4. Add the Flour Mixture
Pour in the dry ingredients. Mix on low speed or stir with a sturdy spoon until you no longer see loose flour. Stop as soon as the dough comes together. Overmixing can make the cookies tough instead of tender.
5. Fold in Chocolate and Walnuts
Add the chocolate chunks and chopped walnuts. Fold until they are spread through the dough. The dough should look thick, heavy, and packed with chocolate. If a few chunks fall out, press them back in with your hands.
6. Shape Tall Cookie Mounds
Divide the dough into 4 large portions. Shape each portion into a tall rough mound instead of a smooth ball. Keep the tops craggy. Those uneven ridges bake into crisp golden peaks.
7. Chill the Dough
Place the dough mounds on a plate or baking sheet and chill for at least 1 hour. For deeper flavor, chill them for up to 24 hours. The dough should feel firm and cold before baking.
8. Bake Until Deeply Golden
Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the cold dough mounds at least 3 inches apart (8 cm). Bake for 11 to 14 minutes, until the outside looks deeply golden and set, while the center still looks thick and slightly soft. Your kitchen should smell like toasted butter, warm vanilla, and roasted walnuts.
9. Let the Centers Set
Let the cookies rest on the hot baking sheet for 15 minutes. They will finish setting as they cool. The edges should feel crisp, while the middle stays soft and gooey when you break one open.
Expert Troubleshooting and FAQs
Why did my cookies spread too much?
The dough was likely too warm, the butter was too soft, or the flour was undermeasured. Chill the shaped dough until firm, and spoon flour into the measuring cup before leveling it. Do not pack the flour down.
Why are my cookies raw in the middle?
These cookies should have gooey centers, but they should not taste like raw dough. If the outside browns too fast, lower the oven to 375°F (190°C) and bake for a few extra minutes. Let them rest on the hot pan so the centers continue to set.
Can I skip the walnuts?
Yes. Replace the walnuts with more chocolate chunks, chopped pecans, or extra flour by adding 2 tablespoons (15 g). Walnuts add crunch and help balance the sweetness, but the cookies still work without them.
Can I freeze the dough?
Yes. Freeze the shaped dough mounds on a tray until solid, then move them to a freezer bag. Bake from frozen at 400°F (200°C), adding 2 to 4 minutes. The cookies are ready when the edges smell toasted and look deeply golden.
Can I make smaller cookies?
Yes, but the texture will change. Smaller cookies bake faster and will not have the same thick gooey middle. Start checking them around 8 minutes, and pull them when the edges turn golden.
Estimated Nutritional Facts
These values are rough estimates per giant cookie.
- Calories: 900
- Protein: 13 g
- Carbs: 104 g
- Fats: 52 g
Giant Levain Style Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup all purpose flour (120 g)
- 2 thirds cup cake flour (80 g)
- 1 and 1 half teaspoons cornstarch (4 g)
- 1 half teaspoon baking soda (3 g)
- 1 half teaspoon fine salt (3 g)
- 1 half cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes (113 g)
- 1 half cup packed brown sugar (100 g)
- 1 fourth cup granulated sugar (50 g)
- 1 large egg, cold (50 g)
- 1 large egg yolk, cold (18 g)
- 1 and 1 half teaspoons vanilla extract (7 ml)
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chunks (170 g)
- 3 fourths cup chopped walnuts (85 g)
Instructions
- 1. Mix the Dry Ingredients. Add the all purpose flour, cake flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt to a medium bowl. Whisk until the mixture looks even and soft. This step keeps the baking soda from forming bitter pockets in the dough.
- 2. Cream the Cold Butter and Sugars. Add the cold butter cubes, brown sugar, and granulated sugar to a large bowl. Beat just until the butter breaks down and the mixture looks chunky and sandy with small buttery pieces. Do not beat until fluffy. The cold butter helps the cookies stay tall.
- 3. Add the Eggs and Vanilla. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla. Mix until the dough turns glossy and thick. Scrape the bowl once so no dry sugar hides at the bottom. The mixture may look slightly uneven, and that is fine.
- 4. Add the Flour Mixture. Pour in the dry ingredients. Mix on low speed or stir with a sturdy spoon until you no longer see loose flour. Stop as soon as the dough comes together. Overmixing can make the cookies tough instead of tender.
- 5. Fold in Chocolate and Walnuts. Add the chocolate chunks and chopped walnuts. Fold until they are spread through the dough. The dough should look thick, heavy, and packed with chocolate. If a few chunks fall out, press them back in with your hands.
- 6. Shape Tall Cookie Mounds. Divide the dough into 4 large portions. Shape each portion into a tall rough mound instead of a smooth ball. Keep the tops craggy. Those uneven ridges bake into crisp golden peaks.
- 7. Chill the Dough. Place the dough mounds on a plate or baking sheet and chill for at least 1 hour. For deeper flavor, chill them for up to 24 hours. The dough should feel firm and cold before baking.
- 8. Bake Until Deeply Golden. Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the cold dough mounds at least 3 inches apart (8 cm). Bake for 11 to 14 minutes, until the outside looks deeply golden and set, while the center still looks thick and slightly soft. Your kitchen should smell like toasted butter, warm vanilla, and roasted walnuts.
- 9. Let the Centers Set. Let the cookies rest on the hot baking sheet for 15 minutes. They will finish setting as they cool. The edges should feel crisp, while the middle stays soft and gooey when you break one open.
