Recipes for these super thick chocolate chip cookies have been popular online and on social for a while now and I honestly thought “how good could they really be?”. Turns out – amazing. They’re copycats from a cookie made famous by NYC based Levain bakery and are super thick, gooey on the inside and packed with chocolate. I didn’t see too many vegan recipes out there for these though so I decided to give them a go. Having not had the original, I’m probably not the best judge of how authentic they are but after much trial and error I think I’ve at least perfected a recipe worthy of making and honestly I’m not sure I’ll ever make any other chocolate chip cookies other than these!
All of the ingredients are pretty standard for a chocolate chip cookie recipe but there are some reasons why these stay super thick and chewy and gooey. First is using super cold vegan butter (I actually keep mine in the freezer) and it helps the cookies stay thick and not spread. So many recipes always call for room temperature ingredients but this is one time you’ll need it very cold right from the fridge or freezer. Second is using a hot oven so that they cook faster, stay crisp on the outside yet remain gooey inside.
Since they’re also molded into large dough balls (larger than you think using a 1/3 cup measure) they stay thick and don’t spread much giving you that amazing dense gooey middle. One caveat. Don’t overcook these. They’ll set more as they sit and cool and will be perfect to eat in about 15 minutes.
Let’s talk chocolate. I highly suggest using mini chips in these. I know they can be harder to find vegan but they’re worth it. You could certainly use regular chocolate chips but the minis really make these special. You could also add nuts too if you like them and I think the original Levain cookies include walnuts. For these, I’ve used an egg replacer that’s part applesauce, flax meal and coconut oil. The applesauce provides moisture, the flax binds and the coconut oil replaces the fat that would be found in an egg yolk. Sounds a bit odd but it really works. I’ve not tried or tested any other egg replacers so use any other egg substitutes at your own risk.
Tips for success:
- Use COLD vegan butter. I can’t stress this enough. Using a stand mixer will really help mix these quickly with cold butter but a hand mixer should work as well. I don’t suggest mixing these by hand.
- Measure your flour correctly. I use the “dip and sweep” method. First, I lighten up the flour by tossing it lightly with my measuring cup then I dip the cup into the flour completely filling the cup until it’s overflowing. Then using the straight back edge of a knife, I “sweep” it over the top to remove the excess. Never tamp flour down into a measuring cup as you’ll wind up using more than you need.
- Measure your dough. I used a third cup dry measuring cup and packed in the dough and leveled it off. I rapped it against the edge of the mixing bowl to release it then formed it into a thick disc.
- Give them room to bake. I only cooked two at a time using a half sheet and would cook four using a full sheet pan. They don’t spread too much but crowding them will cause them to cook unevenly.
I hope you enjoy these amazing cookies. Follow my recipe and you will have the vegan cookies of your dreams in no time. Please rate and review if you have the time!
Vegan Levain Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Cookies
12
servings15
minutes12
minutesSuper thick and gooey vegan chocolate chip cookies!
Ingredients
1 cup cold vegan butter (sticks preferred) cut into small cubes
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup vegan cane sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
1 tablespoon finely ground flax meal
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups all purpose flour
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups mini semisweet chocolate chips
Directions
- Preheat oven to 400°. Using a small bowl, whisk the flax meal and coconut oil into the applesauce. Make sure all are at room temperature or the coconut oil may seize.
- Using a stand or hand mixer, cream the cold cubed vegan butter with the sugars until well blended and lighter in color. This might take up to 5 minutes. Add the flax mixture and vanilla and blend for 2 minutes scraping down the sides of the bowl at least once.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients to remove any lumps and add to the wet mixture. Mix just until it starts to come together and there is still flour showing. Add the chips by hand and mix with a spoon or rubber spatula just until there are no streaks of flour left. Don’t over-mix!! This will make the cookies tough.
- Using a dry 1/3 cup measure, scoop out dough into the cup, level it off then rap it onto the edge of the bowl to release it then shape it into a round thick disc. Using a parchment lined or sprayed cookie sheet place 2-3 cookies on a half sheet or 4-5 on a full sheet and bake just for 9-12 minutes until they’re just starting to brown. I use a convection oven so mine baked in 9 minutes as the air makes them cook faster. Remove the pan and drop it onto the counter once to flatten the cookies slightly. Cool for 15 minutes so they can set and enjoy!
Recipe Video
Notes
- The dough discs and the baked cookies can be frozen if desired.
- Apparently, the original recipe does not use vanilla but that’s just heresy. I think they would taste flat without it so I included it.
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This recipe was really easy to make and came out great. You can easily eat one cookie and be full. I put mine on traditional bake 400 degrees for about 13 minutes, came out soft on the inside and just slightly crispy on the outside.
So glad you liked them and thanks for taking the time to review! 🧡
These were the best vegan cookies I’ve ever made. Crispy on the outside and soft in the middle. I followed the recipe exactly, but made mine using 1/4 cup measure and baked them for about 12 mins. They turned out perfectly! This is my go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe from now on. Thank you Kreg for this recipe!
I love hearing that! They’re my go-to recipe now too and I doubt I’ll make any others!!
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These were delicious, but mine came out noticeably thinner than your pictures. Any tips to reduce the spreading?
Hi there! So glad you enjoyed them! You do have to use COLD vegan butter and make sure they’re thick discs. I always suggest thick vegan block or stick style vegan butter and not from a tub as those normally contain more water and could be the culprit in them spreading out more. Other than that, you could try chilling them for 10 minutes before baking. Hope that helps!
How many cookies does this make? Thanks! Looking forward to making these
It’s in the recipe details, but it makes 12! Hope you enjoy them!