Rich, Thick, Gooey, and Utterly Perfect 💯
If you’ve ever sunk your teeth into a warm, gooey Levain Bakery cookie, you already know: they’re not just cookies — they’re an experience. This copycat recipe delivers the same over-the-top indulgence right from your own kitchen. Thick, craggly, and soft-baked with a slightly crisp exterior, these bakery-style chocolate peanut butter cookies are a chocoholic’s dream.
The dough is rich and deeply chocolatey, studded with creamy peanut butter chips that melt into little pockets of sweet, nutty perfection. Every bite hits that magical balance between fudgy brownie and chewy cookie, with a generous sprinkle of flaky sea salt to keep things perfectly in check.
And finally, the size matters. These are meant to be giant, bakery-style cookies. Each one weighs 5½ ounces — big enough to share… though no judgment if you don’t.
The Secret To Levain-Style Cookies
The cookies from this NYC bakery are legendary, and it all comes down to technique. Instead of creaming softened butter, they use cold, cubed butter — it prevents the dough from over-spreading and creates that thick, chewy center. A few extra tips:
- Weigh the dough. Consistent weight ensures even baking and that signature bakery heft.
- Don’t overmix. Once the peanut butter chips go in, mix until just combined (or you risk ending up with tough cookies).
- Don’t skip the espresso powder. You won’t taste coffee! It just enhances the depth of the chocolate flavor, yielding a richer, more intense taste.
Now for the very best part! You’ll pour in an entire 10oz bag of peanut butter baking chips. And yes, you absolutely must use Reese’s peanut butter chips! I’ve tested Levain-style cookies with other brands and I’m sorry to say they’re never as good.
Baking the cookies straight from the fridge keeps them tall and gives the interior a slightly underbaked, brownie-like texture that’s irresistible.
Like hi, hello, have you ever seen anything so gorgeous?!
If You Give A Grown-Up A Warm, Fresh-From-The-Oven Cookie…
They’re going to want a glass of cold milk to go with it. And they wouldn’t be wrong!
These cookies are best enjoyed warm, ideally within 10-15 minutes of baking when the centers are molten and the chips are still soft. They are, of course, still delicious within a few days.
You’ve truly never had a cookie this good in your entire life! Enough said. Make these today, thank me tomorrow, and be sure to leave your feedback below! 💯
And make sure to sign up for our newsletter and follow along on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, and Facebook for more Well Seasoned recipes! Don’t forget to tag us on social channels when you make a recipe at #wellseasonedstudio and upload your photos below! We love seeing what you’re up to in the kitchen!
Tell Us What You Think!
If you make this recipe, don’t forget to leave a review and rating—we value your feedback and it helps us keep creating (and sharing!) free recipes. Your support means the world!
Rate this Recipe
Levain-Style Chocolate Cookies with Melty Peanut Butter
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2½ cups (300g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (50g) unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder, must be sifted!
- 1 tsp instant espresso powder
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup (227g; 16 Tbsp) unsalted butter cold, cubed
- 1 cup (200g) light brown sugar
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1 large (50g) egg, cold
- 2 large (35g) egg yolks, cold
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
- 10 oz (283g) Reese’s peanut butter chips
- Flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Combine the dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 2½ cups (300g) all-purpose flour, ½ cup (50g) unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 tsp espresso powder, 2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp cornstarch, and 1 tsp kosher salt.
- Cream butter and sugar. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine 1 cup (227g) cold, cubed unsalted butter, 1 cup (200g) light brown sugar, and ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar. Beat on medium speed until no large pieces remain, about 2 minutes. Add 1 whole egg, 2 egg yolks, and 1 tsp vanilla bean paste, then continue beating until well mixed, about 30 seconds on medium.
- Add the dry ingredients. With the mixer off, add ⅓ of the dry ingredients, then mix on low speed until just barely combined. Watch out for flying flour. Repeat two more times with the remaining dry ingredients.
- Add peanut butter chips. Now for the best part: pour an entire 10oz (283g) bag of Reese’s peanut butter chips into the batter. Mix on low speed until they’re fully incorporated into the batter, then stop – do not overmix!
- Portion the cookies. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, then use a scale to weigh the dough into approximately 5½ oz portions – each portion should weigh 155g each. The dough rounds should be taller than they are wide. Do not smooth them out into perfectly round balls – keep them rustic and craggly. Also, they’re meant to be very large! You can keep them all on one sheet pan now, but when you go to bake them, you’ll want no more than 4 per baking sheet.
- Chill. Place the cookie dough in the fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes, but longer (even overnight) is totally fine.
- Bake. Preheat an oven to 375°F (191°C). Transfer 4 of the chilled cookies to a parchment lined baking sheet, then bake straight from the fridge for 12-15 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown. As with all cookies, they should look slightly underbaked (they’ll continue to firm up as they cool). Immediately sprinkle each with a little flaky sea salt. Cool for about 10 minutes on the sheet pan before transferring to a wire rack. They need this time to set. Repeat with remaining cookie dough (just keep it in the fridge until ready to bake). Enjoy warm or at room temperature!
Notes
- Make-ahead: Portion and chill the cookie dough for up to 48 hours before baking. You can also freeze unbaked cookie dough balls for up to 3 months. Simply bake from frozen, adding 2-3 extra minutes to the bake time.
- Storage: Keep cookies in an airtight container at room temp for 4 days. My kids like to briefly warm them in the toaster oven (300°F/150°C) for a few minutes to get them gooey again.
- To freeze, wrap cooled cookies individually in plastic wrap, then freeze for up to 3 months. I store them in a large ziploc bag for extra protection.
Nutrition
Photography by Meghan McKeehan.
Let us know your thoughts!