Vegan Levain Cookies
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My vegan Levain cookies are thick, chewy, and studded with gooey chocolate chips. Inspired by the infamous Levain Bakery cookies, I swear they’re BETTER than the original!
Why I love this recipe
I can still recall the day I tried my first Levain cookie in New York City. I waited in line for 45 minutes, but boy, it was so worth it. I’ve been trying to nail down the perfect copycat recipe with a vegan twist ever since. Not to toot my own horn, but I dare say I’ve done it.
The trick is getting enough moisture into the dough so the centers stay thick and gooey while the edges bake up crisp and golden. Here’s why I love them:
- Thick, gooey, and chewy. Just like the iconic Levain cookies.
- Simple pantry ingredients. Aside from vegan butter, everything is a pantry staple that’s naturally egg- and dairy-free.
- Ready in under an hour. The dough needs a short chill, but the cookies themselves bake in just 15 minutes.
★★★★★ REVIEW
“This was SUCH an amazing recipe! I took it to work and everyone I shared it with loved it.” – Christin
Table of Contents
Key Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need, along with my kitchen notes. Full measurements are in the recipe card below.
- All-purpose flour. Be sure to sift to remove clumps, and use gluten-free flour if needed (I had success using King Arthur or Bob’s Red Mill GF flour). I also tried this recipe with cake flour and didn’t notice a drastic difference in texture.
- Baking soda. Gives the cookies some rise and leavening.
- Kosher salt. Brings out the cookies’ sweetness.
- Sugar. I used white and light brown sugar. The white sugar adds sweetness and crisps the edges, while the brown sugar adds moisture and color.
- Vegan butter. Softened, but not melted. Always opt for vegan butter from a block, not a spread. It makes all the difference. I like using Country Crock sticks or Miyoko’s.
- Vanilla extract. A must for any good cookie recipe!
- Chocolate chips. I use enough vegan chocolate chips to ensure they are in every bite.
- Walnuts. Optional, but the original Levain Cookies contain walnuts. Use chopped, unsalted walnuts.
- Milk. I used unsweetened almond milk, but any dairy-free milk works.
How to make vegan Levain cookies
Step 1- Combine dry ingredients. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt.
Step 2- Cream the wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, add the softened butter and both sugars. Beat until smooth. Add the vanilla extract and mix well.
Step 3- Finish the cookie dough. Slowly stir in the flour mixture, then fold in the chocolate chips. If the dough is crumbly, add milk, one tablespoon at a time. Cover the cookie dough and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Step 4- Bake. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Form 6 cookie dough balls and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Let the cookies cool for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Avoid overbaking. This is my #1 tip for all baking recipes. Once they’re out of the oven, they’ll continue to cook briefly, so remove them as soon as the edges begin to golden. It’s okay if the center feels soft. Since they’re eggless, they’re fine if they’re a bit gooey.
- Don’t skip the chill time. I know it sounds like a pain, but trust me, it’s the only way to guarantee the cookies don’t spread too much and remain thick.
- Use both sugars. It’s the combination of white and brown sugar that gives the cookies the perfect texture.
- If you chill the dough for more than 2 hours, let the dough sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before baking.
- Make smaller cookies. I made these cookies to match Levain’s 6-ounce cookies, but you can make them half the size to make a full dozen.
Storage instructions
To store: Vegan Levain Cookies will keep at room temperature, in a sealable container. They will keep well for up to 1 week. You can refrigerate the baked cookies to keep them longer (2 weeks).
To freeze: Place cookies in a Ziploc bag and store in the freezer for up to 6 months.
More chocolate chip cookie recipes
Vegan Levain Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour use gluten free, if needed * see notes, 250g
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup sugar 100g
- 1/2 cup brown sugar 110g
- 1 cup vegan butter softened, not melted * see notes, 225g
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup chocolate chips of choice 170g
- 1/4 cup milk of choice * See notes
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, add your flour, baking soda and salt and mix well. Set aside.
- In a separate mixing bowl, add your softened butter, sugar, and brown sugar. Beat together until smooth and creamy. Add in your vanilla extract and mix well.
- Slowly add your flour mixture, and mix until just combined. Fold through your chocolate chips. If the dough is a little crumbly, add the milk, one tablespoon at a time. Cover the cookie dough and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Remove the cookie dough from the refrigerator. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Once warm, form 6 balls of cookie dough and place on a cookie sheet. Bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes, or until the edges go slightly brown. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes on the sheet, before transferring to a wire rack until cool.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published July 2020
Can these be baked in an air fryer?
I don’t see why not! Follow my process for air fryer cookies, but increase the air frying time by about 7 minutes to compensate for the larger size.
It’s Vegan because of the butter. Could I substitute almond flour or oatmeal flour which are Vegan ingredients as well?
Again, thanks for sharing.
GrandMaEva from the Philippines.
Thanks Eva! You won’t be able to completely replace the traditional flour with an alternative without changing all of the other ingredients to compensate, unfortunately. You could substitute some of it though. Swapping out 25-50% of the all purpose flour for oat flour shouldn’t require too much else to change though. Hope this helps!
Hi, I just bought a stand mixer. Can I use it to make these cookies, or would it be better done by hand? Thanks so much!
Hi Christin- Provided you do a super low speed, it will be fine to use a stand mixer. Any higher and you risk the dough being a little too mixed 🙂 Let me know how you go!
This was SUCH an amazing recipe! I took it to work and everyone I shared it with loved it. Can I use this recipe to develop others (I’m wanting to do red velvet for Valentine’s Day next). Also, mine spread a bit in the oven. How do I prevent that from happening next time?
If it makes a difference, I homemade Miyoko Shinner’s 3 ingredient vegan butter. It creamed beautifully.
They’re soo big!! I made 8 out of the 6 and had eaten some raw dough and they were still huge, I love them, I added peanut butter chips and sprinkles, so much fun!
Haha, they are, aren’t they Mady! I was inspired to make them after (greedily) getting two cookies for Levain Bakery in New York, and not even being able to eat one on my own- although the girls working there told me most can easily eat one, some two!!!!!
This recipe didn’t work for me at all. I made six cookies like the recipe says and they were HUGE. And no matter how long I baked them I swear they stayed raw.
Hi Kaitlyn- sorry to hear that. Does your oven perhaps not bake as hot as others? They are supposed to be nice and firm on the outside, and gooey in the middle.
Delicious! I made these to take to an event tomorrow. Having a tasty cookie that is both vegan and GF (though I am neither) covers the bases for many special-diet folks.
I made more, smaller cookies and reduced the baking time; worked well.
One note, chocolate chips of the most common brand (yellow bag) are *not* vegan; they contain milkfat and, for the milk chocolate variety, nonfat milk as well. Several vegan brands are available at most major supermarkets. Search “vegan chocolate chips near me” to find local sources.
Arman, you are a cookie Genius!! Thank you for the most delicious NY style cookie recipe ever!! I used gluten free flour and they were fantastic!! Unlike most gluten free recipes, they were still fantastic the next day!! My search is over for the Best gluten free vegan chocolate chip cookies!! Easy and delicious!! Thank you thank you!!!
Wow, these cookies were incredible! Thank you for the recipe! I sprinkled with flaky sea salt as soon as they came out of the oven and we had so many compliments.
hello- if I wanted to make a skillet cookie how long would you say I should bake in the oven for?
Hi Joey, I have a recipe for a skillet cookie here 🙂 Hope this helps!
Can we freeze the cookie dough? If so, how long will it stay good?
Yes! I’d say no longer than one month
Amazing cookies
can i freeze the cookie dough and if so can i bake straight or do i need to wait to defrost?
Thank you so much
Hi Jane, you can definitely freeze the dough. I would divide it up into balls first and then just make sure you thaw them before baking, yep! They can be cold, but not rock hard when you put them into the oven.
How many grams of flour do you get when you measure 2 cups of flour? I want to make these with the same measurements as you are using, and since flour is the ingredient that varies most, I was wondering how many grams you get to a cup of flour. Thanks!
Hi Maria! I’v just updated the recipe to include metric measurements. I hope you find it helpful. The flour comes out to 250 grams.
Thank you for this recipe! I followed the recipe 100% (chilled the dough for a bit over 2 hours etc) but the cookies have spread out a lot and they aren’t as chunky as in the photos you have uploaded. Any ideas why this would happen?
Hi Nikoletta. Hmmm, what brand of vegan butter did you use? Some brands have excess liquids in them, which would cause them to spread significantly. If you let me know (or email it to me), I can troubleshoot for you.
Can you cook these from frozen?
Hi Lucy- I did test them to see how they turn out from frozen, and they were wonderful- they do need an extra 10 minutes of baking time.
Deliciously veganized copy-cat cookies. Drool worthy for sure!
Thanks Jillian! So glad you enjoyed them. These ones are so irresistible!
I already said this on Instagram but these were freaking amazing! I had to come here and drop a 5 star review I would’ve given these a 10 star review ⭐️ it it was an option. These are the BEST cookies I’ve ever had, I’m newly diagnosed Celiac and I’ve eaten a gazillion Chocolate Chip Cookie’s in my life but these are life changing. You would NEVER know these were GF. I’m quickly becoming your biggest fan. I have yet to try a recipe of yours I don’t love. Thank you, thank you so much for your culinary genius.❤️
You are a gem!
The best vegan cookie recipe I have ever tried. Will be making again and again.
This is my go to chocolate chip cookie recipe! Love huge, soft, gooey cookies. So easy to make and chilling really does make them so much better. I finish mine with flaky sea salt. Deliciousness. Thank you so much for this great vegan recipe!
Can I make these cookies using all purpose flour?
Yess, u can.
I tried to use integral flour, and everything goes well.
This is the first GF chocolate chip cookie recipe I’ve tried since my husband was diagnosed with Celiac a couple weeks ago and they are PERFECT. I measured my flour in grams (1 cup = 120 g) and froze them for an hour because I was short on time and they are absolutely delicious. I added about 1 Tbsp of milk and they have a very nice texture. Thank you for so many great recipes, Arman! I look forward to making many more.
Best recipe ever! This is my go to recipe and I even change chocolate chips for other things such as M&Ms. Everyone tells me these cookies are divine.
I love that you swap out the chips for M&M’s Carly- yum!
i don’t like walnuts but if i wanted to include another type of nut, hazelnut for instance, how much would i use of that? equal parts chocolate chip and nuts or?
Use the same amounts 🙂
Not a vegan recipe.
Sugar is not vegan.
Hi Sharon- that is not correct. These are 100% vegan.
This is the very best vegan cookie recipe I made to date (and oh, how I have tried many in the last two years)! You sir, are a genius!!! 😀
Can I use an erythritol blend? And sukrin Brown? To Make these sugar free.
If this is what the Levain cookies taste like then there’s no wonder they went so popular. Holy crap they are beautiful. Great recipe. These are the only cookies I’m making now
Thanks, Ben. I really appreciate your wonderful comment and review.
Hi. Do i have to melt half of the chocolate to make the cookies look like yours? Melt in the middle.
Hi Herniz- not at all! That’s how it looks after baking.
I’ve made another (non-vegan) copycat version that calls for eggs. You don’t have any flax eggs in these? Just checking 🙂 The Levain ones I’ve made in the past are completely amazing, I’m sure these are too!
These don’t need any 🙂
Best gluten free cookie I’ve ever made! My coworker (who is not gluten free) told me he likes them better than Crumbl cookies. Thanks for the amazing recipe!
Love that! 🙂
These were so good and it was unbelievable that they were eggless. Will definitely add this to my baking usuals! ♥️
I love to hear that. I’m so thankful you enjoyed the recipe!
How big are the round balls for one cookie?
Hi! What brand of sugars did you use? Not all too familiar with vegan sugars and wanted to give this recipe a try. Thank you!
Hi Riza- I use regular C&H sugars, which are the most common grocery store brand.
Easiest recipe ever! Great flavour and texture as well!! I’ve done like 9 times this month hahaha
Susana, I love that. These are one of my go-to cookies for entertaining, my friends LOVE them.
Got it! I looked and only the self raising flour has it added. Thanks!
Is it necessary to add xanthan gum? I’m new to using GF flour and am trying to figure when you should add xanthan gum.
The gluten free flour I use has added xanthan gum, which holds it together 🙂
I used about 3/4 cups butter (stick and a half of salted earth balance) because that’s all I had, and they came out AMAZING! I also added some chopped pecans for fun, and I couldn’t suggest it more highly. These were so good, even better the next day. Thank you!
That is super helpful, Katie- others would find it helpful that Earth Balance worked and with a lesser amount.
Hi Arman, can I substitute the brown sugar with coconut sugar? Also is there a difference if I were to use light brown vs dark brown sugar? Which would work better for this recipe? Coconut sugar/Light brown sugar/Dark brown sugar?
Hi A! absolutely that would be perfectly fine. Dark brown sugar adds a stronger molasses flavor, but also makes the middles moist. I’d opt for light brown sugar, as it isn’t as overpowering and also keeps the middles nicely gooey- not overpowering.v
Hello! Should I be using salted or unsalted butter for this recipe?
Unsalted is great!
Hi! Is there anything I could substitute the vegan butter with? Thank you! 🙂
Hi! You can use traditional butter or try coconut oil.
This sounds amazing! Would Swerve be used to replace the white sugar and coconut sugar be used to replace brown sugar?
I haven’t tried, they will work but I am unsure how the final texture would be!
Can regular butter be used?
You sure can 🙂
May I use almond flour( meal) in place of flour for these cookies?
Not that I’ve tried.
How much butter in grams do you think it’s needed? I am not good with cups… thanks so
Much for your reply!
1 cup =230g