The Perfect Levain Cookie Copycat Requires A Combo Of Chocolate Chips

The New York-style cookies from Levain Bakery have set new standards for what the perfect chocolate chip cookie is. They have a doughy core, an oven-kissed golden crisp, and of course, an irresistible amount of chocolate. For those who don't have access to a Levain Bakery or Whole Foods (where frozen varieties of the cookies are sold), a copycat recipe is the way to go. Mashed recipe developer, Kate Shungu, worked to create the perfect Levain chocolate chip cookie copycat recipe, and her cookies call for a combo of chocolate chips — like dark and semi-sweet, or milk and dark. 

To understand why using a combo of chocolate chips works so well, it's necessary to break down what gives Levain chocolate chip cookies their signature flare. All Levain cookies are chunky and gooey. The renowned bakery bakes heaping balls of dough in a relatively short time, allowing them to obtain a golden-brown crisp on the outside while preserving the doughy interior. With all that dough, there's room for plenty of chocolate chips (the true star of the show). 

There is never a shortage of chocolate chips in a Levain cookie, and this makes them stand apart from the average chocolate chip cookie. Each bite of a Levain cookie is designed to reveal melty pockets of chocolate that enhance the ooey-gooey experience. With varying levels of bitterness and sweetness, different combos of chocolate chips add depth of flavor to the whole experience.

Kate Shungu did not mess around when she created the copycat Levain chocolate chip cookie recipe. Even though Levain has never shared its ingredient list, Kate Shungu's recipe nails everything about the cookie, from it's texture to the chocolate. In her recipe, she spotlights "us[ing] a mixture of chocolate chips for best flavor." The chocolate chips can be sized anywhere from mini to jumbo. Chocolate chunks work well, too.

Kate Shungu encourages experimenting with different sizes and shapes, as well as different kinds of chocolate like milk, dark, or semi-sweet. Chocolate combinations will enhance the thick, doughy cookie. And you don't have to pick just two kinds of chocolate — the more chocolate types included, the more interesting your cookie will be! 

In fact, one of Levain's cookies is a Two Chip Chocolate Chip, which features both dark and semi-sweet chocolate. Levain also sells a Chocolate Chip Walnut cookie, which happens to be the bakery's signature item. On top of the varying chocolate chips, the copycat recipe also includes walnuts. Kate Shungu craftily draws inspiration from two of Levain's best cookies, and in doing so gives bakers the best of both worlds. The result is a cookie loaded with chocolate and nutty mix-ins. To participate in the Levain cookie craze at home, Kate Shungu's recipe is a must-try.