Easy Copycat Levain Cookie Recipe (made Vegan!)
Dec 15, 2020 • Updated Nov 27, 2023
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A vegan and gluten-free take on a classic NYC cookie–this Levain Cookie Recipe will knock your socks off! A deliciously crisp exterior with an ooey-gooey center. The ultimate cookie experience made right at home!
What Are Levain Cookies?
Levain Bakery is a renowned bakery in New York City that is famous for its massive cookies, fresh-baked breads, and desserts. The bakery is known for its large, gooey, thick cookies with a crispy exterior and gooey middle. The bakery’s original recipe has become an iconic cookie in the city (specifically the popular chocolate chip walnut cookie!), attracting both locals and tourists seeking an indulgent cookie experience.
While Levain cookies are infamous, they are very much the opposite of vegan and gluten-free, so I present my Vegan Levain Bakery Cookie Recipe! This is a single-serve monster of a cookie, gooey and chewy with crisp edges and lots of melty dark chocolate.
What Makes This Recipe Great?
It sounds impossible, but what makes Levain Bakery cookies so good has much to do with the sheer size and amount of chocolate chips used. So for this recipe, I modeled this recipe after the ever-popular Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies, which are hand-sized, big cookies with one tiny twist. These cookies are made completely vegan, gluten-free, refined sugar-free, and oil-free!
As an added bonus, you don’t have to worry about the cookie being under-baked or too raw. It’s just one of many perks of baking vegan–no raw eggs to worry about! With that being said, you can bake the cookie based on how you prefer to take your cookie. Subtract a few minutes from the bake time if you’re in the mood for some serious molten madness, or add a few if you like a little crisper.
This copycat Levain cookie recipe is vegan, gluten-free, refined sugar-free, and oil free. The recipe yields one cookie, but you may want to share your one cookie with a loved one or two unless you’ve got the appetite for it. It’s no joke!
How to Make Copycat Levain Cookies Recipe
This recipe is for one large cookie, and when I say large, I mean it! If you want to make more than one cookie, feel free to double or triple this recipe. I use vegan and gluten-free ingredients to make a copycat cookie that is the same in taste and texture but doesn’t require typical ingredients like large eggs, unsalted butter, oil, or all-purpose flour. Simple ingredients, delicious cookies!
Ingredient Notes
- Almond butter → Our essential ingredient for a molten cookie! This replaces unsalted butter and oil.
- Apple sauce → In place of an egg, we’re using a little bit of apple sauce which also helps to keep the cookie moist.
- Oat flour → My all-time favourite gluten-free flour alternative.
- Almond flour → For extra richness and a source of fat.
- Coconut sugar → For sweetness, of course. You can also use another granulated white sugar or light brown sugar of your choice.
- Chocolate chips → This is absolutely a must! Go heavy with them, and don’t be afraid to add more as you see fit.
- Plus some salt, vanilla extract, and baking soda!
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350F while you prepare your cookie dough in a large mixing bowl.
- In a large bowl, whisk together coconut sugar, almond butter, apple sauce, and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Sift the dry ingredients: oat flour, almond flour, baking soda, and salt into the wet ingredients and fold in with a spatula until a dough forms. The dough should be on the stickier side but still hold together. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to incorporate all the ingredients.
- Fold in chocolate chips, using a heavy hand and measuring with your heart (seriously, the more, the merrier).
- Shape your dough ball into a large, tall cookie. Think of a regular cookie but with extra height, and place it on a lined baking sheet.
- Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes until the edges are golden brown, keeping in mind the cookie will continue to bake while cooling.
Secrets to Success
- I highly recommend lining your baking tray with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat (silicone) for best results. This will save you cleanup time and also make taking your Vegan Levain Style Chocolate Chip Cookie off the tray much easier (with minimal breakage!).
- As mentioned, the key to a gooey cookie is to make sure the cookie has height. Don’t flatten this cookie out too much otherwise, you’ll just end up with a large cookie without the texture we’re aiming for.
- When removing it from the oven, if it looks like it could use a few minutes, pull it out anyway, as it will continue to cook a little while cooling. You can always pop back into the oven for a few minutes if necessary.
- I mixed my cookie dough by hand, but if you desire to use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or an electric hand mixer, feel free to. Mix at medium speed, and be cautious not to overmix.
- It’s worth noting that there is now a vegan + GF version of this cookie at Levain Bakery. However, it’s not the best tasting! It’s very dry and lacks a lot of the features that make the original so crave-worthy. So this homemade version is really a must-try!
Serving Tips
- Serve this Levain cookie recipe with a friend or two, and serve with a glass of your favorite plant-based milk!
Storage Tips
- If you have any leftovers or decide to make a bigger batch, store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
- Pop in the microwave for a few seconds to warm it up and serve!
Recipe FAQs
Levain cookies are special due to their huge size, crispy outside, and gooey inside. Made with top-notch ingredients like large chocolate chunks and walnuts, they’re baked at high temperatures for a short time. Their popularity, nostalgia factor, and unique texture make them iconic treats from Levain Bakery in NYC.
It’s worth noting that there is now a vegan + GF version of this cookie at Levain Bakery. However, it’s not the best tasting! It’s very dry and lacks a lot of the features that make the original so crave-worthy. So this homemade version is really a must-try!
More Cookie Recipes
Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies
White Chocolate Macadamia Cookies
If you try this Levain cookie recipe out, tag me on Instagram @veggiekins so I can see your delicious re-creations and feature them! As always, I love when you share your reviews in the comments below, and if you make any fun substitutions, let me know how it worked out below too.
Easy Copycat Levain Cookie Recipe (made Vegan!)
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp coconut sugar
- 2 1/2 tbsp almond butter
- 1 tbsp unsweetened apple sauce
- 1/4 tsp vanilla
- 2 tbsp oat flour
- 2 tbsp almond flour
- 1/8 tsp baking soda
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp dairy free chocolate chips more to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350F while you prepare your cookie dough.
- In a large bowl, whisk together coconut sugar, almond butter, apple sauce and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Sift oat flour, almond flour, baking soda and salt into the wet ingredients and fold in with a spatula until a dough forms. Dough should be on the stickier side but still hold together.
- Fold in chocolate chips, using a heavy hand and measuring with your heart (seriously, the more the merrier).
- Shape your dough into a large, tall cookie. Think a regular cookie but with extra height, and place on a lined baking tray. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes, keeping in mind the cookie will continue to bake while cooking.
Notes
Secrets to Success
-
- I highly recommend lining your baking tray with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat (silicone) for best results. This will save you cleanup time and also make taking your Vegan Levain Style Chocolate Chip Cookie off the tray much easier (with minimal breakage!).
-
- As mentioned, the key to a gooey cookie is to make sure the cookie has height. Don’t flatten this cookie out too much otherwise, you’ll just end up with a large cookie without the texture we’re aiming for.
-
- When removing it from the oven, if it looks like it could use a few minutes, pull it out anyway, as it will continue to cook a little while cooling. You can always pop back into the oven for a few minutes if necessary.
-
- I mixed my cookie dough by hand, but if you desire to use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or an electric hand mixer, feel free to. Mix at medium speed, and be cautious not to overmix.
- It’s worth noting that there is now a vegan + GF version of this cookie at Levain Bakery. However, it’s not the best tasting! It’s very dry and lacks a lot of the features that make the original so crave-worthy. So this homemade version is really a must-try!
Serving Tips
-
- Serve this Levain cookie recipe with a friend or two, and serve with a glass of your favorite plant-based milk!
Storage Tips
-
- If you have any leftovers or decide to make a bigger batch, store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
-
- Pop in the microwave for a few seconds to warm it up and serve!
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This post may contain affiliate links.
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