Levain Bakery, founded in 1995 on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, quickly became a New York institution after a 1997 New York Times article praised its cookies as the best in the city. The oversized, buttery cookies have become a beloved treat for locals and tourists alike, symbolizing the city’s love for indulgent, handcrafted baked goods.

Across the United States, bakeries often swap walnuts for pecans, use dark chocolate instead of semi‑sweet, or add oatmeal for texture. Levain’s version is distinct for its massive size, chilled dough method, and the generous ratio of chips to dough, which sets it apart from typical home‑style cookies.

At Levain Bakery the cookies are served warm, straight from the oven, often with a glass of cold milk. They are presented on a simple plate or in a paper bag, allowing the soft interior to stay gooey while the edges stay crisp.

These cookies are a popular treat for birthdays, office celebrations, and holiday gatherings in New York. They’re also a go‑to snack for marathon runners and triathletes training in the city, thanks to their hearty size and energy‑dense ingredients.

The combination of a chilled, dense dough, generous amounts of high‑quality chocolate chips and walnuts, and the oversized shape creates a cookie that is crisp on the outside, airy and chewy inside, and exceptionally flavorful—qualities that have earned it worldwide fame.

Common errors include using melted butter (which leads to flat cookies), skipping the chilling step (causing excess spread), and over‑mixing the dough (which can make the texture tough). Follow the creaming, chilling, and brief mixing guidelines for best results.

Chilling solidifies the butter, slows down spread, and allows the flour to hydrate fully, resulting in a cookie that holds its shape, stays thick, and develops a deeper, buttery flavor during baking.

Yes. Shape the dough into balls, wrap each tightly, and freeze for up to three months. Bake directly from frozen, adding a couple of minutes to the bake time. Baked cookies keep in an airtight container at room temperature for two days or in the refrigerator for a week.

The tops should be golden brown with visible chocolate chips and walnut pieces. The edges will be set and slightly crisp, while the centers remain soft, slightly under‑baked and gooey. The cookies will spread only a little, retaining a thick, mound‑like shape.

The YouTube channel Levain Bakery focuses on sharing behind‑the‑scenes looks at their iconic bakery items, detailed step‑by‑step tutorials for their famous cookies, and tips for home bakers who want to replicate New York’s most celebrated treats.

Levain Bakery emphasizes the importance of ingredient quality, the chill‑and‑bake method, and the use of oversized dough portions, whereas many other channels focus on standard‑size cookies or quick mix‑and‑bake recipes. Their videos also highlight the bakery’s community story and New York heritage.

Besides the classic chocolate chip walnut cookie, Levain Bakery’s channel showcases their oatmeal raisin cookies, dark chocolate peanut butter chip cookies, and seasonal specialty cookies such as pumpkin spice and peppermint chocolate varieties.