The Best Copycat Levain Bakery Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies

These rich and chewy Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies are a true indulgence and will have you thinking you’re sitting on West 74th Street at the popular New York City bakery. Truly the best Levain Bakery copycat recipe.

Levain Bakery Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookie

I have so many new cake flavor ideas I’m dying to test out and share with you, but I had to put those on hold for a bit longer. I was recently in New York where I visited (again) the popular Levain Bakery. After getting home I simply couldn’t wait another minute to recreate their Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookie. This is one of my all-time favorite cookies EVER!

What is Levain Bakery?

Levain Bakery ™ is a beloved New York City institution that has garnered a cult-like following for its legendary cookies. Founded in 1995 by Connie McDonald and Pam Weekes, the bakery originally aimed to create the perfect fuel for their triathlon training. However, their decadent, six-ounce cookies soon became the star of the show, captivating locals and tourists alike.

Levain Bakery’s appeal lies in the indulgent, gooey centers of their cookies, juxtaposed with a crisp, golden exterior, creating a textural symphony that cookie aficionados crave. Beyond cookies, the bakery also offers a delightful array of breads and pastries, all baked fresh daily with high-quality ingredients. This commitment to craftsmanship and the sensory pleasure derived from every bite has solidified Levain Bakery’s status as a must-visit destination for dessert lovers around the world.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookie Recipe

I know Levain is probably best known for their Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookie, but in my opinion the Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookie takes the cake! (Their oatmeal raisin and dark chocolate peanut butter cookies are pretty amazing, too!) Maybe I’m a little biased because I’m shamelessly obsessed with peanut butter. There must be something about peanut butter, as even The Silos have a peanut butter based Magnolia cookie – I have a copycat recipe for that one as well. But even non-obsessed PB fans love this cookie because it’s simply delicious!

How to Make Levain Bakery’s Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies

To make the Levain Bakery Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies, you’ll need to grab:

• Unsalted butter
• Brown sugar
• Granulated sugar
• Eggs
• Dark cocoa powder (I use Extra Brute Cacao Barry Cocoa Powder – IT’S THE BEST COCOA)
• All-purpose flour
• Cake flour
• Salt
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Reese’s Peanut Butter Baking Chips (this brand is a must – so much better than any other peanut butter chip)

Step by Step Tutorial

This recipe took me a few times to get it just right! I wanted to make sure the texture was chewy, while also getting a slightly crispy edge. The final result is truly the perfect copycat recipe of the Levain Bakery cookies.

FAQs

Do I have to make the cookies so big? Levain is known for the massive size of their cookies. They don’t mess around, people! Each cookie is weighed out to 5.75 ounces before going on the baking sheet. (Levain actually does 6 ounces per cookie). That sounds huge, but it makes the cookie what it is.

Do I have to use so many peanut butter chips? The Levain cookies are also known for being packed with baking chips (and nuts, in some cases). For my copycat Levain Bakery Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip cookies, the chips help to create the height. I put nearly a bag and a half of peanut butter chips in my cookies here, which I think is perfection! 

Why do my cookies look flatter then yours? Depending on where you live (altitude and humidity can affect baked goods), or the temperature of your ingredients (use cold), or not using enough peanut butter chips (these give the cookies height). can cause the cookies to be a little shorter than the Levain cookies. In fact, I recently reshot these cookies to get step-by-step tutorial pictures for you and you’ll notice they’re a little shorter than my photos from the cookbook. Do not worry! They still taste amazing. I think my butter and eggs just got a tad warmer than I usually have them at since we were taking photos along the way.

Copycat Levain Bakery Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies

4.78 from 54 votes

Thick, rich, and chewy, these chocolate peanut butter chip cookies will have you thinking you’re sitting on West 74th Street at the popular New York City bakery.

Servings 8 Large cookies

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Ingredients

  

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• 1 1/2 cup (180 g) all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup (76.6 g) cake flour
• 3/4 cup (88.5 g) dark cocoa powder (I use Extra Brute Cacao Powder)
• 1 teaspoon (4 g) baking powder
• 1 teaspoon (6 g) kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon (2 g) baking soda
• 14 tablespoons (197.75 g) unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
• 1 cup (220 g) light brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
• 1 whole egg, cold
• 1 egg yolk, cold
• 1 bag (10 oz.), plus ⅓ cup Reese's Peanut Butter baking chips*

Instructions

 

• Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
• Combine the all-purpose flour, cake flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a medium sized bowl. Whisk together. Set aside.
• In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the cold butter and sugars and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
• Add the whole egg and egg yolk and mix until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again for about 30 more seconds.
• Turn the mixer on low speed and add the dry ingredients in three separate additions, only mixing until the dry ingredients are incorporated.
• Stir in the peanut butter chips.
• Measure 5.75 oz. of cookie dough and shape into balls. Place 4 cookie dough balls on the baking sheet and bake for 11 minutes. 
• Let the cookies cool for about 10 minutes and then serve while still warm. To eat later, heat a cookie in the microwave for about 15-20 seconds. 
• *Please don’t use any other brand but Reese’s! I’ve tried every peanut butter baking chip out there and these are simply the best. They make a huge difference to the flavor of the cookie and any other peanut butter chip just wouldn’t be the same.
• **This is about a bag and a half.

Author: cakebycourtney

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Cookies

Keyword: chocolate, cookies, Peanut Butter