If you’re on the hunt for the perfect New York cookie recipe, you’ve come to the right place. Inspired by the legendary Levain Bakery cookies we tasted on a trip to New York, this recipe brings that thick, gooey centre and crisp, golden edge straight to your kitchen. These cookies are known for their incredible texture and flavour - a rich blend of chunky walnuts and melted chocolate in each bite.
We’ve gone through extensive testing and development to pick our favourite attributes of the Levain cookie to create our perfect recipe, from the chewy interior to the lightly crisped shell. This guide will walk you through each step, ensuring you bake up cookies with a bakery-style finish that’s guaranteed to impress.
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More About New York Cookies
New York cookies have become iconic, and it’s easy to see why. These thick, satisfying cookies are famous for their unique texture—crispy on the outside with a warm, gooey centre. Unlike traditional cookies, which can be either soft or crunchy throughout, Levain-style cookies offer the best of both worlds in every bite.
One of the secrets to their texture is the use of cold butter, which prevents the cookies from spreading too much and keeps them thick. Minimal mixing also plays a role, creating a dense, chewy bite instead of a fluffy, cake-like texture. Each cookie typically weighs around 170 grams or more, making them a substantial, indulgent treat.
These cookies also stand out for their balanced flavour. Rather than being overly sweet, they incorporate a generous amount of high-quality chocolate and toasted nuts, which add layers of richness and a subtle nuttiness without overpowering the chocolate. Levain-style cookies are perfect for enjoying fresh out of the oven, but they also hold up well when reheated, maintaining their gooey centre and crisp edges.
Equipment You’ll Need
To make our New York-style cookies with ease, you’ll need a few key tools. From prepping walnuts to shaping the dough, here’s the equipment that will help you achieve bakery-quality results:
Clean Tea Towel: When preparing the walnuts, a clean tea towel is essential for removing the skins after toasting. This step ensures the nuts have a smooth texture and a subtle, nutty flavor without bitterness.
Mixing Bowl and Electric Mixer: A sturdy mixing bowl and an electric mixer are essential for combining ingredients evenly. The electric mixer makes quick work of the butter and sugar, achieving the perfect texture without overworking your arms.
Measuring Scales: For accuracy and consistency, a digital kitchen scale is a must. Weighing your ingredients, and cookie balls, ensures your cookies turn out exactly as intended every time.
Sieve: To keep your dough smooth and free of lumps, a sieve is handy for sifting dry ingredients like flour and baking powder. This helps with even distribution and better mixing.
Baking Tray and Parchment Paper: A large, heavy-duty baking tray lined with parchment paper is perfect for preventing the cookies from sticking and ensures an even bake.
Cling Film and Freezer-Friendly Tray: Cling film is great for covering your dough portions as they chill in the freezer. A flat, freezer-safe tray will keep your cookie dough balls from sticking together while they firm up.
Wire Rack: After baking, a wire rack is ideal for cooling your cookies evenly. This prevents the bottoms from becoming soggy and ensures they cool to the perfect texture.
New York Cookie Baking Tips
These expert tips will help you perfect your New York-style cookies, ensuring they turn out thick, gooey, and full of flavour every time. Follow these baking tips to avoid common mistakes and get the best results:
- Substitute the Nuts Carefully: If you’d prefer to skip the walnuts, it’s important to substitute them with another ingredient of similar texture, like extra chocolate chunks or oats. This will help the cookies hold their thick, chunky shape and prevent them from spreading too much.
- Use Cold Butter: Cold, cubed butter is essential for achieving the thick, dense texture of these cookies. Soft or melted butter causes excess spreading, so be sure to start with butter straight from the fridge.
- Don’t Cream or Whip the Butter and Sugar: For these cookies, avoid creaming the butter and sugar. Instead, mix only until small chunks form. This will give the cookies a dense texture and prevent air pockets, which can make them cakey.
- Avoid Adding Extra Liquid: Resist the temptation to add extra liquid, as a wetter, stickier dough will lead to more spreading in the oven. Follow the measurements precisely to keep the dough firm and hold the shape.
- Weigh Each Cookie Portion: For consistent bakery-style cookies, weigh each portion to 125g. This ensures even baking and gives each cookie the same thickness, resulting in a uniform, professional look.
- Freeze the Dough Before Baking: Freezing the dough for at least 4 hours (preferably overnight) is key for that perfect texture. The cold dough slows down the spread, helping create a crispy exterior while keeping the centre gooey and soft.
- Preheat a Baking Tray: Preheating the baking tray before placing the cookies on it gives the bottoms a quick, crispy finish. This step helps ensure an even bake and enhances the texture.
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