Oh my gosh, are you ready to tackle the cookie monster in your soul? I know I am! There’s just nothing on this earth that beats the craving for one of those massive, ultra-thick cookies you usually only get at those famous bakeries. Well, friend, put those bakery trips on hold, because today we are making bakery-quality Thick Levain Style Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies right here in your own kitchen. Trust me on this!
I remember the first time I managed to pull this off. Back when I was deep into my college athlete days, looking for some serious comfort food after a brutal training session. I was determined to make something decadent but guilt-free. I grabbed my almond flour and dark chocolate chips, and when that first warm cookie came out—thick, chewy, and absolutely loaded—I knew I’d cracked the code. That feeling of indulgence without the crash? That’s what this recipe delivers.
We’re going for texture and size today, and I’ve got the secrets to keep these from spreading into sad, thin discs. Get your scale ready, because precision is key to replicating that signature chunky walnut cookie perfection. Don’t forget to check out this great resource for the original inspiration!
Why You Will Love These Thick Levain Style Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies
Forget everything you know about flat cookies! These treats are designed purely for maximum satisfaction. I promise you’ll be hooked after one bite because they hit every single mark.
- These are extra thick cookies, built high so they won’t surrender to gravity.
- The texture is perfect: sturdy edges meet a gloriously soft, slightly underdone center.
- We load them up with chocolate and you get those satisfying bites of chunky walnut cookies.
- It’s the easiest way to get that famous bakery experience without leaving your house!
Essential Equipment for Perfect Thick Levain Style Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies
Listen, since we are chasing that huge, authentic bakery size, we can’t eyeball things here! If you want consistency batch after batch, a few specific tools are non-negotiable. Don’t worry, you probably have most of these already sitting in your cupboard.
The absolute MVP for this recipe is the digital kitchen scale. We need weight measurements for those massive six-ounce dough balls, so please grab that off the shelf! You’ll also need your trusty stand mixer, some sturdy baking sheets, and definitely some good parchment paper or silicone liners to stop sticking.
Ingredients for Making Thick Levain Style Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies
Okay, let’s look at what you need to pull off these giants. Remember, the ingredients list here is specific because we are aiming for high-end results, not just standard drop cookies. Don’t substitute the cold butter here; we need that temperature to control the spread!
Everything below goes into our Cookie Dough grouping. For the butter, you absolutely must use **COLD unsalted butter cut into small cubes**. This is crucial for the creaming process to work right and keep them thick! You’ll also need two large eggs and absolutely treat yourself to great quality chocolate chips—I love the Guittard ones, but Ghirardelli is always good too.
Don’t forget your specific flour mix; that cake flour plays a big supporting role! Seriously, take a peek at my essential keto pantry items guide if you’re missing any of the staples on this list. It’s worth stocking up!
Step-by-Step Instructions for Thick Levain Style Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies
Alright, deep breath! This is where the magic happens, but remember—we have to be disciplined so these turn out huge and heavenly. Follow the mixing speeds exactly, because we are building structure here. You’ll want to have your baking sheets prepped before you even touch the mixer!
Preparing the Oven and Dough Base
First things first, crank that oven up to 410 degrees F. We need that initial blast of heat to get lift! Line your baking sheets with parchment or silicone liners—don’t skip this, trust me, you don’t want to wrestle these giants off the metal later.
Now, for the creaming step. Take that **COLD unsalted butter** you cubed up earlier, and start beating it with both sugars. Start low speed for just 30 seconds, then raise it to medium for another 30 seconds. Finally, kick it up to high for a final 30 seconds. You want it light and fluffy, not melted and greasy. That specific timing helps create those necessary air pockets.
Mixing the Thick Levain Style Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies Dough
Once your butter and sugar are happy and fluffy, beat in those two large eggs, one at a time, scraping the sides down between each addition. Once the eggs are combined, mix that vanilla in if you’re using it.
Next, you’ll add the dry ingredients: cornstarch, baking soda, salt, and all the flours. Mix this only on low speed until you see it *just* disappear. Stop the mixer! If you mix for too long once the flour is in, you’ll develop gluten and end up with tough cookies instead of soft, thick ones. Fold in your chocolate chips and those gorgeous walnuts by hand until they look evenly distributed. Give the whole bowl a quick 15-minute rest in the fridge—just long enough to firm up a bit!
Portioning and Baking for Extra Thick Cookies
This is the single most important part for getting extra thick cookies! Grab your digital kitchen scale. We are portioning each cookie to roughly 6 ounces. Seriously use the scale, that’s how they get their size!
When you form the dough balls, do not smooth them out! You want them barely held together in a rough mound. Place about four of these giants on your prepared baking sheet, making sure they have plenty of breathing room—about three inches apart is good protection against spreading. Now, bake them for 10 to 13 minutes, working with one sheet at a time on the middle rack. You are looking for the outside edge to look dry and dull, but the center should still look soft and maybe even a little underdone. They keep cooking on the sheet, which helps maintain that gooey middle. Once done, let them sit on that hot pan for a full 30 minutes while they cool completely before attempting to move them. Patience pays off here!
For fantastic results every time, check out my general baking tips guide!
Tips for Success with Chunky Walnut Cookies
To truly nail that bakery texture and earn the title of amazing copycat cookie recipes maker, you have to respect the ingredients. My number one tip, which I can’t stress enough, is keeping that butter COLD! If your butter starts warming up while you’re creaming, you lose the structure needed for these giants to stand tall.
Also, remember how I said to barely form the dough into a rough mound? Do not overwork it! When you’re folding in those chocolate chips and those wonderful walnuts, be gentle. Overhandling the dough compresses the air we worked so hard to create while creaming the butter and sugar. Keep things light and cold, and you will get those magnificent, chunky walnut cookies every single time.
If you feel like your dough is getting soft while you’re scooping, just toss the whole bowl back into the fridge for five minutes. It’s an easy fix! For more general advice on getting your dough right, my baking tips page has you covered.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions for Thick Levain Style Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies
So, why do we use two different kinds of flour here? That small amount of cake flour is truly my secret weapon for achieving that softer, slightly lighter crumb inside, even though these cookies are so thick! It keeps them tender while the all-purpose flour provides structure so they don’t crumble.
Speaking of ingredients, if you can’t find walnuts, don’t panic; we still need something chunky! Pecans work beautifully, just chop them up roughly so they give you that same satisfying bite. And please, splurge a little on your chocolate chips—the quality really shines through when the chip is the star of the show!
Storing Your Thick Levain Style Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies
These massive cookies are best enjoyed fresh because that slight under-bake keeps them wonderfully soft. If you have leftovers—which is highly unlikely, let’s be honest—don’t try to store them in the fridge unless you want them to turn into hockey pucks!
Keep them right on the counter in an airtight container. They stay perfectly fresh at room temperature for about three to four days. If you happen to have one that’s firmed up by day five? Pop it in the microwave for about 10 to 15 seconds. That little blast of heat just re-melts the chocolate and brings that gooey center right back to life. It’s the perfect rescue trick!
Frequently Asked Questions About Levain Style Cookies
I get so many emails about these giants, which just proves how much we all love a good, massive cookie! Here are a few things folks always ask when trying to nail this recipe and make superb copycat cookie recipes.
Can I make these Thick Levain Style Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies smaller?
You totally can, but here’s the catch: if you go smaller than the 6-ounce ball we used, they won’t bake up like true levain style cookies. Smaller cookies spread more and bake faster, so you’ll end up with a thin, crispy cookie, not the thick, raw-in-the-center experience we are aiming for! If you really need smaller ones, cut the baking time down significantly.
Why is my cookie flat instead of an extra thick cookie?
This usually comes down to one of two major sins! First, your butter was too warm when you creamed it—it melts right out, and boom, flatness. Second, you might have overmixed after the flour went in. Overmixing develops gluten, making the dough stiff but causing it to spread sideways instead of puffing up thick. Go back to using cold butter and mixing the flour *just* until you see it disappear!
If you want to see even more of my favorite baking adventures, pop over to my main recipes page!
Share Your Thick Levain Style Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies Creations
Honestly, baking is so much better when you share the results! I need to see these monstrous cookies you’ve made! You took the time to measure out those six-ounce dough balls and wait patiently for the cooling time, so please don’t keep your masterpieces a secret!
When you get a batch out of the oven that looks just right—all craggy and soft in the middle—I truly want to know how it went. Did you use the Guittard chips I suggested? Are your edges perfectly chewy? Drop a comment down below and tell me everything!
If you loved this recipe and it became a staple in your kitchen, please consider leaving a star rating. Positive feedback really helps spread the word so other cookie fanatics can find this amazing Thick Levain Style Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies recipe. And hey, if you have any questions or brilliant tweaks you discovered, head over to my contact page and send me a note. Happy baking, everyone!
Thick Levain Style Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat your oven to 410 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners and set them aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and both sugars using the paddle attachment on low speed for 30 seconds. Increase the speed to medium and beat for another 30 seconds, then increase to high speed for a final 30 seconds. The mixture should look light and fluffy.
- Beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed. Add the vanilla, if using.
- Add the cornstarch, baking soda, salt, cake flour, and all-purpose flour. Mix on low speed until just incorporated. Add the chocolate chips and chopped walnuts and mix until they are just combined. Refrigerate the dough for 15 minutes.
- Using a digital kitchen scale for accuracy, measure out a rough 6 ounce ball of dough. Shape it roughly and place it on the baking sheet. You do not want the dough ball to be smooth and compacted; just barely form it into a rough ball shape. Place 3 more dough balls on the same baking sheet, spacing them about 3 inches apart. You should have 4 dough balls on one baking sheet.
- Bake for 10 to 13 minutes, working with one sheet at a time on the middle rack of the oven. The cookies should look cooked and have a duller finish on the outside while still looking soft and underdone on the inside. Start checking at the 10-minute mark because it is important not to over-bake these. Remember, the cookies will continue to finish cooking on the baking sheet after you remove them from the oven.
- Allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet, about 30 minutes, before moving them to a wire rack or storing them. The cookies are very delicate just after baking so avoid disturbing them.
